Bill Text: NJ A1561 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: "New Jersey Intergenerational Poverty Reduction Act."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-01-11 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Human Services Committee [A1561 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A1561-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblywoman BRITNEE N. TIMBERLAKE
District 34 (Essex and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Spearman
SYNOPSIS
"New Jersey Intergenerational Poverty Reduction Act."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning poverty and economic insecurity in New Jersey and supplementing Title 44 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the "Intergenerational Poverty Reduction Act."
2. As used in this act:
"Anti-poverty program" means a program that has the primary goal of lifting individuals out of poverty or improving economic opportunities for individuals, and which operates, in whole or in part, with funding from the State or federal government.
"Asset poverty" means the inability of an individual to access wealth resources sufficient to provide for the individual's basic needs for a period of three months or more.
"Child" means an individual who is under the age of 18.
"Commission" means the New Jersey Commission on Poverty Elimination and Economic Security that is established under section 3 of this act.
"Cycle of poverty" means the set of factors or events by which the long-term poverty of an individual is likely to continue and be experienced by each child of the individual when the child becomes an adult, in the absence of outside intervention.
"Deep poverty" means an economic condition where an individual or family has a total annual income that is less than 50 percent of the federal poverty level for the individual or family, as provided by the United States Census Bureau in its annual reports on Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States.
"Department" means the Department of Human Services.
"Deprivation" means an individual's lack of adequate nutrition, health care, housing, or other resources necessary to satisfy the individual's basic needs.
"Digital divide" means the gap that exists between individuals, households, businesses, and geographic areas at different socioeconomic levels in relation to their ability to access various information and communication technologies, including computers and the Internet, and which results in an imbalance in physical access to appropriate technology and the resources, education, and skills that are needed to effectively use that technology for a wide variety of activities.
"Disconnected youth" means an individual who is 16 to 25 years-of-age and is both unemployed and not enrolled in school.
"Disparate impact" means the historic and ongoing impacts that result from a pattern and practice of discrimination in employment, education, housing, banking, or other aspects of the economy, society, or culture, regardless of whether those patterns or practices were motivated by discriminatory intent, and which have an adverse impact on minorities, women, or other protected groups.
"Economic insecurity" means the inability of an individual to financially cope with adverse or costly life events and recover from the monetary consequences of those events, or an individual's lack of economic means sufficient to maintain an adequate standard of living.
"Economic outcome" means a change in the economic status, economic instability, or economic security of an individual, household, or other population group that is attributable to a planned intervention, benefit, service, or series of interventions, benefits, and services, regardless of whether the intervention, benefit, or service was intended to change the economic status, economic stability, or economic security of the individual, household, or other population group.
"Economic security" means that an individual has access to the financial means and supports that are necessary to effectively cope with, and recover from the monetary consequences of, adverse or costly life events while maintaining an adequate standard of living.
"Intergenerational poverty" means poverty in which two or more successive generations of a family continue in the cycle of poverty and government dependence. "Intergenerational poverty" does not include situational poverty.
"Poverty" means an economic condition in which an individual or family has a total annual income that is less than the federal poverty level for the individual or family, as provided by the United States Census Bureau in its annual reports on Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States.
"Poverty measure" means a uniform method for measuring poverty in the State, which uses indicators other than traditional income-based measures to provide a detailed picture of low-income populations and populations living in poverty in a manner that meaningfully accounts for non-income-related factors contributing to poverty, including, but not limited to: available access to health care, housing, proper nutrition, and quality education; the number of individuals kept out of poverty through the use of government supports; the number of individuals who are impoverished due to medical expenses, child-care expenses, or work expenses; the rate of food insecurity; the number of individuals in asset poverty; the number of disconnected youth; the teen birth rate; the participation rate in State and federal anti-poverty programs for all eligible populations; the number of individuals who do not use a bank or similar financial institution; the cost-of-living differences in various regions of the State, including urban and rural regions; the income levels necessary to achieve economic security and a livable standard of living in different regions of the State; the impact of rising income inequality; the impact of the digital divide; and the impact of trauma on intergenerational poverty.
"Situational poverty" means temporary poverty that is generally traceable to a specific incident or time period within the lifetime of an individual, and which is not carried over into the next generation.
