---
type: "Bill"
title: "Requires employers to provide hiring preference to employees who have reached maximum medical improvement following work-related injury."
description: "Requires employers to provide hiring preference to employees who have reached maximum medical improvement following work-related injury."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nj"
legislature: "New Jersey Legislature"
session: "219"
identifier: "A 2617"
citation: "New Jersey A 2617 (219)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["LABOR", "LOCAL OFFICE", "STATE OFFICE"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Benson, Daniel R.", "Gopal, Vin", "Lagana, Joseph A.", "Murphy, Carol A.", "Reynolds-Jackson, Verlina"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 10
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2020-02-13T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2021-09-24T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f024f4b4-647c-4a92-a191-98729f270d0b"
source_url: "http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/downloads.asp"
source_hash: "67cb4c9a941bb35e1414b58dc6f7eee1679b08dcae4ea1c4b25d3d923b9d926a"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nj"]
---

# New Jersey A 2617 (219) — Requires employers to provide hiring preference to employees who have reached maximum medical improvement following work-related injury.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2020/Bills/A3000/2617_I1.HTM)
2. **Reprint** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2020/Bills/A3000/2617_R1.HTM)

## Votes

- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **35–2** (pass) · upper
- AMEND — **25–0** (pass) · upper
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **76–0** (pass) · lower
- CONCUR IN SA — **74–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported favorably out of committee — **9–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Benson, Daniel R. — primary (person)
- Gopal, Vin — primary (person)
- Lagana, Joseph A. — primary (person)
- Murphy, Carol A. — primary (person)
- Reynolds-Jackson, Verlina — primary (person)
- Conaway, Herb — cosponsor (person)
- Downey, Joann — cosponsor (person)
- Singleton, Troy — cosponsor (person)
- Space, Parker — cosponsor (person)
- Swain, Lisa — cosponsor (person)
- Verrelli, Anthony S. — cosponsor (person)
- Wirths, Harold J. — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-02-13T05:00:00+00:00** Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Labor Committee `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2021-01-25T05:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2021-05-20T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (76-0-0) `passage`
- **2021-06-01T04:00:00+00:00** Received in the Senate without Reference, 2nd Reading
- **2021-06-03T04:00:00+00:00** Senate Amendment (25-0) (Lagana) `amendment-passage`
- **2021-06-21T04:00:00+00:00** Substituted for S2998 (1R)
- **2021-06-21T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Senate (35-2) `passage`
- **2021-06-21T04:00:00+00:00** Received in the Assembly, 2nd Reading on Concurrence
- **2021-06-24T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (74-0-0) `passage`
- **2021-09-24T04:00:00+00:00** Approved P.L.2021, c.228. `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f024f4b4-647c-4a92-a191-98729f270d0b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Jersey legislature records).