Updated · New Jersey Business & Industry Association · Jun 26
NJBIA Presses New Jersey on AI Rules and Contractor Policy as Businesses Warn of Higher Costs
Updated
Updated · New Jersey Business & Industry Association · Jun 26
NJBIA Presses New Jersey on AI Rules and Contractor Policy as Businesses Warn of Higher Costs
2 articles · Updated · New Jersey Business & Industry Association · Jun 26
Summary
NJBIA’s latest Labor & Employment Committee meeting centered on three pressure points for New Jersey employers: AI legislation, independent-contractor rules and the state’s broader business climate.
State policy speakers said lawmakers want business feedback before advancing AI bills, with concerns focused on whether current definitions of generative AI are too broad and could sweep in older tools like robocalls or reminder systems.
Independent-contractor regulations drew sharper criticism, with Republican staff arguing repeated industry carve-outs would show the system is flawed and could curb gig-work flexibility.
Port trucking in North Jersey was cited as a key example: reclassifying contractors as employees could raise goods-transport costs and ripple through business expenses statewide.
NJBIA policy analysts tied those debates to competitiveness, arguing taxes and labor rules are making New Jersey harder to operate in as companies invest elsewhere, including Texas, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.