"Strategic plan" means the strategic plan that is adopted by the commission, pursuant to section 4 of this act, to reduce and ultimately eliminate poverty and economic insecurity in the State.
"Two-generation approach" means an approach to breaking the cycle of poverty by improving family economic security through programs that create opportunities for, and address the needs of, parents and children together.
"Working group" means the Interagency Working Group on Poverty and Economic Insecurity that is established pursuant to section 7 of this act.
3. a. The New Jersey Commission on Poverty Elimination and Economic Security is established in, but not of, the Department of Human Services. Notwithstanding this allocation, the commission shall be independent of any supervision or control by the department or any officer or employee thereof.
b. The purpose of the commission shall be to:
(1) improve policymakers' understanding of the root causes of poverty and economic insecurity, including the societal, economic, and cultural factors that contribute to or facilitate poverty or economic insecurity, and the reasons that poverty and economic insecurity persist in the State;
(2) expand policymakers' understanding of poverty by establishing and distinguishing between a standard that measures an individual's level of freedom from deprivation and a standard that measures an individual's level of economic security;
(3) educate policymakers on the impact that poverty has on other measures of economic stability and economic outcomes, including educational attainment levels, rates of incarceration, lifetime earnings rates, access to housing, access to health care, and health care outcomes;
(4) support governmental efforts to ensure that residents of the State have the equal opportunity to achieve economic security; and
(5) develop a strategic plan, as provided by section 4 of this act, and otherwise provide recommendations to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, to reduce and ultimately eliminate poverty and economic insecurity in the State.
c. The commission shall be composed of 25 voting members, as follows:
(1) four members of the Legislature, one of whom shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, one of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, and one of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly;
(2) one member of the judiciary, who shall be appointed by the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court;
(3) twenty public members, including: (a) one representative of an organization that focuses on rural poverty, who shall serve as co-chair of the commission; (b) one representative of an organization that focuses on urban and suburban poverty, who shall serve as co-chair of the commission; (c) two individuals who have lived experience with deep poverty; (d) one representative of an organization that advocates for health care access, affordability, and availability; (e) one representative of an organization that advocates for individuals with mental illness; (f) one representative of an organization that advocates for children and youth; (g) one representative of an organization that advocates for equity and equality in education; (h) one representative of an organization that advocates for individuals who are homeless; (i) one representative of a Statewide hunger relief organization; (j) one representative of an organization that advocates for military veterans; (k) one representative of an organization that advocates for individuals with disabilities; (l) one representative of an organization that advocates for immigrants; (m) one representative of a Statewide faith-based organization that provides direct social services in the State; (n) one representative of an organization that advocates for economic security for women; (o) one representative of an organization that advocates for adults who are 60 years of age or older; (p) one representative of a labor organization that represents primarily low-wage and middle-wage earners; (q) one person representing school districts in the State; (r) one person representing the interests of county governments in the State; and (s) one person representing the interests of municipal governments in the State.
d. The members of the interagency working group established pursuant to section 7 of this act shall additionally serve as non-voting, ex officio members of the commission.
e. Of the public members appointed to the commission, four shall be appointed by the Governor, four shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, four shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, four shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, and four shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly. Not more than 10 public members shall be of the same political party. Each public member shall serve for a term of five years, but of the public members first appointed, four shall serve an initial term of one year, four shall serve an initial term of two years, four shall serve an initial term of three years, four shall serve an initial term of four years, and four shall serve an initial term of five years. Any public member of the commission may be removed by the Governor, for cause, following a public hearing.
f. Public members appointed to the commission shall:
(1) be appointed within 45 days after the effective date of this act;
(2) be residents of New Jersey who have lived in the State for at least one year;
(3) maintain residence in the State during the members' respective terms of service on the commission;
(4) reflect the racial, gender, and geographic diversity of this State;
(5) include representatives of regions in the State that are experiencing significant economic insecurity and the highest rates of deep poverty; and
(6) be eligible for reappointment to the commission upon the conclusion of their respective membership terms.
g. Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments.
h. The commission shall organize as soon as practicable after the appointment of a majority of its members, but in no case more than 60 days after the effective date of this act.
i. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for travel and other miscellaneous expenses incurred in the necessary performance of their duties, within the limits of funds made available to the commission for its purposes.
j. In effectuating its purposes and duties under this act, the commission may establish subcommittees to address specific issues or populations, and may collaborate with individuals who have relevant expertise and are not members of the commission, as necessary to assist the commission or a subcommittee thereof in carrying out its duties.
k. The commission shall meet at such times and places as the co-chairs may designate, but not less than once per year.
l. A majority plus one of the voting members appointed to the commission shall constitute a quorum. The commission may conduct business without a quorum, but may only vote on a recommendation when a quorum is present.
m. All actions undertaken by the commission or by any subcommittee established thereby shall be approved by a majority vote of the commission or the subcommittee, as applicable.
n. The commission shall be entitled to receive assistance and services from any State, county, or municipal department, board, commission, or agency, as it may require, and as may be available to it for its purposes. The commission is further authorized to consult with any association, organization, or individual having knowledge of, or experience with, poverty or economic insecurity. The Department of Human Services shall provide staff and administrative support as may be necessary to assist the commission in carrying out its duties.
o. The commission may solicit, receive, and expend any grant moneys or other funds that may be made available, for the commission's purposes, by any government agency or any private for-profit or not-for-profit organization or entity.
4. a. Not later than 18 months after the effective date of this act, the commission shall develop and adopt a strategic plan to address poverty and economic insecurity in the State.
b. The goals of the strategic plan shall be to:
(1) ensure that State programs and services targeting poverty and economic insecurity reflect the goal of helping individuals and families to rise above poverty and achieve long-term economic stability, rather than simply providing relief from deprivation;
(2) eliminate disparate rates of poverty, deep poverty, child poverty, and intergenerational poverty that are based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation or identity, English language proficiency, ability, or geographic location in a rural, urban, or suburban area;
(3) reduce deep poverty in the State by 50 percent by 2026;
(4) eliminate child poverty in the State by 2031; and
(5) eliminate all poverty in the State by 2036.
c. In developing the strategic plan, the commission shall:
(1) collaborate with the interagency working group established pursuant to section 7 of this act, including with respect to the sharing and analysis of relevant data and information;
(2) identify the unmet needs, if any, of children, adults, and families who are living in deep poverty or are experiencing intergenerational poverty in the State;
(3) review each program and service that targets poverty and economic insecurity in the State in order to: (a) determine which programs and services are the most effective and of the highest importance in reducing poverty and economic insecurity in the State; (b) identify shortcomings in program and service areas; (c) analyze the capacity of the State's existing programs and services to address the unmet needs identified under paragraph (2) of this subsection; and (d) where appropriate, identify new programs or services that can be used to address the unmet needs identified under paragraph (2) of this subsection;
(4) study the feasibility of using public and private partnerships and social impact bonds to improve innovation and cost-effectiveness in the development of programs and the delivery of services that advance the goals of the strategic plan;
(5) hold at least six public hearings in different geographic regions of the State, including regions that have disparate rates of poverty or historical experience with economic insecurity, in order to collect information, take testimony, and solicit input and feedback from interested parties, including members of the public who have personal experience with State programs and services targeting poverty, deep poverty, child poverty, intergenerational poverty, and economic insecurity. Information collected pursuant to this paragraph shall be made available to the public; and
(6) request and receive from any State or local government agency relevant information relating to poverty or economic security in the State, including, but not limited to, statistical data, audit and other reporting data, planning data, and projections for the future.
