New Jersey State Policy Lab

08/24/2026

🚴🚲🚴 In January 2026, New Jersey passed a law redefining e-bikes and restricting their use without a license, registration, and, in certain cases, insurance: https://policylab.rutgers.edu/publication/report-release-incentivizing-e-bikes-in-new-jersey-lessons-from-e-bike-rebate-programs-in-north-america/

These new regulations were implemented in part due to the rapid increase of e-bike use, which has outpaced the growth of conventional bikes and other e-motor vehicles. Researchers Hannah Younes and Yingning Xie with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center recently surveyed over 1,000 adults to better understand their perspectives and opinions of e-bikes. The report also included a literature review and interviews with stakeholders from incentive programs and advocacy groups to identify the successes and challenges of implementing e-bike rebate programs. Among the findings, researchers recommended that the New Jersey Department of Transportation run demo events with local advocacy groups to get residents to try e-bikes and learn about the new state law.

Read the report here: https://policylab.rutgers.edu/publication/report-release-incentivizing-e-bikes-in-new-jersey-lessons-from-e-bike-rebate-programs-in-north-america/

08/20/2026

🤖📱 Since 2024, New Jersey has provided a secured internal AI Assistant and training so staff can produce plain-language content, analyze resident feedback, and improve service workflows. The state also adopted a language access law that requires vital service documents to be translated into multiple languages and to offer interpretation services.

This new NJSPL report from Vivek Singh and Yonaira Rivera with examines how chatbots are used to deliver public information, where language equity gaps can occur, and how a prototype chatbot can support more equitable access to New Jersey's SNAP services for English- and Spanish-speaking households. Researchers conducted an audit of 56 U.S. state and territory SNAP websites, conducted interviews with a range of key stakeholders, and designed and tested a bilingual, retrieval-grounded chatbot in both English and Spanish.

Read the report here: https://policylab.rutgers.edu/publication/report-release-advancing-language-equity-in-chatbot-design-for-new-jerseys-public-services/

08/18/2026

🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Gov. Sherrill signed three bills to advance research into the effects of social media on childhood development; 🖥️ U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer introduced two bills to address the recent rise in cyberattacks on public utilities and water systems in NJ across the country. Read more here:

Women, Children, & Families Gov. Sherrill Signs New Legislation to Protect Children Online - On August 11th, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed three bills that aim to advance research on the effects of social media on childhood development, strengthen online safety measures for minors, and explore warn...

08/17/2026

🏠🏘️🏠 Four New Jersey municipalities—Guttenberg, West New York, Union City, and Hoboken—are denser in population than New York City, and the Garden State has the sixth-highest median home price ($548,000), with ​rents averaging above $2,000 per month. Accessory dwelling units or ADUs can provide an alternative to traditional housing, helping to remediate both the housing shortage and affordability issues while preserving rural land from further development. Several municipalities have passed ADU-related legislation, including Montclair, South Orange, Princeton, and Asbury Park, but a statewide bill on ADUs (Bill A2792) has not yet made it out of the legislature and onto the governor's desk. Read more in today's blog from summer intern Ryan Lawrence:

New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country, with nearly 1,300 residents per square mile, according to the 2024 Census. Four New Jersey municipalities—Guttenberg, West New York, Union City, and Hoboken—are denser than New York City. Between 1986 and 2015, the percentage of deve...

08/13/2026

💵🏦 A state budget itself can be considered a moral document: a statement, made in dollar amounts, which outlines the financial needs that are prioritized by the government. The process of achieving an annual budget is difficult for many residents to follow and can lead to further resentments over the lack of transparency. Some governments, like in Porto Allegre, Brazil, have chosen to address these concerns by implementing participatory budgeting—a process in which residents directly decide how a portion of the public budget is spent.

Read more from NJSPL summer intern and graduate student Daniel Fairman in today's blog:

Budget Cuts and Who Absorbs Them When budgets are cut, the first programs to go are those without dedicated funding or legal mandate. Many of those programs serve low-income, disabled, and vulnerable populations. New Jersey is in a period of fiscal austerity. The state is facing a structural deficit...

08/11/2026

🚲 Gov. Sherrill signed new legislation expanding on-demand micro-transit options for seniors and people with disabilities; 📦 Attorney General Davenport filed an antitrust suit against Amazon alleging the company is restricting delivery drivers' ability to unionize; 🗑️ a federal judge approved a $2.5B settlement against DuPont and 3M over forever chemicals. Read these stories and more:

Transportation New Law Expands On-Demand Micro-Transit Options - Governor Mikie Sherrill signed Bill A4761 into law on August 7th, which authorizes counties to expand on-demand microtransit options for seniors and people with disabilities. This bill expands upon existing legislation to include count...

08/10/2026

🏢🏗️ On July 30th, 2025, New Jersey's property assessed clean energy program for commercial properties, otherwise known as the Garden State C-PACE program, was fully launched. Through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), this state-enabled, locally administered program will facilitate up-front financing of certain improvements to real commercial properties that promote energy efficiency and sustainability goals. According to NJEDA, 16 municipalities have already opted in and have active programs accepting applications from commercial property owners. These municipalities are all general-purpose governments with the requisite authority to levy a property tax, which is the mechanism through which the loans are repaid.

Read more here:

New Jersey’s property assessed clean energy program for commercial properties, the Garden State C-PACE program, is fully launched as of July 30, 2026. As detailed earlier in this series, PACE is a state-enabled, locally administered program that facilitates up-front financing of certain improvemen...

08/06/2026

🧑‍🎓🎉🧑‍🎓This week, the New Jersey State Policy Lab hosted the end-of-summer presentations for the 2026 intern cohort at the Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy: https://policylab.rutgers.edu/new-jersey-state-policy-lab-holds-5th-annual-internship-presentation/

These presentations are the culmination of the work accomplished through the 10-week internship program, guided by teaching assistant Vageesha Sharma, a Ph.D. student at the Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration. Recordings of all the students' presentations are available on the NJSPL's website.

The New Jersey State Policy Lab is grateful for the support of countless faculty and staff in making this program happen each year. We wish our interns the best and are excited to see what their futures hold.

Read more here: https://policylab.rutgers.edu/new-jersey-state-policy-lab-holds-5th-annual-internship-presentation/

08/04/2026

🏫 New Jersey implemented a new law intended to streamline spring break dates for public districts; 🗳️ Gov. Sherrill signed a new law that exempts temporary workers from losing unemployment eligibility; ☎️ cuts to the NJ FY2027 budget have left 5 mental health crisis centers unopened developed as part of the state's 988 crisis response system. Read these stories and more:

Public Administration Gov. Sherrill Denies Federal Request for Voter Registration Records - On July 21st, Governor Mikie Sherrill revealed that 6,600 noncitizens were registered to vote through a software malfunction in the Motor Vehicle Commission system between June 2023 and June 2024, though only...

08/03/2026

📚👓 New Jersey recently joined more than 30 states in mandating universal literacy screenings in early elementary grades at least twice a year. The screenings are intended to catch and address early signs of reading difficulty for students in kindergarten through third grade.

New Jersey recently joined more than 30 states in mandating universal literacy screenings in early elementary grades. These screenings—required by law to occur at least twice a year—assess students in kindergarten through third grade for early signs of reading difficulty. These difficulties may ...