Legislator
Legislator > Joe Pennacchio
State Senator
Joe Pennacchio
(R) - New Jersey
New Jersey Senate District 26
In Office - Started: 01/08/2008
contact info
Montville Office
170 Changebridge Road
Unit A1
Montville, NJ 07045
Unit A1
Montville, NJ 07045
Phone: 973-227-4012
General Capitol Building Address
P.O. Box 068
State House, 145 W. State St.
Trenton, NJ 08625-0068
State House, 145 W. State St.
Trenton, NJ 08625-0068
Phone: 609-847-3905
| Bill | Bill Name | Summary | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3418 | Authorizes certain types of permanent structures, recently constructed or erected on preserved farmland, to be used, in certain cases, for purposes of holding special occasion events thereon. | Authorizes certain types of permanent structures, recently constructed or erected on preserved farmland, to be used, in certain cases, for purposes of holding special occasion events thereon. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3818 | Requires third-party discounts and payments for individuals covered by health benefits plans to apply to copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, or other out-of-pocket costs for covered benefits. | Requires third-party discounts and payments for individuals covered by health benefits plans to apply to copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, or other out-of-pocket costs for covered benefits. | In Committee |
| S1067 | Directs DHS to conduct landscape analysis of available mental health services. | Directs DHS to conduct landscape analysis of available mental health services. | Vetoed |
| A3802 | Differentiates certain legal services from traditional insurance products. | Differentiates certain legal services from traditional insurance products. | Passed |
| S3309 | Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements. | Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements. | Passed |
| S3061 | Differentiates certain legal services from traditional insurance products. | Differentiates certain legal services from traditional insurance products. | In Committee |
| S3446 | Establishes Farmland Assessment Review Commission to annually review and recommend changes to farmland assessment program, as necessary to ensure fair, equitable, and uniform Statewide application and enforcement of program requirements and allocation of program benefits. | Establishes Farmland Assessment Review Commission to annually review and recommend changes to farmland assessment program, as necessary to ensure fair, equitable, and uniform Statewide application and enforcement of program requirements and allocation of program benefits. | In Committee |
| S220 | Establishes Nuclear Power Advisory Commission. | Establishes Nuclear Power Advisory Commission. | In Committee |
| S4004 | Revises law on extended employment programs for persons with disabilities. | Revises law on extended employment programs for persons with disabilities. | In Committee |
| S421 | The "Uniform Electronic Wills Act"; authorizes electronic wills. | This bill authorizes electronic wills. Section 1. This section provides that the bill shall be known and may be cited as the "Uniform Electronic Wills Act." Section 2. This section includes definitions applicable to the bill. An "electronic will" is a will executed electronically in accordance with the provisions of the bill. "Electronic" is defined as relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities. "Sign" means, with present intent to authenticate or adopt a record, (1) to execute or adopt a tangible symbol; or (2) to affix to or logically associate with the record an electronic symbol or process. "Will" includes a codicil and any testamentary instrument that merely appoints an executor, revokes or revises another will, nominates a guardian, or expressly excludes or limits the right of an individual or class to succeed to property of the decedent passing by intestate succession. Section 3. The section provides that an electronic will is a will for all purposes of the law of this State, and that the law of this State applicable to wills and principles of equity apply to an electronic will, except as modified by the bill. Section 4. A will executed electronically but not in compliance with the provisions of subsection a. of section 5 of the bill (summarized below) is deemed an electronic will if executed in compliance with the law of the jurisdiction where the testator is physically located when the will is signed, or where the testator is domiciled or resides when the will is signed or when the testator dies. Subsection a. of section 5. Subject to the signature requirements in section 7 of the bill, an electronic will is required to be a record that is readable as text at the time of signing. The electronic will is to be signed by the testator, or signed by another individual in the testator's name, in the physical or electronic presence of the testator and by the testator's direction. In addition, the electronic will is to either be: (1) signed by at least two individuals, each of whom signed within a reasonable time after witnessing the signing of the will, or witnessing the testator's acknowledgment of the signature or acknowledgment of the will; or (2) acknowledged by the testator before a notary public or other individual authorized by law to take acknowledgments. The bill does not allow remote witnesses to the execution of an electronic will; the witnesses are required to be in the physical presence of the testator. Subsection b. of section 5. The intent of a testator that a record be the testator's electronic will may be established by extrinsic evidence. Section 6. An electronic will may revoke all or part of a previous will. All or part of an electronic will is revoked by: (1) a subsequent will that revokes all or part of the electronic will expressly or by inconsistency; or (2) a physical act, if it is established by a preponderance of the evidence that the testator, with the intent of revoking all or part of the will, performed the act or directed another individual who performed the act in the testator's physical presence. Section 7: This section provides that an electronic will may be simultaneously executed, attested, and made self-proving by acknowledgment of the testator and affidavits of the witnesses. The acknowledgment and affidavits are to be: (1) made before an officer authorized to administer oaths under law of the state in which execution occurs; and (2) evidenced by the officer's certificate under official seal affixed to or logically associated with the electronic will. Section 7 also sets out forms for the acknowledgment and affidavits. In addition, section 7 provides that a signature physically or electronically affixed to an affidavit that is affixed to or logically associated with an electronic will is deemed a signature of the electronic will. Section 8. This section provides that an individual may create a certified paper copy of an electronic will by affirming under penalty of law that a paper copy is a complete, true, and accurate copy. If the electronic will is made self-proving, the certified paper copy of the will is to include the self-proving affidavits. Section 9. This section provides that a self-proving electronic will also shall contain the electronic signature and electronic seal of a notary public placed on the will in accordance with applicable law; designate a custodian to maintain custody of the electronic will; and be under the exclusive control of a custodian at all times prior to being offered for probate or being reduced to a certified paper copy pursuant to the bill. The term "custodian" is defined as any person designated by the testator to maintain custody of the electronic will. Section 10. The bill would take effect immediately and be applicable to the will of a decedent who dies on or after the effective date. Background. The Uniform Electronic Wills Act was issued by the Uniform Law Commission in 2019. The commission also is known as the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. | In Committee |
| S4070 | Establishes Fusion Energy and Technology Incentive Program in EDA to encourage use of power plants for fusion energy and technology purposes; authorizes funds in Global Warming Solutions Fund to support fusion energy and technology facilities. | Establishes Fusion Energy and Technology Incentive Program in EDA to encourage use of power plants for fusion energy and technology purposes; authorizes funds in Global Warming Solutions Fund to support fusion energy and technology facilities. | In Committee |
| S4404 | Reinstates automatic COLAs for retirement benefits of certain PFRS members. | This bill reinstates automatic cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for annual pension, ordinary disability pension, or accidental disability pension retirement benefits for certain members of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS). Provisions contained in P.L.2011, c.78 (C.43:3C-16 et al.), signed into law on June 28, 2011, had suspended the automatic annual adjustment for current and future retirees and beneficiaries of PFRS and other State-administered retirement systems until those systems reach a target funded ratio. Decades of underfunding those systems by the State had placed the systems in precarious financial conditions. Although this bill does not reinstate COLAs for other retirees, it serves as the first step in reinstating COLAs for all retirees of the State-administered retirement systems. Through the prioritization of PFRS, the State will begin this process with retired first responders, police and firefighters, to provide them greater financial security and stability at a time when inflation has significantly eroded the value of their retirement benefit payments, which are already based on the lower salaries of years ago. To that end, the bill includes restrictions intended to limit costs and focus on segments among PFRS retirees expected to be most in need of an immediate benefit. Under the bill, members of PFRS will receive automatic COLAs for annual pension, ordinary disability pension, and accidental disability pension benefits if the member has been retired and receiving retirement benefits for a minimum of ten years. Longer-term retirees generally will have lower pension benefits and be less able to obtain employment to offset the erosion of their benefits. Members of PFRS who are hired more than 30 days following the effective date of this act will not be considered eligible to receive these automatic COLAs. Additionally, members who are enrolled in deferred retirement will not be considered eligible for these automatic COLAs, nor will members who retired with 20 or more years of service but less than 25 years of service. The COLAs will only apply to future pension benefit payments. The bill does not provide for retroactive COLAs. The adjustment in eligible members' pension benefits will be calculated based on an amount up to $75,000 of a retiree's benefit for the first year following the enactment of this bill. Eligible members receiving up to $75,000 of pension benefits will receive a COLA tied to the CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. This will ensure that greater initial benefits will be provided to those likely to be most in need. The adjustment in eligible member's pension benefits will be limited to one percent if the member receives more than $75,000 in benefits for the first year following the enactment of the bill. After the first calendar year following the enactment of the bill, the $75,000 threshold will be adjusted annually according to the CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, except that the adjustment will be calculated at a rate not to exceed three percent. The bill also grants the cost-of-living adjustment to the monthly pension or survivorship benefit of a surviving spouse, child, or beneficiary that is provided by PFRS. Under the bill, if the Board of Trustees of PFRS fails to comply with the provisions of this bill within six months following the effective date, then the State Treasurer will be responsible for implementing the cost-of-living adjustments. The bill requires the Legislature to appropriate monies from the General Fund as necessary to effectuate the cost-of-living adjustments established under the bill that are sufficient to cover both State and local expenses, and to reimburse each PFRS local employer for the full cost incurred. The bill further provides that this appropriation will take precedence over any additional funding added to the annual State budget by the Legislature through non-emergency supplemental appropriations, resolutions or other changes to the Governor's budget message. | In Committee |
| S4398 | Suspends sales and use tax and societal benefits charge on electric and gas public utility bills during four-month period. | This bill temporarily suspends the imposition of the sales and use tax, as well as the societal benefits charge, on customer bills for electric and gas utility service. Under the bill, the temporary suspension applies beginning on June 1, 2025 and through September 30, 2025. It is the sponsor's intent that a temporary suspension of the collection of these charges provide necessary relief from anticipated bill increases and excessive charges to ratepayers. The Board of Public Utilities has announced increases in the electricity rates for residential ratepayers ranging from 17.2 to 20.2 percent, depending on the supplier, starting in June 2025. Consequently, sales and use tax collections from energy and utility sales are anticipated to increase by as much as $85.2 million more than the Governor had initially anticipated for Fiscal Year 2026. Furthermore, during Fiscal Years 2021 through 2024, approximately $704.2 million in revenues generated by the societal benefits charge were transferred to other funds for purposes outside the intent of the charge. In light of the amount of excess revenue generated by the societal benefits charge, it is the sponsor's opinion that the amount collected through the societal benefits charge can be reduced in order to provide necessary relief to ratepayers. | In Committee |
| S4315 | Requires controller or processor to de-identify personal data and prohibits re-identification of de-identified data. | This bill amends current law on the sale or processing of personal data to provide that a controller or processor of personal data is required to de-identify personal data before sale. The bill also prohibits a controller or processor from (1) re-identifying de-identified data before or after the sale of personal data that has been previously de-identified; (2) providing a third party the means to re-identify personal data after the sale of de-identified data to the third party; or (3) engaging a third party to re-identify de-identified data before or after the sale of the de-identified data. Pursuant to the bill, "re-identify" means to link de-identified data to an identified or identifiable individual, or a device linked to such an individual. The bill requires the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs (director) in the Department of Law and Public Safety to establish standards for the de-identification of personal data. The bill also permits the director to allow exceptions to the requirements of de-identification or prohibitions on re-identification, provided that: (1) the director expects any exception to benefit the public; and (2) any exception is limited to the purpose of medical studies or the purpose of preventing or alleviating environmental hazards. | In Committee |
| S4331 | Prohibits local government from naming its property after foreign terrorist organization. | This bill prohibits a local government from naming property under its ownership or control, including, but not limited to, a road, bridge, school, building, neighborhood, community, or park, after a group, that has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the federal government, or after land controlled by a foreign terrorist organization, not including recognized, sovereign nations. The bill requires the Division of Local Government Services (division) in the Department of Community Affairs, in consultation with the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (office), to develop and publish a list of designated foreign terrorist organizations and lands controlled by foreign terrorist organizations, not including recognized, sovereign nations. The bill defines a "local government" as a municipality, county, school district, or other political subdivision of the State, or any public board, commission, committee, authority, or agency which is not a State board, commission, committee, authority, or agency. The bill requires a local government to remove or dismantle signs, street pole banners, plaques, or other forms of displays of support for, or the naming of property after, a foreign terrorist organization, under the control or ownership of the local government within 30 days following the bill's enactment. Within 90 days following the bill's effective date, the bill requires a local government that has named property under its control or ownership after a foreign terrorist organization to rename the property so that it does not identify the name of as a foreign terrorist organization. The bill requires the State to reimburse local governments for both of these costs, upon application. If a local government violates the provisions of the bill, the State Treasurer, for each day in which the local government is in violation of the bill, is directed to deduct a portion of the total amount of State aid allocated to the local government. The daily deduction is to be in an amount equal to the result of dividing the total amount of State aid allocated to the local government by the total number of days in the fiscal year in which the State aid is allocated. The bill provides that the division, in consultation with the office, is to adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| S2818 | "Fentanyl and Xylazine Poisoning Awareness Act"; requires school districts to provide instruction on dangers of fentanyl and xylazine. | "Fentanyl and Xylazine Poisoning Awareness Act"; requires school districts to provide instruction on dangers of fentanyl and xylazine. | In Committee |
| A4163 | Requires health insurers to provide coverage for biomarker precision medical testing. | An Act concerning health insurance coverage for biomarker precision medical testing and supplementing various parts of the statutory law. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3098 | Requires health insurers to provide coverage for biomarker precision medical testing. | Requires health insurers to provide coverage for biomarker precision medical testing. | In Committee |
| S3466 | Extends expiration date of special appraisal process for Green Acres and farmland preservation program; provides aid for watershed lands. | An Act concerning the preservation and protection of land in the Highlands Region, amending P.L.1999, c.152, and amending and supplementing P.L.2004, c.120. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S364 | Adds fusion to types of Class I renewable energies as defined for purposes of "Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act." | Adds fusion to types of Class I renewable energies as defined for purposes of "Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act." | Crossed Over |
| S4132 | Creates offense of impersonating first responder; grades offense one degree higher than underlying offense. | This bill creates the new offense of impersonating a first responder for the purpose of aiding the commission of a crime or offense. This bill is similar to N.J.S.A.2C:28-8 which makes it a crime to impersonate a public servant or law enforcement officer with purpose to induce another to submit to such pretended official authority, or to otherwise to act in reliance upon that pretense. A person who commits the new offense is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree if the underlying offense is a disorderly persons offense. Otherwise, the offense is classified one degree higher than the underlying offense, except that where the underlying crime is a crime of the first degree, the offense is a first-degree. Under the bill, the offense is committed if a person impersonates or dresses as a first responder, assumes a false identity as a first responder, or makes a false or misleading statement regarding their own identity as a first responder for the purpose of committing a crime or offense and commits a crime or offense in such assumed character or false identity. Under the bill, the offense is graded as a crime of the fourth degree if the underlying offense is a disorderly persons offense. Otherwise, a crime under this bill is classified one degree higher than the underlying offense. This bill is based upon reported instances in California of individuals impersonating first responders, specifically fire fighters battling wildfires, for the purpose of committing various crimes amid the chaos and turmoil. The November 2024 drought warning status declared by Governor Murphy and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protections Commissioner LaTourette remains in effect for New Jersey. With that status, the risk for wildfires and other public health risks requiring the assistance and presence of fire and first responder personnel persists. It is the sponsors' view that taking advantage of a crisis situation to commit criminal acts warrants enhanced penalties. | In Committee |
| S4086 | Prohibits teaching of critical race theory in public schools; prohibits public school teachers from engaging in political, ideological, or religious advocacy in classroom. | This bill prohibits a school district from including, as part of a course of instruction or in a curriculum or instructional program, or allowing teachers or other employees of the school district to use supplemental instructional materials that promote concepts related to critical race theory. For purposes of the bill, "critical race theory" includes, but would not be limited to, any of the following concepts:· one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex;· an individual, by virtue of the individual's race or sex, is inherently privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously;· an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment because of the individual's race or sex;· an individual's moral character is determined by the individual's race or sex;· an individual, by virtue of the individual's race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex;· an individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or another form of psychological distress solely because of the individual's race or sex;· a meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist, or designed by a particular race or sex to oppress members of another race or sex;· the State or the United States is fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist;· promoting or advocating the violent overthrow of the United States government;· promoting division between, or resentment of, a race, sex, religion, creed, nonviolent political affiliation, social class, or class of people;· ascribing character traits, values, moral or ethical codes, privileges, or beliefs to a race or sex, or to an individual because of the individual's race or sex;· the rule of law does not exist, but instead is a series of power relationships and struggles among racial or other groups;· all Americans are not created equal and are not endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; or· governments should deny to any person within the government's jurisdiction the equal protection of the law. A school district would not be prohibited from including, as part of a course of instruction or in a curriculum or instructional program, or from allowing teachers in a school district to use supplemental instructional materials that include the history of an ethnic group, the impartial discussion of controversial aspects of history, the impartial instruction on the historical oppression of a particular group of people based on race, ethnicity, class, nationality, religion, or geographic region, or historical documents. The Commissioner of Education would be permitted to withhold State funds from a school district that knowingly violates the provisions of this bill and would be able to continue withholding such funds until the commissioner finds that the school district is in compliance. This bill also requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules and regulations prohibiting public school teachers from engaging in political, ideological, or religious advocacy in the classroom. The State board would further be required to adopt rules and regulations requiring that a teacher provide students with materials supporting both sides of a controversial issue being addressed and to present both sides in a fair-minded and nonpartisan manner. | In Committee |
| S4057 | Prohibits remote work for State employees. | This bill prohibits remote work for State employees. Under current law, the Civil Service Commission is required to adopt rules for States employees' hours of work. The Model Telework Pilot Program was approved and established by the Civil Service Commission in April of 2022, and offered the option for State employees to work remotely up to two working days per week. This bill will prohibit the commission from establishing rules that permit remote work for State employees. | In Committee |
| SJR147 | Establishes New Jersey Government Efficiency Commission. | This bill establishes a New Jersey Government Efficiency Commission. The commission will investigate and compile strategies regarding the streamlining of government functions, the elimination of unnecessary government bureaucracy, redundancies, and overlapping functions, and the opportunity for cost reductions in government. The commission will consist of seven members as follows: the State Treasurer, or the Treasurer's designee, who will serve as chairperson; one member of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce; one public member appointed by the Governor; one public member appointed by the President of the Senate; one public member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; one public member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; and one public member appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly. The public members of the commission will be appointed for terms of three years and may be removed by the appointing authority for cause. The initial members shall be appointed within 30 days of the effective date of this act. The commission will be constituted upon the appointment of the majority of its authorized membership. The commission will meet at the call of the chairperson and will meet as frequently as is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities. The commission will issue an initial report to the Governor and the Legislature on its finding and recommendations within one year of the commission's formation, and an annual report each year thereafter. | In Committee |
| SCR117 | Proposes amendment to constitution regarding parental notification for medical or surgical procedures or treatments relating to pregnancy to be performed on minor children. | This proposed constitutional amendment states that the Legislature may provide that a parent or legal guardian shall receive notice before his or her unemancipated minor or incompetent child undergoes any medical or surgical procedure or treatment relating to pregnancy, irrespective of any right or interest otherwise provided in the State Constitution. The Legislature enacted the "Parental Notification for Abortion Act," P.L.1999, c.145 (C.9:17A-1.1 et seq.) and the constitutionality of the act was challenged in court. The case came before the New Jersey Supreme Court and in Planned Parenthood of Central New Jersey v. Farmer, 165 N.J. 609 (2000), the court found the act unconstitutional. In its analysis, the New Jersey Supreme Court relied on the "more expansive" language found in the New Jersey Constitution than that of the United States Constitution, and stated that Article I, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution "incorporates within its terms the right of privacy and its concomitant rights, including a woman's right to make certain fundamental choices." In declaring the law unconstitutional on equal protection grounds under the State Constitution, the court found that the law unconstitutionally distinguished "between minors seeking an abortion and minors seeking medical and surgical care relating to their pregnancies." This constitutional amendment is intended to overturn the court's decision and permit the Legislature to provide that a parent shall receive notice before his or her unemancipated minor or incompetent child undergoes any medical or surgical procedure or treatment relating to pregnancy, irrespective of any right or interest otherwise provided in the State Constitution. | In Committee |
| S3817 | Requires DEP to implement Advanced Clean Trucks regulations no earlier than January 1, 2027. | This bill would delay the implementation of the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP's) Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulations to January 1, 2027. Under current law, N.J.A.C. 7:27-31.3, the regulations would become operative on January 1, 2025. The DEP adopted the Advanced Clean Trucks regulations in 2021. Pursuant to P.L.2003, c.266 (C.26:2C-8.15 et al.), the DEP is authorized to implement California's Low Emission Vehicle Program in New Jersey. The ACT regulations would require, among other things, that manufacturers of medium-duty and heavy-duty motor vehicles sell an increasing percentage of zero-emissions vehicles, capping at 40 percent to 75 percent of annual sales in 2035, depending on the type of vehicle sold. | In Committee |
| S3740 | Requires parent to be notified when minor undergoes procedure or treatment under certain circumstances. | This bill requires that a parent be notified notice before the parent's unemancipated minor undergoes any medical or surgical procedure or treatment. Notice of a pending procedure or treatment will not be required if the parent has set forth in a notarized writing that such notice was already received. Notice of a pending procedure or treatment will not be required if the attending physician certifies in the unemancipated minor's medical records that the procedure or treatment is necessary due to a medical emergency. A minor may, by petition or motion, seek a waiver of parental notification from a judge of the Superior Court pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1999, c.145 (C.9:17A-1.7). | In Committee |
| S3738 | Makes supplemental appropriation of $500,000 for Main Library Alliance. | This bill provides a supplemental appropriation of $500,000 to provide grants-in-aid funding to the Main Library Alliance. The Main Library Alliance is a non-profit organization that provides services, programs, learning platforms, cost-sharing, and a technology framework to over 50 library buildings in the northwestern part of the State. The Main Library Alliance and its member libraries serve over 700,000 patrons in over 100 municipalities in Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Union, and Warren counties. | In Committee |
| S3598 | Permits party member, candidate, or designee to be present for ballot position draw and inspect materials used for drawing; requires officials conducting ballot draw to provide notice of date, time, and location of drawing. | This bill provides that each candidate for election, or their designee, is entitled to attend the drawing for ballot position in the primary, general, or school board election in which they are a candidate. In the case of a general election where the ballot position for each political party is determined by drawing lots, the bill provides that the political party is entitled to designate a member to be present for the drawing. The person, whether it be a candidate, their designee, or the designated member of a political party, will be entitled to inspect the cards or paper slips on which the candidate names are written, any equipment in which those slips or cards are placed, and the boxes from which the names are ultimately drawn before the first drawing, after each sequential drawing, and at the conclusion of all drawings. Under the bill, the appropriate government official will be required to notify the candidate or political party of the date, time, and location of the drawing at least 72 hours prior to when the drawing is scheduled to begin. | In Committee |
