S2781 • 2026

Includes minimum number of firefighting personnel for public employer as term and condition of employment for purpose of collective bargaining under certain circumstances; provides for dispute resolution procedure.

Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Johnson, Gordon M.
Last action: 2026-02-05
Official status: Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Includes minimum number of firefighting personnel for public employer as term and condition of employment for purpose of collective bargaining under certain circumstances; provides for dispute resolution procedure.

What This Bill Does

Includes minimum number of firefighting personnel for public employer as term and condition of employment for purpose of collective bargaining under certain circumstances; provides for dispute resolution procedure.
Topic: 2nd Reading in the Senate Fiscal note: This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-05 New Jersey Legislature
Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading
2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Labor Committee

Official Summary Text

Includes minimum number of firefighting personnel for public employer as term and condition of employment for purpose of collective bargaining under certain circumstances; provides for dispute resolution procedure.
Topic:
2nd Reading in the Senate
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

S2781 SLA Statement 2/5/26

SENATE LABOR COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No.
2781

STATE
OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:
FEBRUARY
5, 2026

����� The Senate Labor Committee reports favorably Senate
Bill No. 2781.

�����
This
bill amends the "New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act" to
establish certain standards in contract negotiations between firefighters, fire
officers, and other personnel and public employers.� Specifically, the bill
provides that with respect to firefighters and fire officers, terms and
conditions of employment will include the minimum number of sworn firefighters
and fire officers assigned to each fire apparatus provided that the staffing
levels are rationally related to employee or public safety.

���� Additionally,
the bill provides that if there is a dispute between a majority representative
of a unit of sworn fire personnel and a public employer regarding whether the
minimum number of sworn fire personnel assigned to a fire apparatus is a
management prerogative or rationally relates to public or employee safety and
therefore a mandatory subject of negotiations, the matter will be submitted to
the commission for an evidentiary hearing.� If the matter involves a grievance
arbitration, the commission may refer the issue regarding the scope of
negotiations to the arbitrator to decide as a preliminary matter.� If the
arbitrator determines that the issue rationally relates to public or employee
safety, the arbitrator may decide the merits of the grievance.� In either
proceeding, the burden of proof will be by a preponderance of the evidence and
shall be on the party asserting that the matter rationally relates to public or
employee safety.

���� The
bill provides that its provisions are not applicable to any other public
employees and do not impact the rights of any other public employees subject to
the "New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act."

����� This bill was prefiled for introduction in the
2026-2027 session pending technical review.� As reported, the bill includes the
changes required by technical review, which has been performed.