ASSEMBLY, No. 2058

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman SHAMA A. HAIDER

District 37 (Bergen)

Assemblyman CODY D. MILLER

District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER

District 22 (Somerset and Union)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Speight

SYNOPSIS

     Requires DHS to reformat MyNJHelps web-based platform as centralized online resource for all State administered public assistance programs.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act concerning public assistance programs and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

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

     1.    a.  No later than 365 days after the effective date of this section, the Commissioner of Human Services, in collaboration with all applicable State agencies, shall expand the MyNJHelps web-based application platform for SNAP, WFNJ, and NJFamilyCare to include all State administered public assistance programs.  Compliance with this subsection shall require the commissioner to: (1) reformat the MyNJHelps web-based application platform as the State’s centralized online resource for applicants to access information about, apply for benefits to, and check the application status of all State administered public assistance programs; and (2) design a single application, accessible on the MyNJHelps web-based application platform, through which an applicant can apply for all State administered public assistance programs.

     b.    The provisions of this section shall not be construed to alter the administrating agency of a public assistance program.  The platform established in accordance with subsection a. of this section shall provide all applicable administering agencies with access to the necessary applicant information to make eligibility determinations, as well as access to platform functions to post information regarding application status.

     c.     The commissioner shall enter into any necessary data sharing agreements with applicable State agencies to comply with the provisions of this section. 

     d.    As used in this section:

     “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Human Services.

     “Public assistance program” means a program that provides benefits to low-income New Jersey residents via a means-tested eligibility process.  These types of programs provide benefits that include, but that are not limited to:  healthcare, pharmaceutical, food, cash, child care, housing, and utility assistance.

     “NJFamilyCare” means the program established pursuant to P.L.2005, c.156 (C.30:4J-8 et al.), which includes the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Medicaid Program.

     “SNAP” means the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program established pursuant to the federal "Food and Nutrition Act of 2008," Pub.L.110-246 (7 U.S.C. s.2011 et seq.).

     “WFNJ” means the Work First New Jersey Program established pursuant to P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.) in accordance with authorization received under Title IV of the federal "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996," Pub.L.104-193 (8 U.S.C. s.1601 et seq.).

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

     This bill directs the Commissioner of Human Services (commissioner), no later than 365 days after the effective date of the bill and in collaboration with all applicable State agencies, to expand the MyNJHelps web-based application platform for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Work First New Jersey Program, and the NJFamilyCare Program to include all State administered public assistance programs.  In doing so, the commissioner is required to: reformat the MyNJHelps web-based application platform as the State’s centralized online resource for applicants to access information about, apply for benefits to, and check the application status of all State administered public assistance programs; and design a single application, accessible on the MyNJHelps web-based application platform, through which an applicant can apply for all State administered public assistance programs.  The bill defines “public assistance program” to mean a program that provides benefits to low-income New Jersey residents via a means-tested eligibility process.  These types of programs provide benefits that include, but that are not limited to:  healthcare, pharmaceutical, food, cash, child care, housing, and utility assistance.

     The provisions of the bill are not to be construed to alter the administrating agency of a public assistance program.  Rather, the platform established under the bill is required to provide all applicable administering agencies with access to the necessary applicant information to make eligibility determinations, as well as access to platform functions to post information regarding application status.  Moreover, the bill directs the commissioner to enter into any necessary data sharing agreements with applicable State agencies to comply with the provisions of the bill.