New Jersey S 3368: Establishes Office of Labor Law Enforcement.

Bill Text

S3368 

SENATE, No. 3368 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 5, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� CARMEN F. AMATO, JR.

District 9 (Ocean)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Space

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes Office of Labor Law Enforcement. 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� As introduced.

�� 

An Act establishing the Office of Labor Law Enforcement and supplementing Title 34 of the Revised Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� a.� There is established 
in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Office of Labor Law 
Enforcement.� The office shall oversee, evaluate, and coordinate enforcement 
activities of the department regarding violations of the provisions of labor 
laws, including provisions regarding wages and other terms and conditions of 
employment, and provisions regarding the financing and provision of benefits or 
insurance for workers, the keeping and disclosure of records, and provisions 
prohibiting false or misleading statements, representations, submissions, or 
the misclassification of employees, made by employers, employees, or other 
persons to wrongfully obtain or wrongfully deny or delay the full payment of 
wages and benefits, or pay less than the premiums, contributions, or taxes 
which are required by the provisions of State labor laws.

���� b.��� When requested by the Commissioner 
of Labor and Workforce Development, the Attorney General shall assign one or 
more deputy attorneys general to represent the department in proceedings regarding 
violations of State labor law.� Deputy attorneys general assigned to the 
enforcement of State labor laws shall be co-located in facilities of the 
department with department personnel engaged in the enforcement of State labor 
laws.

���� c.��� The department shall 
issue and make public an annual report regarding the office, which shall 
include, for each labor law, a summary of enforcement activities, the number of 
deputy attorneys general and department personnel dedicated to enforcement, the 
personnel costs and penalties and other revenues collected, and the portion of 
revenues expended on enforcement.� The report shall include an analysis of, and 
recommendations regarding, any changes needed in the number of personnel, 
including the number of deputy attorneys general assigned to the enforcement of 
each law.� Recommendations in the report shall be taken into consideration by 
the Governor in the development of the State budget for the following fiscal 
year.

���� d.��� All sums collected as 
fines or penalties pursuant to State labor laws shall be applied to costs of 
enforcement and administration of those laws, which shall include all expenses 
of the Office of Labor Law Enforcement.

���� e.��� For the purposes of this 
section:

���� �Department� means the 
Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

���� �State labor laws� means all 
laws administered or enforced by the department concerning standards regarding 
wages and other terms and conditions of employment, and the financing and 
provision of benefits or insurance for workers, including, but not limited to:

���� (1)� State wage and hour laws;

���� (2)� The �unemployment 
compensation law,� R.S.43:21-1 et seq.;

���� (3)� The �Temporary Disability 
Benefits Law,� P.L.1948, c.110 (C.43:21-25 et al.);

���� (4)� P.L.2008, c.17 
(C.43:21-39.1 et al.);

���� (5)� Section 1 of P.L.1998, 
c.74 (C.34:15-57.4); and 

���� (6)� The workers� compensation 
law, R.S.34:15-1 et seq.

���� �State wage and hour laws� include, 
but are not limited to:

���� (1)� Article 1 of chapter 11 
of Title 34 of the Revised Statutes and all acts supplementing that article 
(R.S.34:11-2 et al.);

���� (2)� P.L.1966, c.113 and all 
acts supplementing that act (C.34:11-56a et al.);

���� (3)� P.L.2005, c.379 
(C.34:11-56.58 et seq.);

���� (4)� Article 3 of chapter 11 
of Title 34 of the Revised Statutes (R.S.34:11-57 et seq.);

���� (5)� The "New Jersey 
Prevailing Wage Act," P.L.1963, c.150 (C.34:11-56.25 et seq.); and

���� (6)� "The Public Works 
Contractor Registration Act," P.L.1999, c.238 (C.34:11-56.48 et seq.).

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes, in the 
Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Office of Labor Law 
Enforcement, charged with overseeing, evaluating, and coordinating enforcement 
activities of the department regarding violations of State labor laws.

���� The bill directs the Attorney 
General, upon a request by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, 
to assign one or more deputy attorneys general to represent the department in 
proceedings regarding State labor law violations, with the assigned deputy 
attorneys general co-located in department facilities with department personnel 
engaged in labor law enforcement.

���� The department is required to 
issue and make public an annual report regar