Bill Text: NJ S4520 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes Jersey Protein Pro pilot program; appropriates $3 million.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-06-26 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee [S4520 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-S4520-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator DOUGLAS J. STEINHARDT
District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Jersey Protein Pro pilot program; appropriates $3 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the Jersey Protein Pro pilot program and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established a three-year Jersey Protein Pro pilot program in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The purpose of the pilot program shall be to create a Statewide workforce pipeline for employment in the meat processing industry and to address persistent workforce shortages that delay facility operations and force farmers to ship livestock out of State.
b. The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation with the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Secretary of Higher Education, county colleges, and county vocational school districts, shall design the pilot program to establish a workforce credential program that provides short-course training at participating institutions in meat cutting, food safety and hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP), sanitation, and plant maintenance.
c. The pilot program shall be administered by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, and shall operate through the award of grants to qualified participating institutions. Participating institutions may include county colleges, county vocational school districts, and other entities acting in cooperation with the department as determined by the commissioner. The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development shall develop an application process by which an institution may demonstrate it is qualified to provide the training necessary to effectuate the purposes of the pilot program.
d. Participating institutions shall use grant funds to develop and offer training courses necessary to effectuate the purposes of the pilot program, including, but not limited to curriculum development, the purchase of instructional equipment, and the provision of hands-on training. Grant funds also may be used by participating institutions to provide tuition assistance to eligible participants who agree to remain employed in this State for not less than two years after completion of the program.
2. Not later than six months
following the effective date of this act and biannually thereafter until the
pilot program is ended, each participating institution shall submit a report to
the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development detailing the institution's
use of grant funds for the preceding period, to include the number of
participants trained, the amount of tuition assistance provided, and any other
information deemed necessary by the commissioner.
3. Not later than one year following the effective date of this act and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development shall submit to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, a report reviewing the implementation and operation of the pilot program. The final report additionally shall make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature concerning whether to amend, extend, or make permanent the program.
4. There is appropriated to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development from the General Fund $3 million to effectuate the purposes of this act.
5. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the Jersey Protein Pro pilot program. The purpose of the pilot program is to create a Statewide workforce pipeline for employment in the meat processing industry and to address persistent workforce shortages that cause delayed facility operations and force farmers to ship livestock out of State.
The bill provides that in consultation with the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Secretary of Higher Education, county colleges, and county vocational school districts, the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development is required to design the pilot program to establish a workforce credential program that provides short-course training at participating institutions in meat cutting, food safety and hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP), sanitation, and plant maintenance.
Under the bill, the pilot program will be administered by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture and operate through the award of grants to qualified participating institutions. Participating institutions may include county colleges, county vocational school districts, and other entities acting in cooperation with the department as determined by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development. The bill requires participating institutions to use grant funds to develop and offer training courses necessary to effectuate the purposes of the pilot program, including, but not limited to curriculum development, purchasing instructional equipment, and providing hands-on training. Grant funds also may be used by participating institutions to provide tuition assistance to eligible participants who agree to remain employed in this State for not less than two years after completion of the program.
The bill requires participating institutions to report biannually to the commissioner concerning the use of grant funds. The commissioner is required by the bill to report annually to the Governor and Legislature on the pilot program's progress with a final report to also recommend whether to amend or extend the program or make it permanent the program.
