Establishes program in DOLWD to address jobs lost due to automation.

A4630

ASSEMBLY, No. 4630

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� ALEX SAUICKIE

District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes program in DOLWD to address jobs lost due
to automation.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
establishing a program to address job loss using
workforce development funds and amending and supplementing P.L.1992, c.43.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 9 of P.L.1992,
c.43 (C.34:15D-9) is amended to read as follows:

���� 9.��� a. A restricted,
nonlapsing, revolving Workforce Development Partnership Fund, to be managed and
invested by the State Treasurer, is hereby established to: provide employment
and training services to qualified displaced, disadvantaged and employed workers
by means of training grants or customized training services; provide for the
other costs indicated in subsection a. of section 4 of P.L.1992, c.43
(C.34:15D-4); provide for the New Jersey Innovation and Research Fellowship
Program as provided for in section 3 of P.L.2015, c.235 (C.34:15D-26); provide
for the Talent Network Program as provided for in section 2 of P.L.2019, c.125
(C.34:15D-29); and facilitate the provision of education and training to youth
by means of grants provided by the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership
pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et al.).� All
appropriations to the fund, all interest accumulated on balances in the fund
and all cash received for the fund from any other source shall be used solely
for the purposes specifically delineated by this act.

���� b.��� During any fiscal year
beginning after June 30, 2001, of the total revenues dedicated to the program
during any one fiscal year:

���� (1)�� 25% shall be deposited
in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved to provide
employment and training services for qualified displaced workers, and through
fiscal year 2023, not less than 10% of the revenues deposited in that account
shall be reserved to provide employment and training services to qualified
displaced workers in the pursuit of industry-valued credentials under the pilot
program established pursuant to P.L.2019, c.252 (C.34:15D-30 et al.); and
during any fiscal year beginning after June 30, 2019, 0.5% shall be deposited
in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for an
appropriated to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for the
Apprenticeship Start-Up Grant Program created pursuant to section 3 of
P.L.2019, c.417 (C.34:15D-6.1);

���� (2)�� 6% shall be deposited in
an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved to provide
employment and training services for qualified disadvantaged workers, and
through fiscal year 2023, not less than 10% of the revenues deposited in that account
shall be reserved to provide employment and training services to qualified
disadvantaged workers in the pursuit of industry-valued credentials under the
pilot program established pursuant to P.L.2019, c.252 (C.34:15D-30 et al.);

���� (3)��
[
37%
]

35%

prior to July 1,
[
2022
]

2023
,
and
[
35%
]

33%

after June 30,
[
2022
]

2023

shall be deposited in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund
reserved for and appropriated to the Office of Customized Training;

���� (4)�� 5% prior to July 1,
2022, and 7% after June 30, 2022 shall be deposited in an account of the
Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the Youth Transitions to
Work Partnership created pursuant to P.L.1993, c.268 (C.34:15E-1 et seq.);

���� (5)�� 3% shall be deposited in
an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for
occupational safety and health training;

���� (6)�� 5% shall be deposited in
an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for and
appropriated to the Talent Network Program established pursuant to section 2 of
P.L.2019, c.125 (C.34:15D-29);

���� (7)�� 3% shall be deposited in
an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the New
Jersey Innovation and Research Fellowship Program established pursuant to
section 3 of P.L.2015, c.235 (C.34:15D-26);

���� (8)�� 10% shall be deposited
in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for
administrative costs as defined in section 3 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-3);

���� (9)�� 0.5% shall be deposited
in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the
State Employment and Training Commission to design criteria and conduct an
annual evaluation of the program;
[
and
]

���� (10) 5% shall be deposited in
an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund to be used, at the
discretion of the commissioner, for any of the purposes indicated in subsection
a. of section 4 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-4)
;

����
(11) 2% shall be deposited
in an account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the New
Jersey Automation Job Loss Prevention Program established pursuant to section 2
of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)
.

���� c.���� Beginning January 1,
1995, through June 30, 2002, the balance in the fund as of the previous
December 31, as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles, shall not exceed 1.5 times the amount of contributions deposited
for the calendar year then ended.� If the balance exceeds this amount, the
excess shall be deposited into the unemployment compensation fund within seven
business days of the date that the determination is made.

���� d.��� Beginning July 1, 2002,
and for any subsequent fiscal year, if the unexpended cash balance in any of
the accounts indicated in subsection b. of this section, except for the account
reserved for the Talent Network Program, less any amount awarded in grants but
not yet disbursed from the account, is determined to exceed 20% of the amount
of contributions collected for deposit in the account pursuant to this
subsection during the fiscal year then ended, the excess shall be regarded as
an unemployment compensation contribution and deposited into the unemployment
compensation fund within seven business days of the date that the determination
is made.� If the unexpended cash balance in the account reserved for the Talent
Network Program, less any amount awarded in grants but not yet disbursed from
the account, is determined to exceed 20% of the amount of contributions
collected for deposit in the account pursuant to this subsection during the
fiscal year then ended, the excess shall be deposited into the Workforce
Development Partnership Fund account reserved for the Office of Customized
Training.

