LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
ASSEMBLY, No. 3577
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
DATED: MAY 18, 2026
SUMMARY
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Synopsis: |
Requires issuance of report on certain information and data on processing of applications for professional and occupational licenses and mandates review of training and call intake in Division of Consumer Affairs. |
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Type of Impact: |
Time-limited State expenditure increase. |
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Agencies Affected: |
Department of Law and Public Safety. |
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Office of Legislative Services Estimate |
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Fiscal Impact |
Year 1 |
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State Expenditure Increase |
Indeterminate |
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· The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that the bill will cause an indeterminate expenditure increase to the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety to implement the bill’s requirements to collect certain data, issue a report, and complete trainings over a six-month period.
BILL DESCRIPTION
This bill requires the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety to review and collect certain information and data on the professions and occupations regulated by the division or a board, committee, or other entity within the division, and compile a report on the findings to be released, six months after the bill is enacted, to the Governor and State Legislature.
The information and data to be reviewed and collected include: 1) the number of outstanding applications each profession and occupation has for initial licensure or other type of credential; 2) the number of incomplete applications received; 3) funding expended to retain employees; 4) categorization, if possible, of the reasons for calls from applicants and how many calls come in under each category; and 5) the calculation of the percentage of completed applications for initial licensure or other credential over the past five years, to include a calculation of the number of applications that have taken at least twice as long to process in comparison to the average time to process an application.
Additionally, the Attorney General, or a designee, is to: 1) develop and administer training specific to a profession and occupation to new employees hired to process initial applications for licensure in the profession or occupation; and 2) review the feasibility of outsourcing telephone call intake and response to businesses or associations that assist individuals seeking a license in a specific profession or occupation.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
The OLS has not received a formal fiscal note on this bill, however, the Department of Law and Public Safety provided informal information on a previous version of this bill during the 2024-2025 Session. The Office of the Attorney General informally indicated that the training requirement and the consideration of outsourcing telephone calls might not result in a significant cost impact, as the division regularly updates training and has historically considered the outsourcing of telephone call intake.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
The OLS finds that the bill will cause an indeterminate expenditure increase to the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety to implement the bill’s requirements to collect certain data, issue a report, and complete trainings over a six-month period. However, depending on the division’s resource allocation policies, the added workload may or may not augment State administrative expenditures.
The OLS estimates that the division’s collection and assessment of the data required may provide a better understanding of the licensure application processing delays, which may result in better efficiency within the division.
In addition, as noted above, the Office of the Attorney General informally indicated that the training requirement and the consideration of outsourcing telephone calls might not result in a significant cost impact, as the division regularly updates training and has historically considered the outsourcing of telephone call intake.
Between FY 2015 and FY 2026, annual State Appropriations Acts except for FY 2025 have included budget language permitting the Attorney General to reallocate funds from State professional boards, advisory boards, and committees’ unexpended appropriation balances for other departmental purposes. During the FY 2027 Budget process, the Department of Law and Public Safety estimated that up to $192.1 million has been reallocated from the professional boards’ excess funds from FY 2015 to FY 2026.
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Section: |
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Analyst: |
Lead Fiscal Analyst |
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Approved: |
Thomas Koenig Legislative Budget and Finance Officer |
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).