STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2027

with Senate Floor Amendments

(Proposed by Senator Ruiz)

ADOPTED: JUNE 28, 2024

      These floor amendments provide that the benefit programs established under the bill are to be established as pilot programs.

      The floor amendments clarify the purposes of the benefits provided under the State WFNJ Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Pilot Program and the State WFNJ Diaper Benefit Pilot Program.

      The floor amendments require the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services to educate participants on the purpose of the additional cash assistance provided by each pilot program.

      The floor amendments provide that any unspent funds from a participant’s monthly State WFNJ Menstrual Hygiene Benefit or State WFNJ Diaper Benefit will be subject to WFNJ program benefit expungement and aging rules.  As introduced, these unspent funds would have been carried over to the next month.

      The floor amendments require the Commissioner of Human Services, no later than one month following the completion of the pilot programs, to prepare and submit to the Governor and the Legislature a report evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot programs established by the bill.

      The floor amendments revise the effective date of the bill and provide that the provisions of the bill will expire one year after the bill’s effective date except that the reporting requirements of the bill will expire after the submission of the report to the Governor and Legislature.

      The floor amendments revise the bill’s synopsis to reflect these changes.