| A4035 | Requires State to sell as surplus property certain land and improvements in Morris County known as Central Park School. | An Act requiring the State to sell to the Morris County Educational Services Commission certain surplus land and improvements in Morris County known as the Central Park School. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S721 | Exempts sales of investment metal bullion and certain investment coins from sales and use tax. | An Act exempting the sale of certain investment metal bullion and coins from the sales and use tax and amending P.L.1980, c.105. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S2809 | Requires State to sell as surplus property certain land and improvements in Morris County known as Central Park School. | Requires State to sell as surplus property certain land and improvements in Morris County known as Central Park School. | In Committee |
| SCR111 | Expresses support for "Equal Representation Act." | This resolution expresses support for H.R. 7109, known as the "Equal Representation Act," which requires a citizenship question on the decennial census, requires reporting on certain census statistics, and modifies the apportionment of United States Representatives, as well as electoral college votes, to be based on the population of United States citizens instead of being based on all individuals who are physically present in the United States, which includes those who are in this country illegally. The United States Constitution requires that a census be conducted every 10 years, with the results impacting the apportionment of seats in the United States House of Representatives, the determination of electoral votes allocated for a presidential election for each state, and the redrawing of state legislative and congressional districts. Census figures are currently based on actual counts of all persons living in the United States, including citizens, noncitizen legal residents, noncitizen long-term visitors, and illegal immigrants. Current estimates suggest that, under the leadership of President Biden, over 10 million people have illegally entered the United States, which continues to overwhelm U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the municipal services of border towns and continues to allow illicit drugs like fentanyl to pour over the border. The Biden administration willfully turns a blind eye to human trafficking and the safety of unaccompanied children. On January 17, 2024, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability heard testimony from immigration policy and law enforcement experts on how the unilateral decisions by the Biden administration are fueling unprecedented illegal immigration and jeopardizing border security. The more than 10 million people who are estimated to have entered the country illegally under President Biden have increased the population of illegal immigrants in the United States to more than 20 million people. The total noncitizen population in the United States, including illegal immigrants, noncitizen legal residents, and noncitizen long-term visitors, is estimated to be as high as 30 million people. The United States noncitizen population is so large that, if the country's noncitizens were all located in one state, that state would surpass Texas as the second most populated state in the country and would be apportioned the equivalent of 40 congressional districts and 42 electoral votes in presidential elections. The United States House of Representatives introduced H.R. 7109, known as the "Equal Representation Act," on January 29, 2024 and passed the bill on May 8, 2024. Although the United States Senate has not yet voted on the "Equal Representation Act," passage of the bill would ensure that congressional representation would be apportioned based on the United States citizen population and would not be diluted by the country's noncitizen population. It is imperative that the right of each American citizen to receive equal representation in government be protected from dilution and passage of the "Equal Representation Act" would provide such protection. | In Committee |
| S3488 | Requires Secretary of State to adjust census redistricting data to remove noncitizens for redistricting purposes in this State. | This bill requires the Secretary of State to adjust the redistricting data received from the Census Bureau to remove noncitizens for redistricting purposes in this State. Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution requires that a census be conducted every 10 years. The census has a profound influence on the nation's democracy, as the results are used to apportion seats in the United States House of Representatives to each state, determine each state's electoral votes allocated for a presidential election, and redraw congressional, state legislative, and local districts. The census figures are based on actual counts of all persons living in the United States, including citizens, noncitizen legal residents, noncitizen long-term visitors, and illegal immigrants. Due to the inclusion of noncitizens in the census counts, congressional, state legislative, and local districts with low numbers of noncitizens suffer politically in comparison to districts with high numbers of noncitizens. Current estimates suggest that, under the leadership of President Biden, over 10 million people have illegally entered the United States. The number of illegal immigrants continues to overwhelm U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the municipal services of border towns, illicit drugs like fentanyl continue to pour over the border, and the Biden administration willfully turns a blind eye to human trafficking and the safety of unaccompanied children. At a hearing held on January 17, 2024 by the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, immigration policy and law enforcement experts testified how the unilateral decisions by the Biden administration are fueling unprecedented illegal immigration and jeopardizing border security. According to current estimates, the more than 10 million people who have entered the country illegally under President Biden have increased the population of illegal immigrants in the United States to more than 20 million people. The total noncitizen population in the United States, including illegal immigrants, noncitizen legal residents, and noncitizen long-term visitors, is estimated to be as high as 30 million people. It is imperative that the right of each American citizen to receive equal representation in government be protected from dilution. This bill therefore requires the Secretary of State to adjust the census redistricting data to remove the population of noncitizens for legislative and local redistricting purposes in this State. Under this bill, the Secretary of State will be required to adjust the census data that is used for redistricting purposes, to exclude the population of noncitizens in this State. The population of this State as adjusted to remove noncitizens would be the basis of the legislative districts established by the Apportionment Commission, county districts established by each county district commission, and municipal wards established by each municipal ward commission. | In Committee |
| S1292 | Establishes State definition of anti-Semitism; creates a public awareness campaign; appropriates $100,000. | Establishes State definition of anti-Semitism; creates a public awareness campaign; and appropriates $100,000. | In Committee |
| SJR19 | Designates July 16 of each year as "Atomic Veterans Day" in New Jersey. | This resolution designates July 16 of each year as "Atomic Veterans Day" in New Jersey. Atomic Veterans are American military service members who participated in nuclear tests of atomic weapons between 1945 and 1962. They served with United States military forces in or around Hiroshima and Nagasaki through mid-1946, or were held as prisoners of war in or near Hiroshima or Nagasaki. Approximately 250,000 veterans of the United States, including residents of New Jersey, witnessed and participated in at least 235 atmospheric nuclear weapons tests. Many Atomic Veterans were prevented by secrecy laws or oaths from seeking medical care or disability compensation from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for conditions they may have developed as a result of radiation exposure. In 1996, the United States Congress repealed the Nuclear Radiation and Secrecy Agreements Act, freeing Atomic Veterans to describe their military involvement in nuclear testing and to file for VA benefits. Atomic Veterans patriotically served this country, meeting the needs of national defense during a critical period in history. This State designates July 16 of each year as Atomic Veterans Day to honor the important role Atomic Veterans played in the defense of our Nation. | In Committee |
| S2535 | Establishes minimum Medicaid reimbursement rate for structured day program services provided to beneficiary eligible for brain injury services. | This bill amends existing law, which established minimum Medicaid reimbursement rates for brain injury services, to include structured day program services. Current law is limited to community residential services. Under existing law, "brain injury service" means community-based services, residential services, day care services, and home care services provided to a Medicaid beneficiary requiring treatment for traumatic or non-traumatic brain injuries, regardless of whether such services are provided through the Medicaid fee-for-service delivery system or the managed care delivery system. Specifically, the bill requires the Medicaid per diem or encounter reimbursement rates for Structured Day Program Services provided to a Medicaid beneficiary requiring treatment for a brain injury, currently at $3.65 for every 15 minutes of services, when such services are provided by an approved brain injury service provider, to be equal to the average of the reimbursement rates for Day Habilitation Services - Tiers D and Tier E provided to a Medicaid beneficiary eligible for services provided by the Division of Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Human Services, currently at $9.09 for every 15 minutes of service. | In Committee |
| S3324 | Requires boards of education to post on website information summarizing payroll, total accounts payable, and weekly accounts payable. | This bill requires each board of education to post for public inspection on its website a summary of its payroll, total accounts payable, and weekly accounts payable. The bill also requires each board to post a summary document that outlines in a user-friendly manner the board's major categories of expenditures and identifies the vendors selected through competitive bidding or competitive contracting to provide goods and services. Under the bill, the information must be posted in a prominent and easily accessible location and in a format approved by the Commissioner of Education. | In Committee |
| S3256 | Expands eligibility for gross income tax credit to family caregivers of certain armed service members with physical disabilities. | This bill expands eligibility for the gross income tax credit allowed under the Wounded Warrior Caregivers Relief Act. The Wounded Warrior Caregivers Relief Act provides a refundable gross income tax credit to qualified family caregivers of certain former armed service members with a service-connected disability. To qualify for the credit, current law requires a caregiver to be related to the service member within the third degree or closer and to be an individual resident of this State. The caregiver's gross income may not exceed $100,000 as a joint filer or $50,000 as a single or separate filer. Current law requires the service member to be an individual who: (1) has a disability arising out of service in the active military or naval service of the United States in any war or conflict on or after September 11, 2001; (2) has been honorably discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable; (3) meets the requirements for total disability ratings for compensation based upon the level of employability of the individual as determined by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs; and (4) has resided with the caregiver in this State for not less than six months of the year. Under the bill, a caregiver would qualify for the credit if the service member's disability arose out of any service in the active military or naval service of the United States, even if the disability did not arise in a war or conflict on or after September 11, 2001, provided that the service member meets the other requirements for the credit under current law. | In Committee |
| S2083 | Allows certain volunteer firefighters, rescue and first aid squad members to claim $2,000 gross income tax exemption. | Allows certain volunteer firefighters, rescue and first aid squad members to claim $2,000 gross income tax exemption. | In Committee |
| S366 | Provides that fusion energy and fusion technology companies are eligible to receive benefits under certain economic incentive programs. | Provides that fusion energy and fusion technology companies are eligible to receive benefits under certain economic incentive programs. | In Committee |
| SR102 | Urges Congress to pass "Safe and Open Streets Act." | This resolution urges Congress to pass the "Safe and Open Streets Act." The Act, which is currently pending in Congress as S.3492 and H.R.6926, criminalizes the blocking of a public road or highway. Specifically, the Act makes it a crime to, in any way or degree, purposely obstruct, delay, or affect commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce by blocking a public road or highway, or to attempt or conspire to do so. "The Safe and Open Streets Act" is in response to the increasing use of blocking roadways and highways by protestors across the United States. In wake of the Israeli-Palestine conflict, there have been numerous reports of anti-Israel protests blocking roadways and highways in places such as Los Angeles and New York City. These protests are not only dangerous for motorists traversing the roadways, but also for the individuals occupying the roadways. Further, the blocking of roadways requires law enforcement agencies to divert resources to respond to the protest and negatively influences the free flow of commerce throughout the country. The "Safe and Open Streets Act" provides an avenue for individuals who purposely block roadways or highways to face the consequences of those actions. | In Committee |
| SCR104 | Condemns Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry and intolerance. | This resolution condemns Hinduphobia, anti-Hindu bigotry and intolerance, and declares the State of New Jersey as a place that welcomes the diversity brought by Hindu Americans. This resolution recognizes that Hinduism is one of the world's largest and oldest religions with over 1.2 billion adherents in over 100 countries and which encompasses an array of diverse traditions and belief systems with values of acceptance, mutual respect, and peace. The United States has always been a beacon of hope, progress, and innovation, attracting people from around the world to create and live a better and fulfilling life, and has welcomed more than four million Hindus from all corners of the world and given them better opportunities and the freedom to practice Hinduism, also known as "Sanatana Dharma". The American Hindu community has been a major contributor to diverse sectors such as medicine, science and engineering, information technology, hospitality, finance, academia, manufacturing, energy, retail trade, and so much more. Hindu contributions of Yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, food, music, arts, and more have enriched the cultural fabric and have been widely adopted in American society and enriched the lives of millions. Hinduphobia, as described by the Understanding Hinduphobia Initiative, is "a set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviors towards Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and Hindus that may manifest as prejudice, fear, or hatred". There have been documented instances of hate crimes against Hindu Americans over the last few decades in many parts of the country. | In Committee |
| S3103 | Clarifies crime of highway and public passage obstruction and increases penalties. | This bill creates separate crimes for recklessly and purposefully obstructing a highway or public passage in this State and increases the penalties for doing so. Under current law, it is a petty disorderly offense for a person, who, having no legal privilege to do so, purposely or recklessly obstructs any highway or other public passage whether alone or with others. Further, it is a petty disorderly persons offense for a person in a gathering to refuse to obey a reasonable official request or order to move off the highway or public passage. A petty disorderly offense is punishable by up to 30 days imprisonment, a fine of up to $500, or both. Under the bill, it is a disorderly persons offense for a person who, having no legal privilege to do so, recklessly obstructs any highway or other public passage. Further, it is a crime of the fourth degree for a person who, having no legal privilege to do so, purposely obstructs, delays, or affects commerce or the movement of any article or commodity in commerce by obstructing any highway or other public passage. Finally, the bill makes it a disorderly persons offense for a person in a gathering to refuse to obey a reasonable official request or order to move off the highway or public passage. A disorderly persons offense is punishable by up to six months imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. A crime of the fourth degree is punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. | In Committee |
| S3073 | Authorizes municipality to enact ordinance regulating where certain sex offenders may reside. | This bill permits a municipality to enact an ordinance establishing areas in or around elementary or secondary schools, playgrounds, or child care centers where certain registered sex offenders may be prohibited from residing. It is the Legislature's intent to enhance the public safety by permitting municipalities to enact ordinances to prevent convicted sex offenders who have committed crimes against minors from residing within 500 feet of a school, playground or child care center, subject to certain statutorily-enumerated exceptions. The bill establishes specific limitations that the ordinance may impose on sex offenders establishing residences. These ordinances would be applicable to a "person subject to limitations," which the bill defines as a person over the age of 21 subject to the registration requirements set forth in Megan's Law who has been convicted of, adjudicated delinquent or found not guilty by reason of insanity for a sex offense in which the victim was under 18 years of age, except for those offenders whose risk of re-offense has been determined to be low. Under the bill's provisions, an ordinance could be formulated to prohibit a person subject to limitations from residing within 500 feet of the real property comprising an elementary or secondary school, playground, or child care center, provided that the ordinance does not prohibit these persons from residing in every residentially-zoned area within the municipality. The municipal ordinance is not to be applied to prohibit a person from residing within 500 feet of an elementary or secondary school, playground, or child care center if: (1) the person is required to serve a sentence at a jail, prison, juvenile facility or other correctional institution or facility or is involuntarily committed to a psychiatric, mental health or other facility which is located within 500 feet of the elementary or secondary school, playground, or child care center; (2) the person resides and receives services at an institution, mental health or other facility licensed or permitted by the Department of Human Services which is located within 500 feet of an elementary or secondary school, playground, or child care center; (3) the parole board, after considering the person's housing options, determines that a needs-based exception for the person is required; or (4) a court that discharges the person from a psychiatric facility determines that an exception is appropriate. The bill provides that an ordinance is not to be applied to prohibit a person from continuing to reside at a residence established by that person within the municipality prior to the enactment of the ordinance. Under the bill, an ordinance enacted pursuant to the bill is required to provide that the municipal engineer is required to produce a map for the purpose of depicting the location and boundaries of the areas. The original of every map is to be filed with the clerk of the municipality and be maintained as an official record of the municipality. | In Committee |
| S3076 | Amends appropriations act to provide funding for restoration of State school aid reductions for certain school districts; shifts $64,920,000 from certain appropriations for purposes of restoring aid; provides supplemental appropriation of $145,215,047. | This bill amends the FY 2024 appropriations act to provide funding for the restoration of State school aid reductions for certain school districts. The bill ensures that: 1) school districts that previously received an allotment of Supplemental Stabilization Aid under P.L.2023, c.32 receive such aid in the same amount allocated to the district under that law; and 2) that a school district proposed to experience a State school aid reduction in the 2024-2025 school year receive an additional amount of State school aid equal to the difference between the amount of aid received in the 2023-2024 school year and the amount of aid proposed for the 2024-2025 school year. The total funds that would be appropriated under the bill to effectuate these purposes is $210,135,047. The bill would shift a total of approximately $64.9 million in funds from current FY 2024 appropriations, as well as certain unexpended balances from appropriations made in prior fiscal years, to provide for a portion of the total funding needed to effectuate the purposes of the bill. In order to provide for the remaining need, the bill appropriates an additional $145.2 million from the General Fund for the bill's purposes. | In Committee |
| S3019 | Requires certain nursing homes to improve quality ratings. | This bill requires nursing homes certified to participate in the Medicaid program with an overall rating on the CMS Five-Star Quality Rating System of one star to develop and implement a corrective action plan to improve the nursing home's rating as a condition of receiving reimbursement under the Medicaid program. A nursing home with a one star rating will submit a corrective action plan to the Department of Human Services, providing a description of the action steps to be taken by the nursing home over a six-month period to resolve quality issues indicated by the nursing home's domain ratings within the CMS federal Quality Rating System. The plan, at a minimum, will include steps that would improve the nursing home's overall rating to a minimum of two stars after the implementation of the plan. The department, in cooperation with the Department of Health, will review the plan. The nursing home will immediately commence implementing the plan upon written approval by the department. Any plan that is not approved will be returned to the nursing home by the department with a written explanation of the plan's deficiencies. The nursing home will resubmit an updated corrective action plan to the department for review within 30 days of receipt of this notification. Within 60 days of the completion of the nursing home's approved corrective action plan and every 60 days thereafter, the facility will submit a report to the department documenting the execution of the plan, as well as the outcomes of the action steps. The department, in cooperation with the Department of Health, will evaluate the facility's report and determine the facility's compliance in implementing the plan as approved by the department. At the Commissioner of Human Services' discretion, a nursing home determined to be non-compliant with the implementation of the facility's plan may be provided additional time to fulfill the action steps outlined in the plan. A nursing home with a one star rating determined by the Commissioner of Human Services to be non-compliant with any provisions of this bill will be ineligible to receive reimbursement under the Medicaid program, provided that reimbursement for services will continue until all Medicaid beneficiaries residing at the facility have been relocated. The nursing home will be responsible for informing Medicaid residents, in writing, of the facility's non-compliance with this bill and for providing the department with a patient-centered discharge plan for current Medicaid residents within 30 days of the receipt of the department's written determination of non-compliance. The department will include information on an appeals process, to be established by the Commissioner of Human Services, in the written documentation provided to non-compliant nursing homes. | In Committee |
| S3020 | Requires State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to assign paid or volunteer advocates to long-term care facilities; makes appropriation. | This bill requires the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman (ombudsman) to assign paid or volunteer advocates to long-term care facilities, and makes an appropriation. Under the bill, the ombudsman is to appoint an advocate, either paid or volunteer, to be assigned to on-site duties at one or more long-term care facilities, which duties are to include in-person visitation with long-term care residents to ensure that the financial, health, legal, social, and other needs of the residents are met, in a manner to be determined by the ombudsman. | In Committee |
| S3021 | Requires Division of Purchase and Property to issue annual report on public contracts awarded to women-owned and minority-owned businesses; requires Division of Revenue to operate Selective Assistance Vendor Information (SAVI) database. | This bill requires the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury to issue an annual report on public contracts awarded to women-owned and minority-owned businesses. This bill requires the Division of Revenue to administer, operate, and continue to develop the Selective Assistance Vendor Information (SAVI) database in the Division of Revenue. Currently, the Chief Diversity Officer in the Division of Purchase and Property is required to monitor the State's public contracting process for the purpose of compiling information on the awarding of contracts to minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises, the total value of all contracts and the percentage of the value of those contracts awarded to minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises. This bill would require the division to issue an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature utilizing the information compiled by the Chief Diversity Officer. The SAVI database currently compiles businesses that are registered as a small business enterprise, including businesses certified as a minority-owned or women-owned business enterprise with the State of New Jersey. The purpose of the database is to identify businesses eligible for mandated State programs such as the New Jersey Small Business Set Aside program, and to aid in matching buyers and vendors for contracting opportunities. This bill would require the Division of Revenue in the Department of the Treasury to administer, operate, and continue to develop the database. | In Committee |
| S2839 | "Energy Security and Affordability Act"; requires BPU to consider energy security, diversity, and affordability when preparing Energy Master Plan and perform economic and ratepayer impact analysis of energy generation projects and Energy Master Plan. | This bill would amend P.L.1977, c.146 (C.52:27F-14), which establishes the State's Energy Master Plan Committee, to require the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), when preparing the Energy Master Plan or any portion thereof or amendment thereto, to consider the following: (1) the energy needs, supplies, and reliability in all geographic areas of the State; (2) the use and development of diverse energy generation sources including, but not limited to, solar, wind, nuclear, hydrogen, natural gas, and renewable natural gas to assure a reliable and sufficient energy supply; (3) the affordability of energy generation, transmission, and distribution to ratepayers; (4) the prioritization of in-State energy generation, to the extent practicable and feasible to minimize subsidies for out-of-State energy generation; and (5) the use of incentives, rather than mandates, when feasible, to increase consumer transparency and choice. The bill would also require the Energy Master Plan to provide that intermittent energy sources are not to exceed 50 percent of the State's energy generation portfolio. The bill updates membership of the Energy Master Plan Committee in accordance with Governor Murphy's Executive Order No. 28. The bill also adds the heads of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of the Rate Counsel, and New Jersey Infrastructure Bank, or their designees, as members of the Energy Master Plan Committee. In addition, the bill would require the BPU to perform an analysis of any energy generation facility project prior to issuing final approval, and of the State's Energy Master Plan no later than six months after publishing an update thereto. Specifically, the analysis would: (1) detail the cost, financial impact to the State and any applicable local government unit, effect on ratepayers, and economic impact of the energy policy or project, as applicable; (2) provide a breakdown of all associated costs including, but not limited to, the capital cost of energy generation, transmission, and distribution as well as the capital cost of any infrastructure upgrades needed; (3) use only open source modeling software, and provide details about the software used and all parameters entered into the model; (4) provide an opportunity for public comment at least 30 days prior to the publication of the analysis, and include all pertinent written comments received as part of the analysis; and (5) be published and maintained for at least 10 years on the board's Internet website. The bill would also require the BPU, upon invitation, to present testimony each year to the Senate Environment and Energy Committee and the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee on the analyses it performed during the previous year. | In Committee |
| S405 | Eliminates age restriction for issuing special permits to carry handgun to retired law enforcement officers. | This bill eliminates the age restriction governing the issuance of permits to carry handguns to retired law enforcement officers. Currently, retired law enforcement officers may receive a permit to carry a handgun without having to establish "justifiable need" until they have attained the age of 75. This bill eliminates that age limitation. | In Committee |
