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Senate committee releases bill to exempt minor‑league players from some state wage rules
Summary
The Senate Labor Committee voted to release S-4506 after Major League Baseball attorneys told the panel that the 2023 collective bargaining agreement and nonwage benefits make hourly tracking impractical; committee passed the bill out of committee on a unanimous roll call.
The Senate Labor Committee voted to release S-4506 after hearing testimony from Major League Baseball that the measure would exempt minor‑league players from certain New Jersey wage and record‑keeping requirements when they are employed under a collective bargaining agreement.
Steve Gonzales, senior vice president and chief employment counsel for Major League Baseball, told the committee that MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association negotiated the first CBA covering minor‑league players in 2023 and that the agreement’s compensation package—seasonal salaries, housing benefits, club‑provided meals, per diems, health coverage year‑round, retirement benefits and disability salary continuation—better fits players’ unique work patterns than traditional hourly pay.
Gonzales emphasized that the 2025 in‑season minimums he cited—$920 per week for High‑A teams and $1,020 per week for Double‑A teams—would, he said, equate to statutory coverage of 52–56 hours per week under New Jersey minimum‑wage and overtime frameworks. He argued the statute change is still necessary to avoid impractical hourly tracking, which could limit players’ access to training, clubhouse facilities or other development activities.
Committee members questioned the panel about how players were paid prior to the CBA and about litigation history; Gonzales noted there was a class‑action defended in California more than a decade earlier and that the CBA and the Players Association sought certainty and an industry‑appropriate structure.
After brief committee discussion, a motion to release S‑4506 passed on a roll call with Senators Paulistina, Steinhardt, Moriarty, Vice Chair Zwicker and Chairman Johnson voting yes. The committee released the bill for further consideration.
What happens next: The bill was released from the Senate Labor Committee and will proceed through the legislative process where it may be scheduled for additional committee consideration or floor action.
