ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[Fourth Reprint]

SENATE, No. 598

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  NOVEMBER 15, 2021

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 598 (4R).

      This bill increases the compensation of election workers from $200 per day to $300 per day and appropriates $7,000,000 to the Department of State.

      Under current law, election workers are paid $200 per day each time the primary election, the general election, or any special election is held.  The State reimburses $125 of the payment to election workers while the counties account for the rest.  This bill increases the State’s reimbursement to $225 while keeping the counties sum at $75.

      The bill increases the maximum hourly rate for election workers serving at a school election held at a time other than the general election, from $14.29 to $19.64. The bill also permits a county to provide an election worker training program for district board members at the expense of the county.

      The bill clarifies that the Secretary of State handles election reimbursement matters rather than the Attorney General.

      The bill appropriates from the State General Fund to the Department of State the sum of $7,000,000 to reimburse the counties for the costs of implementing the bill’s provisions.

      As reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 598 (4R) is identical to Assembly Bill No. 1527 (1R), also reported by the committee on this date.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      Fiscal information for this bill is currently unavailable.