In one paragraph
New Jersey's S1840 would create the New Jersey Responsible AI Advancement and Workforce Protection Act, funding worker retraining through an AI Horizon Fund fed by a 5% assessment on AI infrastructure entities' gross AI revenue. It would require environmental assessments and community benefit agreements for AI computing facilities and impact assessments for high-risk AI systems.
Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.
What it means for business
Operators of large AI computing facilities in New Jersey, employers laying off workers because of AI, and deployers of high-risk AI systems would face assessments, disclosures, assessments on revenue and civil penalties.
Key provisions
- Section 4: AI Horizon Fund, a non-lapsing fund funded by a 5% assessment on AI infrastructure entities' gross AI revenue, Section 8 penalties, appropriations and investment returns, paying for retraining, clean energy upgrades and community resilience.
- Section 5: 13 additional weeks of unemployment benefits for workers displaced by AI in at-risk sectors; employers with 100 or more employees whose AI deployments cause layoffs must file an AI Impact Disclosure and make supplemental Fund contributions.
- Section 6: AI infrastructure entities must conduct environmental impact assessments, report annually on energy and water use and carbon emissions, and enter community benefit agreements with affected municipalities.
- Section 7: high-risk AI systems (employment, housing, healthcare, education, criminal justice, public services) must undergo an algorithmic impact assessment before deployment, performed by the Office of Information Technology.
- Section 8: violations of Section 6 or 7 carry a penalty of not less than $1,000 for a first violation and not more than $2,000 for each later violation. Section 9: the Attorney General must investigate complaints of AI-driven discrimination and unreasonable AI workplace surveillance.
- Section 10: takes effect 180 days after enactment.
Latest legislative action
Jan 13, 2026. Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Labor Committee
Sponsors (showing 5 of 14)
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Cryan, Joseph P. | Primary |
| Gill, Nia H. | Primary |
| Gopal, Vin D | Primary |
| McKnight, Angela V. | Primary |
| Mukherji, Raj D | Primary |
Topics and industries
Related topics
Affected industries
This page is general information, not legal advice. Summaries are AI-assisted and may contain errors; read the statute for the controlling text and talk to a lawyer about your situation. Full disclaimer · Report an error