SENATE LABOR COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1238

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JANUARY 25, 2024

      The Senate Labor Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 1238.

      As amended, the bill requires any employer who has one or more employees serving customers or other individuals in a place of public accommodation or other public facility, or otherwise has the ability to provide or deny access to the place or facility, to provide training to those employees regarding the right of an individual with a disability to have a guide or service dog in places of public accommodation or other public facilities under the relevant provisions of State and federal law.  An employer may satisfy the training requirement of the bill by utilizing training that may be provided at no cost by the Division on Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety, the New Jersey State Bar Association, or any other entity, or may, at its discretion, implement a training program at its own cost.

      With the committee amendments, the bill requires the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development to prepare and provide for the distribution of a pamphlet about the topics included in the training and the right of individuals with disabilities to have guide or service dogs.

      As amended and reported, this bill is identical to Assembly Bill No. 3152.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The amendments require:

      1.   the commissioner to prepare, and make available on the department website, a pamphlet about the topics included in the required training and the right of individuals with disabilities to have guide or service dogs in places of public accommodation or other public facilities; and

      2.   that employers distribute the pamphlet to employees and have them sign and return forms acknowledging receipt and review of the pamphlet, and retain the forms for the commissioner’s inspection.