Bill Text: NJ A3541 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Amended

---

Bill Title: Establishes legislative internship program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-09-19 - Reported out of Asm. Comm. with Amendments, and Referred to Assembly Labor Committee [A3541 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2024-A3541-Amended.html

---

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 3541

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 5, 2024

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  TENNILLE R. MCCOY

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Assemblyman  JOHN V. AZZARITI JR., M.D.

District 39 (Bergen)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Speight

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes legislative internship program.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly State and Local Government Committee on September 19, 2024, with amendments.

  

An Act establishing a legislative internship program ¹[,] and¹ supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes ¹[, and making an appropriation]¹.

 

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

 

      1.  a.  ¹[Members of the Legislature may receive annually, during the term for which they shall have been elected and while they shall hold their office, not more than $10,000 to employ legislative interns.]¹  Members of the Legislature shall obtain the approval of the presiding officer of the member's House prior to employing an intern through the legislative internship program.  Once approved by the presiding officer of the member's House, the member shall employ the intern ¹[and receive the stipend amount to be paid to the intern]¹.

      b.  The legislative internship program shall be open to any full-time or part-time student currently attending any accredited institution of higher education.  The program shall be open to students in undergraduate level and graduate level programs, with the exception of juris doctorate and PhD programs.

      c.  Students who are residents of New Jersey, or who are attending institutions of higher education located within New Jersey, shall be granted priority over other applicants to the program.

      d.  Participants shall be required to complete one work period with a district office of a legislator.  The work period shall be established by each legislator prior to the employment of an intern.

      e.  When a participant completes the program requirement, the legislator may elect to retain the participant for an additional work period if the participant agrees to continue their internship.

      f.  ¹[Students selected to participate in the legislative internship program shall receive a stipend of $1,000 for every work period completed in the program.  The stipend shall be prorated and paid bi-weekly or monthly, as determined by the legislator.]  The Legislature, with the assistance of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, shall annually apply for and use any federal grant funds or other federal assistance which may be available to be used for the legislative internship program established pursuant to this section including, but not limited to, the federal "On-the-Job Training" program funded by the federal "Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act," (29 U.S.C. s.3111).¹

 

     2.  There is hereby appropriated ¹[$1,200,000]¹ from the State General Fund to the New Jersey Legislature ¹such funds as shall be necessary¹ for the purposes of the legislative internship program established pursuant to section 1 of this act, P.L.   , c.    (C.     )(pending before the Legislature as this bill).

 

     3.  This act shall take effect immediately.