���� e.���� $250,000 shall be
allocated to the Apprentice Assistance and Support Services Pilot Program
established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2019, c.419 (C.34:15D-6.2) from the
$29,690,000 which was appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations act
for State fiscal year 2019 from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund for
the purpose of funding Work First New Jersey Work Activities and Work First New
Jersey-Training Related Expenses, and, $1,100,000 shall be allocated to the
pilot program in each of fiscal years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 from the
amounts appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations act in those fiscal
years from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund for the purpose of
funding Work First New Jersey Work Activities and Work First New
Jersey-Training Related Expenses.� Of the funds allocated to the pilot program
pursuant to this subsection, 90% shall be dedicated to the Child Care Stipend
program and 10% to transportation reimbursement.

���� f.���� Upon the effective date
of P.L.2022, c.89 (C.34:15E-6 et al.) and notwithstanding the provisions of any
law or regulation to the contrary, in addition to the amount deposited in an
account of the Workforce Development Partnership Fund reserved for the Youth
Transitions to Work Partnership pursuant to subsection b. of this section,
$1,000,000 shall be allocated to the Youth Transitions to Work Partnership from
the $22,500,000 which was appropriated pursuant to the annual appropriations
act for State fiscal year 2022 from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund
for the purpose of funding the NJ Apprenticeship Network, the Career
Accelerator Internship Program, the Workforce Development Policy and Evaluation
Lab, the NJ Career Network, and such other priority workforce initiatives
recommended by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development.

(cf: P.L.2022, c.89, s.2)

���� 2.��� (New section)� a.� The
Department of Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation with the New
Jersey Economic Development Authority and the Secretary of Higher Education,
shall establish the New Jersey Automation Job Loss Prevention Program.

���� b.��� The New Jersey
Automation Job Loss Prevention Program shall be funded through the funds
reserved for that program from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund
pursuant to section 9 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-9).� The funds shall be
distributed by the department for the following purposes:

���� (1)�� the department shall
work in consultation with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and
Secretary of Higher Education to fund job training and career development
programs that connect employers located throughout the State with workers whose
jobs have been lost or are endangered by automation as identified pursuant to
section 3 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as
this bill);

���� (2)�� the job training and
career development programs funded pursuant to P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be hosted by employers at
any place of business located in this State or at an institution of higher
education located in this State. The programs shall focus on career development
as well as any specialized training that prepares at risk employees or those
who have lost jobs for immediate employment with a host employer upon
completion of a job training and career development program;

���� (3)�� the job training and
career development programs funded pursuant to P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall provide employers the
ability to train workers at no cost to the employer; and

���� (4)�� the job training and
career development programs funded pursuant to P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall connect participants with,
and provide at least partial funding for, wrap around services to encourage
participation in the programs.� The wrap around services shall include, but not
be limited to, transportation, child care, mental health services, and training
on personal finance.

���� 3.��� (New section)� a.� The
department shall identify jobs that have been or are in danger of being lost
due to an increase in automation in that industry, and provide that information
to the New Jersey Automation Job Loss Prevention Program.

���� b.��� The department, in
consultation with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, shall
promulgate rules and regulations providing for the establishment,
administration, and evaluation of the New Jersey Automation Job Loss Prevention
Program.

���� c.���� The department, in
consultation with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, shall conduct
an evaluation of the effectiveness of the New Jersey Automation Job Loss
Prevention Program overall, and its capacity to promote the growth of
businesses and employment, and prevent unemployment, no later than five years
after the approval of the first job training and career development program.

���� 4.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill will dedicate workforce
development funds for a New Jersey Automation Job Loss Prevention Program in
the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.� The program will be
designed by the department in consultation with the New Jersey Economic
Development Authority.

���� The program will fund job
training and career development programs, administered by the department, which
focus on connecting employers located throughout the State with workers whose
jobs have been lost or are endangered by automation as identified pursuant to
the bill.� The job training and career development programs will be hosted by
employers at any place of business located in this State or at an institution
of higher education located in this State and shall focus on career development
as well as any specialized training that prepares at risk employees or those
who have lost jobs for immediate employment with a host employer upon
completion of a job training and career development program.� The programs
funded by the bill will provide employers the ability to train workers at no
cost to the employer.

���� The job training and career
development programs funded pursuant to the bill are to connect participants
with, and provide at least partial funding for, wrap around services to
encourage participation in the programs.� The wrap around services include, but
are not limited to, transportation, child care, mental health services, and
training on personal finance.

���� The bill requires the
department to identify jobs that have been or are in danger of being lost due
to an increase in automation in that industry, and provide that information to
the program.� The bill also requires the department to conduct an evaluation of
the program five years after approval of the first job training and career
development program to determine the effectiveness of the program overall.