The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our support for the following bills:  

• A-723 (Johnson/Wimberly/McKnight) - Prohibits disqualification of certain minority-owned and women-owned businesses for certification 
• S-973/A-1408 (Ruiz/Singleton/Lopez/Reynolds-Jackson/Timberlake) - Requires Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development to establish apprenticeship mentoring program for women, minorities, and persons with disabilities 
• A-2773 (Mazzeo/Houghtaling/Downey) - Allows certain preserved farms to hold 14 special occasion events per year; imposes further event restrictions on residentially exposed preserved farms 
• A-3201 (Murphy/Johnson) - Recognizes Howell House in Cape May as Harriet Tubman Museum in New Jersey 
• A-3919 (Calabrese/Spearman/Murphy) - Extends certain permits, approvals, and deadlines during COVID-19 emergency 
• A-4319 (Burzichelli/Chiaravalloti) - Establishes certain temporary and permanent privileges for certain alcoholic beverage licensees; authorizes certain activities, events, and festivals in which certain alcoholic beverage licensees may participate 
• S-2273/A-20 (Sweeney/Cryan/Greenstein/Coughlin/Pinkin/Dancer) - Requires SEHBP and eligible employers that do not participate in the SEHBP to provide certain plans for public education employees and certain public education retirees 

The CCSNJ is pleased to see the Legislature’s continued focus on assuring that businesses have the proper tools to mitigate the looming economic crisis a result of COVID-19. Some of the bills, specifically, both A-3919 (Calabrese/Spearman/Murphy) and A-4319 (Burzichelli/Chiaravalloti), do just that by giving businesses additional flexibility and resources as they continue to navigate COVID-19 crisis.  

Additionally, the CCSNJ is extremely proud to support A-723 (Johnson/Wimberly/McKnight) and S-973/A1408 (Ruiz/Singleton/Lopez/Reynolds-Jackson/Timberlake), which focus on women and minority-owned businesses that are often under represented in the procurement of government contracts, as well as these population’s inclusion in valuable apprenticeship programs throughout the state.  

The CCSNJ thanks you for the opportunity to share our support on these bills and respectfully encourages you to vote “yes” on all of the above.