New Jersey S 3213: "New Townhouse Fire Safety Act"; requires installation of fire suppression system in new townhouses.

Bill Text

S3213 

SENATE, No. 3213 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

INTRODUCED JANUARY 28, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� TROY SINGLETON

District 7 (Burlington)

Senator� ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes Skills Service Corp; appropriates funds. 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� As introduced.

�� 

An Act establishing a paid service program for 
volunteers, supplementing Title 34 of the Revised Statutes, 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 Department of State a paid service program to be known as the New Jersey 
Skills Service Corps.� The program shall provide adult volunteers alternatives 
to gain credentials while serving their communities.� The program shall connect 
volunteers with State entities to provide workforce experience and 
credentialing.� 

���� b.� The program shall be 
administered by the Office of Volunteerism in the Department of State.� The 
Director of the Office of Volunteerism shall establish the necessary procedures 
and standards for the successful implementation of the program and ensure that 
all program participants meet the requirements established pursuant to this 
section.� 

���� The director shall ensure 
that, at a minimum, the program:

���� (1)� provides participants 
with training and free credential certification upon completion of the program; 

���� (2)� includes volunteer work 
in areas including, but not limited to, State infrastructure, renewable energy, 
healthcare, education support, and community development needs;

���� (3)� includes only 
industry-valued credentials, such as apprenticeship hours, that an eligible 
individual can complete within 12 to 24 months;

���� (4)� prioritizes participants 
in underserved communities; and 

���� (5)� expands credentialing 
opportunities for underserved communities.� 

���� c.� Any resident of this 
State, who has attained an age of at least 18 years, who enters into an 
agreement to provide volunteer work for a State entity for the first time, for 
at least one year to a maximum of 24 consecutive months, shall be eligible to receive 
payment for their service through the program.� 

���� d.� Once enrolled, a program 
participant shall receive a monthly stipend, in an amount to be determined by 
the director, for each month they spend at least 15 hours participating in a 
volunteer program.� This shall include time spent training for the volunteer 
work.� The participant shall not be considered an employee, and shall be 
entitled to only those benefits available to other volunteers as provided by 
law.� 

���� e.� The State entity seeking 
participants, shall be responsible for certifying to the director that (1) the 
State entity has a need for volunteers, and (2) program participants who have 
volunteered with the State entity have conducted the requisite number of hours 
each month to receive their monthly stipend.� 

���� f.� The Office of 
Volunteerism, in collaboration with the participating State entities, shall 
promote the benefits of the program and the benefits of linking volunteer work 
with workforce credentialing, particularly to the State�s youth and those 
seeking to explore new career opportunities in this State, as they deem 
necessary and appropriate.� 

���� g.� There is established in 
the Department of State a special dedicated non-lapsing fund to be known as the 
New Jersey Skills Service Corps Fund.� The fund shall consist of all monies 
appropriated by the Legislature for inclusion in the fund, monies received from 
federal grants, investment earnings of the fund, and monies contributed to the 
fund by private sources, including AmeriCorps, Community Development Block 
Grant allocations, and non-profit partnerships, to be used for the purposes of 
this section. �The monies in the fund shall be invested and reinvested by the 
Department of the Treasury.� 

���� h.� As used in this section:

���� "State entity" means 
a department, agency, institution, commission, or board of State government, 
including a State university or college, or an authority created by the State.

���� "Underserved 
community" means a school district in which at least 75 percent of public 
school students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals under the 
National School Lunch Program established pursuant to the "Richard B. Russell 
National School Lunch Act," Pub.L.79-396 (42 U.S.C. s.1751 et seq.).

���� 2.� There is appropriated from 
the General Fund to the Department of State, for deposit in the New Jersey 
Skills Service Corps Fund established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.�� , c.�� 
(C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill), an amount 
sufficient to effectuate the purposes and objectives of this act.� 

���� 3.� This act shall take effect 
immediately.� 

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes in the 
Department of State a paid service pro