While we appreciate the Department’s goal of clarifying worker classification, we respectfully submit that these proposed changes may have significant unintended consequences for New Jersey’s workforce and economy.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) respectfully opposes S-1386 (Singleton), which would establish a system for portable benefits for workers who provide services to consumers through contracting agents.

Over recent years, South Jersey businesses of all industries — whether small retailers, manufacturers, healthcare providers, or professional services firms — have faced a sharp uptick in ransomware, phishing, and data breach attempts. Cyberattacks disrupt not only business continuity but also damage consumer confidence and regional economic stability.

The gaming and hospitality industry has long been a cornerstone of Atlantic County’s economy, serving as a major driver of jobs, tourism, and local revenue. Atlantic City, in particular, relies heavily on its casinos and entertainment venues to attract visitors, generate business activity, and support a wide range of local industries, from restaurants to retail.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to share our concerns with A-5166 (Quijano/Reynolds-Jackson), which revises the law concerning family leave to apply to businesses of all sizes. The CCSNJ understands and truly appreciates the sponsor’s intent, however we are extremely concerned about the undue burden this bill will place on small businesses and those businesses that make New Jersey’s Main Streets thrive.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our support for the following bills being considered, which aim to assist new and growing businesses in New Jersey. This bill package provides resources to small businesses that are looking to grow and succeed in the state.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our opposition to S-264 (Turner/Vitale), which eliminates the smoking ban exemption for casinos. Current law prohibits smoking in most indoor public places, with certain exceptions, including casinos and casino facilities that are accessible to the public for wagering. As written, this bill would eliminate these exceptions from the smoking ban.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our concerns with S- 418 (Smith/Greenstein), which establishes standards for food date labeling.

The healthcare industry has long seen workforce shortages, and these shortages were only exacerbated by the pandemic. Burnout and retirements have left the industry struggling to maintain the workforce needed to keep residents healthy and safe. The CCSNJ is proud to support these bills, as part of a larger package of bills that attempt to address this crucial issue for the healthcare industry.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) respectfully opposes A-4682 (Schaer), which would establish employment protections for certain service employees during changes of ownership.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) respectfully opposes and seeks amendments to S-2389 (Singleton), which would establish employment protections for certain service employees during changes of ownership.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey is pleased to support A-4222 (Freiman/Egan), which will expand the working hours for minors and update the process for obtaining working papers.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey is pleased to support S-659 (Oroho/Greenstein), the "Manufacturing in Higher Education Act". As written, the bill requires various State entities to promote manufacturing career pathways for students and provides assistance to the manufacturing industry.

We stand ready to assist the Legislature in helping to formulate policies that increase women’s participation in the labor force and increase access to childcare.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey is pleased to support the package of bills before you that will assist the childcare industry and increase access to childcare for working parents.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our support for A-281 (Umba/Torrissi), which expands the wage and hour law’s good-faith violation defense to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development employee interpretations.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our concerns with S-486 (Scutari) which requires food delivery network companies and food delivery company network drivers to maintain certain levels of automobile insurance.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our support for A-281 (Umba/Torrissi), which expands the “good-faith” defense to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJLWD) under the New Jersey State Wage and Hour Law.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our support for S-3144/S-1534/A-998/A-2349 (Ruiz/Beach/Singleton/Downey/Houghtaling/Moen) known as the "New Jersey Social Innovation Act".

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to express our support for S-4065 (Addiego/Singleton), which revises the gross income tax credit for child and dependent care expenses.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our support for S- 3455 (Madden/Bucco/Sweeney), which revises eligibility requirements for the NJ Workability Program and Personal Assistance Services Program. A diverse workforce is critical to New Jersey and must include IDD individuals. This legislation will assist in removing barriers to employment and provide career advancement opportunities for these individuals in ways not seen before at a state level.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to express our support for S-1196/A-3062 (Pou/Cruz-Perez/Pintor Marin/Moen/Reynolds-Jackson), which establishes a three-year “Financial Empowerment Pilot Program” in the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA).