d. At a minimum, the strategic plan shall:
(1) identify, or provide for the development of, fact-based measures to be used both in identifying rates of poverty and economic insecurity in the State and in evaluating the long-term effectiveness of existing and proposed programs and services targeting poverty and economic insecurity in the State;
(2) evaluate the current status of, and establish interim goals for the improvement, throughout the State, of: (a) access to adequate food and nutrition; (b) access to affordable and quality health care; (c) equal access to safe and affordable housing; (d) equal access to quality education and training; (e) equal access to affordable, quality post-secondary education options; (f) access to dependable and affordable transportation; (g) access to quality and affordable child care; (h) opportunities to engage in meaningful and sustainable work that pays a living wage; (i) barriers that prevent low-income individuals in poverty from accessing available affordable housing, nutritious food, quality health care, education, transportation, and child care, from utilizing programs and services available to address poverty and economic instability, or from accessing or taking advantage of meaningful and sustainable work opportunities; (j) equal access to justice through a fair system of criminal justice that does not, in effect, criminalize poverty; (k) access to adequate income supports; and (l) retirement security;
(3) provide policy and fiscal recommendations regarding the actions that should be undertaken by State, local, and private actors, as appropriate, to:
(a) increase the enrollment of individuals, children, and families in programs and services targeting poverty and economic insecurity, and reduce the complexity and difficulty of program and service enrollment procedures;
(b) maximize the effectiveness of programs and services targeting poverty and economic instability in order to consistently achieve positive economic outcomes;
(c) expand the reach of, and the number of eligible persons and families that are served by, programs and services targeting poverty and economic insecurity in the State, and ensure that relevant State and local agencies have adequate resources and funding, as necessary to implement and expand programs and services targeting poverty and economic insecurity and to promote public awareness of such programs, particularly in historically disenfranchised communities;
(d) ensure that income and asset limitations established as a condition of eligibility for programs and services targeting poverty and economic instability do not create gaps in necessary service and benefit delivery systems, do not prevent beneficiaries from improving their long-term economic outcomes or achieving long-term economic stability and independence, and do not restrict access to benefits as individuals and families attempt to transition out of the programs and attain economic self-sufficiency;
(e) improve the ability of community-based organizations to participate in the development and implementation of State and local programs focused on poverty and economic instability;
(f) improve the ability of low-income individuals, unemployed individuals, and individuals living in poverty to access critical job training and skills upgrade programs, as well as quality jobs that provide economic security and can help the individual and the individuals' family to rise above poverty;
(g) connect low-income children, disconnected youth, and the families thereof with education providers, job training opportunities, and available jobs in the communities in which the children or young adults live;
(h) improve communication and collaboration between State agencies and local governments in association with the establishment and implementation of programs and services targeting poverty and economic insecurity;
(i) create or improve efficiencies in the administration and coordination of State and local programs and services targeting poverty and economic insecurity;
(j) ensure that the State's public benefits programs, emergency programs, discretionary economic programs, and other programs and services targeting poverty and economic insecurity are sufficiently funded to enable the State to mount effective responses to economic downturns and increases in economic insecurity and poverty rates;
(k) develop and implement programs, services, and policies that use a two-generation approach when analyzing pertinent data; and
(l) facilitate the development of public and private partnerships and the use of social impact bonds to advance the goals of the strategic plan, to the extent that such actions are deemed to be feasible pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection c. of this section;
(4) identify best practices for the collection of data related to:
(a) the reduction of poverty and economic insecurity in the State;
(b) the reduction of racial, ethnic, age, gender, sexual orientation and sexual identity-based disparities in the rates of poverty and economic instability;
(c) the accurate evaluation of program and service effectiveness, efficiency, and impact on economic outcomes for individuals, families, and communities receiving benefits and services;
(d) the streamlining of program and service enrollment and eligibility processes and determinations;
(e) the improvement of long-term economic outcomes for individuals enrolled in service and benefit programs;
(f) the reduction of individuals' and families' reliance on public programs;
(g) the improvement of access and connections to employment that provides a living wage;
(h) the improvement of economic security;
(i) the improvement of retirement security;
(j) the improvement of the State's understanding of the impact of extreme weather and natural disasters on economically vulnerable communities, and the improvement of those communities' resilience to, and recovery from, extreme weather and natural disasters; and
(k) the improvement of access to employment-based benefits.
e. In addition to the content described in subsection d. of this section, the strategic plan shall contain all of the following:
(1) a suggested timeline for the stages of implementation in association with each recommendation developed under paragraph (3) of subsection d. of this section;
(2) short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term benchmarks to measure the State's progress toward achieving the general goals of the strategic plan, as outlined in subsection b. of this section, and the specific interim goals identified in the plan under subsection d. of this section; and
(3) a summary of the extent to which the commission has collaborated with the interagency working group with respect to the review and analysis of relevant data as provided by paragraph (1) of subsection c. of this section.
f. For each recommendation adopted pursuant to paragraph (3) of subsection d. of this section, the strategic plan shall identify, in measurable terms, the actual or potential impact the recommendation will have on poverty and economic insecurity in the State, and on achieving the general goals of the strategic plan as outlined in subsection b. of this section, and the more specific interim goals identified under paragraph (2) of subsection d. of this section.
