Bill Text: NJ S4179 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Removes exclusion of certain institutions of higher education under "Responsible Collective Negotiations Act."
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-05-11 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Labor Committee [S4179 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-S4179-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator ANDREW ZWICKER
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Senator GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Removes exclusion of certain institutions of higher education under "Responsible Collective Negotiations Act."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act revising the "Responsible Collective Negotiations Act" and amending P.L.2021, c.411.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 13 of P.L.2021, c.411 (C.34:13A-60.1) is amended to read as follows:
13. The provisions of sections 4 and 5 of P.L.2021, c.411 (C.34:13A-59 and C.34:13A-60), and of subsection c. of section 5 of P.L.2018, c.15 (C.34:13A-5.15) shall not apply to:
a. the several counties and municipalities; and
b. authorities, commissions, boards or other instrumentalities of the several counties and municipalities[;] .
c. [State colleges and universities, including Kean University, Montclair State University, and Rowan University;] (Deleted pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)
d. [county colleges;] (Deleted pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)
e. [Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; or] (Deleted pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)
f. [the New Jersey Institute of Technology.] (Deleted pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)
(cf: P.L.2021, c.411, s.13)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill revises the "Responsible Collective Negotiations Act" to remove the exclusion of county colleges; State colleges and universities, including Kean University, Montclair State University, and Rowan University; Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; and the New Jersey Institute of Technology from certain provisions of the act. Those provisions concern:
(1) permissive subjects of negotiation, grievance procedures, disciplinary matters for which there is not an alternate statutory appeal procedure (section 4 of P.L.2021, c.411 (C.34:13A-59));
(2) the confidentiality of communications between a majority representative and its unit members regarding collective negotiations, the administration of collective negotiations agreements, the investigation of grievances, other workplace related complaints and issues, and other matters that are within the scope of a majority representative's duty of fair representation (section 5 of P.L.2021, c.411 (C.34:13A-60)); and
(3) the requirement that every 120 calendar days, public employers are required to provide to an exclusive representative employee organization in an Excel file format or other agreed-upon format certain employment and contact information for all employees not represented by any exclusive representative employee organization (subsection c. of section 5 of P.L.2018, c.15 (C.34:13A-5.15)).
The bill aligns the treatment of institutions of higher education with that of other public employers with respect to collective negotiations, confidentiality of representative communications, and employee information-sharing requirements.
