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Bill

S 4506

Enacts the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for all act

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Leroy Comrie and 5 co-sponsors

Exempts minor league baseball players from NJ wage-hour and wage-recordkeeping laws while they are covered by a qualifying CBA that expressly governs wages and conditions.

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Bill Summary · S 4506

Summary of S 4506: Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for all act (New Jersey)

Note: The bill title references the SAFE for all act, but the substantive provisions, as reflected in the attached documents, create a targeted wage-hour exemption for minor league baseball players when covered by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

What the bill does (core purpose)

  • Exempts minor league baseball players from certain state wage-hour laws and wage payment recordkeeping when the players are employed under a valid collective bargaining agreement that expressly governs wages and working conditions.
  • The exemption is narrowly tailored and applies only during the period in which the specified CBA is in effect.

Key provisions and changes

  • Exemption scope:
    • The provisions of New Jersey State Wage and Hour Law (N.J.S.A. 34:11-56a et seq.) and the wage payment recordkeeping requirements (N.J.S.A. 34:11-4.1 et seq.) shall not apply to a minor league baseball player who is covered by a CBA between Minor League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) that is in effect and expressly provides for wages and conditions of the minor league player.
  • Duration of exemption:
    • The exemption applies only during the term of the qualifying CBA and does not extend beyond that agreement, except that the CBA may be renewed, renegotiated, or extended.
  • Notification requirement:
    • Minor League Baseball and the MLBPA must notify the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) within one week of any termination or replacement of the qualifying CBA.
  • Effect and implementation:
    • The act takes effect immediately and remains in effect as long as a qualifying CBA remains in effect.

Who is affected

  • Minor league baseball players in New Jersey who are employed under a current CBA between Minor League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association that expressly covers wages and working conditions.
  • The exemption affects the applicability of state wage-hour laws and wage-recordkeeping requirements for these players during the CBA term.

Context and policy rationale

  • The bill recognizes the unique nature of minor league employment (irregular schedules, extensive travel, non-traditional training demands) and seeks to maintain alignment with the terms negotiated in the nationwide MLBPA-MiLB CBA.
  • It aims to balance labor protections secured by collective bargaining with the operational realities of minor league baseball, and mirrors similar actions in Florida, Indiana, and California.

Timeline and legislative history

  • Introduced: May 22, 2025
  • Senate Labor Committee: Reported favorably (June 5, 2025)
  • Senate passage: June 30, 2025
  • Assembly actions: Received without Reference (June 30, 2025); substituted; passed both houses (June 30, 2025)
  • Enacted status: Approved as P.L. 2025, c. 141 on September 11, 2025
  • Effective date: Immediate upon enactment; persists while the qualifying CBA is in effect

Related and companion measures

  • Companion bills: A5692 (and others listed as companions)
  • The bill aligns with similar state-level actions in keeping wage-law compliance consistent with nationally negotiated CBAs for minor league players.

Overall, S 4506 creates a narrowly tailored exemption to New Jersey wage-hour and wage-recordkeeping laws for minor league players as long as they are covered by a valid CBA expressly governing wages and working conditions, with transparency requirements and an immediate effect.

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

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