| S728 | Prohibits government entities from procuring and using technology products and services from companies owned by, controlled by, or domiciled in certain foreign countries. | The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has identified several nations which have both the capability and desire to launch cyber attacks against the United States and pose an active and persistent cyber espionage threat. The State of New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness has also recognized the threat of cyber attacks against the State of New Jersey by foreign actors. This bill prohibits the State of New Jersey, its agencies, and local governments from procuring or using any technology products, services, or systems from companies owned by, controlled by, or domiciled in foreign countries which have been identified as posing a cybersecurity threat to the United States or the State of New Jersey. | In Committee |
| S433 | Eliminates State residency requirement for mathematics and science public school teachers. | This bill eliminates the State residency requirement for a person employed, or hired, by a school district, charter school, or renaissance school project to teach mathematics or science. The State residency requirement was expanded in 2011 to apply to, with limited exceptions, all public officers and employees in the State, including employees of a school district, or an authority, board, body, agency, commission, or instrumentality of the district. This bill retains the residency requirement for all other public officers and employees, but eliminates it for persons employed, or hired, by a school district, charter school, or renaissance school to teach mathematics or science. It is the intent of this bill to address the shortages of mathematics and science teachers in the State. | In Committee |
| SJR16 | Designates October of each year as "Eczema Awareness Month" in New Jersey. | This joint resolution designates October of each year as "Eczema Awareness Month" in New Jersey and calls upon the Governor to issue an annual proclamation and call upon public officials and the citizens of the State to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs. Eczema describes a group of skin conditions that is estimated to affect more than 32 million people nationwide. The goal in declaring October of each year to be "Eczema Awareness Month is to increase public awareness about eczema, generate a greater understanding of the condition, and foster a greater sense of community and shared purpose among individuals living with eczema and the general public. | In Committee |
| SR21 | Constitutes special committee of Senate entitled "Senate Select Committee on the Executive Branch's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic." | This Senate Resolution establishes a special committee of the Senate entitled the "Senate Select Committee on the Executive Branch's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic" to evaluate the executive branch's response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and develop strategies to improve the State's response to future outbreaks of infectious disease and other Statewide events that may result in a prolonged emergency response. The special committee will comprise six members of the Senate, to be appointed by the Senate President, with no more than three members being from a single political party. The Senate President will appoint a chairperson and vice-chairperson of the special committee from among the membership, who may not be of the same political party. For the purposes of carrying out its duties, the special committee will have all the powers conferred under the laws and the Constitutions of the State of New Jersey and of the United States, including, but not limited to, the powers conferred under chapter 13 of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, which include the power to issue subpoenas compelling the attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence, provided that no subpoena may be issued by the committee without the written consent of the chairperson, the vice-chairperson, and the President of the Senate. The special committee will be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of the State of New Jersey, any political subdivision of the State, and any agency thereof, as may be required and as may be available for that purpose, and to employ any other services as may be deemed necessary, in order to perform its duties, and within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for that purpose. The special committee, upon the written approval of the Senate President, will be entitled to call to its assistance, employ, and avail itself of the services of one or more special counsel retained to assist the committee. | In Committee |
| S58 | Authorizes proportional property tax exemption for honorably discharged veterans having a service-connected disability and proclaims that the State shall reimburse municipalities for cost of exemptions. | The bill grants a property tax exemption to honorably discharged veterans having a service-connected disability in proportion to their disability percentage rating. The exemption is only granted to those with a disability percentage rating of at least 30 percent, and the exemption is capped at $10,000. Those with a 100 percent disability percentage rating would still be allowed a 100 percent property tax exemption without a cap, as is the case under current law. In addition, the bill grants those honorably discharged veterans having less than a 100 percent service-connected disability, but who are unemployable, a 100 percent property tax exemption, which matches the current 100 percent property tax exemption for honorably discharged veterans having a 100 percent disability percentage rating. As under current law, the bill allows the 100 percent property tax exemption to extend to the surviving spouse of a veteran. However, the newly allowed property tax exemption for a veteran with a less than 100 percent property tax exemption would not extend to the surviving spouse. The bill also eliminates all references to medical conditions so that any service-connected disability, as determined by the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs, will make a veteran eligible for the property tax exemption. Finally, the bill proclaims that the State shall annually reimburse taxing districts, including for administrative costs, for the property tax exemptions granted to disabled veterans and their surviving spouses. The bill includes reporting provisions so proper reimbursement can be made. | In Committee |
| SCR18 | Urges federal government to refrain from implementing any ban on gas powered appliances in residential or commercial buildings. | This concurrent resolution urges the federal government to refrain from enacting any ban on the use of natural gas appliances in residential or commercial buildings. Natural gas is a critically important part of the energy portfolio of the United States and of New Jersey. Natural gas appliances, including cooktops, ovens, grills, air conditioners, furnaces, heaters, laundry machines, hot water heaters, and fireplaces, are used in both commercial and residential settings. Approximately 47 percent of US households utilize natural gas as their main heating fuel and 38 percent of US households utilize natural gas for cooking. In New Jersey, approximately 69 percent of households utilize natural gas cooking and 73 percent of New Jersey households utilize natural gas as their main heating fuel. New Jersey has over 35,000 miles of natural gas distribution lines which service over 2.9 million customers. Natural gas is generally recognized as a cleaner, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly form of energy than other fossil fuels. Natural gas is abundant in the United States, including neighboring states such as Pennsylvania and New York, and helps the United States maintain energy independence from foreign powers. The natural gas industry employs thousands of people across the country, including in the State of New Jersey. | In Committee |
| S374 | Requires bidders on public works construction projects to submit information on fire safety features. | This bill requires a bidder on any contract for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, renovation, preservation, or improvement of any public building or of any public work to be paid for in whole or in part with or out of public funds, to include in the bid documents detailed information on all fire safety features that will be included in that project. If a bidder does not propose the use of a sprinkler system to suppress fires and proposes, instead, the use of an alternative technology, that bidder must provide a written explanation in the bid documents of why the alternative technology should be used instead of a sprinkler system, including a cost-benefit analysis of both a sprinkler system and the alternative technology. Although the vast majority of buildings built or repaired using public funds have a sprinkler system, the bill's sponsor seeks to reinforce that all available fire suppression techniques that could be applied were examined and studied, as he is reminded of the Boland Hall fire at Seton Hall University, where three students died and many more were injured. In that case, there was no fire sprinkler suppression system, even if the building itself was up to code. | In Committee |
| S635 | Requires State Board of Education meetings to be accessible virtually and in person. | This bill requires all public meetings of the State Board of Education to be accessible to the public both in person and virtually. The bill also requires that a link providing virtual access to meetings be publicly available on the State Board of Education's website. Finally, for any meeting in which the State Board of Education accepts public comment, the bill stipulates that members of the public will be able to provide comments by means of remote communication. | In Committee |
| S1703 | Credits $2.35 billion to "New Jersey Debt Defeasance and Prevention Fund"; appropriates $4.32 billion to Department of Treasury to provide funds to municipalities and counties for debt retirement and avoidance. | This bill adds $2.35 billion from the General Fund to the "New Jersey Debt Defeasance and Prevention Fund," and appropriates a total of $4.32 billion from the fund to the Department of the Treasury for the purpose of providing funds to each municipality and county in the State to be used by the municipality or county to retire and defease local debt or to fund capital projects on a pay-as-you-go basis rather than issuing additional local debt. The total amount of funds appropriated by the bill includes $1.97 billion in currently unallocated balances in the New Jersey Debt Defeasance and Prevention Fund. Under the bill, $3.0 billion would be allocated to each municipality on an equal per capita basis wherein each municipality receives the same dollar amount per resident. The remaining $1.32 billion appropriated by the bill would be allocated to each county on an equal per capita basis. The bill requires that all funds appropriated by the bill be distributed to each municipality and each county within 30 days of enactment. The State budget has recently benefited from debt reduction and avoidance from prior appropriations to the New Jersey Debt Defeasance and Prevention account, though typically only after funds have remained in the account for inordinately long periods of time while inflation destroys its value. Local governments can frequently have significant debt which can be equally or more expensive for taxpayers than State debt. Local governments have compelling infrastructure and capital needs that include, but are not limited to: water, sewer, parks, flooding, storm water, public safety, emergency medical services, community development, and traffic improvements. The State's budgeting process has frequently provided only small and symbolic amounts of assistance towards local infrastructure and capital improvements and only after burdensome, inefficient, and politicized processes that chose winners and losers based on favoritism. The sponsor believes it is sound public policy to quickly and efficiently direct remaining balances in the New Jersey Debt Defeasance and Prevention Fund towards debt reduction and avoidance that benefits property taxpayers and all residents of the State through a fair and reasonable allocation process. | In Committee |
| S376 | Establishes home elevation fund and dedicates up to $5 million of realty transfer fee revenue annually for this purpose. | This bill would establish a special, non-lapsing fund within the Department of Environmental Protection to be known as the "Flood Protection and Home Elevation Fund." Monies in the fund would be used to reimburse a homeowner who undertakes a home elevation project for 25 percent of the annual interest payment made by the homeowner on a loan to finance the home elevation project, or $750, whichever is less. However, a homeowner will only be reimbursed if the county in which the home elevation project takes place agrees to provide matching funds in the same amount. In order to qualify for reimbursement, a homeowner would first need to obtain all necessary State and local zoning and land use approvals for the home elevation project, as well as approval from the financing institution for any loan taken to finance the project. The homeowner would then apply to the State and county for reimbursement. No payment would be made by the State to the homeowner until the home elevation is complete and proof of completion has been submitted to the department. A qualifying homeowner would be eligible to reapply to the State and county for reimbursement during each year the homeowner pays interest on a loan taken to finance the home elevation project. The bill would dedicate up to $5 million of the State share of the realty transfer fee annually to the "Flood Protection and Home Elevation Fund." The fund would also be credited with all interest and other income received from the investment of money in the fund. However, the bill provides that no money would be credited to the fund unless $25 million of the State share of the realty transfer fee has first been credited to the "Shore Protection Fund," and $5 million of the State share of the realty transfer fee has been credited to the "Highlands Protection Fund," both of which are required by current law. Finally, the bill provides that, before a county can provide matching funds to homeowners for home elevation projects, the county must first establish a source of funding, which may include, but need not be limited to, the county share of the realty transfer fee or county open space trust funds. The bill would amend the county open space trust fund law to explicitly allow counties to use trust funds for home elevation projects pursuant to this bill. | In Committee |
| SCR79 | Proposes constitutional amendment to require Statewide calculation of affordable housing obligation. | This amendment to the State Constitution would require that the constitutional affordable housing obligation be calculated at the State level. Currently, municipal affordable housing obligations mandated by the State Constitution are calculated based upon regional housing needs. This amendment would eliminate that requirement. Accordingly, any affordable housing obligation placed on a municipality would no longer be based on regional housing needs. Instead, this amendment would require the Legislature to pass laws providing for the calculation of the affordable housing needs of the entire State. This single number calculation of affordable housing units needed Statewide would represent the exclusive affordable housing obligation required by the State Constitution. | In Committee |
| S2161 | "New Jersey Ticket Consumer Choice Act." | This bill, the "New Jersey Ticket Consumer Choice Act," guarantees the right of New Jersey ticket purchasers to opt-out of ticket restrictions that limit their ability to use, sell, or give away the tickets they have purchased. Specifically, this bill allows ticket issuers to sell tickets through a ticketing system that restricts the rights of consumers to resell their tickets only if, at the time of the initial sale, the consumer is offered the option to purchase the same ticket in a form not subject to restrictions by the issuer. Issuers would be permitted, however, to sell or give away tickets in a non-transferable form in the context of targeted promotions or private events. The bill prohibits any penalty or discrimination against a ticket holder solely because the ticket was resold or because of the specific ticket platform on which the ticket was resold. The bill provides for the recognition of the rights of issuers and venue owners and operators to institute policies governing overall operation of entertainment events and ticket sales. The bill exempts from the provisions of the bill issuers of tickets for an entertainment event held in a venue owned or operated by an entity which is subject to a hotel and motel occupancy fee pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2003, c.114 (C.54:32D-1) and located in a city the governing body of which has levied a retail sales tax pursuant to the provisions of section 1 of P.L.1947, c.71 (C.40:48-8.15). The consumer choice provisions of this bill protecting the right of ticket purchasers to resell their tickets have been in effect in New York State for six years. | In Committee |
| S396 | Provides gross income tax deductions for membership fees, dam project assessments and potable water system project assessments paid to lake associations. | This bill provides gross income tax deductions for individuals who pay membership fees, dam project assessments, or potable water system assessments to lake associations in New Jersey. This bill is effective immediately and applies to all taxable years beginning on or after January 1 next following enactment. | In Committee |
| S365 | Establishes scholarship program for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in field of fusion science. | This bill directs the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to administer a scholarship program for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers studying or conducting research in the State in the fields of plasma physics and fusion energy science. The goal of the program is to support the education and career development of scholars who seek to advance the science and innovations needed to realize fusion as a safe, economical, and environmentally attractive energy source for the world's long-term energy needs. Under the program, the authority will award ten scholarships annually in the amount of $12,500 each to qualified recipients. The bill provides that in order to be eligible for the scholarship, a candidate must submit an application to the authority, including a written commitment from the institution of higher education at which the candidate is enrolled or employed to match the scholarship in the event the candidate is selected to receive one. A candidate must also submit a written statement to the authority, detailing the candidate's ongoing commitment to the fields of plasma physics and fusion energy science. The authority will appoint a three-member selection committee, to review scholarship applications and make final determinations on scholarship awards. Members of the selection committee will be selected based on their academic expertise in the field of plasma physics and fusion energy science. Each scholarship awarded will be contingent upon the recipient receiving an equal scholarship from the institution of higher education at which the scholar recipient is enrolled or employed, and remaining in good standing at the institution. Under the bill, $125,000 will be annually appropriated to the authority for the bill's purposes. | In Committee |
| S380 | Requires entities to accept confirmation of prior COVID-19 infection or protective immune response against COVID-19 when proof of vaccination is required. | This bill requires any entity that requires proof of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 as a condition of employment with the entity, as a condition of receiving services from or through the entity, as a condition of admission to the entity's premises, or as a condition of participating in an activity sponsored by the entity, to accept any individual's confirmation of a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection or a protective immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in lieu of providing proof of vaccination against COVID-19. This confirmation will be accepted as equal to any proof of vaccination required by an entity. Confirmation of a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection or a protective immune response against SARS-CoV-2 is to only be provided voluntarily. An entity may accept an individual's confirmation verbally. An individual providing such confirmation is to have the same terms of employment and be provided with the same level of access to the premises, services, and activities of the entity, as the entity provides to an individual who submits proof of vaccination against COVID-19. Nothing in this bill is to be construed to conflict with any federal law, rule, regulation, or executive order concerning COVID-19. The provisions of the bill will apply to facilities that include, but are not limited to, preschool programs, elementary or secondary schools, colleges, universities, or any other institutions of education. It is the sponsor's intent that this legislation will prevent individuals, who have recovered from a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and developed a natural immunity to COVID-19, from being compelled to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and discriminated against in workplaces and public venues based on vaccination status. This legislation is not to be construed as promoting the establishment of a vaccine passport system. However, in order to conform to existing State and federal policy, proof of vaccination status may be required under certain circumstances. The sponsors prefer that, when such proof is required, simple verbal acknowledgment of natural immunity be sufficient to satisfy proof of vaccine requirements. | In Committee |
| S1469 | Authorizes use of school bus monitoring systems. | This bill authorizes the use of a school bus monitoring system to enforce section 1 of P.L.1942, c.192 (C.39:4-128.1), the State law governing passing a school bus. A school bus monitoring system is defined as a system meeting certain requirements set forth in the bill and having at least one camera and computer that captures and records a digital video or image of any motor vehicle operating near a school bus. Under current law, school buses are required to exhibit flashing red lights when the bus has stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging any person with a developmental disability or a child. Drivers of vehicles approaching or overtaking the school bus are required to stop at least 25 feet from a school bus that has activated its flashing lights. The penalty for violating this law, for a first offense, is: 1) a fine of no less than $100; 2) imprisonment for no more than 15 days or community service; or 3) both. For subsequent offenses, the penalty is: 1) a fine of no less than $250; 2) imprisonment for no less than 15 days; or 3) both. This bill provides that the penalty for violating the law, when the violation is not evidenced by the recorded images captured by a school bus monitoring system, would be: 1) a fine of $250; 2) 15 days of community service; or 3) both, in the case of a first offense. For each subsequent offense, the penalty would be a fine of $500 and no less than 15 days of community service. Under the bill, a civil penalty of $250 would be imposed on a person who passes a school bus in violation of current law if the violation is evidenced by the recorded images captured by a school bus monitoring system. Under these circumstances, any civil penalty imposed and collected for this violation is to be forwarded to the financial officer of the municipality in which the violation occurred and used for general municipal and school district purposes, including efforts to improve the monitoring and enforcement of this law through the utilization of a school bus monitoring system and other public education safety programs. A violation that is evidenced by the recorded images captured by a school bus monitoring system would not result in penalty points or automobile insurance eligibility points being assessed on the violator. The bill authorizes a municipality or school district operating or providing Type I or Type II school buses that transport students to contract with a private vendor to provide for the installation, operation, and maintenance of a school bus monitoring system for enforcement purposes. The bill provides that a school bus monitoring system must be capable of capturing and producing a record of any occurrence that may be considered illegal passing of a school bus, and include in that recorded image: -- if the school bus is exhibiting its flashing light; -- if a motor vehicle passes a school bus; -- the license plate, make, and model of the violating vehicle; and -- the date, time, and location of the violation. The bill requires any suspected violation captured in a recorded image produced by a school bus monitoring system to be made available to the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality in which the violation occurred. A law enforcement officer is to issue a summons within 90 days of determining that a suspected violation occurred. A summons may not be issued for a violation occurring more than 90 days from date of the violation. The bill provides that any recorded image or information produced in connection with a school bus monitoring system is not a public record under New Jersey's "Open Public Records Act," is not discoverable as a public record except upon a subpoena issued by a grand jury or a court order in a criminal matter, and is not to be offered into evidence in any civil or administrative proceeding unless directly related to illegally passing a school bus. The bill provides that recorded images or information produced in connection with a school bus monitoring system pertaining to a specific violation are not to be retained for more than 60 days after the collection of any civil penalty imposed, and are then to be purged. All recorded images and information collected but not resulting in the issuance of a summons are to be purged within 95 days of the recording. The bill provides that the owner of a motor vehicle is liable for a summons for illegally passing a school bus as evidenced by a recorded image captured by a school bus monitoring system. However, a lessor or owner of a motor vehicle is not liable for a summons if: -- the lessor demonstrates that the vehicle was used without the lessor's express or implied consent, and provides the name and address of the vehicle operator or registrant; -- the lessee was operating or in possession of the vehicle at the time of the violation and the lessor provides the name and address of the lessee; or -- the owner, lessor, or lessee demonstrates that the vehicle was stolen at the time the violation occurred and provides a copy of the police report regarding the vehicle theft. The bill permits the Commissioner of Education, the Superintendent of State Police, and the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of the bill, including specifications and certification procedures for the school bus monitoring systems and devices that may be installed. The bill also permits the Supreme Court of New Jersey to adopt Rules of Court as appropriate or necessary to effectuate the purposes of the substitute. The bill will take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following enactment, but permits the Commissioner of Education, the Superintendent of State Police, and the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to take anticipatory administrative actions in advance of the bill's effective date. | In Committee |
| S424 | Prohibits institutions of higher education and certain proprietary institutions from withholding transcript due to outstanding student account balance; establishes penalties for noncompliance. | This bill prohibits institutions of higher education and proprietary institutions licensed to offer academic degrees from withholding a student's transcript due to an outstanding balance on the student's account and establishes penalties for noncompliance. This bill prohibits an institution, due to an outstanding balance on a current or former student's account, from: · refusing to provide a transcript for a current or former student on the grounds that the student owes a debt;· conditioning the provision of a transcript on the payment of a debt, other than a fee charged to provide the transcript;· charging a higher fee for obtaining a transcript, or providing less favorable treatment of a transcript request because a current or former student owes a debt; or· using transcript issuance as a tool for debt collection. The bill further provides that failure by an institution to provide a transcript within 10 business days of the student's request will subject the institution to a penalty of $500 per day for each day of noncompliance. | In Committee |
| S285 | Permits application for PERS accidental disability benefit for injury sustained after January 2003 while employed at State psychiatric institution or correctional facility immediately prior to PERS membership. | This bill allows a member of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) to apply for accidental disability benefits based upon an injury sustained while employed temporarily at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, any other State psychiatric institution or any State correctional facility, which injury continues to be disabling after the person becomes a PERS member. Temporary public employees are not eligible for PERS membership until the employment becomes permanent or the passage of one year, whichever occurs first. Currently, persons employed temporarily at any State psychiatric institution or any State correctional facility who are injured while ineligible for PERS membership are eligible for workers compensation benefits only. They are not eligible for PERS accidental disability benefits even after attaining PERS member status because the injury occurred when not a PERS member. The bill provides that, for purposes of application for a PERS accidental disability benefit, a traumatic event (1) occurring during and as a result of the performance of a State employee's regular or assigned duties as, but not limited to, a doctor, nurse, healthcare worker, social worker, or correction officer caring for or guarding individuals who are permanently or temporarily incarcerated for any reason at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, any other State psychiatric institution or any State correctional facility and (2) occurring when the employee is employed temporarily and not yet eligible for membership in the retirement system will be deemed as occurring during membership, if the employee becomes a member of the retirement system without interruption in that employment. The bill's provisions would apply retroactively to January 1, 2003. In addition, the bill also adds to the duties of the Civil Service Commission a personnel orientation program that informs new employees of State psychiatric institutions and State correctional facilities of the risk of injury occurring during and as a result of the performance of their regular or assigned duties. | In Committee |
