New Jersey State Victories
The following NFIB victories will make a real difference for your business.
Recent NFIB/New Jersey victories:
Supported UEZ Reform: NFIB/New Jersey pushed for full restoration of a point-of-sale sales tax exemption that has been in place for UEZ businesses since the program's inception. The current rebate program is administratively burdensome and is fraught with delays. The Legislature has stopped short of eliminating the rebate requirement, but did amend the bill to increase the exemption from the rebate program to any business with less than $3 million in sales, up from $1 million currently. We'll continue to push for full restoration of the point-of-sale sales tax exemption.
Supported BRRAG Expansion: Legislation lowering the eligibility for Business Relocation and Retention Assistance Grants (BRRAG) to 50 jobs from 250 jobs was signed by Gov. Corzine. Under BRRAG, businesses are eligible for a one-time business tax credit of up to $1,500 per job retained in or moved to New Jersey. To qualify, however, a business must retain or relocate a minimum of 250 jobs, excluding 97 percent of the employers in the state. This new law lowers the threshold to 50 jobs, enabling many more businesses to participate.
Defeated Paid Family Leave: Legislation that would have made New Jersey the second state in the nation to require all businesses with two or more employees to provide up to twelve weeks of paid time off for childbirth or family illness. This onerous anti-business proposal is expected to be reintroduced in the new legislative session. NFIB/New Jersey will continue to fight this bill.
Mental Health Parity Mandate Tabled: Legislation that would provide unlimited coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatment did not pass. This costly mandate would increase costs to employers and ultimately lead to fewer employers offering health insurance to their employees.
Wrongful Death Expansion Stopped: Legislation that would give families the right to sue for emotional harm caused by the "wrongful death" of a loved one was vetoed by Gov. Corzine. The legislation would have permitted juries to consider mental anguish and loss of companionship before awarding compensation. NFIB/New Jersey opposed this bill, arguing that passage could lead to huge financial awards because emotional damages, unlike economic damages, are speculative.