5. The commission shall submit to the Governor, and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, the following written reports:
a. an interim report on the commission's activities, which shall be submitted not later than six months after the effective date of this act;
b. a report summarizing the commission's activities and containing a copy of the commission's strategic plan, which report shall be submitted immediately following the commission's adoption of the strategic plan pursuant to section 4 of this act, and not later than 18 months after the effective date of this act; and
c. an annual report evaluating the status of the implementation of the strategic plan and the recommendations contained therein, and providing any supplemental recommendations the commission deems necessary to reduce or eliminate poverty and economic insecurity in the State, which report shall be submitted one year after the publication of the commission's strategic plan and annually thereafter.
6. a. The State Treasurer shall include, in the materials submitted to the Legislature outlining the Governor's proposed annual budget, a description of any budget proposals or other activities, ongoing projects, or plans of the executive branch that are designed to meet the goals and objectives of the strategic plan.
b. The information provided pursuant to this section shall include the following:
(1) an accounting of the savings to the State that will be realized from any increased efficiencies in the delivery of services;
(2) any savings realized from a reduction in the number of individuals living in poverty or from a reduction in the demand for need-based services and benefits;
(3) a projection of any increase in revenue collections that is anticipated due to any increase in the number of individuals who are employed and pay taxes into the State Treasury; and
(4) any other information related to the proposed annual budget that the State Treasurer believes is relevant to the implementation of the strategic plan or the achievement of the goals or objectives established therein.
7. a. There is established, in, but not of, the Department of Human Services, an Interagency Working Group on Poverty and Economic Insecurity. Notwithstanding this allocation, the interagency working group shall be independent of any supervision or control by the department or any officer or employee thereof.
b. The Interagency Working Group on Poverty and Economic Insecurity shall be composed of the following ex officio members:
(1) the Commissioner of Human Services or a designee thereof who is an assistant commissioner within the Department of Human Services;
(2) the Commissioner of Health or a designee thereof who is an assistant commissioner within the Department of Health;
(3) the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development or a designee thereof who is an assistant commissioner within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development;
(4) the Commissioner of Education or a designee thereof who is an assistant commissioner within the Department of Education;
(5) the Commissioner of Community Affairs or a designee thereof who is an assistant commissioner within the Department of Community Affairs;
(6) the Commissioner of Corrections or a designee thereof who is an assistant commissioner within the Department of Corrections;
(7) the Commissioner of Agriculture or a designee thereof who is an assistant commissioner within the Department of Agriculture; and
(8) the State Treasurer or a designee thereof who is an assistant treasurer within the Department of the Treasury.
c. The working group shall meet at least four times a year.
8. a. The Interagency Working Group on Poverty and Economic Insecurity shall have the power and duty to:
(1) identify, analyze, gain an understanding of, and propose recommendations to address, the root causes of poverty and economic insecurity, including the social, economic, and cultural factors that contribute to poverty and economic insecurity;
(2) identify, analyze, gain an understanding of, and propose recommendations to address intergenerational poverty, in accordance with the provisions of subsection b. of this section;
(3) study and measure the effect that poverty and economic insecurity have on: (a) worker productivity and economic output; and (b) the health and welfare of children, including children's access to health care, housing, proper nutrition, and quality education;
(4) identify State programs, including those programs related to economic development, job creation, job training, the environment, disaster relief, hazard mitigation, extreme weather, and climate change, which require reform in order to better target resources to low-income, minority, rural, urban, and other populations or geographic areas suffering from economic insecurity and disparate rates of poverty;
(5) measure the fiscal impact on the State of successfully transitioning individuals and families from poverty to long-term economic stability;
(6) establish an ongoing system of data sharing, policy coordination, and communication among and within State agencies, local agencies, and other organizations, including the commission, which are involved in the provision of programs or services that are aimed at improving economic security and eliminating poverty;
(7) identify knowledge gaps, research needs, and policy and program deficiencies associated with economic insecurity and poverty;
(8) assist the commission in the development of the strategic plan under section 4 of this act, including through the sharing of data and information identified under paragraphs (1) through (7) of this subsection, and the analysis of that data and information; and
(9) coordinate the implementation of the strategic plan adopted pursuant to section 4 of this act, including by advising and assisting relevant agencies in the implementation of the strategic plan, advising relevant agencies on specific programmatic and policy matters related to the strategic plan, providing relevant subject matter expertise to each agency for the purposes of implementing the strategic plan, and identifying and addressing issues that may influence the future implementation of the strategic plan.
