The Senate Labor Committee unanimously voted out of committee S3772 (Lagana), which would adjust compensation rates for board and lodging in workers’ compensation claims. The New Jersey State Bar Association-drafted bill amends the rate from $25 to market value, marking the first time the rate has been changed in almost 60 years.
The bill proposes to amend the compensation rate to market value unless there exists an agreement between the parties at the time of hiring. If signed into law, this would mark the first adjustment since 1966 when the rate was changed from $8 per week to $25 per week.
The bill heads to a vote in the Senate.
Bill to End Use of Federal Benefits for Children in Placement Heads to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee
The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee will consider S3153 (Ruiz)/A4543 (Haider), which would limit the Division of Children and Families’ ability to use federal benefits received by a child in out of home placement to reimburse the cost for a child’s care. The New Jersey State Bar Association is monitoring this bill.
“Removing provisions that require children to pay for their own foster care – a public service that federal law mandates the government to pay for – will pave the way for a brighter future as they transition out of the system,” said Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz. “Saving a child’s benefits can help them secure housing, an education, and pay for basic necessities in adulthood. We must do everything we can to secure the financial future of our youth in foster care and their families so we are not perpetuating a system that keeps families separated and foster kids with little resources when they begin their independent lives.”
The bill prohibits DCF from using the property or any benefits of any child under the custody of the Division of Child Protection and Permanency to offset the state’s costs for the child’s maintenance, except to maintain the child’s eligibility for federal Supplemental Security Income Program benefits and to avoid a violation of federal asset or resource limits under the SSI program. Also, DCF must appropriately monitor any federal asset or resource limits for the child’s relevant benefits, establish a qualified ABLE account or other trust account for every child who is eligible, and ensure that the child’s best interest is served by using the benefits for the child’s unmet needs or conserving the benefits in a way that avoids violating federal asset or resource limits that would affect the child’s ability to receive the benefits.
Additionally, the bill requires notification of the child’s parent and legal guardian, among other parties, when DCF uses a child’s federal benefits for the child’s unmet needs.
If passed, the bill goes to the full Senate for a vote. The Assembly counterpart remains pending in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.