Economy
Governor Murphy Signs Law Improving Job Listing Transparency – On November 18th, Governor Murphy signed Bill S2310 into law, mandating most New Jersey employers disclose pay range and benefits in job postings and relay promotional opportunities to current employees. Any transparency violations are subject up to a $600 fine, depending on if it is a repeated offense. Lawmakers praised the new law, arguing increasing transparency in job pay and promotional opportunities will decrease favoritism and improve the hiring process for both job seekers and employers.
NJ Bill Advances to Ban Gamblers from Placing Prop Bets on College Athletes – The New Jersey Assembly Tourism, Gaming, and Arts Committee unanimously voted to advance Bill A4905, which would prevent gamblers from placing proposition bets on individual athletes during college games. Advocates with the NCAA testified that these particular bets can be detrimental for college athletes, with some even receiving threats on social media if they have a bad game. The bill now moves to the Senate committee, which will hold its own hearing next.
New Jersey Advances Bill to Ban Online Lottery – The New Jersey Assembly Regulated Professions Committee unanimously voted to advance a bill which would prohibit the sale of lottery tickets online. In August 2023, the New Jersey Lottery Commission approved the online sale of lottery tickets like MegaMillions and Powerball with the intention of launching the site by fall 2024. In response, Assemblyman Sterley Stanley introduced Bill A3759 in February 2024 to block the proposal. The bill was originally referred to the Assembly State and Local Government Committee, which transferred it to the Assembly Regulated Professions Committee. The latter unanimously voted in favor of A3759 and referred it back to the original committee. There is no date set for the next vote.
Women/Children
Governor Murphy Approves New Law Requiring Postpartum Care for Pregnant Patients – On Monday, Governor Murphy signed into law S912/A3887, which requires healthcare professionals to offer pregnant patients an individualized postpartum treatment plan as part of their prenatal care. Maternal mortality and morbidity rates have been on the rise in the last twenty years, both in New Jersey and nationwide, with Black women having the highest rates of maternal mortality. In addition to providing parents with an individualized postpartum care plan, the law also requires professionals to make sure postpartum care information is given to all patients being discharged at the end of a pregnancy, including those who have experienced a stillbirth or pregnancy loss.