| SR20 | Urges United Nations to seat India as permanent member to UN Security Council. | This resolution urges the United Nations to seat India as a permanent member on the United Nations Security Council. The UN Security Council is currently composed of 15 members, consisting of five permanent members China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States and 10 non-permanent members, with nonconsecutive two year terms, that are elected on a regional basis. India has been a member of the United Nations since the UN's inception in 1945; however, India has only served as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for seven nonconsecutive two-year terms. India is the world's largest democracy, a participant in several international and regional multilateral organizations, and one of the largest contributors of troops and police to the United Nations peace-keeping missions. India's substantial role and contributions to the global community illustrate India's dedication and allegiance to the principals of the United Nations and highlight the reasons India should be included as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. | In Committee |
| S420 | Establishes program covering menstrual hygiene products under WIC and SNAP. | This bill establishes a program under which the federal WIC program and the SNAP program would provide menstrual hygiene products, free-of-charge, for NJ eligible menstruators through contracted pharmacies and vendors. The bill defines "menstrual hygiene products" as tampons, menstrual cups, and sanitary napkins used to collect menstrual fluids. Under the bill, menstruators enrolled in the federal WIC program and the SNAP program would receive a supply of menstrual hygiene products, at no cost, by providing a valid federal WIC program or SNAP program card to any participating WIC or SNAP vendor. Vendors that participate in these programs would then submit claims to the department for reimbursement for the menstrual hygiene products furnished to eligible menstruators. | In Committee |
| S389 | Eliminates demand side management programs from cost recovery through societal benefits charge. | This bill eliminates the cost of demand side management programs from recovery through the societal benefits charge. Demand side management program cost recovery includes certain funding for energy efficiency and Class I renewable energy programs from the clean energy funds established by the Board of Public Utilities. | In Committee |
| S431 | Reauthorizes use of regional contribution agreements related to affordable housing obligations; establishes approval role of DCA and Attorney General. | This bill amends the Fair Housing Act to re-authorize the use of regional contribution agreements (RCAs) by municipalities to meet affordable housing needs, and establishes a role in the approval process for the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), the Commissioner or Community Affairs (commissioner), and the Attorney General. Since July 17, 2008, the effective date of P.L.2008, c.46, municipalities have been prohibited from using RCAs to address fair share housing obligations. This bill would re-authorize a municipality to propose transferring up to 50% of its fair share housing obligation to another municipality within its housing region through an RCA. This matches the portion of a fair share housing obligation that had been transferrable prior to 2008. The bill would shift the role in approving RCAs that has previously been provided to the Council on Affordable Housing, giving this role instead to DCA. After approval of an RCA proposal by DCA, an approval determination signed by the commissioner, would be submitted, along with the RCA proposal, to the Attorney General. The bill requires the Attorney General to also review the proposal to ensure that the inclusionary requirements established by the Supreme Court in its Mount Laurel decisions are not violated. The bill would also require payments associated with RCA agreements to be submitted by the sending municipality to DCA. Before the department forwards a payment to the receiving municipality, the payment details would be reviewed and approved by the Attorney General. | In Committee |
| S855 | Permits police officers to travel to and from and remain within police station located within 100 feet of polling place; permits Class Three special law enforcement officers to be assigned to certain polling places. | Under current law, the presence of police officers at polling places during the conduct of an election and at ballot drop box locations in use during the conduct of an election is limited. This bill provides that nothing in the current law is to prevent a police officer or law enforcement officer from traveling to and from, or remaining within, a police station in their official capacity for employment related activities if that police station is within 100 feet of a polling place or ballot drop box. This bill also amends current law to permit a district board, superintendent of elections, or a county clerk to request the assignment of a Class Three special law enforcement officer to a polling place located at a public school to maintain order and provide security at the school during the conduct of the election. | In Committee |
| S382 | "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act"; bans abortion 20 weeks or more after fertilization. | This bill, designated as the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act," provides that an abortion is not to be performed or attempted if the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child is 20 weeks or greater, with certain exceptions noted below. It is to be unlawful for a person to perform an abortion or attempt to do so, unless the person is a physician who has first made a determination of the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child or has reasonably relied upon this determination made by another physician. In making the determination, a physician is to make inquiries of the pregnant woman and perform any medical examinations or tests necessary to accurately determine post-fertilization age. The bill provides an exception to the above provisions if: (1) the abortion is necessary to save the life of a pregnant women whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by, or arising from, the pregnancy itself; (2) the pregnancy is the result of rape, if reported to a law enforcement agency prior to the abortion; or (3) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest against a minor, if reported to a law enforcement agency or to the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) in the Department of Children and Families prior to the abortion. In terminating or attempting to terminate a pregnancy under these circumstances, the physician may do so only in a manner which, in reasonable medical judgment, provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive, unless the termination of the pregnancy in that manner would pose a greater risk of death of the pregnant woman or substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function. The bill also: outlines the procedures that a physician who performs or attempts an abortion must follow, consistent with the federal "Born Alive Infant Protection Act", if an exception provided in the bill exists and the pain-capable unborn child survives the abortion or attempted abortion; outlines the documentation from a law enforcement agency, Department of Defense victim assistance personnel, or DCCP, that a physician is required to file proving a pregnant woman or minor seeking an abortion has been raped or is a victim of incest; requires the woman seeking the abortion, the physician performing or attempting to perform the abortion, and a witness to sign an informed consent authorization form; and requires any physician who performs or attempts an abortion pursuant to the bill to annually submit a summary of all such abortions to the National Center for Health Statistics as provided by the conditions outlined in the bill. A person who performs or attempts to perform an abortion in violation of the bill's requirements is to be guilty of a crime of the third degree (punishable by three to five years imprisonment or a fine of up to $15,000, or both); however, a woman upon whom an abortion is to be performed is to be immune from civil or criminal liability. A woman or the parent of a minor upon whom an abortion is performed in violation of the provisions of the the bill may, in a civil action against any person who committed the violation, obtain appropriate relief the conditions delineated in the bill. The bill, which is modeled on H.R.36 of the 114th Congress, is intended to address the concern that an unborn child is capable of experiencing pain by 20 weeks after fertilization, if not earlier. Surgeons in the field of maternal and fetal medicine have found it necessary to sedate an unborn child to prevent the unborn child from engaging in vigorous movement in reaction to invasive surgery. It is the purpose of this Legislature to assert a compelling governmental interest in protecting the lives of unborn children from the stage at which substantial medical evidence indicates they are capable of feeling pain. | In Committee |
| S381 | Requires use of paper ballots during conduct of election; requires use of open source voting technology; makes appropriation. | The purpose of this bill is to require voters who vote in person at a polling place, whether during the early voting period or on election day, to vote by paper ballot only, except in certain circumstances. Under the bill, a limited number of voting machines would be available for use by individuals with disabilities. The bill requires a five-year phase-in of the use of paper ballots and open source voting technology during the conduct of elections in this State. The bill specifies that within five years all counties in this State must (1) use paper ballots and optical scanners that read hand-marked paper ballots and (2) use voting equipment certified for use by the Secretary of State that has open-source software technology. As used in the bill, the term "open-source" means the complete source code for the software is available to the public, under the terms of a license, to use, modify, or distribute freely without payment of royalties or other considerations. Under the bill, the paper ballot voting system must: (1) provide the local elections officials with the ability to scan and tabulate a hand-marked paper ballot prepared by the voter at the polling place; (2) provide a record of votes cast for the election; (3) adhere to any federal laws or regulations concerning voting equipment; and (4) adhere to any other requirements the Secretary of State deems appropriate for the implementation of a paper ballot voting system in this State. The bill directs the Secretary of State to require that each county board of elections or superintendent of elections, as the case may be, to maintain all paper ballots cast in an election for a period of not less than two years following the date of an election. Thereafter, the ballots may be retained in accordance with procedures set forth by the Secretary of State. The bill also requires that prior to verification of the official election results by a county clerk or superintendent of elections or a municipal clerk, as the case may be, the county clerk or superintendent of elections or municipal clerk must: (1) compare and reconcile the record of votes casts provided by the optical scanners or other voting equipment certified by the State with the number of voters who signed in at the polling place and who voted by mail-in, provisional, and military or overseas ballots; (2) compare and reconcile precinct totals with the totals for that election to ensure that the totals add up to the correct sum; and (3) review, and account for, all optical scanner or other voting equipment memory cards or flash drives to ensure the memory cards or flash drives are properly loaded into the tally server. Under the bill, after a voter is deemed qualified to vote in an election, the voter would receive a paper ballot, which would be completed by the voter in a voting booth. Once completed, the ballot would be scanned electronically for technical errors, if such equipment is available, to ascertain whether the ballot contains any technical errors that would disqualify it from being counted. If such an error exists, it would be returned to the voter for correction or if determined to be spoiled, a new ballot would be given to the voter to enable that person to correct any technical error that would otherwise disqualify the voter's vote from being counted. If a voted ballot is scanned electronically and no technical error is found, the ballot would be considered valid and would be counted. The bill also makes an appropriation and provides that the cost of replacing exiting direct recording electronic voting machines with paper ballots and the voting equipment necessary to tabulate those ballots would be paid for by the State upon application for reimbursement by a county governing body to the Secretary of State and approval of the application by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting. The bill also repeals various statutes concerning certain requirements and the certification of electronic voting machines and the purchasing and delivery of those voting machines. | In Committee |
| S400 | Requires health insurers to provide coverage for treatment of tick-borne diseases. | This bill requires health insurers (health, hospital and medical service corporations, commercial individual and group health insurers, health maintenance organizations, health benefits plans issued pursuant to the New Jersey Individual Health Coverage and Small Employer Health Benefits Programs, the State Health Benefits Program, and the School Employees' Health Benefits Program) to provide coverage for expenses incurred in the treatment of a tick-borne disease. Treatment otherwise eligible for benefits pursuant to this bill may not be denied solely because such treatment may be characterized as experimental or investigational in nature or because the treatment requires the use of a prescription drug in an off-label manner. | In Committee |
| S962 | Prohibits mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 as condition of attending public K-12 schools. | This bill prohibits the Commissioner of Health and other State governmental entities from requiring immunization against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as a condition of attendance at a public primary or secondary school. | In Committee |
| SCR16 | Proposes constitutional amendment to increase additional taxes owed when farmland property is not used for agricultural or horticultural purposes. | If approved by the voters of the State, this proposed constitutional amendment would increase the amount of additional taxes owed by the owner of farmland that is no longer used for agricultural or horticultural purposes. At this time, the Constitution requires that in any tax year, when land assessed as farmland for property tax purposes is used for a purpose other than agriculture or horticulture, it is subject to additional taxes for that tax year and the prior two tax years in an amount equal to the difference between the taxes due and payable on the basis of the assessment as farmland and the taxes that would have been paid or payable had the land been valued and assessed as otherwise provided in the Constitution. This proposed constitutional amendment would apply the additional taxes to the ten immediately preceding tax years. | In Committee |
| S387 | Requires managed care plans to allow any clinical laboratory to participate in provider network. | This bill provides that a health insurance carrier which offers a managed care plan that provides coverage for laboratory services provided by clinical laboratories shall not deny a licensed clinical laboratory the right to participate as a provider in the carrier's provider network under the same terms and conditions currently applicable to all other participating clinical laboratories. | In Committee |
| SJR17 | Establishes New Jersey Pharmacogenomics Commission. | This joint resolution establishes the New Jersey Pharmacogenomics Commission (commission). Under the resolution, the commission is to be responsible for examining pharmacogenomics, which is the study of the relationship between a person's specific genetic makeup and the effectiveness or toxicity of medications used to treat any health-care related issue. The commission's examination is to include, but is not to be limited to: (1) costs related to pharmacogenomic testing currently and in the future; (2) how implementing pharmacogenomics may benefit prescribers, patients, and the State; (3) various applications for pharmacogenomics outside of medicine, such as the opioid crisis and others; (4) the relationship between pharmacogenomics applications in personalized medicine; (5) the results of previous studies on prescribing medicines and treatments based on pharmacogenomic science; (6) methods of educating patients and prescribers on prescribing medicine and treatment based on genetic makeup; (7) the relationship of pharmacogenomics in the reduction of the number of deaths, disabilities, and hospitalization from adverse drug events; and (8) the expected costs and benefits from implementing pharmacogenomics in the short-term and long-term. The commission is to consist of 13 members, to be appointed by the Governor as follows: a representative from the Department of Health; a representative from the Division of Pensions and Benefits in the Department of the Treasury; a representative from Rutgers Medical School who is a physician; a representative from Rutgers School of Pharmacy; a representative from Fairleigh Dickinson School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; a representative from the New Jersey Hospital Association; a representative from the Medical of Society New Jersey; a representative from the New Jersey Pharmacists Association; a representative from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; a representative from BioNJ; a representative from the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University who is a physician; a representative from the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University who is a physician; and a professor of genetics. The Governor is to appoint representatives from the Department of Health, the Division of Pensions and Benefits in the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Rutgers Medical School, Rutgers School of Pharmacy, the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, and the professor of genetics. The President of the Senate is to appoint representatives from BioNJ, the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, and the New Jersey Pharmacists Association. The Speaker of the General Assembly is to appoint representatives from the Medical of Society New Jersey, Fairleigh Dickinson School of Pharmacy, and New Jersey Hospital Association. The Minority Leader of the Senate is to recommend the appointment of the representative from BioNJ. The Minority Leader of the General Assembly is to recommend the appointment of the representative from the Medical of Society New Jersey. The resolution provides that, no later than six months after organization, the commission is to hold at least two public hearings, one each in northern New Jersey and southern New Jersey, and to issue a report of its findings to the Governor and the Legislature, including recommendations for legislative, executive, or any other actions, as may be appropriate. The commission will expire upon submission of the report. | In Committee |
| S417 | Creates permanent commission to study various statutory definitions of veteran, disabled veteran, and service-disabled veteran. | This bill establishes a permanent study commission on the various statutory definitions of veteran, disabled veteran, and service-disabled veteran. Of the total membership, one member would be appointed by the Governor, one member would be appointed by the President of the Senate, one member would be appointed by the Senate Minority Leader, one member would be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and one member would be appointed by the General Assembly Minority Leader. The appointee by the Governor will be an employee of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs. The purpose of the study commission would be to (1) determine the various definitions of "veteran," "disabled veteran," "service-disabled veteran," and any other definition of veteran in the statutes, and (2) recommend changes to such definitions in the statutes that may provide greater uniformity and be less restrictive. The study commission would: (1) compile and analyze the various definitions of "veteran," "disabled veteran," "service-disabled veteran," and any other definition of veteran in the statutes; (2) identify statutes with unique and restrictive requirements for the various definitions and determine if the requirements may be revised for the benefit of more uniform definitions; (3) identify potential revisions to be made to the statutes to provide for a clearer understanding of the requirements for qualification under the various definitions; (4) consult with the military community for their expertise and input on its work; and (5) utilize the findings of the study commission, and the expertise from the military community, to recommend changes to the various definitions. The bill requires the study commission to prepare and issue an annual report on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations and submit it to the Governor, the Legislature, the Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee, or its successor, and the General Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee, or its successor. The first annual report will be issued no later than 12 months after the commission organizes. | In Committee |
| S367 | "Fusion Technology Industry Promotion Act"; establishes program to promote fusion technology industry and attract fusion technology businesses. | This bill requires the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA), in consultation with the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (commission), to establish a Fusion Technology Industry Development Program to promote the fusion technology industry in the State and to attract fusion technology businesses to the State. The bill requires that the program: include research and information on commercial opportunities in fusion technology; provide technical and financial assistance to fusion technology businesses considering locating in New Jersey; regularly represent or assist in representing the interests of New Jersey-based firms in the national and international markets for fusion technology through conferences and seminars; provide New Jersey-based fusion technology businesses with customized technical, financial, and other assistance; and recruit capital investment in New Jersey to be applied to the fusion technology industry. Under the bill, the EDA is required to invest moneys from business assistance programs administered by the EDA, as may be available and which the EDA deems appropriate for the purposes of the bill, in a fusion industry development company. The bill requires the EDA to invest in the company an amount that is equal to the investments in the company received from all other sources. The EDA's investment, together with investments by other public and private entities involved in the fusion technology development company, are to be at a minimum amount to be determined by the EDA. Other public and private entities contributing to the minimum amount may include, but not necessarily be limited to, the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University and other private institutions of higher education, public institutions of higher education, and energy businesses. The moneys invested by the EDA and other public entities are to be used for the purchase of stock or an interest in the company, provided that the class of stock or interest purchased by the EDA and other public entities are to require the company to repay the investment of funds from the EDA and other public entities prior to the repayment of funds from private sources. The bill specifies that the amount of stock or interest purchased by the EDA and other public entities is not to exceed 59 percent of the total outstanding stock or total shared interest of the company. The bill also provides that the EDA may sell or otherwise dispose of the stock or interest purchased by the EDA, and further requires the EDA to sell or dispose of the stock or interest in the company no later than 10 years after the date of purchase. The fusion technology development company is required to have a board of directors or board of trustees and retain the services of an independent commercial auditor. In connection with the investment of EDA moneys in the company, the company is required to solicit other forms of support, such as grants from the federal government or from other public and private sources, and make available its stock or a shared interest for purchase by private entities. The EDA, in consultation with the commission, is to analyze on an ongoing basis the state of the fusion technology industry in New Jersey, including, but not limited to, its strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and risks, emerging technologies, processes, and market niches, the commercialization of technologies, capital availability, education and training needs, and infrastructure needs. The EDA is to annually report to the Governor and, the Legislature. Each report is to set forth a complete operating and financial statement covering the operations of the authority under the program and audit information received from the fusion industry development company. With the initial annual report, and every third year thereafter, the commission is report on its recommendations on how the State can better attract and retain fusion technology businesses. | In Committee |
| S372 | Permits certain applicants to submit personal statement of veteran status, in lieu of determination of veteran status, prior to issuance of civil service eligible list; requires submission of determination of status prior to employment. | This bill permits, for the purpose of receiving veterans' preference in civil service hiring, a person who is in federal active service with the Armed Forces of the United States or a reserve component thereof on the eighth day prior to the issuance of an open competitive eligible list, for which that person received a passing score on an examination, to submit no later than eight days prior to the issuance of that open competitive eligible list a personal sworn statement, in lieu of the Adjutant General's determination of status as a disabled veteran or veteran, certifying that the person will meet the requirements for veterans' preference and receive the determination of status no later than three days prior to employment. Under current law, an applicant for a civil service examination must submit sufficient evidence of veteran or disabled veteran status to the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs and receive a determination of status no later than eight days prior to the issuance of a civil service eligible list for which that individual received a passing score on an examination. | In Committee |
| S426 | Revises process for use of virtual or remote instruction to meet minimum 180-day school year requirement. | This bill permits a school district or an approved private school for students with disabilities (APSSD) that determines to close for one or more school days, for any reason other than a declared state of emergency, a declared public health emergency, or a directive by the appropriate health agency or officer to institute a public health-related closure, to meet the 180-day school year requirement through virtual or remote instruction in accordance with the following requirements: (1) in the case of a program of virtual or remote instruction for one to 10 consecutive school days, the superintendent of the school district or the director of the APSSD will have the authority to implement the program; and (2) in the case of a program of virtual or remote instruction for more than 10 consecutive school days, the district or APSSD will be required to petition the commissioner for approval to implement the program. The bill directs the school district superintendent or the director of the APSSD to provide 18-hour notice to students, parents, and staff of the program of virtual or remote instruction being implemented pursuant to the provisions of the bill. Under current law, a school district or APSSD may only meet the 180-day requirement through virtual or remote instruction if the district or APSSD is required to close for more than three consecutive school days due to a declared state of emergency, a declared public health emergency, or a directive by the appropriate health agency or officer to institute a public health-related closure. This bill will provide a school district and an APSSD with the flexibility and a process to meet the 180-day requirement through virtual or remote instruction when the district or APSSD determines that there is a need to close the schools for some other purpose. | In Committee |
| S2090 | Revises emergency care services referral standards for providers of telemedicine and telehealth. | This bill expands the requirements of current law as they pertain to emergency care referrals made during a telemedicine or telehealth encounter. Under current law, there is a provision under which a health care provider engaging in telemedicine or telehealth is to make appropriate referrals for emergency care, if needed. The bill revises this provision to require a health care provider engaged in telemedicine or telehealth to make a good faith effort to directly activate and coordinate with emergency care services in accordance with the standard of care upon determining the patient is in need of emergency services. The bill provides that an emergency care plan is to pertain to areas where patients are located during a telemedicine or telehealth visit. A health care provider engaging in telemedicine or telehealth is to make a good faith effort to: provide the name and location of the patient to emergency services in oral and written form; determine the location of a patient if a patient is unaware of the patient's location; and provide the provider's and the patient's contact information to emergency services. A health care provider engaging in telemedicine or telehealth is to report suicide threats and suicide attempts made by a patient during a telemedicine or telehealth encounter to the Department of Health in a manner that is consistent with federal and State privacy laws, and will be required to document emergencies which occur during a telehealth or telemedicine visit. The bill requires professional licensing boards to include in their rules and regulations implementing the telemedicine and telehealth law requirements for emergency care plans that include standards and protocols for activating and coordinating with emergency care service providers serving the area in which the patient is located at the time of the telemedicine or telehealth encounter. | In Committee |
| S392 | Imposes moratorium on affordable housing litigation until December 31, 2028. | This bill would impose a moratorium on affordable housing litigation in the State in order to provide the Legislature an opportunity to craft an alternative to litigation for the Fourth Round of affordable housing obligations set to begin in 2025. Litigation over fair share affordable housing obligations has been ongoing for decades, yet has produced little affordable housing or clarity on the issue. This litigation has been a great expense to municipalities that is ultimately borne by the taxpayers. Moreover, as the Supreme Court of New Jersey has recognized, the myriad of issues concerning affordable housing are policy matters best left to the purview of the Legislature. Accordingly, it is appropriate and fitting and in the public interest to pause litigation regarding the Fourth Round of municipal affordable housing obligations in order to allow for the development of new guidelines that will determine affordable housing obligations in a more efficient manner. In addition, the current high cost of and demand for construction materials related to the COVID-19 pandemic has made it exceedingly difficult to produce the actual affordable housing sought by litigation. Delaying the start of the Fourth Round of affordable housing obligations will allow market forces affecting the cost of building materials to normalize in a more stable post-pandemic economy, and thereby allow for a more realistic opportunity to create actual affordable housing. The moratorium would be effective from the date that the bill is enacted through December 31, 2028. | In Committee |
