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Bill

S 919

Amends "Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights Act" to exclude full-time students and au pairs from definition of domestic worker and remove joint and several liability provision from law.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Lagana and 1 co-sponsor

New Jersey bill excludes students and au pairs from domestic worker protections and eliminates joint employer liability for wage violations.

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Labor Committee
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 919

Legislative bill overview

S 919 amends New Jersey's Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights Act by narrowing the definition of "domestic worker" to exclude full-time students and au pairs. The bill also removes the joint and several liability provision, which previously allowed employers to be held collectively responsible for wage violations.

Why is this important

The Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights Act (passed in 2014) extended labor protections to household workers—a historically vulnerable workforce. This amendment would reduce the scope of those protections and diminish enforcement mechanisms, directly affecting who qualifies for minimum wage, overtime, meal breaks, and safe working conditions. The removal of joint and several liability weakens accountability for wage theft and exploitation in households.

Potential points of contention

  • Scope of protection: Excluding au pairs and students narrows coverage of workers already vulnerable to exploitation; supporters argue this targets specific visa/temporary arrangements that differ from traditional domestic work
  • Employer accountability: Removing joint and several liability makes it harder to pursue multiple responsible parties (e.g., family members, household managers) for unpaid wages; proponents claim this reduces frivolous liability
  • Enforcement effectiveness: Without joint liability, enforcement against wage violations becomes more difficult and places greater burden on individual workers to identify and sue specific parties

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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