Governor Murphy Unveils AI Tool for State Employees and Training Course for Responsible Use

Building on his nation-leading AI training initiative for New Jersey’s State workforce, Governor Phil Murphy announced the launch of the NJ AI Assistant, a generative AI-powered platform for New Jersey State employees, along with the roll out of one of the nation’s first comprehensive generative AI (GenAI) training programs for State employees. 

The NJ AI Assistant is a powerful GenAI tool offering a safe, “sandbox” environment for staff at State departments and agencies to use AI to responsibly improve government services and operations. The tool is hosted on State infrastructure, features heightened security and privacy protections, and does not use State data to train a third-party AI model. 

The release of the NJ AI Assistant comes with the launch of a baseline GenAI training course that instructs State government professionals in how to responsibly use the technology to deliver the best possible service to the people of New Jersey. The training, created in partnership with InnovateUS, was specifically designed for State workers and helps ensure any use of AI is safe, secure, respectful of residents’ privacy, free of bias, and in line with State policies. 

“With the launch of the State’s very own AI Assistant and the GenAI training course, we are on the cusp of a new era of government transformation. We are empowering our public servants with the knowledge, skills, and training to comfortably and responsibly leverage this technology to solve real problems for New Jerseyans,“ said Governor Phil Murphy. “I look forward to all the ways our State departments and agencies will put this technology to good use, ensuring New Jersey remains the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”

Governor Murphy Signs Bill to Establish Menstrual Hygiene and Diaper Benefits Program

Governor Phil Murphy signed A2027/S2330 to establish the State Work First New Jersey Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Program and the State Work First New Jersey Diaper Benefit Program. The bill also appropriates $2.5 million from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services’ Division of Family Development to administer these programs.

Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) is the State’s cash assistance program, which provides monthly cash, child care, job search and readiness, and short-term housing support for eligible New Jersey residents. Under the Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Program, certain eligible adults ages 18 through 50 who are participating in WFNJ may purchase menstrual hygiene products using a dedicated $14 monthly State benefit through their electronic benefits card. Menstrual hygiene products include tampons, menstrual cups, and sanitary napkins. Similarly, under the Diaper Benefit Program, individuals with a dependent under 36 months of age and who participate in WFNJ will receive a $30 monthly State benefit through their electronic benefits card. The funds shall be for the benefit of the dependent child and shall be dedicated to purchase of diaper products. The monetary benefit shall carry be carried over to the next month for use by the participants for the same respective purchases. These additional funds will be distributed on the same issuance date as the participants standard WFNJ benefits.

“Work First New Jersey provides essential assistance to residents facing financial hardship and I am proud to extend this financial relief to cover costs of menstrual products and diapers. This bill provides residents across our state a necessary resource to purchase some of the most essential products for their health and the health of their babies,” said Governor Murphy. “My Administration will continue to prioritize affordability at every level, ensuring that every resident has access to the vital health services and supplies that support their well-being, dignity, and quality of life.”

“Menstrual and baby products are not luxuries–they are necessities,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy. “The benefit included in this bill is a necessary step to ensuring cost is never a barrier to accessing these products. This bill brings us closer to a stronger, fairer, more equitable reality for the women and families of our state.”

“Ensuring all mothers across our state have the financial means to purchase these fundamental products is one of the most basic and direct ways we can improve the health and well-being of New Jersey’s families,” said Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority President/CEO Lisa Asare. “I applaud Governor Murphy and the Legislature for taking common sense action that supports the individuals and families of our state who struggle to access basic needs.”

New Jersey Department of Education Announces Availability of $20 Million to Bring High-Quality Preschool to More School Districts

The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) continued the Murphy Administration’s campaign toward universal preschool by announcing the availability of $20 million to help school districts expand or establish new high-quality preschool programs in the 2024-2025 school year. This funding is part of the $124 million increase in preschool aid included in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget Governor Murphy signed last week, bringing the State’s total FY25 investment to more than $1.2 billion. Since FY2018, the Murphy Administration has increased preschool funding by over $550 million.

“Increased support for early childhood education directly aids young families in communities across our state,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Our strategic investments into new and expanded pre-K seats benefit more and more children each year as we work toward realizing universal pre-K for all New Jersey families. We have seen the positive impact access to high-quality early childhood education has on young learners, acting as the cornerstone of lifelong academic success, which is why it is critical that we continue momentum in investing in a brighter future for our children.”

New Jersey Department of Labor Outlines Key Provisions for the "Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights"

The “Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights” is effective as of July 1, 2024, and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) has outlined the provisions of this law on its website, serving as a resource for both domestic workers and their employers.

Signed by Governor Murphy in January, the “Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights” (P.L. 2023, chapter 262) establishes a broad range of rights and employment protections, such as anti-discrimination and anti-harassment rights, privacy rights, and written contract requirements for domestic workers that provide in-home services to private households, including child care, house cleaning, care for elderly or disabled individuals, cooking, and more. Domestic workers can be hired directly by a household or an agency.

“The Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights recognizes the invaluable contributions domestic workers make to families and communities,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “This law is a crucial step to ensuring the fair wages, safe working conditions, and dignity every worker deserves, and to empowering those who are often overlooked yet play an essential role in the daily lives of others.”

Domestic workers have new protections, regardless of their immigration status, including:

1. The right to breaks, privacy, safety, and more.
2. Protection from discrimination and harassment on the basis of a protected status such as race or sex under the Law Against Discrimination.
3. A written contract with their employer(s). The written contract requirement does not apply if the domestic worker works less than five hours per month and, also, does not apply if the domestic worker is engaged in what the law refers to as “casual work;” which is work that is “irregular, uncertain, or incidental in nature and duration, and different in nature from the type of paid work in which the worker is customarily engaged.”

Coverage under Workers’ Compensation, Unemployment Insurance, and Temporary Disability & Family Leave Insurance.