| S363 | Requires person convicted, or fleeing charge, of sex offense in foreign country to register under Megan's Law; requires law enforcement to inquire about immigration status of sex offenders and cooperate with federal immigration authorities. | This bill requires persons who have been convicted, or fled a charge, of a sex offense in a foreign country to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law under certain circumstances. In addition, contrary to a recent directive issued by the New Jersey Attorney General, the bill requires law enforcement agencies to inquire about the immigration status of a convicted sex offender and notify and cooperate with federal immigration authorities when the law enforcement agency is unable to confirm that the sex offender's presence in the United States is authorized under federal law. Under current State law, a person who is convicted, adjudicated delinquent, or acquitted by reason of insanity under the laws of the United States, this State, or another state of an offense similar to those classified as sex offenses under current law is required to register as a sex offender. This bill expands the requirement to register in this State as a sex offender to also include persons who were convicted, adjudicated delinquent; or acquitted by reason of insanity under the laws of any foreign government of an offense similar to those classified as sex offenses under current law, and persons who were charged with such offenses by a foreign government, but fled the jurisdiction prior to the adjudication of those charges. The Attorney General Directive No. 2018-6 generally prohibits State, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies from providing certain types of assistance to federal immigration authorities charged with enforcing federal civil immigration law, with certain limited exceptions. The directive also prohibits, with certain limited exceptions, a State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency from inquiring about the immigration status of any individual. Furthermore, the directive does not mandate that law enforcement officials provide assistance in any particular circumstance, even when, under the limited exceptions of the directive, they are permitted to do so. Thus, when an offender who is not authorized to be in the United States has been convicted of a Megan's Law offense, under the directive, local law enforcement is under no obligation to cooperate with federal authorities that may be seeking to enforce federal immigration laws with respect to that offender. In contrast to the directive, the bill requires every county prosecutor to notify the appropriate law enforcement agency when a person has been convicted, adjudicated delinquent, or acquitted by reason of insanity for the commission of a sex offense, as defined under current law. Upon notification, the law enforcement agency is required to inquire about the immigration status of the person who has been convicted. The bill provides that if, based upon the inquiry required by the bill, a law enforcement agency is unable to confirm that the person's presence in the United States is authorized under federal law, the law enforcement agency is to provide notification to a federal immigration authority. Under the bill, the law enforcement agency also is to cooperate with any immigration enforcement initiated by the federal immigration authority, which includes but is not limited to: (1) participating in civil immigration enforcement operations with respect to the sex offender; (2) providing any non-public personally identifying information regarding the sex offender; (3) providing access to any State, county, or local law enforcement equipment, office space, database, or property not available to the general public; (4) providing access to a detained sex offender for an interview; (5) providing notice of a detained sex offender's upcoming release from custody; and (6) continuing the detention of a sex offender past the time the sex offender would otherwise be eligible for release from custody when presented with a civil immigration detainer request. Finally, the bill requires the cooperation of a New Jersey law enforcement agency with any immigration enforcement upon an inquiry by a federal immigration authority concerning a registered sex offender convicted of a sex offense by a foreign government, or who was charged with a sex offense by a foreign government and absconded from that jurisdiction prior to the charge being adjudicated or resolved, and if the law enforcement agency is unable to confirm that the sex offender's presence in the United States is authorized under federal law. This cooperation is to include, but not be limited to, participating in civil immigration enforcement operations; providing any non-public personally identifying information regarding an individual; providing access to any State, county, or local law enforcement equipment, office space, database, or property not available to the general public; providing access to a detained individual for an interview; providing notice of a detained individual's upcoming release from custody; and continuing the detention of an individual past the time the individual would otherwise be eligible for release from custody based solely on a civil immigration detainer request. The bill further requires a law enforcement agency that registers a sex offender and has knowledge that the sex offender was (1) convicted by a foreign government, or (2) charged with a sex offense by a foreign government and absconded prior to the charges being adjudicated or resolved, to provide notification to a federal immigration authority if the agency is unable to confirm that the sex offender's presence in the United States is authorized under federal law. It is the sponsor's firmly held belief that because sex offenders pose a grave danger to public safety, especially for women and children, law enforcement officials should be required to cooperate with immigration enforcement actions initiated by a federal immigration authority, in order to ensure that dangerous predators are not permitted to find safe harbor in New Jersey. | In Committee |
| SR24 | Expresses support for "Walter Patterson and Werner Foerster Justice and Extradition Act." | This resolution expresses support for the proposed federal "Walter Patterson and Werner Foerster Justice and Extradition Act" which directs President of the United States to submit a report to Congress on fugitives residing in other countries who the United States has attempted to extradite. Specifically the proposed legislation requires a report to be submitted to the appropriate congressional committees which addresses the following: (1) the number of fugitives, and others for whom the United States is seeking extradition or rendition, currently residing in other countries whose extradition is sought by the United States and a list of those countries; (2) diplomatic and other efforts, if any, the United States has undertaken to secure the return of the fugitives; (3) the average length of time these cases have been outstanding; (4) the number of cases that have been resolved to the satisfaction of the United States; (5) factors that have been barriers to the resolution of these cases; and (6) the number of United States citizens whose extradition has been sought by other countries during the past five years, a list of those countries seeking extradition, and the outcomes of those requests. The purpose of the act is to provide information necessary to evaluate and strengthen our nation's efforts to extradite fugitives. The act is named for two New Jersey residents whose killers escaped from prison and who are now living abroad. New Jersey has a special interest in seeking justice for the murders of Walter Patterson and State Trooper Werner Foerster. | In Committee |
| S422 | Establishes Office of River Maintenance in DEP; repeals P.L.1993, c.376 concerning stream cleaning activities. | This bill would establish an Office of River Maintenance (office) in the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This new office would be responsible for conducting all stream cleaning and desnagging projects and bank stabilization or restoration projects in the State. The bill defines "stream cleaning and desnagging project" to mean the removal of accumulated sediments, debris, garbage, or vegetation from a stream with a natural stream bed, or the removal of any accumulated material from a stream previously channelized with concrete or similar artificial material, to improve, for the purposes of flood control, the use or function of any stream. (This is the same definition used in the "Dam, Lake, Stream, Flood Control, Water Resources, and Wastewater Treatment Project Bond Act of 2003," P.L.2003, c.162.) The bill defines "bank stabilization or restoration project" to mean activities conducted to restore an eroded, unstable, or ecologically degraded bank or channel to a stable condition. The bill also defines the terms "bank," "channel," and "sediment" to be consistent with the definitions of those terms in the DEP's rules and regulations implementing the "Flood Hazard Area Control Act," P.L.1962, c.19 (C.58:16A-50 et seq.). In addition to conducting stream cleaning and desnagging projects and bank stabilization or restoration projects, the office would be the primary administering agency within the DEP for implementing P.L.2001, c.360 (C.58:4-11 et seq.) and sections 5, 16 through 18, and related sections of the "Dam, Lake, Stream, Flood Control, Water Resources, and Wastewater Treatment Project Bond Act of 2003" (P.L.2003, c.162), and any rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, specifically pertaining to stream cleaning and desnagging projects, and any other State or federal law concerning stream cleaning and desnagging activities or bank stabilization or restoration projects. The bill provides that stream cleaning and desnagging projects and bank stabilization or restoration projects undertaken by the office would not require a permit, approval, or other authorization from the DEP pursuant to any other State law or rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto. Lastly, the bill repeals P.L.1993, c.376 (C.58:16A-67), which set forth a process for local government units to follow when undertaking stream cleaning activities, as stream cleaning activities will be the responsibility of the office to be established pursuant to this bill and the relevant provisions of P.L.1993, c.376 are included in this bill. | In Committee |
| SR25 | Urges State to fully fund extraordinary special education aid for students in 2023-2024 fiscal year and thereafter. | This Senate resolution urges the State of New Jersey to fully fund extraordinary special education aid for students in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and thereafter. The "School Funding Reform Act of 2008" (SFRA), P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.), provides that the State is to reimburse school districts for certain costs of educating special education students when the costs exceed $40,000 for a student educated in a public school program or $55,000 for a student educated in a private school for students with disabilities. The extraordinary special education aid serves multiple important purposes, including helping school districts meet the high costs of educating the most vulnerable children, helping districts stabilize their budgets, and ensuring that students' individual needs are fulfilled. However, despite the SFRA's requirements, the State has not fully funded its formula for distributing extraordinary special education aid to school districts. Failing to fully fund extraordinary special education aid may hinder a district's ability to provide necessary special education services and puts even greater pressure on a school district's overall budget. It is critical that the State fully fund extraordinary special education aid in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and thereafter in order to ensure that special education students are provided with the services they need and that school districts are able to provide the necessary resources for all of their students. | In Committee |
| S434 | Permits students to be eligible for high school graduation credits in health, safety, and physical education for completing county fire academy course under certain circumstances. | The bill permits a student who successfully completes a course at a county fire academy to be eligible to receive credit toward meeting the high school graduation requirements for health, safety, and physical education if the student meets certain criteria. The student is required to: be between the ages of 16 and 18 years old; complete an examination, as applicable, to become a junior firefighter, or equivalent; and commit to volunteer at the fire department that serves the municipality in which the student resides for a period of two years. | In Committee |
| SR18 | Urges Biden Administration to lift regulatory freeze on executive orders designed to reduce cost of life-saving prescription drugs for Americans. | This resolution urges the Biden Administration to lift the regulatory freeze on executive orders that were designed to reduce the cost of life-saving prescription drugs for Americans. On July 24, 2020, President Donald J. Trump issued executive orders designed to significantly lower the price of life-saving prescription drugs for Americans, such as insulin and epinephrine. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, President Trump's executive orders would "[e]nd a shadowy system of kickbacks by middlemen that lurks behind the high out-of-pocket costs many Americans face at the pharmacy counter," and would provide Americans more options on purchasing the drugs. As President Trump signed the executive orders, he stated, "[t]he four orders I'm signing today will be on the prescription drug market in terms of pricing and everything else to make these medications affordable and accessible for all Americans." "The first order will require federal community health centers to pass the giant discounts they received from drug companies on insulin and EpiPens directly to their patients." President Trump added, "the price of insulin for affected patients will come down to just pennies a day, pennies a day from numbers that you weren't even able to think about. It's a massive cost savings." Providers "should not be receiving discounts for themselves while charging their poorest patients massive full prices," said President Trump. President Trump explained that his executive orders would allow states, wholesalers, and pharmacies to offer "safe and legal importation of prescription drugs from Canada and other countries where the price for the identical drug is incredibly lower." Referencing his fourth executive order, President Trump stated, "[f]or decades our citizens have paid the highest prices for drugs, prescription drugs, anywhere in the world (...) foreign nations have paid vastly less for the exact same drug again and the exact same box from the exact same plant, from the exact same company." "This means that Americans are funding the enormous cost of drug research and development for the entire planet," said President Trump." According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, under President Trump's executive orders: American seniors would receive discounts in Medicare Part D; federally qualified health centers who purchase insulin and epinephrine would pass savings from discounted drug prices directly on to medically underserved patients, thus increasing access to life-saving insulin and epinephrine for patients who face especially high costs and who are uninsured; a rule allowing states to develop safe importation plans for certain prescription drugs would be finalized; the re-importation of insulin products made in the United States, if re-importation is required for emergency medical care, would be authorized; a pathway would be created for safe personal importation through the use of individual waivers to purchase drugs at lower cost from pre-authorized domestic pharmacies; and actions would be taken to ensure that Medicare and seniors pay no more for Medicare Part B drugs than is paid in any economically comparable nation, thus ending foreign reliance on American taxpayer and American pharmaceutical funding and investments to keep the price of their prescription drugs artificially low. On January 20, 2021, the Biden Administration announced a regulatory freeze on the implementation of President Trump's executive orders. By delaying in the implementation of President Trump's executive orders, millions of Americans who need prescription drugs, such as insulin and epinephrine are placed in peril, including seniors, the impoverished, and the uninsured. | In Committee |
| S408 | Revises method of determining reimbursement costs when a law enforcement entity hires a recently trained officer from another law enforcement entity. | Under New Jersey law, when a law enforcement entity hires a recently trained officer from another law enforcement entity, it is required to compensate the officer's former employer for the costs associated with that officer's hiring and training. The law sets forth two levels of liability. In those cases where the officer has held a permanent appointment for 30 days or less, the new employer is required to reimburse the officer's former employer for all the costs associated with the officer's hiring and training. In those cases where the officer has held a permanent appointment for more than 30 days, but less than two years, the new employer is required to reimburse the officer's former employer for one-half of the costs associated with the officer's hiring and training. While there is no debate over what constitutes the "cost" of hiring and training a law enforcement officer, there are, however, conflicting interpretations concerning the time frames, particularly the treatment of an officer's provisional period of appointment. Under this bill, the starting point for the time frames is the date the officer completed his or her required police training. It also shortens the period for which a new employer is liable for reimbursement payments. In those cases where the officer has been employed for 120 days or less from the date of completing the required police training course, the new employer is required to reimburse the officer's former employer for all the costs associated with the officer's hiring and training. In those cases where the officer has been employed for more than 120 days, but less than two years from the date of completing the police training course, the new employer is required to reimburse the officer's former employer for one-half of the costs associated with the officer's hiring and training. | In Committee |
| S371 | Excludes from gross income contributions that certain federal employees classified as criminal investigators make to federal Thrift Savings Fund. | This bill excludes from gross income subject to taxation under the New Jersey gross income tax the contributions that certain federal criminal investigators make to the federal deferred compensation program for retirement savings. This bill excludes contributions to the federal Thrift Savings Fund made by an employer on behalf of and at the election of a federal employee who is in the GS-1811 series in the General Schedule classification system. The General Schedule classification system is based on United States Office of Personnel Management classification standards, and criminal investigators are classified in the GS-1811 series. Private sector employees are permitted by section 401 of the federal Internal Revenue Code to make arrangements with their employers to divert part of their salaries to retirement funds. These "cash or deferred arrangement" contributions have been exempt from taxation under the New Jersey gross income tax since 1984. In 1986, Congress established the Federal Employees Retirement System which allowed federal employees to make federally tax deductible contributions to their own retirement fund, the Thrift Savings Fund, under a system very similar (but not identical) to that allowed under section 401 of the federal Internal Revenue Code. Contributions made to the federal Thrift Savings Fund, however, are not exempt under the New Jersey gross income tax. This bill excludes contributions to the federal Thrift Savings Fund on behalf of federal employees who are classified as "criminal investigators" from current taxation under the New Jersey gross income tax. Those amounts will, like other pension payments, become taxable when paid out to employees on their retirement (and will, like other pension payments, they will qualify for the New Jersey pension payment exclusion). This bill also makes a technical change to the statute governing the taxation of pay-outs, to specify the method used for determining the taxable amount for New Jersey tax purposes will be the same as the method used for federal tax purposes. | In Committee |
| SCR61 | Constitutes special committee of Senate and General Assembly entitled "New Jersey Public Employee Health Care Program Costs Investigation Committee." | This concurrent resolution constitutes a special committee of the Legislature entitled the "New Jersey Public Employee Health Care Program Costs Investigation Committee." The creation of this committee is in response to several news articles highlighting the recommended increase in premiums and periodic charges for the State health care programs and allegations the Governor's Office may have intervened during contract disputes with the State's contractor, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. The committee will review and investigate the recommended increases in the premiums of the State Health Benefits Program and School Employees' Health Benefits Program. The committee will also investigate allegations that the Governor's Office may have pressured staff at the Department of the Treasury to halt the contract dispute with Horizon and the effort by the department to recoup the $34 million from the contract. Additionally, the committee will review the implementation, if any, of P.L.2019, c.143, which created subaccounts in the State Health Benefits Program Fund and the School Employees' Health Benefits Program Fund and also required the State to procure a professional services contract for a third-party medical claims reviewer for the State Health Benefits Program and School Employees' Health Benefits Program. The committee will make recommendations that address this subject. | In Committee |
| S415 | Increases income eligibility limit for reduction or abatement of municipal or county utility authority fees. | This bill increases from $10,000 to $15,000 per year the annual income eligibility limit for certain senior and disabled individuals to receive a reduction or total abatement of the rents, rates, fees, or other charges collected by a local unit or units operating a sewerage facility or a water supply facility, a municipal or county utilities authority, or a municipal or county sewerage authority. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Community Affairs to consult with the Department of the Treasury in order to adjust the income eligibility limit annually to reflect increases in the consumer price index for all urban consumers in the New York City and Philadelphia areas as reported by the United States Department of Labor. | In Committee |
| SR19 | Supports preservation of Columbus Day as federal and State holiday. | This resolution supports preserving Columbus Day as a federal and State holiday. Americans have celebrated Columbus' voyage, which culminated in his arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492, since the colonial period. Since 1970, the federal government has recognized Columbus Day as a federal holiday taking place on the second Monday in October of each year. This House recognizes the significance of Columbus's arrival in the New World and expresses its support of Columbus Day as a holiday to honor and celebrate Columbus' historic achievement. | In Committee |
| S414 | Modifies rate-regulation over municipal electric utilities. | This bill would modify the circumstances under which municipal electric utilities' rates are subject to the jurisdiction of the Board of Public Utilities (BPU). Under current law, the rates of a municipal electric utility that supplies power to customers beyond its corporate limits are subject to the jurisdiction of the BPU. The bill would modify this by limiting BPU rate-jurisdiction to municipal electric utilities that service more than 10,000 billed customers outside of the supplying municipality. Further, municipal electric utilities would not be subject to BPU rate regulation if the utility charges customers the same rates, regardless of whether the customer is located inside or outside of the supplying municipality. | In Committee |
| S406 | Encourages wearing blue to honor law enforcement officers on Peace Officers Memorial Day. | This bill would encourage local governmental units to promote the wearing of blue, and the citizens of this State and the residents of each community to wear blue on Peace Officers Memorial Day in honor of the men and women of the law enforcement community. In New Jersey, May 15th is designated Peace Officers Memorial Day. Each year on this day, the local governmental units and citizens of this State, along with the residents of each community, are encouraged to recognize, applaud, and sincerely thank those men and women who, serving night and day as law enforcement officers, protect and safeguard our lives and property. They are encouraged to display the flag of the United States at half-staff in honor of all federal, State and local law enforcement officers who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty, and are encouraged to organize and sponsor appropriate ceremonies and activities which are reflective of the sincere and deep appreciation the citizens of our State and communities extend to the men and women of the law enforcement community. There are approximately 900,000 sworn law enforcement officers now serving in the United States. Over the past 10 years, an average of 146 officers have died in the line of duty every year. On average, there have been 58,930 assaults nationally against law enforcement officers which have resulted in 15,404 injuries each year. In light of the recent negativity directed toward law enforcement officers and an erosion of respect for their authority throughout this country, there is an urgent need to show that the citizens of our State have a sincere and deep appreciation for the men and women of the law enforcement community who, despite the substantial risks they face each and every day, are dedicated to protecting and safeguarding our lives and property. | In Committee |
| S377 | Revises requirements for administration of vaccines to patients. | This bill revises the requirements to administer vaccines to patients. Specifically, the bill requires that, at least at least 48 hours prior to administration of the vaccine, the health care practitioner who will administer the vaccine is to furnish to the to the patient, or to the patient's parent or guardian in the case of a patient who is an unemancipated minor: (1) a copy of the vaccine insert for the vaccine; (2) a copy of vaccine excipient summary prepared by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is a list of vaccine ingredients that are in addition to weakened or killed disease antigens; and (3) information concerning the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) co-managed the CDC and the United States Food and Drug Administration, including an overview of the VAERS, instructions on how to report vaccine injuries, a copy of the Reportable Events Table, and a copy of the Vaccine Injury Table. a vaccine may be administered only if the patient, or the patient's parent or guardian, returns a signed copy of the vaccine insert confirming the patient consents to receive the vaccine. The health care practitioner will additionally be required to provide the patient, or the patient's parent or guardian, as applicable, with the option to opt out of receiving the vaccine, along with a description of the potential implications of opting out of the vaccine, including the risks of contracting or transmitting a communicable infectious disease and the potential that the patient may not be allowed to attend school unless the patient obtains a medical or religious exemption from student immunization requirements for that vaccine. The bill provides that a health care practitioner may not refuse to provide health care services to a patient or seek to transfer care of the patient to another health care practitioner solely on the basis of the patient's refusal to receive a vaccine. | In Committee |
| S409 | Provides three-year phase-in of full funding of extraordinary special education State aid. | In the 2019-2020 school year, approximately 58 percent of the total extraordinary special education State aid was provided to school districts based on the funding in the annual appropriations act. The bill phases in the full funding of extraordinary special education State aid over three years according to the following schedule:· 65 percent in the first full school year following the effective date of the bill;· 80 percent in the second full school year following the effective date of the bill; and· 100 percent in the third full school year following the effective date of the bill and in each school year thereafter. | In Committee |
| S1375 | Requires legislative approval of updates or revisions to core curriculum content. | This bill requires legislative approval of updates or revisions to core curriculum content standards. Under current law, the State Board of Education is directed to review and update the core curriculum content standards every five years. This bill provides that any update or revision made to the core curriculum content standards following the bill's effective date will require the approval of the Legislature. The State board is required to submit the update or revision to the Legislature, and the Legislature is required to adopt a concurrent resolution within 45 days of submission to approve or disapprove the update or revision. If the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution to approve the update or revision, it is required to be implemented. If the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution to disapprove the update or revision, it may not be implemented. | In Committee |
