Creates "Unemployment Intake Accountability Pilot Program."

A4771

ASSEMBLY, No. 4771

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� AURA K. DUNN

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Creates �Unemployment Intake Accountability Pilot
Program.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
creating an �Unemployment Intake Accountability Pilot
Program.�

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

���� 1.��� a.� The Commissioner of
Labor and Workforce Development shall establish a three-year �Unemployment
Intake Accountability Pilot Program� in the Department of Labor and Workforce
Development.� The objective of the pilot program shall be to study the effectiveness
of recording customer service intake calls to the Division of Unemployment
Insurance to facilitate the timely delivery of benefits.� Under the pilot
program, a representative sample of customer service intake calls shall be
recorded for later analysis by the commissioner.

���� b.��� The commissioner may
enter into contracts for the recording of customer service intake calls.

���� c.���� No later than one year
following the effective date of this act, and each of the two years following,
the commissioner shall survey the record of customer service intake calls to
the Division of Unemployment Insurance.� The survey shall obtain information
including, but not limited to:

���� (1)�� the resolution rate of
calls recorded by the pilot program;

���� (2)�� time elapsed between
customer intake and the resolution of calls recorded by the pilot program; and

���� (3)�� any correlation between
the time elapsed and the level of benefits received by the recipient.�

���� The commissioner shall use the
survey results to publish an annual report on the effectiveness of the customer
service intake telephone system in facilitating the timely delivery of
benefits. The commissioner shall forward the report to the Governor, and to the
Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1).

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect 90 days after the date of enactment, and shall expire upon the
submission of the third annual report; except the commissioner may take any
anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the
implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes a
three-year �Unemployment Intake Accountability Pilot Program� in the Department
of Labor and Workforce Development.� The objective of the pilot program shall
be to test the viability of recording customer service intake calls to the
Division of Unemployment Insurance.� Under the pilot program, a representative
sample of customer service intake calls is to be recorded for later analysis by
the commissioner. The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development may enter
into contracts to enact this pilot program.

���� No later than one year
following the effective date of the bill, the commissioner is required to
survey the record of customer service intake calls to the Division of
Unemployment Insurance.� The survey shall obtain information including, but not
limited to: the resolution rate of calls recorded by the pilot program; time
elapsed between customer intake and the resolution of calls recorded by the
pilot program; and any correlation between the time elapsed and the level of
benefits received by the recipient. The commissioner shall use the survey
results to publish an annual report on the effectiveness of the customer
service intake telephone system.

���� It is the view of the sponsor
that this pilot program is necessary because of public dissatisfaction with the
Department of Labor and Workforce Development, including claimant reports of
rudeness during telephone interactions with the department.