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A5343
ASSEMBLY, No. 5343
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED JUNE 28, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman� BRIAN BERGEN
District 26 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
���� Creates long-term care workforce development program
and advisory council.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
establishing a long-term care workforce
development program and supplementing Titles 34 and 54 of the Revised Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� As used in this act:
���� �Certified nursing assistant�
means any individual who has fulfilled the Certified Nursing Aid requirements
as established by the New Jersey Department of Health and maintains an active
license as issued by that department.
���� �Certified home health aide�
means a professional care giver responsible for helping individuals maintain
their personal health and hygiene in a home setting.� A certified home health
aid has fulfilled the certification requirements established by the Department
of Human Servies and is listed on the online directory of Certified Home Health
Aides as maintained by the Division of Consumer Affairs.
���� �Commissioner� means the
Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
���� �Department� means the
Department of Labor and Workforce Development.�
���� �Personal care assistant�
means any individual who has fulfilled the Certified Nursing Aid requirements
as established by the New Jersey Department of Health and maintains an active
license as issued by that department.
���� �Qualified direct care worker�
means a worker employed as a certified nursing assistant, certified home health
aide, or personal care assistant for at least 720 hours in total during a tax
year.
���� 2.��� a.� There is established
in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development a Direct Health Care
Worker Training Grant Program. �The program shall provide up to $5,000 per
worker toward the pursuit of certification as, or continuing education related
to, the professions of certified nursing assistant, certified home health aide,
or personal care assistant.
���� b.��� The program shall:
���� (1)�� provide an incentive to workers
to pursue careers in the targeted fields;
���� (2)�� inform workers of the
program established pursuant to this section; and
���� (3)�� be limited to a two-year
duration per individual enrollee.
���� c.���� A worker subject to the
provisions of this act may apply for the Direct Health Care Worker Training
Grant established pursuant to this section in accordance with application
procedures established by the commissioner.
���� d.��� The commissioner shall
certify eligibility and program participation for the program established
pursuant to this section, and shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the
�Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) to
effectuate the purposes of this Direct Health Care Worker Training Grant, and
to prevent the duplication of benefits across State workforce development
programs.
���� 3.��� a.� For taxable years
beginning in 2027, a taxpayer employed as a qualified direct care worker shall
be allowed a credit against the New Jersey gross income tax due pursuant to
N.J.S.54A:1-1 et seq. in an amount equal to $1,200.� In the case of a qualified
direct care worker filing a joint return with another resident individual who
is also a qualified direct care worker, the credit shall be in an amount equal
to $2,000.
���� b.��� The credit allowed by
this section shall not be allowed to a taxpayer whose gross income exceeds:
���� (1)�� $75,000 in the case of a
taxpayer who files a single return; or
���� (2)�� $100,000 in the case of
a taxpayer who files a joint return.
���� c.���� A taxpayer shall apply
in a form and manner to be determined by the Director of the Division of
Taxation in the Department of the Treasury for the tax credit provided pursuant
to this section.
���� 4.��� a.� The New Jersey
Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development shall
consult with each county college in the State to develop a standardized elder
care certificate program.� The certificate programs established by a county
college shall be directly targeted to business and industry located in the
region that have an identified and immediate need to hire employees with
education and skills that are not being addressed through available training
and educational opportunities.
���� b.��� (1)� Under a certificate
program, the county college shall develop the curriculum to ensure that it is
directly aligned to the needs of those patients requiring elder care.
���� (2)�� The county college shall
provide the faculty for the certificate program and shall make college
facilities available for the program.� Upon agreement with any elder care
facility, certificate program classes may be provided on-site at the elder care
facility.
���� (3)�� An employer may hire an
individual enrolled in a certificate program prior to completion of the program
with continued employment dependent upon successful completion.� The county
college shall issue a certificate to each individual who successfully completes
the program to indicate that the individual has acquired the requisite
knowledge and skills for employment in the identified field or occupation.
���� 5.��� a.� There is established
within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development a Long-Term Care
Advisory Council which shall:
���� (1)�� act as the advisory body
on long-term care, home health care, elder care, and health care training and
recruitment related to these healthcare fields to the Legislature and State
departments, agencies, commissions, authorities, and private agencies that
provide services to, or are charged with the care of, persons requiring long-term
health care;
���� (2)�� conduct a thorough and
comprehensive study of all issues relating to the quality of and access to
services provided to long-term care patients;
���� (3)�� develop recommendations
for best practice standards encompassing the most effective strategies for expanding
training and recruitment for health care professionals in home health care in
New Jersey; and
���� (4)�� identify and conduct,
with assistance from the public, additional research related to long-term care,
elder care, and home care.
