A3883

An Act concerning volunteerism and compliance with NJ FamilyCare and SNAP eligibility requirements, and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The Legislature finds and declares:

a. On July 4, 2025, the federal law known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” Pub.L.119-21, or OBBBA, was adopted, requiring New Jersey to implement various changes over the coming years to two of the State’s most critical safety-net programs: NJ FamilyCare and the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP.

b. NJ FamilyCare is New Jersey's State and federally funded health insurance program, comprised of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, that provides free or low-cost comprehensive healthcare coverage to over 1.8 million qualified residents, including children, pregnant individuals, single adults, parents, and those aged, blind, or disabled.

c. SNAP is a nutrition assistance program, regulated by the federal government and implemented by the states, that provides cash benefits to supplement the grocery budgets of 425,000 low-income households in New Jersey.

d. Under OBBBA, the State is required to make changes to program eligibility that will jeopardize current and future beneficiaries’ access to these programs.

e. Notably, most non-disabled adults age 19 through 64 who qualify for NJ Family Care coverage will be newly required to engage in work or other community engagement activities for at least 80 hours per month.

f. This new NJ FamilyCare work requirement will be compounded by an additional OBBBA provision that mandates New Jersey to recertify eligibility for this population every six months, instead of the existing 12 month interval.

g. Additionally, the existing work requirement under SNAP, which applies to individuals ages 18 through 54 who are able to work and do not have any dependents, will be expanded to include individuals up to age 64 and those individuals who have dependents over the age of 14.

h. The Legislature fears that these requirements under OBBBA will inadvertently push thousands of NJ FamilyCare and SNAP beneficiaries out of these programs due to paperwork overload, administrative filing backups, confusion regarding compliance, and challenges in submitting documentation to demonstrate compliance.

i. However, because beneficiaries can comply with the requirements under both programs through volunteer hours, one avenue of response to preparing the State for implementation is to promote and support volunteerism.

j. The Legislature, therefore, deems it necessary to maximize the State’s existing resources, and to establish any necessary new tools, to help residents find bona fide volunteer opportunities that will satisfy NJ FamilyCare and SNAP work requirements and to easily demonstrate compliance with these requirements via volunteer hours.

2. a. The Department of Human Services shall work in collaboration with the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism located in the Department of State, or any successor entity, to modify and expand the State’s existing volunteer resources such that information is easily accessible to State residents regarding compliance, via volunteer hours or community service, with the Medicaid community engagement requirements established in section 71119 of the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” Pub.L.119-21, and with the expanded work requirements for SNAP established in section 10102 of the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” Pub.L.119-21. At a minimum, these efforts shall include:

(1) Establishing, or modifying an existing, web-based tool that allows the public to search and apply for bona fide volunteer opportunities that comply with the applicable requirements;

2) Engaging and soliciting non-profit and community organizations, businesses, governmental agencies, and other appropriate entities to identify volunteer opportunities that comply with the applicable requirements;

3) Creating, or modifying an existing, web-based database through which entities can: register with the State as an organization that offers volunteer opportunities in compliance with the applicable requirements; and submit volunteer opportunities to be included on the web-based tool established pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection; and

4) Providing a link to the web-based tool established pursuant paragraph (1) of this subsection, as well as an explanation of the applicable requirements, on the State’s NJ FamilyCare webpage, the State’s SNAP webpage, the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism webpage, and any other relevant webpage as determined by the Commissioner of Human Services.

b. The Department of Human Services shall create, or modify an existing, mobile application that allows NJ FamilyCare and SNAP applicants and beneficiaries to submit to the appropriate eligibility determination agencies all information and documentation regarding volunteer or community service hours that is necessary to demonstrate compliance with the Medicaid community engagement requirements established in section 71119 of the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” Pub.L.119-21, and with the expanded work requirements for SNAP established in section 10102 of the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,”Pub.L.119-21.

c. The Department of Human Services shall perform annual audit reviews of the volunteer opportunities submitted pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection a. of this section, and the information and documentation submitted pursuant to subsection b. of this section, to verify that all information is accurate and that no abuse or malfeasance is being committed.

d. The State shall be immune from any liability for any injury incurred by a volunteer as a result of an individual’s volunteer or community service stemming from the web-based tool established, or modified, pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section.

e. As used in this act:

“Medicaid” means the program established pursuant to P.L.1968, c.413 (C.30:4D-1 et seq.).

“NJ FamilyCare” means the State-branded name given to the programs established pursuant to P.L.1968, c.413 (C.30:4D-1 et seq.) and P.L.2005, c.156 (C.30:4J-8 et al.).

“SNAP” means the State’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, established pursuant to the federal "Food and Nutrition Act of 2008," Pub.L.88-525 (7 U.S.C. s.2011 et seq.).

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) to the contrary, the Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism located in the Department of State, shall adopt, immediately upon filing proper notice with the Office of Administrative Law, regulations that the Commissioner of Human Services deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act, which regulations shall be effective for a period not to exceed 18 months from the date of the filing. The Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism located in the Department of State, may thereafter amend, adopt, or readopt the regulations in accordance with the requirements of P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the Department of Human Services, in collaboration with the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism, to promote and support volunteerism in connection to compliance with certain eligibly requirements for NJ FamilyCare and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP, recipients. On July 4, 2025, the federal law known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” Pub.L.119-21, or OBBBA, was adopted, requiring New Jersey to implement and expand certain work requirements for these two critical safety net programs. These changes will jeopardize current and future beneficiaries’ access to these programs. One avenue of response to preparing the State for implementation is to help residents find bona fide volunteer opportunities that will satisfy these requirements and demonstrate compliance.

Under the bill, the Department of Human Services is required to work in collaboration with the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism, or any successor entity, to modify and expand the State’s existing volunteer resources such that information is easily accessible to State residents regarding compliance, via volunteer hours or community service, with NJ FamilyCare and SNAP work requirements under OBBBA. At a minimum, these efforts shall include:

1) Establishing, or modifying an existing, web-based tool that allows the public to search and apply for bona fide volunteer opportunities that comply with the applicable requirements;

2) Engaging and soliciting appropriate entities to identify volunteer opportunities that comply with the applicable requirements;

3) Creating, or modifying an existing, web-based database through which entities can register and submit volunteer opportunities to be included on the web-based search tool; and

4) Providing a link to the web-based search tool, as well as information regarding the applicable NJ FamilyCare and SNAP work requirements, on relevant State webpages.

The bill also directs the Department of Human Services: 1) to create or modify an existing mobile application that allows NJ FamilyCare and SNAP applicants and beneficiaries to submit to the appropriate agency all information and documentation regarding volunteer or community service hours that is necessary to demonstrate compliance with the work requirements under OBBBA; 2) perform annual audit reviews of information and documents submitted under the bill to verify accuracy and that no abuse or malfeasance is being committed; and 3) in consultation with the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism, to immediately adopt regulations that the Commissioner of Human Services deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act .

Finally, the bill explicitly states that the State is to be immune from any liability for any injury incurred by a volunteer as a result of an individual’s volunteer or community service stemming from the web-based search tool established or modified under the bill.