After three previous unsuccessful attempts, the New Jersey Senate finally pushed Gov. Murphy’s conditional veto of A 1474 across the finish line, approving the measure by a 21–15 vote. The assembly had approved the bill in October. The governor is expected to sign the bill into law.

A 1474, which applies to construction, light industrial, and other workers—but not professional or clerical workers—will, among other things

• Mandate temporary employee wages and benefits equivalent to those received by client employees performing similar work
• Limit conversion fees
• Prohibit agencies from charging a fee for providing transportation

Over the past eight months, ASA and the New Jersey Staffing Alliance, an ASA-affiliated chapter, along with their member staffing agencies, engaged in an extensive grassroots campaign explaining to legislators why the bill is bad for workers and the staffing industry. Because of these efforts, three previous efforts to approve the conditional veto were postponed.

Following yesterday’s vote, industry lobbyists were already in conversations with state senators about potential legislative fixes that might be offered. NJSA officials have also requested a meeting with the New Jersey Department of Labor to offer their assistance as the agency drafts regulations implementing the new law.

Most requirements are set to take effect 180 days after the governor signs the bill into law. Section 3 of the bill, which imposes new employee notification requirements on staffing companies, and Section 10, which prohibits retaliation against employees that exercise their rights under this new law, will go into effect 90 days after enactment.