Bill > A3246

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the New Jersey State Government and Civil Service Student Internship Program within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development which will aim to attract to State government service students from a variety of academic disciplines from institutions of higher education who have an interest in public service. The program will be open to any full-time or part-time student currently attending any accredited institution of higher education and will be open to students in undergraduate level and graduate level programs, with the exception of juris doctorate and PhD programs. Students who are residents of New Jersey, or who are attending institutions of higher education located within New Jersey, will be granted priority over other applicants to the program. Participants will be required to complete two work periods of 240 hours each with a State government department or agency. Participants will be required to work no more than 20 hours per week, but may voluntarily work no more than 30 hours per week, during periods when semester classes are in session. Participants will be required to work no more than 40 hours per week during periods when semester classes are not in session. This bill establishes that a participant who successfully completes 480 hours of an internship with the program in the same State department, or agency will be granted preference to the extent allowable by law when applying for an entry-level civil service position within two years of their graduation date with the degree which they were pursuing during the course of their internship, if the position encompasses the same or substantially similar work completed during their internship. Disabled veterans or veterans who participate in the program will be given the highest priority for preference to the extent allowable by law; otherwise, employment preference for disabled veterans and veterans will be maintained. This bill establishes that preference for a participant who successfully completes the program will expire upon acceptance of a suitable position and will not apply for consideration for promotions. However, Employers may consider a participant's successful completion of the program when considering a potential candidate for promotion. This bill establishes no penalty if a participant leaves the program before completion. However, if a participant leaves the program before completing the 480-hour requirement, the participant will not receive the post-graduation preference for an entry-level civil service position. This bill establishes that when a participant completes the 480-hour program requirement the State government department or agency may elect to retain the participant for an additional 240 hours if the participant agrees to continue their internship. Hours worked during an internship with the program will not qualify for preference in hiring for any position in State government which requires a juris doctorate or PhD. This bill also establishes a New Jersey State Government and Civil Service Student Internship Program Advisory Committee. The committee will consist of the commissioners of each Executive Branch department, or their designees. The advisory committee will appoint a director of the program who will administer the program and, in cooperation with the advisory committee, develop eligibility criteria, the application process, recruit, and select the program participants. The director need not be a commissioner, or a designee, of an Executive Branch department. The director of the program, will identify and help create internship opportunities across all, or as many Executive Branch departments and agencies, as possible. The director of the program will assist program participants in receiving credit from the higher education institution for the internship, when such credits are available to the participant. This bill directs that, in the event that a program participant who successfully completes the 480-hours program requirement is denied an entry level civil service position and that position was filled by a disabled veteran or veteran, the director will attempt to identify a suitable qualifying open position for the participant. In the event that no such position is available, the two-year post-graduation period will be extended until such time as a suitable qualifying position becomes available and the participant is offered employment. This bill also establishes that students selected to participate in the program will receive a stipend of $2,500 for every 240 hours of participation in the program. The stipend will be prorated and paid bi-weekly. This bill directs that money to pay for the program will be appropriated in each State fiscal year for the stipends provided to program participants in such sums as may be necessary, but not to exceed an amount as will be determined by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury. This bill appropriates $750,000 from the State General Fund to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for the purposes of the program.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Aura Dunn (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document