A New Jersey bill aimed at supporting the rights of temporary workers received approval Thursday from the New Jersey Senate in a 21-16 vote. The legislation, which had raised concerns in the staffing industry, now goes to the Gov. Phil Murphy for signing.

A final vote on the legislation, the “Temp Worker Bill of Rights,” had been delayed as sponsors worked to shore up support for the legislation, according to NJ.com. Gov. Murphy is expected to sign the bill because it contains changes he had requested in an earlier conditional veto of the bill.

The legislation had caused concerns. In a statement, Alexis Bailey, VP of government affairs at the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, said the bill would be a great cost and burden to New Jersey staffing agencies and the companies that use them. Ultimately, the bill will hurt the very workers it seeks to protect.

“NJBIA has always appreciated the intent of this bill,” Bailey said. “However, we have repeatedly warned that at least one key provision of it would so greatly drive up the cost of utilizing temp agencies, that it would jeopardize legitimate temp agencies, harm third-party businesses that use them, and, as a result, provide less opportunity for those seeking temporary employment. The bill passed by the Senate today, after not having enough votes on previous occasions, requires temporary workers to be paid the average compensation rate and benefits or the cash equivalent of the average cost of benefits paid to their employee counterparts.”

As a result, some temporary workers will be making more than permanent employees whose wages are determined by seniority and experience, Bailey said.

There are also many logistical burdens to consider as temp agencies contract with multiple businesses that offer different benefits packages, she said. “All of this will serve to make it extremely difficult to provide jobs for temporary workers.”

Supporters, however, say the legislation will bring new rights to temporary workers.

“This is an invisible workforce that has been left vulnerable to exploitation and mistreatment,” said New Jersey Sen. Joe Cryan, D-Union, the legislation’s author. “They have been cheated out of their wages, denied benefits, forced to work in unsafe conditions, and charged unjustified fees by employers. The Bill of Rights will help correct these wrongs of the past, so these workers are treated fairly. We respect all workers and expect them to be treated fairly.”

The temp worker industry in New Jersey includes at least 127,000 people working for about 100 licensed temp agencies, according to estimates.