ASSEMBLY BUDGET COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4029

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 26, 2025

      The Assembly Budget Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 4029.

      As amended and reported, this bill requires any employer or contractor engaged in work for a public body to submit certified payroll records to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and to the public entity with which the employer or contractor is engaged to work.  Under current law, employers and contractors engaged in public work, or otherwise subject to the State’s prevailing wage requirements, are required to register with the State and submit certified payroll records.  The bill clarifies that employers and contractors who perform work for a public body and who are not currently required to be registered under “The Public Works Contractor Registration Act” are exempt from registration.

      Under the bill, a “public body” is defined as the State, any of its political subdivisions, any authority created by the Legislature, and any instrumentality or agency of the State or of any of its political subdivisions.  The bill defines “work for a public body” as construction, reconstruction, demolition, alteration, custom fabrication, duct cleaning, or repair work, or maintenance work, which is done under contract and paid for in whole or in part out of the funds of a public body, done on any property or premises owned or leased by the public body or under agreement to be owned or leased by the public body, or undertaken in connection with any loan, loan guarantee, grant, incentive, expenditure, investment, tax exemption or other financial assistance approved, funded, authorized, administered or provided by a public body, or undertaken to fulfill any condition of receiving any of the financial assistance.

      As amended and reported by the committee, Assembly Bill No. 4029 is identical to Senate Bill No. 1403 (2R), which was also amended and reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

      (1)  revise certain definitions in the bill;

      (2)  clarify that employers and contractors who are not currently required to be registered under “The Public Works Contractor Registration Act,” P.L.1999, c.238 (C.34:11-56.48 et seq.) are exempt from registration;

      (3)  clarify that an employer or contractor engaged in any work for a public body will file, within 10 days of receipt of a request from the commissioner or the commissioner’s authorized representative, any or all records, books, registers, payrolls, and other records that relate to or have a bearing upon the question of wages, hours, and other conditions of employment of any such workmen, and copies of any or all of such books, registers, payrolls, or other records as the commissioner or the commissioner’s authorized representative may deem necessary or appropriate;

      (4)  clarify that the commissioner will differentiate the manner of filing payroll records for an employer or contractor that performs work that is not subject to the provisions of the “New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act,” or that is not required to pay its workers the prevailing wage by any other provisions of the law; and

      (5)  make certain technical changes.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill is not certified as requiring a fiscal note.