Office of Legislative Services
State House Annex
P.O. Box 068
Trenton, New Jersey 08625
Legislative Budget and Finance Office
Phone (609) 847-3105
Fax (609) 777-2442
www.njleg.state.nj.us
LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
[Second Reprint]
ASSEMBLY, No. 2115
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
DATED: FEBRUARY 25, 2025
SUMMARY
Synopsis: Requires public transportation employees and certain motorbus
operators to complete training course on handling and responding to
suspected human trafficking; requires inclusion of certain content in
certain courses.
Type of Impact: Periodic State expenditure increase.
Agencies Affected: Department of Law and Public Safety; New Jersey Transit
Corporation; Department of Health; Administrative Office of the
Courts; Department of Community Affairs.
Office of Legislative Services Estimate
Fiscal Impact
Periodic State Expenditure Increase Indeterminate
The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that the bill will result in an indeterminate,
one-time increase in expenditures for the State to develop and provide a training course for
public transportation employees and certain contracted motorbus operators on handling and
responding to suspected human trafficking activities and to include new material in current
courses provided to certain groups concerning human trafficking. Periodic State costs would
be incurred thereafter to review and update the course and to train new employees.
Training costs are indeterminate due to a lack of information about the structure of the training
program, the duration of the training program, and the number of individuals who will be
subject to the training. Under current law, the Office of the Attorney General may provide for
the expenditure of monies from the Human Trafficking Survivor’s Assistance Fund to assist
with the development and distribution of training course materials and the operation of training
courses. If the Office of the Attorney General does not provide for the expenditure of monies
from the fund or if the fund does not have sufficient funding to fully cover the costs of the
training course, the New Jersey Transit Corporation will be responsible for funding the training
course materials and operation of the training course. FE to A2115 [2R]
2
The bill may also result in an indeterminate increase in State expenditures to various other
State entities to include new material in current courses provided to certain groups concerning
human trafficking.
BILL DESCRIPTION
The bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation, in consultation with the Commission on
Human Trafficking, to develop and provide a one-time training course for public transportation
employees and contracted motorbus operators on how to handle and respond to suspected human
trafficking activities. Alternatively, the corporation, in consultation with the commission, is
required to approve a substantially similar one-time training course provided by a recognized
nonprofit association with demonstrated experience in providing course offerings to public
transportation employees. The corporation, in consultation with the commission and the nonprofit
association, if applicable, are required to establish which employees and contracted motorbus
operators are required to attend the one-time training course as a condition of their employment or
as a condition of the contract with the corporation, review the training course at least once every
two years, and modify the training course as needed. Additionally, the corporation, at its
discretion, may waive the training requirements for a private entity under contract with it to provide
motorbus regular route service if the private entity requires its motorbus operators to complete an
equal or greater training course on the handling and response procedures for suspected human
trafficking activities.
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is responsible for ensuring that all its required employees
attend the one-time training course. Each contract entered into after the effective date of the bill
between the corporation and a private entity to provide motorbus regular route service is required
to include a requirement that contracted motorbus operators attend the one-time training course,
unless the requirement is waived by the corporation. Additionally, the corporation is required to
make available to public transportation employees and private entities under contract to it to
provide motorbus regular route service the training materials for the one-time training course.
The bill also provides that any human trafficking training courses are required to include, at a
minimum, a demonstration of and information regarding known signs and signals that may be used
or communicated by victims of human trafficking seeking assistance or may be observed by
individuals in public spaces.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
The OLS concludes that the bill will result in an indeterminate, one-time increase in
expenditures for the State to develop and provide a training course for public transportation
employees and certain contracted motorbus operators on handling and responding to suspected
human trafficking activities and to include new material in current courses provided to certain FE to A2115 [2R]
3
groups concerning human trafficking. Periodic State costs would be incurred thereafter to review
and update the course and train new employees.
Training costs are indeterminate due to a lack of information about the structure of the training
program, the duration of the training program, and the number of individuals who will be subject
to the training. Under current law, the Office of the Attorney General may provide for the
expenditure of monies from the Human Trafficking Survivor’s Assistance Fund to assist with the
development and distribution of training course materials and the operation of training courses. If
the Office of the Attorney General does not provide for the expenditure of monies from the fund
or if the fund does not have sufficient funding to fully cover the costs of the training course, the
New Jersey Transit Corporation will be responsible for funding the training course materials and
operation of the training course.
The OLS also notes the required training may result in overtime costs for the corporation. The
training will likely take place during work hours and there may be a possible State expenditure
increase to pay the salaries of public transportation employees while they attend the training course
and to require the employees to attend the course instead of completing their normal job
responsibilities. There are roughly 12,000 public transportation employees in the State and the
duration of the training course is unknown. However, assuming the training course lasts one hour,
the State will be responsible for paying public transportation employees a total of 12,000 hours at
varying salary levels to attend the course.
The bill may also result in an indeterminate increase in State expenditures to various other
State entities to include new material in current courses provided to certain groups concerning
human trafficking.
Section: Authorities, Utilities, Transportation and Communications.
Analyst: Michael D. Walker
Associate Fiscal Analyst
Approved: Thomas Koenig
Legislative Budget and Finance Officer
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the
failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).