Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Increases amount of benefits under Work First New Jersey program by 30 percent over three years and according to Social Security cost of living increases thereafter.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning Work First New Jersey benefits and supplementing P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding any regulation to the contrary, the maximum benefit levels provided to Work First New Jersey recipients shall increase according to the following schedule:
a. For the first fiscal year in which this act is effective, the maximum benefit levels shall be 10 percent higher than the maximum benefit levels in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this act.
b. For the second fiscal year, the maximum benefit levels shall be 20 percent higher than the maximum benefit levels in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this act.
c. For the third fiscal year, the maximum benefit levels shall be 30 percent higher than the maximum benefit levels in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this act.
d. For the fourth fiscal year and each fiscal year thereafter, the maximum benefit levels shall be annually adjusted according to the cost of living adjustment applied under the federal Social Security program.
2. The Commissioner of Human Services shall apply for such State plan amendments as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act and to secure federal financial participation for State expenditures under the federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program.
3. The Commissioner of Human Services, in accordance with the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt such rules and regulations as the commissioner deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this act.
4. This act shall take effect on July 1 next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
As amended, this bill increases the maximum cash assistance benefit for families participating in the Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) program. The WFNJ program provides cash and other assistance to low-income New Jersey residents to alleviate the negative effects of poverty. WFNJ includes the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, which assists families with dependent children, and General Assistance, which assists adults without dependent children.
New Jersey’s maximum benefit amount for WFNJ recipient households is $424 per month for a family of three, as it had been since the 1980s. The bill would increase this amount to $466 in the first fiscal year, $509 in the second fiscal year, and $551 in the third fiscal year. For subsequent years, the maximum benefit would be annually adjusted according to the cost of living adjustment applied under the federal Social Security program.