Bills affecting Low-income / working-class in New Jersey — 2026 session

Requires DHS and DOH, respectively, to provide information to SNAP, WFNJ, and WIC recipients regarding card skimming, cloning, and similar fraudulent activities and to replace stolen benefits; makes appropriation.

Extends child care subsidies to families earning up to 300 percent of federal poverty level; appropriates funds.

Requires SNAP retailers to take measures to help prevent card skimming.

Requires DHS to distribute contactless EBT cards to SNAP recipients by January 31, 2027.

Provides for student recipients of educational opportunity funds to be exempt from 20 hour weekly work requirement ordinarily required for student SNAP participation.

Requires SNAP retailers to display information on how to protect SNAP recipients from fraud used to steal benefits.

Makes FY2026 supplemental appropriation of $175 million from General Fund to DHS for Emergency SNAP Replacement Benefits.

Excludes certain income earned from health promotion or disease prevention work from income eligibility determination under NJ FamilyCare, WFNJ, and NJ SNAP.

Establishes Restaurant Meals Program in DHS; permits certain individuals to use SNAP benefits at approved restaurants; requires participation by certain restaurants operated by institutions of higher education.

Requires DHS to promote and support volunteerism in connection to compliance with certain eligibility requirements for NJ FamilyCare and SNAP recipients.

Requires certain disclosure of earned income by health insurance producers.

Increases benefit amounts and expands eligibility under New Jersey earned income tax credit program.

Expands eligibility under New Jersey earned income tax credit program to allow taxpayers who are victims of domestic abuse to claim credit with filing status of married filing separately.

"New Jersey Intergenerational Poverty Reduction Act."

Prohibits local units of government from adopting increased minimum wage and mandatory paid sick leave for private employers.

"New Jersey Healthy SNAP Act"; requires DHS to submit waiver to federal government to prohibit purchase of soft drinks with SNAP benefits.

Revises SNAP application process to include certain notices, and certification and recertification requirements.

Requires State to adopt practices to reduce SNAP benefits theft and to replace stolen SNAP benefits under certain circumstances; upgrades criminal penalties for SNAP benefits theft; makes appropriation.

Creates certain requirements for certain earned income access services and related provider contracts.

Requires payment of minimum wage to minors; requires payment of overtime to minors in certain circumstances; codifies certain exemptions to overtime payment requirements.