This bill mandates the Division of Consumer Affairs within the Department of Law and Public Safety to hire additional staff to address the significant backlog of professional license applications and renewals. To facilitate this, the bill appropriates $10,000,000 annually for the fiscal years 2026, 2027, and 2028. The funding aims to provide the necessary resources to improve the efficiency of the licensing process, which is crucial for economic development and consumer protection in New Jersey.

Additionally, the bill requires the Division of Consumer Affairs to submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature detailing the spending authorized by the act. This report must include information on the number of new hires, the backlog of applications at the beginning and end of each fiscal year, and the overall impact of the additional staffing on the processing of licenses. The act is set to take effect immediately and will expire after the issuance of the report for fiscal year 2028.