Bill Text: NJ A2027 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Establishes One-Year State Work First New Jersey Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Pilot Program and State Work First New Jersey Diaper Benefit Pilot Program; appropriates $2.5 million to DHS.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 16-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-06-28 - Approved P.L.2024, c.27. [A2027 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2024-A2027-Amended.html

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[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 2027

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Assemblywoman  ELIANA PINTOR MARIN

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Assemblyman  REGINALD W. ATKINS

District 20 (Union)

Senator  M. TERESA RUIZ

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Senator  ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Donlon, Peterpaul, Reynolds-Jackson, Katz, Murphy, Hall, Assemblyman Miller, Assemblywomen Bagolie, Lampitt, Ramirez, Senators Burgess, Mukherji, Turner and Timberlake

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes One-Year State Work First New Jersey Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Pilot Program and State Work First New Jersey Diaper Benefit Pilot Program; appropriates $2.5 million to DHS.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As amended by the Senate on June 28, 2024.

  

An Act concerning a monthly State benefit for menstrual hygiene products and diaper products under the  Work First New Jersey Program, supplementing P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55), and making an appropriation.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

      1.  a.  There is established in the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services the State WFNJ Menstrual Hygiene Benefit ¹Pilot¹ Program.  Under the ¹pilot¹ program, the division shall distribute to each menstruator participating in WFNJ who is 18 to 50 years of age, a monthly State benefit of $14 ¹to defray the costs of menstrual hygiene products¹ .  The ¹director of the¹ division shall ¹establish a process to¹ distribute the ¹$14¹ monthly State benefit via the participant's existing WFNJ electronic benefits card, on the same issuance date as the participant's standard WFNJ benefits.  A participant shall be required to use any monthly State benefit issued pursuant to this section for menstrual hygiene products. ¹The division shall educate participants that the purpose of the additional benefit is for the purchase of menstrual hygiene products.¹  Any unspent funds from a participant's monthly State WFNJ Menstrual Hygiene Benefit shall be ¹[carried over to the next month, for use by the participant for the same purpose] subject to WFNJ program benefit expungement and aging rules¹ .

      b.   As used in this section,

      "Menstrual hygiene products" means tampons, menstrual cups, or sanitary napkins used to collect or absorb menstrual fluids.

      "WFNJ" means the Work First New Jersey Program, established pursuant to P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.) in accordance with authorization received under Title IV of the federal "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996," Pub.L.104-193 (8 U.S.C. s.1601 et seq.), and includes both the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the General Assistance program.

 

      2.   a. There is established in the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services the State WFNJ Diaper Benefit ¹Pilot¹ Program.  Under the ¹pilot¹ program, the division shall distribute to each person participating in WFNJ a monthly State benefit of $30 for each dependent of the person who is under 36 months of age ¹to defray the costs of diaper products¹.  The ¹director of the¹ division shall ¹establish a process to¹ distribute the ¹$30¹ monthly State benefit via the participant's existing WFNJ electronic benefits card, on the same issuance date as the participant's standard WFNJ benefits.  A participant shall be required to use any monthly State benefit issued pursuant to this section for diaper products.  ¹The division shall educate participants that the purpose of the additional benefit is for the purchase of diaper products.¹  Any unspent funds from a participant's monthly State WFNJ Diaper Benefit shall be ¹[carried over to the next month, for use by the participant for the same purpose] subject to WFNJ program benefit expungement and aging rules¹ .

      b.   As used in this section, "WFNJ" means the Work First New Jersey program, established pursuant to P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.) in accordance with authorization received under Title IV of the federal "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996," Pub.L.104-193 (8 U.S.C. s.1601 et seq.).

 

      ¹3.  No later than one month following the completion of the State WFNJ Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Pilot Program and the State WFNJ Diaper Benefit Pilot Program established pursuant to this act, the Commissioner of Human Services shall prepare and submit to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature a report evaluating the effectiveness of the State WFNJ Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Pilot Program and the State WFNJ Diaper Benefit Pilot Program, which report shall include, but not be limited to, the number of participants who benefited from each pilot program and any recommendations for policy or legislative action to continue or improve the pilot programs.¹

 

     ¹[3.] 4.¹      The Commissioner of Human Services shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

 

     ¹[4.] 5.¹     There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services $2,500,000 to effectuate the provisions of this act.

 

      ¹[5.] 6.¹    This act shall take effect on the first day of the ¹[fourth] sixth¹ month next following the date of enactment, but the Commissioner of Human Services may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as may be necessary for the implementation of this act ¹, and this act shall expire one year after the effective date except that section 3 shall expire after the submission of the report to the Governor and Legislature required pursuant to section 3 of this act¹.