Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman JOANN DOWNEY
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblyman ERIC HOUGHTALING
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Sumter and Assemblyman Danielsen
SYNOPSIS
Requires State Employment and Training Commission member to specialize in serving transgender communities.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the State Employment and Training Commission and amending P.L.1989, c.293.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 6 of P.L.1989, c.293 (C.34:15C-3) is amended to read as follows:
6. The commission shall consist of the following members: the Governor, the Commissioners of Community Affairs, Education, Human Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and the Secretary of Higher Education, all of whom shall serve ex officio; one member of the Senate appointed by the Governor, as recommended by the President of the Senate to serve during the two-year legislative session in which the appointment is made; one member of the General Assembly appointed by the Governor, as recommended by the Speaker of the General Assembly to serve during the two-year legislative session in which the appointment is made; and a number of public members as determined by the Governor pursuant to section 3111 of the "Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act," (29 U.S.C. s.3111). The public members shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate for terms of three years, except that of the public members first appointed by the Governor, not less than 30% shall be appointed for three years, not less than 30% shall be appointed for two years, and the others shall be appointed for one year. Not more than half of the members appointed by the Governor shall be of the same political party. Of the public members appointed by the Governor, not less than five shall be representatives of labor organizations nominated by a State-wide labor federation, and not less than three shall be representatives of community-based organizations. One of the public members appointed by the Governor shall specialize in serving transgender communities. One of the members appointed by the Governor pursuant to section 3111 of the "Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act," (29 U.S.C. s.3111) to represent business on the commission shall be a representative of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association. The composition of the commission shall be consistent with the composition required for a State workforce development board pursuant to section 3111 of the "Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act," (29 U.S.C. s.3111). Each member shall hold office for the term of appointment and until his successor is appointed and qualified. A member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring in the membership of the board for any reason other than the expiration of the term shall have a term of appointment for the unexpired term only. All vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. A member may be appointed for any number of successive terms. Any member appointed by the Governor may be removed from office by the Governor, for cause, after a hearing and may be suspended by the Governor pending the completion of the hearing. Members of the board shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members. Action may be taken and motions and resolutions may be adopted by the board at a board meeting by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members. The Governor shall select a chairperson who shall be a nongovernmental member of the commission. Advanced notification for, and copies of the minutes of, each meeting of the commission shall be filed with the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly.
(cf: P.L.2019, c.249, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect 180 days after enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires a member of the State Employment and Training Commission to specialize in serving transgender communities. This implements a recommendation on employment from the report of the New Jersey Transgender Equality Task Force.
Some studies have consistently found high rates of employment discrimination against transgender individuals and high rates of unemployment among transgender people, with higher rates for transgender people of color. Employment discrimination can lead transgender people to work in underground economies, which can compound the effects of employment discrimination as well as create issues with securing housing. Data from the 2015 United States Transgender Survey found that in New Jersey, 16 percent of transgender people had lost a job because of their gender identity or expression, 26 percent reported that they had been fired, not hired, or denied a promotion because of their gender identity or expression. This bill would ensure that strategies to enhance employment opportunities would also serve transgender populations.