Oroho bills signed into law

Three bills sponsored by Senator Steven Oroho (R-Sussex, Warren, Morris) to improve government efficiency and to support New Jersey’s farm to table and manufacturing industries were signed into law.
The first bill will increase funding for manufacturing workforce development, by authorizing a General Fund supplemental appropriation of $250,000 to the NJ Manufacturing Extension Program.
The legislation would also provide direct aid to fund grants in order to employ underserved and underemployed veterans.
“More than 1 million in-state jobs are supported by New Jersey’s manufacturing industry and there are more opportunities popping up all the time,” Oroho said. “As the cost of college continues to climb, many young people, as well as returning workers like veterans, are looking for opportunities that don’t require a traditional four-year degree. By investing in manufacturing workforce development, we can create good-paying jobs and nurture our burgeoning innovation economy.”
Oroho says that now that the bill has become law, the NJMEP is eligible to receive an additional $250,000 in federal matching funds.
“NJMEP is very excited to earn its way back into the NJ State Budget through a bill presented by Senator Oroho and Senator Gopal,” NJMEP CEO John Kennedy said when the bill passed the Senate this October. “NJMEP is one of the highest rated MEP’s in the country, and plans to employ the funding to support its apprenticeship programs in conjunction with State partners like the NJ-DOL, CTE Schools, County Colleges, and NJIT”.
The second bill to be signed authorizes local units of government that are subject to the “Local Public Contracts Law” and the “Public School Contracts Law” to use electronic procurement technologies.
Under current law, many State departments, including the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA), already accept electronic bids.
“Modernizing procurement systems makes it easier for the government and the suppliers to interact,” Oroho said. “This legislation will ease the advancement of municipal projects statewide. When job creators are able to bid for public contracts competitively, both our municipalities and our taxpayers come out on top.”
The third bill signed by the Governor on Dec. 17 directs the Division of Travel and Tourism to post information on farm-to-table restaurants on its website: VisitNJ.org.
In New Jersey, approximately one out of every 14 workers is supported by the tourism industry.
“The impact of choosing a farm-to-table restaurant stretches far beyond a customer’s plate,” Oroho said. “By highlighting local ‘Jersey Fresh’ restaurants on our State website, we’re feeding the future of New Jersey’s farms, restaurants, and our local economy.”