The bill amends New Jersey's unemployment compensation law to enhance eligibility criteria and benefit calculations for claimants. Key changes include the inclusion of disabled, unmarried adult children of claimants as dependents for benefit calculations, and the removal of disqualification for benefits based solely on full-time student status, provided the individual remains available for work. The bill also shifts provisions related to training programs from exceptions to eligibility criteria, allows for electronic notifications of benefit determinations, and modifies the handling of overpayments, including waivers for repayment under specific conditions. Additionally, it updates the calculation of a claimant's average weekly wage to encompass wages from all base year employers while limiting the total number of base weeks to 52.

Furthermore, the bill eliminates the requirement that claimants disqualified for misconduct must earn a specific amount before being eligible for extended benefits, replacing it with a requirement to complete the regular disqualification period. It also includes various deletions of outdated provisions to streamline the law and ensure compliance with current labor standards. The provisions of the bill are set to take effect immediately, with certain sections being retroactive to July 31, 2023, effectively nullifying previous provisions that were set to take effect on that date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 43:21-24.19