| S368 | "Flood Control, Mitigation, and Prevention Bond Act"; authorizes bonds for up to $2 billion and appropriates $5,000. | This bill, entitled the "Flood Control, Mitigation, and Prevention Bond Act," authorizes the issuance of up to $2 billion in State general obligation bonds to be used for State projects, grants, or low-interest loans to pay for flood control, mitigation, and prevention projects Statewide. The Governor would be able to decide the amount of the bonds to be issued up to a maximum of $2 billion, but would not be able to issue any bonds after December 31, 2017. The $2 billion could be used for: 1) State projects; 2) grants to local government units; and 3) low-interest loans to local government units. Any loan would have an interest rate of no more than 2% per year and a term of no more than 20 years. No more than 5% of the aggregate principal amount or of any individual grant or loan may be expended on organizational or administrative expenses, including salaries. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection would be required to establish procedures for the review and approval of, and eligibility criteria for, local and State flood control, mitigation, and prevention projects throughout the State. The commissioner also would prepare a priority list of eligible projects, and funds would be appropriated by the Legislature only in accordance with the established list. The bill provides that the bond act is to be submitted to the people for approval at the general election to be held at least 70 days after enactment and appropriates $5,000 to the Department of State for expenses in connection with the publication of the public question. | In Committee |
| S413 | Provides for agreement between Secretary of State and AOC to match information in Statewide voter registration system with certain jury records in order to identify and remove ineligible non-citizen voter registrants from system. | This bill would require the Secretary of State, as the chief State election official, to enter into an agreement with the Judiciary's Administrative Office of the Courts to match information in the database of the Statewide voter registration system with the juror records kept pursuant to N.J.S.2B:20-9 concerning all requests for excuses and deferrals of jury duty. The purpose of matching up such information would be to identify those persons summoned for jury service who indicate non-citizenship as the basis for being excused and remove them from the voter database as ineligible registrants in accordance with applicable law. The agreement would apply retroactively to all available juror records maintained since the 1994 "motor-voter" enactment permitting a person to register to vote while applying for a motor vehicle driver's license. See sections 23 and 24 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.39:3-10m and 39:2-3.2). | In Committee |
| S1671 | Permits Legislature to terminate certain declarations by Governor for state of emergency or public health emergency and limits duration of such declarations unless Legislature approves extension. | This bill provides for the termination of a state of emergency declaration issued by the Governor pursuant to P.L.1942, c.251 (C.App.A:9-33 et seq.) or a public health emergency declaration issued pursuant to P.L.2005, c.222 (C.26:13-1 et seq.) by the Legislature by concurrent resolution if the resolution receives a two-thirds affirmative vote of the authorized membership of each House of the Legislature. Also, the bill limits the duration of a state of emergency to 60 days after the date of issuance unless an extension is authorized by the Legislature, and limits a public health emergency declaration to a total of 60 days (the initial 30 day duration and one 30-day renewal by the Governor as provided by current law). The bill permits the Legislature to authorize, after a notice required in this bill is received, an extension of the state of emergency declaration or public health emergency declaration, with as many extensions of not less than 30 days, but not more than 90 days, by concurrent resolution that receives a majority vote of the authorized membership of each House of the Legislature. The bill prohibits the Governor from issuing for the same emergency a declaration to the same or substantially same effect as one terminated pursuant to this bill, except in accordance with a law that permits the issuance of another declaration specifically for that emergency. The bill permits the Legislature to conduct the vote on any concurrent resolution specified in the bill by any means it deems necessary and appropriate, including, but not limited to, in-person, teleconference, and remotely by electronic means. For the purpose of this bill, "same emergency" means the initial event or events that gave rise to the emergency declaration that has been terminated, and any event that occurs subsequent to the initial event or events as a direct result, continuation, or consequence of the initial event or events or the origin of which can be traced directly to the initial event or events. The bill requires the Governor to notify the Legislature in writing of the need for an extension of any state of emergency declaration or public health emergency declaration at least seven business days before an extension is authorized by the Legislature pursuant to this bill. The notice will provide information on the need for the extension of such declaration and the threat to the public health or safety that requires the extension. When notice cannot be given at least seven business days before an extension is authorized by the Legislature, the notice has to be given by the Governor as soon as possible, but not later than at least 24 hours before the extension is authorized, and the notice has to include an explanation of why the notice could not have been given at least seven days before the extension. Under the bill, the Governor will receive and publish in the New Jersey Register any comments from the chairs and ranking minority members of the relevant standing reference committees of the Legislature on any notice given in accordance with this bill. The publication is to include a response from the Executive Branch. If the Governor fails to provide the notice required by this bill for an extension, the state of emergency declaration or public health emergency declaration will be terminated unless an extension of the declaration is approved, after the notice required in the bill is received, by the Legislature by concurrent resolution that receives a majority vote of the authorized membership of each House of the Legislature. The provisions of the bill do not apply to any state of emergency declaration or public health emergency declaration: (1) rescinding an order, rule, or regulation issued pursuant to P.L.1942, c.251 (C.App.A:9-33 et seq.) or to P.L.2005, c.222 (C.26:13-1 et seq.); (2) applying exclusively to any or all of the executive and administrative offices, departments, and instrumentalities of the Executive Branch of State government; or (3) issued under the authority of the Governor as the Commander-in-Chief of all the military and naval forces of the State. The bill provides that any state of emergency declaration issued by the Governor and any public health emergency declaration issued by the Governor to address the COVID-19 pandemic or any other emergency that is in effect on the effective date of the bill, and (1) that has been in effect for more than 60 days as of that effective date, or (2) that has been in effect for 60 days or less but was issued for the same emergency as the term is defined in the bill and has the same or substantially the same effect as a declaration that was issued more than 60 days prior to the effective date, will terminate automatically on the effective date of this bill unless, on the day that this bill has passed both Houses of the Legislature, or has passed both Houses of the Legislature after amendments recommended by the Governor have been made to the act or after objections to the bill have been received from the Governor, whichever occurs later, a concurrent resolution to extend the state of emergency declaration or public health emergency declaration, or both, for not less than 30 days, but not more than 90 days, receives a majority vote of the authorized membership of each House of the Legislature. The termination and extension provisions of the bill will apply to any state of emergency declaration or public health emergency declaration issued pursuant to P.L.1942, c.251 (C.App.A:9-33 et seq.) or P.L.2005, c.222 (C.26:13-1 et seq.) after the effective date or within 60 days prior to the effective date of this bill. Any other emergency declaration issued pursuant to P.L.1942, c.251 (C.App.A:9-33 et seq.) or P.L.2005, c.222 (C.26:13-1 et seq.) that is in effect on the date of enactment will automatically terminate upon enactment unless the Legislature authorizes an extension by concurrent resolution. The bill provides that it is not to be construed as limiting the authority of the Governor to designate a state of emergency as may be authorized under the annual appropriations act, for the sole and limited purpose of establishing the eligibility of the State to receive federal funds. However, no such emergency declaration may under any circumstances serve as the basis for invoking any authority or powers set forth in P.L.1942, c.251 (C.App.A:9-33 et seq.) or P.L.2005, c.222 (C.26:13-1 et seq.). | In Committee |
| S432 | Requires Division of Developmental Disabilities to develop guidelines for tiered group home placements and transfers. | This bill requires the Assistant Commissioner for the Division of Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Human Services to establish guidelines for placing individuals with developmental disabilities in Level 1 and Level 2 group homes, as well as guidelines for transferring individuals with developmental disabilities between Level 1 and Level 2 group homes. Level 1 group homes are group homes for individuals with developmental disabilities who may have some minimal or challenging behavioral issues, but who are generally able to be safely placed with other individuals with developmental disabilities in a less-restrictive setting. Level 2 group homes are group homes designed for individuals with developmental disabilities who present with persistent challenging behaviors that risk serious harm to self or others. Under the bill, Level 2 group homes will be required to provide services designed to support the reintegration of residents into a less-restrictive treatment setting, such as a Level 1 group home. The bill outlines certain criteria to be included in the guidelines developed by the assistant commissioner, and additionally directs the assistant commissioner, to the extent appropriate, to seek to align the guidelines developed under the bill with existing guidelines for group home placements and transfers for individuals with developmental disabilities that have been developed by the Division of the Children's System of Care in the Department of Children and Families. This bill was inspired by Aidan Burke, a young man with developmental disabilities who resides in a group home in New Jersey. Aidan was assaulted by another resident with a history of challenging behaviors. It is the sponsor's intent to protect Aidan and all group home residents so they can be safe in their own homes. | In Committee |
| S419 | Removes diversity and inclusion instruction requirements for students in grades kindergarten through eight. | This bill removes the requirement that school districts provide instruction on diversity and inclusion in the curriculum of students in grades kindergarten through eight as part of the implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. This bill also removes the requirement that the instruction on diversity and inclusion includes an examination of the impact that unconscious bias has at both an individual level and on society as a whole. Current law requires that school districts provide instruction on diversity and inclusion in the curriculum of students in grades kindergarten through 12. Additionally, current law requires that school districts incorporate unconscious bias in the instruction on diversity and inclusion. | In Committee |
| S904 | Establishes "Commission on People with Disabilities." | This bill establishes the "Commission on People with Disabilities" (commission). Under the bill, the commission is to consist of 25 members. The purpose of the commission is to: (1) suggest policies, procedures, regulations, and legislation that help people with disabilities in New Jersey; (2) serve as the point-of-contact between the Governor, the Legislature, people with disabilities, and those providers who serve people with disabilities in order to ensure that the State government is responsive to the needs of people with disabilities; (3) work with State departments, commissions, offices, agencies, and providers to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities are met regarding services and programs that are available to those individuals; and (4) work with State departments, commissions, offices, and agencies which oversee the hiring and employment of people with disabilities in the State to ensure that no discrimination takes place. | In Committee |
| S902 | Establishes Office of Inspector General for Veterans' Facilities. | This bill would create the Office of Inspector General for Veterans' Facilities. The inspector general will be appointed to a five-year term by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The inspector general must have experience as either a prosecutor or investigator, or in the operation of veterans' facilities, nursing homes, or long-term care facilities. The inspector general will be independent of supervision or control by any other State officer or employee. The role of the Inspector General for Veterans' Facilities will be to receive and investigate complaints concerning policies and procedures at State veterans' facilities. In exercising investigatory powers, the inspector general would also be empowered to conduct evaluations, inspections, and other such reviews as deemed necessary to ensure the safety and quality of care provided at State veterans' facilities. The inspector general would also be empowered to initiate investigations independent of any complaints received. Upon the appointment of the inspector general, the inspector general will immediately begin an investigation into the policies and practices that may have caused or contributed to the high number of deaths in the veterans' facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The inspector general may refer possible criminal conduct or activity to the appropriate prosecutorial authority. In light of the uncontrolled outbreak of COVID-19 at veterans' facilities in Paramus and Menlo Park, there is need for additional State oversight of the policies and procedures at all State veterans' facilities. By establishing the position of Inspector General for Veterans' Facilities, the State can ensure that the health and well-being of New Jersey's veterans are protected and that tragedies like those that occurred in Paramus and Menlo Park never happen again. | In Committee |
| SCR13 | Proposes constitutional amendment to limit effective period of certain emergency orders, rules, or regulations issued by Governor to 14 days. | This constitutional amendment provides that certain emergency orders, rules, or regulations issued by the Governor during a period of a state of emergency will terminate on the 15th day following the date of issuance, unless the Legislature approves a greater period of time by way of a concurrent resolution. The constitutional amendment prohibits the Governor from issuing an order, rule, or regulation to the same or substantially the same effect as the one terminated pursuant to the amendment for the same emergency. The constitutional amendment does not apply to orders, rules, or regulations: (1) rescinding an order, rule, or regulation issued pursuant to the "Civil Defense and Disaster Control Act," or a successor State statute; (2) issued pursuant to direction by or agreement with the federal government, in compliance with federal law, or to the extent that application of the bill would jeopardize the receipt of federal funds by the State; (3) applying exclusively to the executive branch; (4) issued under the Governor's authority as the Commander-in-Chief of the military and naval forces of the State; or (5) issued pursuant to a provision of law providing for a greater period, notwithstanding that the order, rule, or regulation may also cite to an authority provided under the "Civil Defense and Disaster Control Act," or a successor State statute. | In Committee |
| S390 | Requires DEP to provide public access for boats to certain State-owned lakes; appropriates $1 million. | This bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to construct, cause to be constructed, or enter into long-term contracts with the owners of private marinas to provide for, public boat access to any State-owned lake at which boats with or without onboard motors are allowed. Any contract entered into with an owner of a private marina would be subject to a public bidding process. If the DEP is unable to construct, or cause to be constructed, public boat access to any State-owned lake at which boats with or without onboard motors are allowed, the commissioner would be required to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature identifying the lakes at which public boat access is unable to be provided and the reasons therefor. If the reason is due to a lack of sufficient funds for the purpose, the report would be required to detail the necessary funding required. The bill would appropriate $1 million from the General Fund to the DEP in order to provide for the public boat access required by the bill. | In Committee |
| S2045 | Requires certain animals used in testing to be offered for adoption; requires establishment of procedures for assessment and disposition of animals; establishes penalties for noncompliance. | This bill requires any cat, dog, or ferret used for product testing or research conducted or contracted by a company, corporation, manufacturer, or contract testing facility in the State to be offered to an animal rescue organization or private individual for adoption when the testing or research is concluded, if the animal is assessed to be suitable for adoption. Current law limits circumstances under which animal product testing or research may be conducted by manufacturers and contract testing facilities. Current law also requires, pursuant to the "Homes for Animal Heroes Act," P.L.2019, c.414 (C.18A:3B-85), that cats and dogs used for educational, research, or scientific purposes by an institution of higher education or a research institution that contracts with an institution of higher education for such use of cats and dogs, to be assessed for the suitability of adoption, and if suitable, to be offered for adoption. The bill expands the "Homes for Animal Heroes Act" to include testing or research using ferrets and to provide for adoption of ferrets used in that way. The bill directs the Office of Veterinary Public Health (OVPH) in the Department of Health (DOH) to establish procedures for documenting the assessment and disposition of any cat, dog, or ferret used by a company, corporation, manufacturer, contract facility, institution of higher education, or a research institution for such purposes. The bill authorizes the OVPH to monitor compliance with the procedures and enforce the provisions of section 1 of the bill and section 1 of P.L.2019, c.414 (C.18A:3B-85), concerning the assessment of the suitability of animals for adoption and the requirements to offer suitable animals for adoption. The bill further requires that each company, corporation, manufacturer, or contract testing facility that is subject to the bill, and each institution of higher education and research institution that is subject to the "Homes for Animal Heroes Act" to register with the OVPH when undertaking animal testing with cats, dogs, or ferrets, and to report to the OVPH: 1) the type and number of animals being used; 2) the date on which the testing or research is completed or upon which the animal is no longer being used in the testing or research; 3) an assessment of the condition of any animal no longer being used in the testing or research and its suitability for adoption; 4) the disposition of the animal, including the name and contact information of the animal rescue organization with which, or the animal rescue organization facility in which, the animal is placed; and 5) if an animal assessed as suitable for adoption is not adopted, documentation of the good faith effort to place the animal with an animal rescue organization or in an animal rescue organization facility, and any effort to offer the animal for private adoption. The bill provides that private individuals who have adopted animals would not have to be identified but requires documentation of which animals were adopted by private individuals. The bill establishes civil penalties for noncompliance with the bill's provisions and requirements, and the provisions of the "Homes for Animal Heroes Act." The bill provides for a civil penalty of $10,000 for a first offense, and $50,000 for a second offense, to be collected in a summary proceeding brought by the DOH pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). Upon finding of a third offense, the DOH is required to institute an action for an injunction to prohibit the company, corporation, manufacturer, contract testing facility, institution of higher education, or research institution from conducting animal testing. The bill provides that the Superior Court would have jurisdiction for enforcing the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999" and for imposing an injunction for a third violation. Finally, the bill requires the DOH to maintain a registry of animal rescue organizations and animal rescue organization facilities, directs the DOH to establish a database of those animal rescue organizations and facilities that accept animals that have been used in testing or research, and requires a company, corporation, manufacturer, contract facility, institution of higher education, or research institution, as applicable, to contact an animal rescue organization or animal rescue organization facility listed in the database whenever a cat, dog, or ferret used in testing or research is determined to be suitable for adoption. | In Committee |
| S379 | "Children's Vaccination Bill of Rights"; provides children in State with certain protections concerning vaccines. | This bill creates a "Children's Vaccination Bill of Rights," that provides a child who is required to be vaccinated in the State with certain protections concerning vaccine safety, liability for injury, and religious liberty. | In Committee |
| S412 | Requires public schools to post curriculum plans online; requires school districts to make textbooks or other materials used in implementing curriculum plans available for inspection by parents and legal guardians. | This bill requires school districts to post curriculum plans for each course offered to students in each grade level at least 30 days prior to the beginning of a school year. Specifically, a school district would be required to post information concerning each unit of study, student learning objectives, and information concerning textbooks and other materials to be used in implementing the district's curriculum plans. School districts would be required to update their Internet websites each time a curriculum plan is updated or revised. The bill also requires school districts to post information concerning when and where textbooks and other materials used as part of the district's implementation of the district's curriculum plans will be available for review by the parents or legal guardians of students in the district. Parents and legal guardians would be given the opportunity to review these materials prior to the time in which they will be incorporated into classroom instruction. By requiring that school districts post their curriculum plans online and providing parents and legal guardians with the opportunity to review textbooks and other materials used as part of the curriculum, the State can ensure greater transparency and collaboration between school officials and the families they serve. | In Committee |
| S397 | Temporarily upgrades certain offenses against persons during Public Health Emergency and State of Emergency declared by Governor's Executive Order 103 of 2020 concerning coronavirus pandemic. | This bill would temporarily upgrade certain offenses against persons during the Public Health Emergency and State of Emergency declared by the Governor in Executive Order 103 of 2020 concerning the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Specifically, all crimes, disorderly persons offenses, and petty disorderly persons offenses appearing in the following chapters of the "New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice," Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes, would be upgraded: (1) chapter 11, Criminal Homicide; (2) chapter 12, Assault; Reckless Endangering; Threats; (3) chapter 13, Kidnapping and Related Offenses: Coercion; (4) chapter 14, Sexual Offenses; and (5) chapter 15, Robbery. During the declared emergency, a petty disorderly persons offense would constitute a disorderly persons offense, and the latter would constitute a crime of the fourth degree. A crime of the fourth, third, or second degree would be classified one degree higher. A crime of the first degree would remain so, but a person convicted for that degree of crime would be sentenced to a term of imprisonment that would include a mandatory minimum term of one-third to one-half of the sentence imposed, during which time the person would not be eligible for parole, unless a greater mandatory minimum with parole ineligibility for that particular crime was set forth in the "New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice," in which case that greater sentence would apply. Concerning the sentencing for crimes, and disorderly persons and petty disorderly persons offenses, the ordinary sentences are: -Petty disorderly persons offense: term of imprisonment of up to 30 days, fine of up to $500, or both; -Disorderly persons offense: term of imprisonment of up to six months, fine of up to $1,000, or both; -Fourth degree crime: term of imprisonment up to 18 months, fine of up to $10,000, or both; -Third degree crime: term of imprisonment of three to five years, fine of up to $15,000, or both; -Second degree crime: term of imprisonment of five to 10 years, fine of up to $150,000, or both; and -First degree crime: term of imprisonment of 10 to 20 years, fine of up to $200,000, or both. | In Committee |
| S386 | Expands audit powers of State Auditor; requires online publication of certain materials; requires performance review audits of certain business incentive programs. | This bill relates to the powers and duties of the State Auditor. Under the bill, the State Auditor is granted the authority to audit certain entities that receive funds from political subdivisions of the State and is required to conduct certain performance review audits. The bill requires the State Auditor to prominently publish on the Legislature's Internet homepage, for a period of at least 14 calendar days, each report and the results of each audit and performance review audit prepared by the State Auditor. The State Auditor is also required to publish these documents on an Internet webpage maintained by the State Auditor. The bill requires the State Auditor to conduct a performance review audit of New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) business assistance or incentive programs, at least once every two years. The bill requires the State Auditor to transmit a copy of the report to the Legislature. The bill specifies that performance review audits are required to be conducted for any program or incentive administered or provided by the EDA that provides monetary or financial assistance in any form including, but not limited to, a grant, loan, loan guarantee, tax credit, tax exemption, or other monetary or financial benefit awarded to a person or entity to assist the person or entity in the conduct or operation of any trade, occupation, profession, or business, including, but not limited to, film and digital media production businesses, in the State. | In Committee |
| S1329 | Provides that public school parent who objects to learning material or activity that parent considers harmful may receive voucher from school district to enroll student in nonpublic school. | This bill provides that in the event that the parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a school district objects to a learning material or activity that is part of the curriculum, on the basis that the material or activity is harmful, withdraws his child from the school district and enrolls the child in a nonpublic school, the resident school district is required to provide the parent or guardian with a voucher to support the tuition and fees of the nonpublic school. The voucher will equal 75 percent of the resident school district's annual spending per pupil prorated based upon the number of days remaining in the school year. An objection to a learning material or activity on the basis that it is harmful includes, but is not limited to, an objection that the material or activity questions, violates, or conflicts with the parent or guardian's belief or practice regarding sex, sexuality, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, conscience, ethics, morality, or religion. | In Committee |
| S385 | Requires informed consent for breast implant surgery. | This bill requires a physician to provide information about breast implant surgery to a patient and to obtain written informed consent for the procedure from the patient before performing breast implant surgery. The information will be provided to the patient in writing or in an in electronic format, and will include, but is not limited to: a description of the risks of breast implants and of the surgical procedures used in breast implant surgery; manufacturer patient information materials on the implants that will be used in the surgery including warning requirements prescribed by the United States Food and Drug Administration; a Global Patient Advocacy Coalition standardized informed consent checklist based on recommendations by the United States Food and Drug Administration's guidance on breast implants; and information on how the patient can report adverse events associated with breast implants. A physician who knowingly violates the requirements of this bill commits an act of unprofessional conduct and will be subject to disciplinary action, which may include license suspension or revocation. | In Committee |
| SCR15 | Applies to Congress for an Article V Convention of States to limit certain powers of the federal government and terms of office. | This Senate concurrent resolution applies to Congress for the calling of an Article V Convention of the States limited to proposing amendments to the United States Constitution that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government and limit the terms of office for its officials. | In Committee |
| S398 | Creates New Jersey Innocence Study and Review Commission. | This bill would establish the New Jersey Innocence Study and Review Commission. The commission would be composed of nine members, to be appointed within 45 days of enactment of the bill. The membership would be as follows: one member appointed by the Governor, who shall be the chairperson of the commission, and who shall be a retired judge of the Superior Court or retired justice of the Supreme Court; two members appointed by the President of the Senate and two members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; the Public Defender or a designee; the Attorney General or a designee; the Administrative Director of the Courts or a designee; and a representative of the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey. Under the bill, the commission would be charged with studying and reviewing all aspects of criminal cases involving wrongful conviction in New Jersey and recommend reforms to reduce the likelihood of wrongful conviction occurring in the future, including but not limited to the following issues: (1) identifying the main causes of wrongful conviction; (2) studying existing research on these causes; (3) reviewing cases of wrongful conviction; (4) reviewing additional cases that will assist the commission in understanding the causes of wrongful conviction, and recommending best practices to appropriate constituencies; (5) examining the existing system of restitution to compensate wrongfully convicted persons and programming to assist persons to reintegrate back into society; and (6) making a specific recommendation for the establishment of a permanent innocence review panel before which convicted and incarcerated individuals may present a request for review of their own conviction, unless such recommendation is expressly rejected by the commission. The commission would be required to report its findings and recommendations, including any recommended legislation, to the Legislature and the Governor within 18 months of appointment of the members. | In Committee |