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to express our support for S-3963 (Sarlo), which temporarily expands summer working hours for certain minors.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to share our opposition to S-3352 (Weinberg), which concerns unlawful discrimination and harassment.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to share our opposition to S-3827 (Weinberg), which provides temporary paid earned sick leave to workers during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic to address employee leave issues. The leave provided under the bill is to be provided in addition to the earned sick leave that is already required by law.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to express our support for A-3805/S-961 (Armato/Zwicker/Singleton/Cruz-Perez), which establishes an annual grant program to recognize institutions of higher education that offer comprehensive array of veteran programs and services.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to share our opposition to S-2039 (Gill/Greenstein/Pou), which prohibits gender-based price discrimination. Although the intent legislation is commendable, gender-based price discrimination is an incredibly complex issue and as written, this bill would be burdensome for many small businesses to comply with.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our support for A – 4918 (Greenwald), which authorizes a corporation to conduct a meeting of shareholders solely by means of remote participation.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey would like to share our opposition to A-802 (Verrelli / Reynolds-Jackson / Murphy), which requires certain retailers to train employees on gift card fraud.

This bill would establish a New Jobs for New Jersey tax credit program to be administered by the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our opposition to S989/A2487 (Weinberg/Greenstein/Sweeney/Quijano/Benson/Egan) the "Healthy Terminals Act”. The CCSNJ is concerned that this bill will place burdensome mandates on an industry that is struggling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As currently written, this bill creates a presumption that coronavirus disease 2019 infections contracted by essential employees are work-related for the purpose of employment benefits provided for work-related injuries and illnesses.

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

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our opposition to A805/S-972 (Verrelli / Madden / Sweeney), which would require the use of union labor during certain circumstances at New Jersey-based refineries.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our opposition to S-2476 (Singleton).

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to express our support for A-1408/S-973 (Lopez/Ruiz/Singleton) that deals with supporting, advancing and making apprenticeship programs more available in New Jersey.

On March 2, Governor Phil Murphy unveiled the final compliance guidelines for the New Jersey “Diane B. Allen Equal Pay Act,” otherwise know as the Equal Pay measure, which included over 40 “frequently asked questions” about the law.

The CCSNJ supported A-270 (Armato/Mazzeo), which would make a General Fund supplemental appropriation of $50,000 to the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMAVA) for air quality studies to support the campaign for the F-35 Joint Strik

On February 13, the Senate Commerce Committee considered S-1196 (Pou), which establishes a three-year “Financial Empowerment Pilot Program” in the cities of Camden, Newark and Paterson.

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) would like to voice our concerns S-121 (Weinberg/Gill) / A-1242 (McKeon/Bramnick)

On January 27, Senator Loretta Weinberg introduced S-921 (Weinberg/Gill), otherwise known as the "New Jersey Fair Workweek Act."

Both the Senate and Assembly considered S-3170 (Cryan/Pou), which increases the prenotification time and requires severance pay in certain plant closings, transfers, and mass layoffs.

The CCSNJ opposed S-1780 (Diegnan/Turner) / A-1992 (Sumter/Eustace) otherwise known as the “New Jersey Call Center Jobs Act,” which requires any employer that relocates a call center, or transfers one or more facilities or operating units comprising at le

Senate President Sweeney introduced legislation, S-4204 (Sweeney), which would ban certain independent contractor relationships – a measure the CCSNJ opposes.

The CCSNJ supported the following bills that if implemented would support, advance and make apprenticeship programs more available in New Jersey:

We are writing to express concerns with S1780 - the “New Jersey Call Center Jobs Act.”

A-4604/S-3066 (Lampitt/Ruiz) | A-4655/S-3063 (Armato/Ruiz) | A-4656/S-3064 (Armato/Ruiz)

CCSNJ would like to express our support for the following bills that deal with supporting, advancing and making apprenticeship programs more available in New Jersey:

On May 2, 2018, Governor Murphy signed A-1827 (Lampitt), which would mandate paid sick leave for all businesses in New Jersey.

On March 18, 2019, Governor Murphy signed S-121 (Weinberg) / A-1242 (McKeon/Bramnick) into law, which bars provisions in employment contracts that waive certain rights, and remedies and agreements that conceal details relating to discrimination claims.

On February 19, 2019, Governor Murphy signed S-2528 (Sweeney/Diegnan) into law, which greatly expanded New Jersey’s current paid family leave law.

On February 4, 2019, Governor Murphy signed A-15 (Coughlin/Tucker) , which would increase New Jersey’s minimum wage rate to $15 per hour by 2024 for most businesses.

CCSNJ is pleased to strongly support of S-878 (Madden/Sweeney) / A-3084 (Greenwald/Moriarty), which restricts authority to terminate reciprocal personal income tax agreements with other states.

CCSNJ is proud to support S-2307 (Sweeney/Van Drew), which creates a Garden State Growth Zone (GSGZ) at the Atlantic City International Airport and surrounding areas. This designation will allow for enhanced