Testa Bill Excusing Commercial Fisherman from State Unemployment Tax Advances

Current unemployment law has New Jersey’s commercial fishermen on the hook, and Senator Michael Testa’s legislation advanced today by the Senate Labor Committee would cut them loose.

The bill, S-3501, would exempt commercial fisherman who are paid on the percentage of fish caught or a percentage of the selling price of those fish from the state unemployment law and its costly tax on earnings.

“This bill will be a big help for New Jersey fisheries, an industry that has been hit hard by the pandemic and one that the state’s economy depends on,” said Testa (R-1). “It will allow hard working, skilled fisherman to keep more of their hard-earned income, a change that suits the independent nature of the proud individuals who make their living at sea.”

The Garden State’s fishing industry is one of the most robust in the United States.

New Jersey fisheries contribute more than $1 billion annually to the state’s economy, with some estimates doubling that total.

“The fishing industry is vitally important to the entire state, but here in the coastal communities, it is the very lifeblood of small communities up and down the shoreline,” said Testa. “After a challenging year, this bill represents a changing tide for our fisheries.”