LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 2955

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: OCTOBER 20, 2026

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Requires county welfare agencies to direct clients to, and promote use of, Department of Treasury’s personal finance web-based platform.

Type of Impact:

Potential annual State and local expenditure increases.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Human Services and county governments.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Annual

 

Potential State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

Potential County Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

 

·       The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that the Department of Human Services and county governments may incur indeterminate, likely modest cost increases to fulfill the provisions of the bill regarding the distribution of certain financial planning services to county welfare agency clients. 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      The bill mandates the Department of Human Services to require each county welfare agency located in the State to: 1) direct clients to, and promote the use of, the Department of the Treasury’s free personal finance web-based platform, or any subsequent platform provided by that department or the State; and 2) promote the availability of financial planning services provided at the agency, if offered, as well as the availability of the Department of the Treasury’s free personal finance web-based platform or any subsequent platform provided by that department or the State, on the agency’s website and in the agency’s physical office.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS concludes that the Department of Human Services and county governments may incur indeterminate cost increases to fulfill the provisions of the bill.  These costs may include one-time expenses to design digital and paper materials to inform clients of the financial planning services outlined in the bill on a county welfare agency’s website and within a county welfare agency’s physical office; and ongoing expenses to train county welfare agency staff to share this information verbally with clients.  The OLS estimates that any expenses under the bill would likely be modest.

      County welfare agencies administer various public assistance programs in partnership with the department including such programs as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Work First New Jersey, and NJ FamilyCare.  The department, in turn, provides county welfare agencies with State funds to offset the costs of administering these services.

 

 

Section:

Human Services

Analyst:

Sarah Schmidt

Principal Research Analyst

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).