S 2955 — Requires county welfare agencies to direct clients to, and promote use of, Department of Treasury's personal finance web-based platform.*

S2955 1R [First Reprint] SENATE, No.

Senator RAJ MUKHERJI District 32 (Hudson)         SYNOPSIS           Requires county welfare agencyagencies to providedirect financialclients planningto, services.and promote use of, Department of Treasury’s personal finance web-based platform.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      IntroducedAs Pendingreported Technicalby Reviewthe bySenate LegislativeHealth, Counsel.Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee on May 11, 2026, with amendments.

            1.   1.   The Commissioner of Human Services shall require a1[a] each1 county welfare agency located in the State to:to :

          a.    a.   provide1[provide financial planning services when requested by a client, free of charge and during the agency’s operating hours, via a qualified staff member;

          b.   b.   in the event that the qualified staff member required under subsection a.

of this section is not available to provide financial planning services upon the request of a client, toto]1 direct the1[the clientclient] clients1 to 1, and promote the use of,1 the Department of the Treasury’s free personal finance web-based platform, or any subsequent platform provided by that department or the State;

and            c.    1[c.] b.1    promote the availability of financial planning services provided at the agency,agency 1, if offered1 , as well as the availability of the Department of the Treasury’s free personal finance web-based platform or any subsequent platform provided by that department or the State, on the agency’s website and in the agency’s physical office.

       2.   1[2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services such sums of money as are necessary to allocate to county welfare agencies in order to fulfill the provisions of section 1 of this act.

There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services such sums of money as are necessary to allocate to county welfare agencies in order to fulfill the provisions of section 1 of this act.]1        3.   1[3.] 2.1     This act shall take effect immediately.

    STATEMENT        This bill directs the Commissioner of Human Services to require a county welfare agency located in the State to:

provide financial planning services when requested by a client, free of charge and during the agency’s operating hours, via a qualified staff member;

in the event that the qualified staff member required under the bill is not available, to direct the client to the Department of the Treasury’s free personal finance web-based platform, known as NJ FinLit, or any subsequent platform provided by that department or the State;

and promote the availability of financial planning services provided at the agency, as well as the NJ FinLit platform or any subsequent platform provided by the Department of the Treasury or the State, on the agency’s website and in the agency’s physical office.  The bill also appropriates from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services such sums of money as are necessary to allocate to county welfare agencies in order to fulfill the provisions of the bill.