| SR26 | Opposes President Biden's policies regarding crisis on United States-Mexico border; urges President Biden to reinstate policies that secured nation's southern border under prior administration. | This Senate resolution opposes the Biden administration's policies regarding the border crisis on the United States-Mexico border and strongly urges President Biden to reinstate all of the policies that had successfully secured our nation's southern border under the prior administration. Securing our borders is one of the federal government's most essential responsibilities in ensuring our national security and public safety as well as our health and financial well-being. The policies of the Trump Administration had successfully secured our nation's southern border with Mexico including, but not limited to: building the Wall; using Title 42 public health authority to immediately expel border crossers during the COVID-19 pandemic; instituting the Migrant Protection Protocol, also commonly known as the "remain in Mexico" policy for asylum-seekers; and entering the Safe Third-Country Agreements with Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. It is the responsibility of President Biden and Congress to protect the safety of the public by preserving the integrity of our borders and measures to control immigration as opposed to serving political agendas. | In Committee |
| S410 | Provides for direct State payment of cost of special education and related services for certain students. | Under this bill, the State would assume the responsibility of entering into a contract with, and making payments to, entities that provide special education and related services to certain students with disabilities. If a school district anticipates that the cost of providing the special education and related services included in a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) will exceed $55,000, then that student is considered to require a high needs placement. A school district would forward the IEP to the newly-created Office of High Needs Placement Funding within the Department of Education. That office would be responsible for entering into contracts with, and making payments to, providers of the special education and related services for these students. The office would make 10 equal monthly payments, starting on the first business day of October of that school year. Payments for summer and extended year programs will be paid on a monthly basis following submission of an invoice for services rendered. Additionally, the office would be responsible for:· establishing and maintaining a directory of providers of special education and related services, including information regarding performance and cost; and· implementing a quality rating system that will be developed for providers, ensuring that each provider undergoes a quality rating review at least once every three years. The bill establishes a High Needs Placement Committee in the Office of High Needs Placement Funding. The committee members will include the commissioner and State Treasurer, or their designees, and 15 public members. Seven of the public members will be appointed the Governor, and the Senate President, Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, and Minority Leader of the General Assembly will each have two appointments. The committee would be responsible for:· developing the quality rating system that will be used by the office to assess the performance of providers in terms of measurable outcomes in providing special education and related services to students who require a high needs placement;· collecting, analyzing, and reporting data regarding the provision of special education and related services;· providing recommendations in the event that the committee's analysis determines that school districts are identifying students as requiring special education and related services at an inappropriately high rate or failing to provide services in the least restrictive environment;· conducting a longitudinal study on students with disabilities who cease to require a high needs placement; and· examining the threshold criteria used to define "high needs placement." Under the bill, a portion of the cost of educating students who require a high needs placement would be supported by deducting a portion of a school district's State aid payable by an amount of the general fund tax levy, equalization aid, special education categorical aid, and security categorical aid attributable to those students. The State aid payable to a district would also be reduced by the amount of federal funding awarded under the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" and the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965" attributable to the students. In the event that the amount to be deducted exceeds the district's total State aid payable, then the district would pay the difference to the State. Under current law, extraordinary special education costs aid is awarded to school districts as a reimbursement of costs incurred in the prior school year in educating individual special education students whose costs exceed certain thresholds. This bill eliminates this category of State aid. However, in the first year in which the State would assume the costs of high needs placements, the State would continue to provide the extraordinary special education costs aid reimbursement for costs incurred in the prior school year. | In Committee |
| S393 | Permits municipality to obtain affordable housing credit for each resident of alternative living arrangement. | This bill would permit a municipality to obtain one unit of credit against its fair share affordable housing obligation for each resident of an alternative living arrangement. The bill defines an alternative living arrangement as a structure in which residents share kitchen and plumbing facilities, central heat, and common areas. Alternative living arrangements would include, but would not be limited to: transitional facilities for the homeless, boarding homes; residential health care facilities; group homes for the developmentally disabled and mentally; and congregate living arrangements. Controls on affordability on alternative living arrangements would be required to remain in effect for at least 10 years. | In Committee |
| S394 | Removes income-based limitations on gross income tax exclusion for pension and retirement income. | This bill removes the income-based limitations on the gross income tax exclusion for pension and other retirement income. Under current law, taxpayers with $150,000 or less in annual income and who are at least 62 years old or disabled may exclude certain pension and retirement income from taxable gross income. For those with between $100,000 and $150,000 of income, the exclusion is reduced. This bill eliminates the $150,000 income cap and the reduced exclusion for those with between $100,000 and $150,000 so that taxpayers of any income level, who are otherwise eligible, may claim the exclusion. The purpose of this bill is to allow taxpayers with pension and retirement income to exclude more of their income from taxable gross income. By removing the income-based limitations, this bill allows greater numbers of taxpayers to benefit from the tax relief provided by the exclusion. | In Committee |
| SR22 | Urges Congress to reinstate unlimited state and local tax deduction. | This resolution urges Congress to reinstate the unlimited state and local tax (SALT) deduction. For over 100 years, the SALT deduction has been available to American taxpayers. The SALT deduction allows federal taxpayers who itemize deductions on federal income tax returns the option to deduct payments for state and local taxes from federal income tax liability. This deduction is a significant financial benefit to both New Jersey residents who pay federal taxes and the State itself. In 2017, the federal government limited the amount of the SALT deduction to $10,000, whereas the average SALT deduction taken by New Jersey taxpayers was almost double that amount. New Jersey is considered to be a "donor state" because the amount of federal taxes paid by New Jersey's residents exceeds the amount that the State receives back in federal funding. In 2018, the State of New Jersey received the least amount of federal funding of any state. Congress should reinstate the SALT deduction without limitation in order to remedy some of this tax disparity. | In Committee |
| S425 | Prohibits adoption of State and local rules that prohibit use of fossil fuel-powered kitchen appliances. | This bill would prohibit the adoption of State rules and regulations, and county and municipal ordinances, which prohibit the installation or use of a fossil fuel-powered appliance in a residential or commercial kitchen in the State, including, but not limited to, a natural gas-powered oven or stove. The bill would not prohibit the use of voluntary incentive programs to encourage the use of electric kitchen appliances. | In Committee |
| S403 | Requires consumer reporting agencies to provide a consumer with a free credit report three times during any 12-month period upon request. | This bill requires consumer reporting agencies to provide the consumer with a free credit report three times during any 12-month period upon the request of a consumer. Current law requires the credit report to be provided without charge once during any 12-month period. | In Committee |
| S383 | Requires physicians to provide patients opportunity to undergo obstetrical ultrasound or sonogram within 48 hours of performing abortion. | This bill requires a physician to provide a patient with an opportunity to undergo an ultrasound or sonogram and view an ultrasound or sonogram image of the embryo or fetus within 48 hours of a referral for an abortion, or at least 48 hours prior to an abortion procedure being performed, whichever is later. Any health irregularity that may endanger the health or safety of the patient disclosed by the ultrasound or sonogram must be communicated to the patient at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled abortion procedure. If a "medical emergency" exists with respect to the patient, the physician is not required to comply with the ultrasound or sonogram requirements of this bill, but must certify the specific medical condition that exists and include the certification in the patient's medical file. A "medical emergency," as defined by this bill, means a condition which, in the reasonable medical judgment made by a responsible licensed physician who is knowledgeable about the patient's medical condition and her treatment options, and by virtue of the physician's knowledge and experience, establishes that a delay in commencing an abortion procedure would create a serious risk or cause grave and irreversible physical harm entailing substantial impairment of a major bodily function, not including any psychological or emotional condition or function. Pursuant to the bill, the Department of Health is required to develop and distribute a form for physicians to use to verify in writing, within 14 workdays of the procedure or referral for the procedure, that the patient was offered an opportunity to undergo an ultrasound or sonogram and view the ultrasound or sonogram image prior to the abortion procedure being performed. Under the bill, a physician who knowingly fails or refuses to offer a patient desiring an abortion the opportunity undergo an ultrasound or sonogram and view the ultrasound or sonogram image prior to performing the abortion procedure shall be subject to civil penalties. Upon a finding by a court of competent jurisdiction that a respondent in an action commenced under this bill has knowingly violated a provision thereof, the court shall notify the State Board of Medical Examiners, and assess a civil penalty against the respondent in an amount of no less than $10,000, but not to exceed $100,000. Upon a second or subsequent offense, the court shall notify the State Board of Medical Examiners, and access a civil penalty against the respondent in an amount of no less than $25,000, but not to exceed $250,000. A patient who has had an abortion in violation of the provisions of this bill, or a parent or legal guardian of an unemancipated minor who has had an abortion in violation of the provisions of this bill, may commence a civil action against the physician for any willful violation thereof and seek actual and punitive damages. This bill takes effect on the 90th day after enactment, but the Commissioner of Health may take anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof in order to implement the provisions of this bill. | In Committee |
| SR16 | Urges Congress to compel Department of Health and Human Services to fulfill its obligations pursuant to the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. | This resolution urges the United States Congress to compel the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to fulfill the obligations of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. §300aa-1 et seq.) by submitting a biennial report describing the actions taken by DHHS to improve vaccine safety to Congress, as required by law. | In Committee |
| S428 | Establishes loan program in EDA to assist businesses owned by individuals with disabilities; appropriates $5 million. | This bill requires the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) to establish a loan program to provide businesses owned or operated by individuals with a disability with funding for operational or capital expenses, or both, to establish or continue business operations. Loan Program Qualifications The loan program provides low-interest loans to qualified businesses that demonstrate to the EDA that: 1) the qualified business is, or will become newly engaged, in a viable trade or business; 2) the qualified business employs or plans to employ at least five full-time employees during every calendar month of the 24-month period following the date of application for the loan program and at least 50 percent of the employees are New Jersey residents; and 3) the qualified business is owned or operated by an individual with a disability. Application Criteria A qualified business that seeks assistance under the loan program is required to submit an application to the EDA, in a form and manner prescribed by the EDA. In addition to any other information that the EDA may deem appropriate, the application is required to request an applicant to submit information demonstrating that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements and an outline of the anticipated use of loan proceeds. Under the bill, the EDA is required to approve applications for the loan program on a rolling basis, subject to the availability of funds. Loan Requirements In addition to any other terms and conditions that the EDA may deem appropriate, each loan issued under the loan program may include provisions for the forgiveness of the loan, in whole or in part, within two years of loan fund disbursement, if the qualified business notifies the EDA that, after a bona-fide effort, the qualified business no longer exists because the trade or business is no longer viable. This provision of the bill should not be construed to provide for compulsory loan forgiveness by the EDA, and no loan will be forgiven in the event of fraud or mismanagement of funds. Each loan issued under the program is required to: 1) be issued for a term not to exceed six years, with payments not commencing until one year after the loan's approval; 2) bear interest at rates not more than three percent for qualified businesses; and 3) provide more flexible repayment terms than are customarily made available through conventional business loans issued by private lenders. Any qualified business that receives assistance under the loan program is required to submit an annual report to the EDA until such time as the full balance of the loan has been repaid to the EDA. At a minimum, the annual report is required to include information outlining the expenses supported by the loan, describing bona fide efforts to ensure the viability of the business, and assessing the performance of the qualified business, including whether the business still exists. Loan Fund and Appropriation Finally, the bill appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to the EDA to support the operations of the loan program. These monies are to be deposited into a non-lapsing revolving loan fund which the EDA is required to administer for the purposes of the loan program. Any interest collected from loans provided by the loan program may be used by the EDA to offset the costs of the administration of the loan program, or otherwise are required to be deposited in the fund. | In Committee |
| S1847 | "New Jersey Jobs Protection Act"; requires verification of employment. | This bill, the "New Jersey Jobs Protection Act," requires that all employers use the federal "E-verify" system to check the employment eligibility of each new hire, within ninety days of the date of hire. The bill establishes a graduated penalty system against any employer who knowingly employs unauthorized aliens. The penalty for the first offense will be a $10,000 fine for each unauthorized alien and three years of monitored probation. During the probationary period the employer is required to file quarterly reports with the county prosecutor. The reports must include, but shall not be limited to, documentation of the E-verify confirmation of each new employee who is hired by the employer at the location where the unauthorized alien performed work. The penalty for a second offense will be a $20,000 fine for each unauthorized alien and an additional five years of monitored probation. The penalty for a third offense will be a $30,000 fine for each unauthorized alien. Under the bill, proof that the employee's eligibility to work was confirmed through the E-verify program creates a rebuttable presumption that the employer did not intentionally or knowingly employ an unauthorized alien. E-verify is an Internet-based system operated jointly by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. It provides an automated link to federal databases to help employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers. It is currently available to employers without charge. | In Committee |
| S731 | Prohibits any foreign company created under laws of foreign adversary from participating in critical infrastructure. | This bill prohibits any foreign company created under the laws of a foreign adversary from participating in critical infrastructure in this State. The bill defines "foreign adversary" to mean any foreign government determined by the United States Secretary of Commerce to have engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons. Under the bill, the State of New Jersey, and all agencies or political subdivisions thereof, are prohibited from allowing a foreign company created under the laws of a foreign adversary to participate in the construction, maintenance, or control of any critical infrastructure in this State. Critical infrastructure includes communication networks, electric generation, gas distribution systems, water pipelines, and related support facilities, such as buildings, offices, lines, poles, pipes, structures, and equipment. The State's safety, security, and stability depend on protecting critical infrastructure from foreign adversaries. The disruption of these key services would significantly disrupt the well-being of the people of this State and the functioning of the economy. The involvement of a foreign company created under the laws of a foreign adversary raises substantial security threats, such as cyber-attacks or the intentional disruption of services. Accordingly, to protect against risks posed by foreign adversaries, it is crucial to ensure that only trusted entities control the State's critical infrastructure. | In Committee |
| S1897 | Allows law enforcement officers in PERS to transfer to and enroll in PFRS; requires all law enforcement officers to be enrolled in PFRS. | This bill allows certain law enforcement officers to transfer and enroll in the Police and Firemen's Retirement System. It provides that a law enforcement officer who is enrolled in the Public Employees' Retirement System may transfer to the Police and Firemen's Retirement System by waiving all rights and benefits which would otherwise be provided by the Public Employees' Retirement System. Any law enforcement officer may continue membership in the Public Employees' Retirement System by waiving all rights and benefits which would otherwise be provided by the Police and Firemen's Retirement System. Such waivers would be accomplished by filing forms satisfactory to the board of trustees within 90 days after the enactment of this bill. The actuary of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System would be required to calculate the liability of each employer of the employees becoming members of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System, taking into account the value of moneys remitted by the Public Employees' Retirement System. In the event that the value of the money so remitted is less than the total which is required by the Police and Firemen's Retirement System to provide the transferred member with credit for all public service, the employee is responsible for the amount equal to the difference between these two values. Any law enforcement officer hired on or after the enactment of this bill would be enrolled in the Police and Firemen's Retirement System. | In Committee |
| S1885 | Broadens eligibility for certain veterans' benefits by eliminating requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations. | This bill broadens the eligibility for various veterans benefits by eliminating the requirement that to be considered a veteran a person must have served during periods of war, in specific war zones, or during periods of emergency. Instead, the bill provides that a person will be considered a veteran if he or she served for at least 90 days, exclusive of certain types of initial training, in order to be eligible for veterans benefits. The bill specifies that to be considered a veteran and eligible for veterans benefits, a member of a reserve component of the United States Armed Forces (including the National Guard) must serve the entire period to which he or she is called to federal active service, exclusive of active duty for training. A person who is discharged as the result of a service-connected disability will be classed as a veteran even if he or she did not meet the 90-day service requirement. The veterans benefits include: (1) civil service preference under Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes; (2) veteran's retirement allowance under the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) or the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS); (3) the purchase of additional military service credit in the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS), TPAF and PERS; (4) the annual property tax deduction provided under Article VIII of the New Jersey Constitution ($250 each tax year) or the property tax exemption provided under N.J.S.A.54:4-3.30 for a veteran who is certified permanently 100% disabled by the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs; and (5) surviving spouse benefits for veterans killed in active service, including civil service preference and the property tax deduction or exemption. The bill provides that an active service member of the United States Armed Forces or a current member of a military reserve component (including the National Guard) who has not been discharged from service is eligible for the civil service preference and the property tax deduction provided that he or she qualifies as a veteran. Eligibility for the property tax benefits and civil service preference is contingent upon voter approval of authorizing amendments to the State Constitution. Article VIII, Section I, paragraph 3 (concerning property tax benefits) and Article VII, Section I, paragraph 2 (concerning civil service preference) of the State Constitution currently refer to service in time of war. The bill repeals a section of existing civil service, pension and tax law regarding wartime service which is no longer necessary because of the elimination of the wartime service requirement. | In Committee |
| S395 | Establishes NJ Fusion Technology Industry Commission. | This bill establishes the New Jersey Fusion Technology Industry Commission in the Department of the Treasury (department), but independent of any supervision or control by the department. The commission is to consist of the following 11 members: two public members to be appointed by the Governor; one public member to be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the President of the Senate; one public member to be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly; one public member appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Senate Minority Leader; and one public member appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Assembly Minority Leader; the Secretary of Higher Education; the chair of the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology; the Executive Director of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority; and two presidents or departmental administrators from the State's public institutions of higher education or private institutions of higher education, who shall serve as non-voting members. Under the bill, each of the six public members would be required to have a background in a field of fusion energy, plasma physics, or physics, or in a business related to fusion technology or energy. The terms of the six public members would be for five years or until their successors are appointed, except that the terms of the first appointed public members would be staggered. The commission members would serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses. The Governor would be required to designate the chair of the commission from among the public members, and the commission would appoint an executive director. Under the bill, the executive director would also be responsible for the selection of properly qualified staff members of the commission. The bill requires the commission to: (1) be responsible for the development and oversight of policies and programs in fusion energy and technology in New Jersey; (2) ensure that the programs in fusion energy and technology development are adequately funded to achieve stated goals; (3) stimulate academic-industrial collaboration; (4) plan and assist in the establishment of new advanced technology centers, business incubation facilities, and technology extension services; (5) coordinate activities of the advanced technology centers, business incubation facilities, and technology extension services; (6) recommend funding levels, determine eligible fields, and supervise the process of making awards for certain grants; (7) continue to identify and to support research opportunities at New Jersey academic institutions and other institutions that can advance economic development and employment; (8) encourage and coordinate activities to help entrepreneurs and institutions; (9) monitor changes in national and international economic conditions which might justify a recommendation of a reorientation of the State's fusion energy and technology programs; (10) adopt rules and regulations; (11) adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws; (12) adopt and have a seal; (13) have the authority to sue and be sued; (14) have the authority to conduct meetings and public hearings; (15) have the authority to enter into contracts; (16) employ consultants and specialists in fusion energy and technology and any employees as may be required; (17) receive and disburse funds from non-State sources including but not limited to federal funds; and (18) conduct any other actions necessary or convenient to carry out its purposes and exercise its powers. Under the bill, the commission would be required to annually report to the Governor and the Legislature. Each report would be required to set forth a complete operating and financial statement covering the operations of the commission along with legislative and other policy recommendations for encouraging the development of fusion technology and the expansion of the fusion industry in the State. | In Committee |
| SCR14 | Proposes constitutional amendment giving Legislature authority to establish slot machine gambling at horse racetracks; dedicates revenues derived to support State-administered defined benefit retirement systems, casinos, improvements to Atlantic City, and horse racing. | This constitutional amendment would give the Legislature authority to establish slot machine gambling at horse racetracks. Upon approval of this amendment, the Legislature would pass a law prescribing the specific kind, restrictions, and control of operations of such slot machine gambling. The State's share of revenues derived from such slot machine gambling would be dedicated as follows: 60 percent, to be deposited as received, into the contingent reserve funds of the State-administered defined benefit retirement systems to support the State's annual contribution to these systems or into an account to support the payment of debt service on pension obligation bonds, as the Legislature will provide by law; 30 percent allocated proportionally based on the size of investment in Atlantic City to members of a consortium of casino license owners and operators operating in Atlantic City as of December 15, 2015 or thereafter in accordance with such formulas as the Legislature shall provide by law; seven percent to fund programs dedicated for the purposes of the recovery, stabilization, or improvement of Atlantic City, as the Legislature shall provide by law; and three percent for programs to aid the thoroughbred and standardbred horsemen in the State, as the Legislature shall provide by law. The eligibility for each initial license to establish and operate a gambling house or casino shall be limited to: a holder of a New Jersey casino license that was operating a casino which was conducting gambling on December 15, 2015; and any person licensed as a principal owner of a holder of a New Jersey casino license that was operating a casino which was conducting gambling on December 15, 2015. Thereafter, the operator and principal owner of slot machine gambling at a horse racetrack must also hold a license to operate or own, as operator, a casino in Atlantic City. The operation of slot machines at horse racetracks would be mutually beneficial to both the casino industry and the horse racing industry. Racetrack slot machine gambling would provide an opportunity for casino industry operators to expand beyond the boundaries of Atlantic City and reach patrons who may not otherwise consider traveling to that city to engage in gambling activities. For the racetrack industry, the slot machines would increase attendance, drawing patrons who may not otherwise consider traveling to racetracks at which horse racing is the sole activity on which to wager. Additionally, the State would benefit from this mutually beneficial casino industry-racing industry relationship, through increased tax revenue generated directly and indirectly by new racetrack slot machine operations. | In Committee |
