This bill amends existing law to exempt certain individuals from paying fees associated with civil service open competitive examinations and appeals. Specifically, it stipulates that persons receiving unemployment compensation benefits, as well as those whose unemployment benefits have terminated within the last six months, will not be required to pay the application fee for these examinations. Additionally, the bill includes similar exemptions for individuals receiving public assistance benefits and veterans. The fees for these applications are set at $25 for open competitive or promotional examinations and $15 for veterans, while a $20 fee is established for appeals related to these examinations.

The bill also mandates that the commission responsible for these examinations will review the established fees every five years to ensure they do not exceed the costs of developing and administering the examinations. The receipts from these fees will be appropriated to the commission for various purposes, including the development of examinations and the costs associated with a displaced workers pool program. Overall, the bill aims to alleviate financial barriers for unemployed individuals seeking employment through civil service positions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 11A:4-1.1