Sponsored by:
Senator NICHOLAS P. SCUTARI
District 22 (Middlesex, Somerset and Union)
Senator LORETTA WEINBERG
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblyman RAJ MUKHERJI
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblyman GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Addiego, Bateman, Beach, Brown, A.M.Bucco, Codey, Connors, Corrado, Cruz-Perez, Cryan, Cunningham, Diegnan, Doherty, Gill, Gopal, Greenstein, Holzapfel, T.Kean, Lagana, Madden, O'Scanlon, Oroho, Pennacchio, Pou, Rice, Ruiz, Sacco, Sarlo, Schepisi, Singer, Singleton, B.Smith, Stack, Sweeney, Testa, Thompson, Turner, Vitale, Assemblymen DeAngelo, Verrelli, Assemblywoman DiMaso, Assemblyman McClellan, Assemblywoman Murphy, Assemblyman DiMaio, Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle, Assemblyman Rumpf, Assemblywoman Gove, Assemblyman Benson, Assemblywoman Carter, Assemblymen Mazzeo and Armato
SYNOPSIS
Requires assignment of unemployment claims handlers to legislative districts and partisan offices during COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency; appropriates $1.8 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act requiring assignment of unemployment claims handlers to legislative districts and partisan offices during COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. During the public health emergency and State of Emergency declared on March 9, 2020 by the Governor pursuant to Executive Order No. 103 and any extension of the order, and for six months after the expiration of the order, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall assign at least one full-time unemployment claims handler to each legislative district and partisan office.
b. The department shall make available to employees of legislative district offices and partisan offices:
(1) view-only access to the unemployment claims system for use in their constituent services duties; and
(2) training on confidentiality and information security rules.
c. The commissioner shall take necessary action to implement technological infrastructure upgrades to implement the provisions of this bill.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund $1,800,000 to effectuate the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect 30 days after enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to assign an unemployment claims handler to each legislative district and partisan office during the state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also requires the department to make view-only access to the unemployment claims system available to employees of legislative district offices and partisan offices, along with training on confidentiality and information security rules. The bill appropriates $1,800,000 from the general fund to effectuate its purposes.