b. In fulfilling its duties under paragraph (2) of subsection a. of this section, in relation to the study of intergenerational poverty, the working group shall:
(1) identify children who are at risk of continuing in the cycle of poverty, absent outside intervention;
(2) identify and develop effective and efficient plans, programs, and recommendations to help at-risk children escape the cycle of poverty;
(3) to the extent authorized by law, implement data-driven policies and programs to address issues related to poverty, public assistance, education, economic development, criminal justice, and other areas, as may be necessary to measurably reduce the incidence of children in the State who remain in poverty as they become adults;
(4) establish and facilitate improved cooperation, data sharing, and policy coordination among all persons, including, but not limited to, State agencies and case workers, who are engaged in the rescue of children from intergenerational poverty;
(5) study and measure the effect of intergenerational poverty on the ability of parents and children to achieve economic stability, including the effect on educational attainment, rates of incarceration, lifetime earnings, access to healthcare, and access to housing;
(6) study, evaluate, and report on the status and effectiveness of policies, procedures, and programs that provide services to children in this State who are affected by intergenerational poverty;
(7) study and evaluate policies, procedures, and programs implemented by other states and nongovernmental entities that address the needs of children affected by intergenerational poverty;
(8) identify State policies, procedures, and programs or federal requirements that are impeding efforts to help children affected by intergenerational poverty in the State to escape the cycle of poverty; and
(9) facilitate the development and implementation of programs and policies that use a two-generation approach.
c. Fiscal impact measurements performed under paragraph (5) of subsection a. of this section may include an analysis of the following:
(1) any reduction in the long-term costs of social safety net programs;
(2) any reduction in long-term health care costs resulting from the improving health of households that formerly faced economic insecurity or poverty;
(3) any increase in State and local revenues that is attributable to new taxpaying individuals as a result of increased employment and disposable income;
(4) any reductions in enrollment in, or the costs of, need-based benefits and services programs; and
(5) any improvements to the overall economy of this State and any reduced financial pressures on the State and local governments that result from implementation of the strategic plan.
d. Not later than September 1 of each year, the working group shall post on the department's Internet website, and submit to the Governor, and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, a written report that includes:
(1) relevant data assessing the scope and depth of intergenerational poverty in the State;
(2) a 20-year history of poverty rates in this State, with a focus on any reduction or increase in the rates that has occurred during the previous 10-year period or since the inception of the working group; (3) a summary of actions taken and outcomes obtained by the working group in fulfilling its duties under this section;
(4) a summary of progress that has been made in relation to the reduction of poverty and economic insecurity in the State, including policies or procedures that have been implemented to reduce or eliminate the cycle of poverty and intergenerational poverty as a result of the data collected by the working group; and
(5) any recommendations for legislative or regulatory action that can be undertaken to further the goals of the strategic plan.
9. a. The department shall establish and maintain an electronic data tracking system to track intergenerational poverty in the State.
b. The data tracking system established pursuant to this section shall have the ability to do all of the following:
(1) identify and track groups that have a high risk of experiencing intergenerational poverty;
(2) identify incidents, patterns, and trends that explain or contribute to intergenerational poverty; and
(3) gather and track available local, State, and national data on: (a) official poverty rates; (b) child poverty rates; (c) years spent by an individual in childhood poverty; (d) years spent by an individual in adult poverty; (e) public assistance program enrollment rates; and (f) related poverty information.
c. The department shall:
(1) develop and implement methods to integrate, compare, analyze, and validate data for the purposes described under subsection b. of this section;
(2) protect the privacy of an individual living in poverty by ensuring that the use and distribution of data contained within the data tracking system in done in compliance with federal and State laws; and
(3) include a summary of the
data, findings, and potential additional uses of the data tracking system in
each annual report that is filed by the interagency working group under
subsection d. of section 8 of this act.
