Legislation sponsored by Senator Holly Schepisi that would increase awareness of employment opportunities for people with disabilities was signed into law today by Governor Murphy.

Sen. Holly Schepisi’s legislation that would increase awareness of employment opportunities for people with disabilities was signed into law by Gov. Murphy. (SenateNJ.com)

“I am pleased that the Governor signed this bill into law today. This legislation is an important step in the right direction and will help improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Schepisi (R-39). “By allowing the state to more effectively recruit, hire, and promote people with disabilities in the workplace, we will help create a more inclusive policy for these individuals and provide better job opportunities for them in the future.”

The bill, S-3426/A-5296, requires the Division of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action and the Civil Service Commission, to develop a “State as a Model Employer of People with Disabilities” or SAME program. The purpose of SAME will be to increase awareness of employment opportunities for people with disabilities and remove barriers to the application and hiring process.

The SAME program will review existing recruitment, hiring, and retention policies; use fast track hiring authority that permits state agencies to consider disability status during the onboarding process; and establish work-based learning experiences, such as mentoring or internships.