���� b.��� The advisory council
shall consist of 16 members as follows:
���� (1)�� the Commissioners of Education,
Health, Human Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, or their
designees, as ex officio members;
���� (2)�� two members of the
public, one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor upon recommendation of
the President of the Senate, and one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor
upon recommendation of the Minority Leader of the Senate, which public members
shall be a registered nurse or nurse practitioner licensed to practice in this
State with experience in providing long-term care, home health care or elder
care, or a physician licensed to practice in this State with expertise in
providing long-term care, home health care or elder care;
���� (3)�� two members of the
public, one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor upon recommendation of
the Speaker of the General Assembly, and one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor
upon recommendation of the Minority Leader of the General Assembly, which
public members shall be a registered nurse or nurse practitioner licensed to
practice in this State with experience in providing long-term care, home health
care or elder care, or a physician licensed to practice in this State with
expertise in providing long-term care, home health care or elder care; and
���� (4)�� eight public members to
be appointed by the Governor, who shall include: �a physician licensed to
practice in this State who has expertise in long-term care, home health care,
or elder care and is associated with the research department of an academic
institution in this State; a representative of a general hospital or hospital
system in this State recommended by the New Jersey Hospital Association; a
representative of the health insurance industry recommended by the New Jersey
Association of Health Plans; a pharmacist licensed in this State; a representative
of the medical technology industry who has expertise in long-term care, home
health care, or elder care and is recommended by the HealthCare Institute of
New Jersey; a representative of an elder care patient advocacy organization; a
person, age 18 years or older, who has previously required long-term health
care; and a caregiver or care partner for a patient requiring long-term health
care.
���� c. Public members of the
advisory council shall serve for a term of three years, except that of the
initial appointments, four public members shall serve for one year, four public
members shall serve for two years, and four public members shall serve for
three years. Vacancies in the membership of the council shall be filled in the
same manner as the original appointments were made. The public members of the
council shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for traveling
and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform their duties within the
limits of funds made available to the council for its purposes.
���� d.��� The advisory council
shall organize as soon as practicable after the appointment of a majority of
its public members, and the Governor shall select a chairperson and vice
chairperson from among its members. The chairperson shall appoint a secretary
who need not be a member of the council.
���� e.���� The advisory council
shall meet a minimum of three times a year but may meet more often at the call
of its chair. The council may hold hearings at the times and in the places it
deems appropriate and necessary to fulfill its charge. The council shall be entitled
to call to� its assistance, and avail itself of the services of the employees
of, any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or
agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.
���� f.���� The Department of Labor
and Workforce Development shall maintain oversight of the advisory council.� The
department may issue a request, within 180 days after the effective date of
this act, for proposals for a location for the advisory council to operate and
for staff and resources to support the operations of the council. The department
shall provide staff services to the advisory council if the proposals submitted
to the department are not sufficient to meet the needs of the council.
���� g.��� The advisory council
shall report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164
(C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, no later than December 31st, on a biennial
basis, starting in the second year next following the enactment of this act, on
the activities of the advisory council and its findings and recommendations on
issues relating to the quality of, and access to, long-term care, home health
care, and elder care services in this State.
���� 6.��� This act shall take
effect six months from the date of enactment, except for the tax provisions of section
3 which shall take effect January 1, 2027.
STATEMENT
���� The bill creates several
incentives and initiatives related to workforce development in the area of
long-term healthcare.� The bill establishes a Direct Health Care Worker
Training Grant, which provides up to $5,000 per worker toward the pursuit of
certification or continuing education related to the professions of certified
nursing assistant, certified home health aide, or personal care assistant
���� The bill provides qualified
direct care workers with a tax credit of up to $1,200 for single filers and up
to $2,000 for joint filers against the New Jersey Gross Income Tax.� Qualified
direct care workers are defined as any worker employed as a certified nursing
assistant, certified home health aide, or personal care assistant for at least
720 hours in total during a tax year.� The tax credit is subject to gross
income limits of $75,000 for a single filer and $100,000 for joint filers.
���� The bill establishes a
standardized elder care certificate pathway through the� New Jersey Community
College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development.� This will enable
use of county college staff to design and implement the certificate program and
make county college facilities available for the program.� Upon agreement with
any elder care facility, certificate program classes may be provided on-site at
the elder care facility.
���� Lastly, the bill establishes
the Long-Term Care advisory council to strengthen workforce development efforts
in the fields of long-term care, home health care, and elder care.� The council
will consist of 16 members, 12 of whom are public members, and will provide
periodic reporting related to findings and recommendations addressing the
quality of, and access to, long-term care, home health care, and elder care
services in the State.