10. The Commissioner of Human Services shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
11. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would establish the New Jersey Commission on Poverty Elimination and Economic Security ("commission"), and the Interagency Working Group on Poverty and Economic Insecurity ("interagency working group") in, but not of, the Department of Human Services. Notwithstanding this allocation, the commission and the interagency working group will be independent of any supervision or control by the department or any officer or employee thereof.
The commission is to be composed of 25 voting members, including four members of the legislative branch of government, one member of the judicial branch of government, and 20 public members. The members of the newly established interagency working group will also serve as ex officio non-voting members of the commission.
The purpose of the commission will be to: 1) improve policymakers' understanding of poverty, including its root causes, and its impacts on various measures of economic stability and economic outcomes, including educational attainment levels, rates of incarceration, lifetime earnings rates, access to housing, access to health care, and health care outcomes; 2) support governmental efforts to ensure that residents of the State have the equal opportunity to achieve economic security; and 3) develop a strategic plan to address poverty and economic insecurity in the State, as provided by the bill, and otherwise provide recommendations to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, to reduce and ultimately eliminate poverty and economic insecurity in the State.
The strategic plan is to be developed within 18 months after the bill's effective date. The general goals of the strategic plan will be to: 1) ensure that State programs and services targeting poverty and economic insecurity reflect the goal of helping individuals and families to rise above poverty and achieve long-term economic stability, rather than simply providing relief from deprivation; 2) eliminate disparate rates of poverty, deep poverty, child poverty, and intergenerational poverty that are based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation or identity, English language proficiency, ability, or geographic location in a rural, urban, or suburban area; 3) reduce deep poverty in the State by 50 percent by 2026; 4) eliminate child poverty in the State by 2031; and 5) eliminate all poverty in the State by 2036.
In developing the strategic plan, the commission will be required to collaborate with the interagency working group established under the bill, and will further be required to hold at least six public hearings in different geographic regions of the State, including regions that have disparate rates of poverty or historical experience with economic insecurity, in order to collect information, take testimony, and solicit input and feedback from interested parties, including members of the public who have personal experience with State programs and services targeting poverty, deep poverty, child poverty, intergenerational poverty, and economic insecurity. Information collected will be made available to the public.
The strategic plan is to:
1) identify, or provide for the development of, fact-based measures to be used both in identifying rates of poverty and economic insecurity in the State and in evaluating the long-term effectiveness of existing and proposed programs and services targeting poverty and economic insecurity in the State;
2) evaluate the current status of, and establish interim goals for the improvement, throughout the State, of: access to adequate food and nutrition; access to affordable and quality health care; equal access to safe and affordable housing; equal access to quality education and training; equal access to affordable, quality post-secondary education options; access to dependable and affordable transportation; access to quality and affordable child care; opportunities to engage in meaningful and sustainable work that pays a living wage; barriers that prevent low-income individuals in poverty from accessing available affordable housing, nutritious food, quality health care, education, transportation, and child care, from utilizing programs and services available to address poverty and economic instability, or from accessing or taking advantage of meaningful and sustainable work opportunities; equal access to justice through a fair system of criminal justice that does not, in effect, criminalize poverty; access to adequate income supports; and retirement security;
3) provide various policy and fiscal recommendations regarding the actions that should be undertaken by State, local, and private actors, as appropriate, to address certain specified issues related to poverty and economic insecurity. For each recommendation, the strategic plan is to identify, in measurable terms, the actual or potential impact the recommendation will have on poverty and economic insecurity in the State and on the achievement of the goals of the strategic plan; and
4) identify best practices for the collection of data on various issues related to poverty and economic insecurity.
The strategic plan is also to contain: 1) a suggested timeline for the stages of implementation for each recommendation developed thereunder; 2) short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term benchmarks to measure the State's progress toward achieving the general goals of the strategic plan, as outlined in the bill, and the specific interim goals identified in the plan itself; and 3) a summary of the extent to which the commission has collaborated with the interagency working group with respect to the review and analysis of relevant data on poverty and economic insecurity.
