SENATE LABOR COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3927

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: OCTOBER 1, 2026

      The Senate Labor Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 3927.

      This bill requires implicit bias and cultural competency training for all State, county, and municipal social service workers.  Implicit bias is a bias in judgment or behavior that results from subtle cognitive processes, including implicit prejudice and implicit stereotypes, that often operate at a level below conscious awareness and without intentional control.  Cultural competency is the ability to understand, appreciate, and interact with people from different cultures or belief systems.

      The bill requires social service workers to complete the online tutorial by April 1 of every even-numbered year and to participate in training annually.  The bill mandates that certain certifications and verifications be communicated to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and such communications will be considered public information.

      Every day, State, county, and municipal social service workers make decisions that impact people of all backgrounds and cultures.  In doing this important work, it is critical for all of these individuals to understand their own biases as well as cultures and belief systems different from their own.