SENATE, No. 2959
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator RAJ MUKHERJI
District 32 (Hudson)
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator McKnight
SYNOPSIS
Reformats MyNJHelps web-based platform as centralized online resource for all State administered public assistance programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee on February 9, 2026, with amendments.
An Act concerning public assistance programs and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. No later than 365 days after the effective date of this 1[section] act1 , the 1[Commissioner of Human Services] State Chief Technology Officer of the New Jersey Office of Information Technology1, in collaboration with all applicable State agencies, shall expand the MyNJHelps web-based application platform for SNAP, WFNJ, and NJFamilyCare to include all State administered public assistance programs. Compliance with this subsection shall require the 1[commissioner] State Chief Technology Officer1 to: (1) reformat the MyNJHelps web-based application platform as the State’s centralized online resource for applicants to access information about, apply for benefits to, and check the application status of all State administered public assistance programs; and (2) design a single application, accessible on the MyNJHelps web-based application platform, through which an applicant can apply for all State administered public assistance programs.
b. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to alter the administrating agency of a public assistance program. The platform established in accordance with subsection a. of this section shall provide all applicable administering agencies with access to the necessary applicant information to make eligibility determinations, as well as access to platform functions to post information regarding application status.
c. The 1[commissioner] State Chief Technology Officer1 shall enter into any necessary data sharing agreements with applicable State agencies to comply with the provisions of this section.
d. As used in this section:
1[“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Human Services.]1
“Public assistance program” means a program that provides benefits to low-income New Jersey residents via a means-tested eligibility process. These types of programs provide benefits that include, but that are not limited to: healthcare 1[,] ;1 pharmaceutical 1[,] ;1 food 1[,] ;1 cash 1[,] ;1 child care 1[,] ;1 housing 1[,] ;1 and utility assistance.
“NJFamilyCare” means the program established pursuant to P.L.2005, c.156 (C.30:4J-8 et al.), which includes the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Medicaid Program.
“SNAP” means the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program established pursuant to the federal "Food and Nutrition Act of 2008," Pub.L.110-246 (7 U.S.C. s.2011 et seq.).
“WFNJ” means the Work First New Jersey Program established pursuant to P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.) in accordance with authorization received under Title IV of the federal "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996," Pub.L.104-193 (8 U.S.C. s.1601 et seq.).
2. This act shall take effect immediately.