The commission will be required to submit a number of different reports to the Governor and the Legislature, including: 1) an interim report on the commission's activities, which is to be submitted within six months after the effective date of this act; 2) a written report summarizing the commission's activities and containing a copy of the commission's strategic plan, which is to be submitted immediately following the commission's adoption of the strategic plan, and not later than 18 months after the effective date of this act; and 3) an annual report evaluating the status of the implementation of the strategic plan, and providing any supplemental recommendations the commission deems necessary to reduce or eliminate poverty and economic insecurity in the State, the first of which is to be submitted one year after the publication of the commission's strategic plan.
The bill requires the State Treasurer to include, in the materials that are submitted to the Legislature outlining the Governor's proposed annual budget, a description of any budget proposals or other activities, ongoing projects, or plans of the executive branch that are designed to meet the goals and objectives of the strategic plan.
The Interagency Working Group on Poverty and Economic Insecurity, established under the bill, is to be composed of the Commissioners of Human Services, Health, Labor and Workforce Development, Education, Community Affairs, Corrections, and Agriculture, and the State Treasurer, or their designees who are to be employed at the assistant commissioner or assistant treasurer level of the respective department. The working group will be required to meet at least four times a year, and will have the power and duty to:
1) identify, analyze, gain an understanding of, and propose recommendations to address, the root causes of poverty and economic insecurity, including the social, economic, and cultural factors that contribute to poverty and economic insecurity;
2) identify, analyze, gain an understanding of, and propose recommendations to address intergenerational poverty, in accordance with the bill's provisions;
3) study and measure the effect that poverty and economic insecurity have on worker productivity and economic output, and on the health and welfare of children, including children's access to health care, housing, proper nutrition, and quality education;
4) identify State programs, including those programs related to economic development, job creation, job training, the environment, disaster relief, hazard mitigation, extreme weather, and climate change, which require reform in order to better target resources to low-income, minority, rural, urban, and other populations or geographic areas suffering from economic insecurity and disparate rates of poverty;
5) measure the fiscal impact on the State of successfully transitioning individuals and families from poverty to long-term economic stability;
6) establish an ongoing system of data sharing, policy coordination, and communication among and within State agencies, local agencies, and other organizations, including the commission, which are involved in the provision of programs or services that are aimed at improving economic security and eliminating poverty;
7) identify knowledge gaps, research needs, and policy and program deficiencies associated with economic insecurity and poverty;
8) assist the commission in the development of the strategic plan, including through the sharing and analysis of relevant data and information; and
9) coordinate the implementation of the strategic plan, including by advising and assisting relevant agencies in the implementation of the strategic plan, advising relevant agencies on specific programmatic and policy matters related to the strategic plan, providing relevant subject matter expertise to each agency for the purposes of implementing the specific recommendations in the strategic plan, and identifying and addressing issues that may influence the future implementation of the strategic plan.
Not later than September 1 of each year, the working group will be required to post on the Internet website of the Department of Human Services, and submit to the Governor and Legislature, a written report that includes: 1) relevant data assessing the scope and depth of intergenerational poverty in the State; 2) a 20-year history of poverty rates in this State, with a focus on any reduction or increase in the rates that has occurred during the previous 10-year period or since the inception of the working group; 3) a summary of actions taken and outcomes obtained by the working group in fulfilling its duties; 4) a summary of progress that has been made in relation to the reduction of poverty and economic insecurity in the State, including policies or procedures that have been implemented to reduce or eliminate the cycle of poverty and intergenerational poverty as a result of the data collected by the working group; and 5) any recommendations for legislative or regulatory action that can be undertaken to further the goals of the strategic plan.
Finally, the bill requires the Department of Human Services to establish and maintain an electronic data tracking system to track intergenerational poverty in the State. The data tracking system is to identify and track groups that have a high risk of experiencing intergenerational poverty; identify incidents, patterns, and trends that explain or contribute to intergenerational poverty; and gather and track available local, State, and national data on official poverty rates, child poverty rates, years spent by an individual in childhood poverty, years spent by an individual in adult poverty, public assistance program enrollment rates, and related poverty information. A summary of the data, findings, and potential additional uses of the system is to be included in each annual report that is submitted by the interagency working group under the bill's provisions.
