Newly filed New Jersey State Senate bill S863 replaces 2019 bill S4204 and would force NJ venues to treat gigging musicians as employees with the accompanying paperwork and expense, or undergo a complex process to seek exemptions on a one-by-one process. A similar but less draconian bill, AB5, enacted in California threatens to literally wipe out the independent music industry by making bands operate as employers of each individual band member, or have the venues hire each band member as employees. An accompanying bill will be attempted in the NJ State Assembly, but for the purposes of this petition we will address the Senate bill and its sponsor, New Jersey State Senator Steve Sweeney.

The national pandemic engulfing the nation has already brought the independent music industry to its knees, and this bill would cripple its resurrection in New Jersey as the nation rebounds.

This petition is launched by the music advocacy website www.thebuzzer.com and will be presented to Senator Sweeney upon completion.