May 7, 2021 — Current unemployment law has New Jersey’s commercial fishermen on the hook, and Sen. Michael Testa’s (R-1st) legislation advanced May 6 by the Senate Labor Committee would cut them loose.
According to a release, the bill, S-3501, would exempt commercial fishermen 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,” stated Testa. “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.”