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Read. Follow. Verify.New Jersey bill requires employers to provide 20 hours of paid prenatal leave starting January 1, 2026
Last action · January 13, 2026: Introduced, Referred to Assembly Labor CommitteeSponsors: Venezia, Michael and 2 others
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What This Bill Would Do
New Jersey employers must provide all full-time and part-time employees with a minimum of 20 hours of each calendar year, effective January 1, 2026. Employees can take this leave in one-hour increments at their regular pay rate for health care services related to pregnancy. Employers are prohibited from penalizing workers who request or take this leave or demanding confidential medical disclosures.
Changes employee compensation and leave rights across all public and private workplaces in the state, establishing a mandatory annual benefit for pregnant workers starting January 1, 2026.
- The bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2026 New Jersey legislative session and referred to the Assembly Labor Committee. context
- New Jersey Title 34 of the Revised Statutes governs labor and workmen's compensation in the state. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Employees
Full-time and part-time workers gain access to 20 hours of paid annual leave for pregnancy-related health care.
Employers
Private and public employers must provide 20 hours of paid leave per employee annually and comply with anti-retaliation rules.
Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development
Must promulgate implementation rules and assess penalties against employers who violate the act.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for paid prenatal personal leave under this bill?
Must employers pay out unused prenatal leave when an employee leaves the company?
Can employees take prenatal leave in small chunks of time?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 13, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced, Referred to Assembly Labor Committee
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of State-Mandated Leave
The bill expands New Jersey labor protections by creating a dedicated category of paid leave specifically for prenatal health care services.
Connected Entities
Sources
njleg.state.nj.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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