| SR49 | Urges immediate moratorium on sonar testing and wind turbine mapping due to recent unexplained deaths of marine life off the coast of New Jersey. | This resolution urges the State and federal governments to impose an immediate moratorium on sonar testing and wind turbine mapping due to recent unexplained deaths of whales and dolphins off the coast of New Jersey. Since December 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has recorded at least twelve whale deaths off the coast of New Jersey, eight of which have been humpback whales. In addition, there were also five deaths of dolphins recorded in February 2023 alone. Most of these deaths remain unexplained, but have occurred in or near areas of offshore wind energy development. Given the unprecedented number of these recent deaths, their occurrence in or near areas of offshore wind energy development may be more than coincidental and warrants State and federal investigation. A possible cause of these deaths is the increased use of sonar and other underwater mapping technologies for the development of offshore wind energy projects, which may interfere with marine mammals' ability to hear, communicate, and navigate underwater. Therefore, an immediate moratorium on sonar testing and wind turbine mapping for these offshore wind energy projects is urged, so that further scientific study of these projects' impact on marine life can be conducted. | In Committee |
| S402 | Prohibits retail mercantile establishments from requiring certain consumer identification for return of merchandise. | This bill prohibits retail mercantile establishments from requiring a person to display any permit, license, or identification card issued by any state or the federal government in order to return merchandise, unless the person fails to provide a proof of purchase for that merchandise. This bill also prohibits retail mercantile establishments from scanning, photocopying, or otherwise retaining a copy of a permit, license, or identification card when requiring a person to submit a permit, license, or identification card to return merchandise without a proof of purchase. Under this bill, if a retail mercantile establishment requires a person returning merchandise without proof of purchase to display a permit, license, or identification card, or uses return data concerning the frequency or dollar amount of a person's returns as a basis to deny a return to that person, the establishment shall conspicuously post that requirement on a sign in at least one of the following locations: (1) Affixed to each cash register or point of sale; (2) So situated as to be clearly visible to the buyer from the cash register; or (3) Posted at each store entrance used by the public. The bill stipulates that any retail mercantile establishment which violates any provision of the bill is subject to a civil penalty of $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense, and not less than $1000 for the third and each subsequent offense. | In Committee |
| S404 | Requires sex offenders in satellite-based monitoring program to pay for certain equipment and monitoring costs. | P.L.2007, c.128 (C.30:4-123.89), the "Sex Offender Monitoring Act," established a permanent sex offender monitoring program which provides for continuous, satellite-based monitoring of high risk sex offenders. This bill requires sex offenders monitored under the program to pay for certain costs associated with their monitoring. Specifically, the sex offender would be required to pay for the cost of any equipment he or she must carry or wear and to pay the daily cost charged to the State by the monitoring company for his or her monitoring. An exception could be made for a sex offender who provides proof to the satisfaction of the Chairman of the State Parole Board that paying for the cost of the equipment and monitoring would subject the offender to extreme financial hardship. The chairman is required to develop a test to determine whether the requirements would constitute an extreme financial hardship for a monitored offender. | In Committee |
| S416 | Allows gross income tax deduction for amounts paid for removal of lead, asbestos, sodium, chloride, and other contaminants from taxpayer's property. | This bill would allow taxpayers, regardless of income, to deduct up to a combined $45,000 from gross income in a year for the following expenses: (1) lead-based paint hazard abatement in the taxpayer's residential property if performed by a certified lead abatement contractor; (2) asbestos hazard abatement in the taxpayer's residential property if performed by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor; (3) replacement of a water service line containing hazardous amounts of lead if the line is owned by the taxpayer, the line is on the real property of the taxpayer's residential property, and the line's replacement is necessary for abatement of the hazard in the taxpayer's residential property; (4) replacement of plumbing containing hazardous amounts of lead in the taxpayer's residential property; (5) remediation of lead and other contaminants in the soil of a taxpayer's residential property; (6) replacement of leaded windows on the taxpayer's residential property; (7) the cost of installing a water treatment system by a licensed contractor or plumber if the private well water servicing the taxpayer's property is contaminated with excess sodium or chloride levels; (8) the cost of replacing any pipes connected to the water treatment system if the private well water servicing the taxpayer's property is contaminated with excess sodium or chloride levels; and (9) the cost of certain upgrades to a property's septic system or leach field if the private well water servicing the taxpayer's property is contaminated with excess sodium or chloride levels. As used in the bill, "residential property" means a taxpayer's primary residence, owner-occupied home, or rental unit. The Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury would be required to set the standards by which taxpayers are to demonstrate that they qualify for the deduction. To be eligible for the deduction for costs related to lead-based paint hazard abatement or asbestos hazard abatement, the taxpayer would be required to submit an affidavit from the municipality in which the residential property is located to the director acknowledging that the work was done and the amount paid by the taxpayer to the licensed contractor. During the first taxable year following the bill's enactment, a taxpayer would be allowed to deduct any covered expenses incurred between January 1, 2018 and that year. The provisions of the bill would expire on December 31, 2025. | In Committee |
| S1678 | Permits taxpayers to deduct the total amount of State property taxes paid on principal residence from gross income tax obligation. | This bill permits taxpayers to deduct the total amount of State property taxes, due and paid in a calendar year on the taxpayer's principal residence, from the taxpayer's gross income tax obligation. Under current law, a taxpayer may deduct up to $15,000 of property taxes due and paid in the calendar year on the taxpayer's primary residence from the taxpayer's gross income tax obligation. If the taxpayer is a renter, the taxpayer may deduct up to $15,000 of the amount of "rent constituting property tax," which is defined in P.L.1996, c.60, s.2 (C.54A:3A-16) to mean 18 percent of rent, due and paid in the calendar year from the taxpayer's gross income tax obligation. This bill eliminates these $15,000 maximum allowable deductions, thereby permitting a taxpayer to deduct the full amount of property taxes, or rent constituting property taxes, due and paid by the taxpayer in the calendar year on the taxpayer's primary residence. | In Committee |
| S427 | Permits public high school students to opt out of physical education and sports programs during Ramadan. | This bill permits any public high school student who observes Ramadan to opt out of physical education class. Under the bill, a student can substitute the required physical education course with an instructional course or study hall for the duration of the marking period in which Ramadan falls. The bill requires the student to submit a written notice to the principal of the school prior to the school district creating schedules for the marking period. The instructional course or study hall is required to provide the student with graduation credits equal to the number received for completion of the physical education course. This bill does not exempt students from the statutory requirement that they attend at least two and one-half hours per school week of health and safety education courses, when these courses are scheduled. Additionally, this bill permits a student-athlete to be excused from participation in an interscholastic sports program, intramural sports program, or cheerleading program during Ramadan. In order to be excused, a student-athlete is required to submit a written notice to the coach of the athletic program. The bill stipulates that a coach cannot penalize a student-athlete for not participating during Ramadan. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk. As one of the five pillars of Islam, fasting during the month of Ramadan is mandatory for all healthy adult Muslims. Children are not expected to fast until they reach puberty, usually around the age of 14. It is the intent of this bill to acknowledge Muslim students who observe Ramadan by providing less intense alternatives to physical activity while these students practice their religious beliefs by fasting. | In Committee |
| S391 | Exempts expansion or reconstruction, within 125% of existing footprint, of municipal and county buildings and certain emergency services buildings from "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act." | This bill would exempt the expansion or reconstruction, under certain circumstances, of municipal and county buildings and buildings used by certain emergency service organizations from the "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act." Specifically, the bill amends the "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act" to add a new exemption for the expansion or reconstruction within 125 percent of the footprint of the lawfully existing impervious surfaces on the site, provided that the expansion or reconstruction does not increase the lawfully existing impervious surface on the site by one-quarter acre or more, of: a building owned by a municipality or county and used for the purposes of municipal or county government; a court house; or a building used for the purposes of a volunteer fire department, incorporated volunteer fire company, or volunteer first aid, emergency, rescue, or ambulance squad. This expansion or reconstruction would be exempt from the provisions of the "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act," the regional master plan adopted pursuant thereto, any rules or regulations adopted by the Department of Environmental Protection pursuant thereto, or any amendments to a master plan, development regulations, or other regulations adopted by a local government unit to specifically conform them with the Highlands regional master plan. The exemption in this bill is mirrored on an existing exemption in the act that allows the reconstruction of any building or structure for any reason within 125 percent of the footprint of the lawfully existing impervious surfaces on the site, provided that the reconstruction or expansion does not increase the lawfully existing impervious surface on the site by one-quarter acre or more. This bill would specifically exempt the limited expansion or reconstruction of buildings owned by a municipality or county (such as a municipal or county office building or a building housing a police department or fire department), court houses, and buildings used by volunteer fire departments, incorporated volunteer fire companies, or volunteer first aid, emergency, rescue, or ambulance squads. | In Committee |
| S375 | Directs NJ Sports and Exposition Authority to conduct feasibility study of Meadowlands convention center project. | This bill directs the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (authority) to undertake a feasibility study of establishing and operating a convention center project on or near the site of the arena project owned and operated by the authority within the meadowlands complex. The bill directs the authority to submit a report containing its findings and recommendations concerning the convention center project based upon the information from the feasibility study, and any other studies authorized by the authority, to the Legislature no later than one year from the effective date of the bill. | In Committee |
| S362 | Allocates 10 percent of Green Acres funding to local government units for development of completely inclusive playgrounds. | This bill provides that 10 percent of the Green Acres funding provided for grants and loans to fund local government open space acquisition and development projects would be allocated as grants for the development of completely inclusive playgrounds by local government units. The "Preserve New Jersey Act" implements the constitutional dedication of corporation business tax (CBT) revenues for open space, farmland, and historic preservation. For State fiscal years 2017 through 2019, the act provides that of the 60 percent of dedicated CBT revenues allocated each year for the Green Acres program: 55 percent shall be used for State open space acquisition and development projects; 38 percent shall be used for grants and loans to fund local government open space acquisition and development projects; and 7 percent shall be used for grants to fund open space acquisition and development projects undertaken by qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organizations. Currently, the Green Acres program requires all development projects to comply with all applicable federal and State requirements of the "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990" and "barrier free" codes. This bill would provide that of the funding for local government open space acquisition and development projects, 10 percent would be allocated as grants for the development of completely inclusive playgrounds, including the retrofitting of existing playgrounds, by local government units. The bill further provides that a grant by the State for development of a completely inclusive playground by a local government unit that is not an urban aid municipality would be for 50 percent of the cost of development of the playground. This bill would provide that a portion of Green Acres funds be specifically allocated for the development of completely inclusive playgrounds by counties and municipalities. | In Committee |
| SJR18 | Directs AG to investigate whether pedophile organizations use the internet to encourage sex offenders to violate State law. | This joint resolution requires the Attorney General to undertake an investigation to determine whether certain pedophile organizations use the internet to encourage sex offenders to engage in sexual relationships that violate the laws of New Jersey. The internet is being used as a forum for pedophile organizations that actively recruit members, and promote the abolition of all age-of-consent laws. These organizations advocate the legalization of consensual sexual relationships between adults and minors, particularly men and boys. Age-of-consent laws, however, are necessary to prevent sexual abuse, and to protect children from being sexually exploited by adults. Unfortunately, modes of electronic communication, such as the internet, play a significant role in sex crimes committed against children. Necessary precautions should be taken to ensure that pedophile organizations are not using the internet to encourage sexual predators to violate the laws of this State. | In Committee |
| SCR17 | Proposes amendment to Constitution to change minimum and maximum local tax levy requirements for funding of public schools and minimum and maximum State support for special education. | This Senate Concurrent Resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to modify the "thorough and efficient" clause of the State Constitution. The amendment specifies that the Legislature will enact laws prescribing the components of a thorough and efficient system of free public schools. Additionally, the amendment stipulates that the Legislature will enact laws providing for the funding of public schools, including provisions requiring that school districts fund no less than 20 percent, but no more than80 percent, of their general fund budgets through local property taxes. The amendment also specifies that the State would be responsible for providing funding for at least 80 percent, and no more than 100 percent, of the excess costs of educating special education students. | In Committee |
| S399 | Broadens riot; enhances penalties for certain crimes committed during riot; creates new crimes of mob intimidation and cyber-intimidation by publication; establishes duty in municipality to permit law enforcement to respond appropriately. | This omnibus bill addresses riot and certain violent crime committed during the course of riot. Presently, a person is guilty of riot if he participates with four or more others in a course of disorderly conduct with an unlawful purpose, enumerated in the statute. This bill amends subsection b. of N.J.S.2C:33-1, riot, and expands the categories of riot to include aggravated riot, inciting a riot and aggravated inciting a riot. Under the bill, a person commits riot if the he participates in a violent public disturbance involving an assembly of three or more persons, acting with a common intent to assist each other in violent and disorderly conduct, resulting in (1) Injury to another person; (2) Damage to property; or (3) Imminent danger of injury to another person or damage to property. A person who commits a riot when he or any other participant, known to him, uses or plans to use a firearm or other deadly weapon is guilty of a crime of the third degree. A crime of the third degree is punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. Otherwise riot is a crime of the fourth degree. A crime of the fourth degree is punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. New subsection b. is added to N.J.S.2C:33-1 to provide a person commits aggravated riot if, in the course of committing a riot, he: (1) Participates with 25 or more other persons; (2) Causes serious bodily injury to a person not participating in the riot; (3) Causes property damage in excess of $5,000; (4) Displays, uses, threatens to use, or attempts to use a deadly weapon; or (5) By force, or threat of force, endangers the safe movement of a vehicle traveling on a public street, highway, or road. A person who commits aggravating riot commits a crime of the second degree. A crime of the second degree is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $150,000, or both. New subsection c. is added to N.J.S.2C:33-1 to provide a person commits inciting a riot if he willfully incites another person to participate in a riot, resulting in a riot or imminent danger of a riot. A person who commits inciting a riot commits a crime of the third degree. New subsection d. is added to N.J.S.2C:33-1 to provide a person commits aggravated inciting a riot if he (1) Incites a riot resulting in serious bodily harm to another person not participating in the riot; (2) Incites a riot resulting in property damage in excess of $5,000; or (3) Supplies a deadly weapon to another person or teaches another person to prepare a deadly weapon with intent that the deadly weapon be used in a riot for an unlawful purpose. A person who commits aggravated inciting a riot commits a crime of the second degree. Under the bill, a person arrested for a violation of N.J.S.2C:33-1 shall be held in custody until brought before the court for a pretrial detention hearing. The bill does not prohibit constitutionally protected activity such as a peaceful protest. The bill amends N.J.S.2C:33-7, obstructing highways or other passages, to provide that it shall be unlawful for a person, having no legal privilege to do so, to purposely or recklessly obstruct any highway or other public passage whether alone or with others. No person shall be deemed in violation of this subsection solely because of a gathering of persons to hear him speak or otherwise communicate, or solely because of being a member of such a gathering. The amendment leaves intact subsection b. of N.J.S.2C:33-7, which concerns refusal to obey a reasonable official request or order to move. The bill amends N.J.S.2C:12-1, Assault. Currently, paragraph (5) of subsection b. enumerates specific circumstances when aggravated assault occurs. This bill adds that a person is guilty of aggravated assault if he attempts to cause or purposely, knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to another in the course of a riot. Aggravated assault under this circumstance is a crime of the third degree, punishable by up to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. Paragraph (5) of subsection b. of N.J.S.2C:12-1 further elevates simple assault to aggravated assault when committed against certain categories of persons, including when committed against a law enforcement officer acting in the performance of the officer's duties while in uniform or exhibiting evidence of authority or because of the officer's status as a law enforcement officer, and is graded as a crime of the third degree. Under the bill, if, in the course of a riot, an object is thrown at certain emergency personnel including law enforcement officers, or if the emergency personnel is struck, whether or not with an object, the presumption of non-imprisonment for a first offense of a crime of the third degree shall not apply, and a mandatory period of six months imprisonment shall apply. The bill amends N.J.S.2C:17-3, criminal mischief, to add an additional category to the offense. Under the new provision, a person is guilty of criminal mischief if he without the consent of the owner thereof, willfully and maliciously defaces, injures, or otherwise damages by any means a memorial or historic property, and the value of the damage to the memorial or historic property is greater than $200. The bill grades this offense as a crime of the third degree where the damage is to a memorial or historic property. The bill provides that "historic property" means any building, structure, site, or object that has been officially designated or approved for inclusion, or which meets the criteria for inclusion, in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places pursuant to P.L.1970, c.268 (C.13:1B-15.128 et seq.) as a historic building, historic structure, historic site, or historic object through a federal, state, or local designation program. "Memorial" means a plaque, statue, marker, flag, banner, cenotaph, religious symbol, painting, seal, tombstone, structure name, or display that is constructed and located with the intent of being permanently displayed or perpetually maintained; is dedicated to a historical person, an entity, an event, or a series of events; and honors or recounts the military service of any past or present United States Armed Forces military personnel, or the past or present public service of a resident of the geographical area comprising the state or the United States. A court shall order any person convicted of violating this provision to pay restitution, which shall include the full cost of repair or replacement of such memorial or historic property. The bill amends N.J.S.A.2C:18-2, burglary, to add an additional circumstance to the grading scheme. Under the bill, burglary is a crime of the second degree if it occurs during a riot or an aggravated riot and the perpetration of the burglary is facilitated by conditions arising from the riot. The section is further amended to provide that "conditions arising from the riot," means civil unrest, power outages, curfews, or a reduction in the presence of or response time for first responders or homeland security personnel. A person arrested for committing a burglary during a riot or aggravated riot may not be released until the person appears before a judge at a pretrial detention hearing. The bill amends N.J.S.A.2C:20-2, theft, to add an additional circumstances to the grading scheme. Under the bill, theft is a crime of the second degree if the property stolen is law enforcement equipment, valued at $300 or more, that is taken from an authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in R.S.39:1-1. "Emergency medical equipment" means mechanical or electronic apparatus used to provide emergency services and care or to treat medical emergencies. "Law enforcement equipment" means any property, device, or apparatus used by any law enforcement officer as defined in section 3 of P.L.1993, c.220, (C.52:17B-161) in the officer's official business. If the property is stolen during a riot or an aggravated riot prohibited under section N.J.S.2C:33-1 and the perpetration of the theft is facilitated by conditions arising from the riot; the theft is committed after the declaration of emergency is made, and the perpetration of the theft is facilitated by conditions arising from the emergency, the theft is a crime of the second degree. Under the bill, the term "conditions arising from the riot" means civil unrest, power outages, curfews, or a reduction in the presence of or response time for first responders or homeland security personnel and the term "conditions arising from the emergency" means civil unrest, power outages, curfews, voluntary or mandatory evacuations, or a reduction in the presence of or response time for first responders or homeland security personnel. Third degree theft is elevated to a crime of the second degree if the property is stolen during a riot or an aggravated riot prohibited under N.J.S.2C:33-1 and the perpetration of the theft is facilitated by conditions arising from the riot; the property is stolen after the declaration of emergency is made, and the perpetration of the theft is facilitated by conditions arising from the emergency. A person arrested for committing a theft during a riot crime, or other crime amended by the bill, may not be released until the person appears before a judge at a pretrial detention hearing. The bill amends N.J.S.59:2-2, concerning public entity liability to provide that a municipality has a duty to allow the municipal law enforcement agency to respond appropriately to protect persons and property during a riot or an unlawful assembly based on the availability of adequate equipment to its municipal law enforcement officers and relevant State and federal laws. The bill creates the new offenses of mob intimidation and cyber-intimidation by publication. Under the bill, mob intimidation occurs when a person, assembled with two or more other persons and acting with a common intent, to use force or threaten to use imminent force, to compel or induce, or attempt to compel or induce, another person to do or refrain from doing any act or to assume, abandon, or maintain a particular viewpoint against his or her will. A person who violates this section commits a disorderly persons offense. A disorderly persons offense is punishable by up to 6 months imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. A person arrested for a violation of this section shall be held in custody until brought before the court for a pretrial detention hearing. Under the bill, cyber-intimidation by publication occurs when a person electronically publishes another person's personal identification information with the intent to, or with the intent that a third party will use the information to (a) Incite violence or commit a crime against the person; or (b) Threaten or harass the person, placing such person in reasonable fear of bodily harm. A person who violates this subsection commits a crime of the fourth degree. The bill establishes an affirmative defense in action for personal injury, wrongful death, or property damage that action arose from an injury or damage sustained by a participant acting in furtherance of a riot. The bill establishes a procedure to appeal law enforcement funding reduction proposal in local budgets. This bill is modeled closely on Florida Laws ch.6; 2021 Fla. HB 1. | In Committee |
| SR17 | Urges US Congress to pass "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act." | This resolution urges the United States Congress to pass the "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" and to require all states to comply with the provisions of the law. In response to troubling indications that some abortion providers do not regard infants born alive during abortion procedures as legal persons, in 2002 the United States Congress enacted the "Born-Alive Infants Protection Act" ("BAIPA"), which provides legal protection to an infant who is born alive at any stage of development, regardless of whether the infant's delivery was the result of natural or induced labor, cesarean section, or induced abortion. Despite extending legal protections to infants who survive abortion attempts, "BAIPA" does not impose any penalties on physicians who neglect to provide medical care for these infants. In the years since "BAIPA" was enacted, evidence has come to light that some abortion providers still do not regard infants born alive during abortion procedures as legal persons, and do not provide them the same degree of medical care that they would provide to premature infants who are born spontaneously. As of 2014, only 26 U.S. states had some kind of statute mandating care for infants born alive after an attempted abortion, and some U.S. states have recently proposed or enacted bills that would remove existing protections. The recently-introduced federal "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" addresses this problem by imposing criminal penalties on an individual who fails to provide medical care to an infant born alive during an abortion procedure, or who intentionally kills or attempts to kill an infant who survives an attempted abortion. | In Committee |
| S370 | "Transparency in Government Act;" provides for establishment of State public finance website; requires certain public entities receiving State funds to establish similar website; makes an appropriation. | This bill, designated as the "Transparency in Government Act," provides for the establishment of a State public finance Internet website, establishes a public finance transparency committee, requires certain public entities receiving State funds to establish similar Internet websites, and provides for the appropriation of State funds to provide resources to offset certain additional direct expenditures that may be required to be made by public entities to plan, implement, and maintain a public finance Internet website. The bill provides that the State Treasurer, in consultation with the Chief Technology Officer of the Office of Information Technology in the Department of the Treasury, is required to design, develop, and maintain a single, searchable State Internet website that retains and displays certain data and information pertaining to the State's annual revenues, expenditures, and total bonded indebtedness. The bill specifies that the State Treasurer must design and develop the State Internet website on January 1, 2013, and must maintain and operate that site, without charge for access, each year thereafter. The bill specifies that the State Internet website must include data and information pertaining to the State's annual revenues, expenditures, and total bonded indebtedness for fiscal year 2013 and each year thereafter, and must include data and information pertaining to the State's annual revenues, expenditures, and total bonded indebtedness not later than 45 days after the last day of the preceding fiscal year. The bill specifies that the State Treasurer is not required to provide data and information on the website of the kind that is not available in the central accounting system and the State payroll system at the time the website is implemented, and is not required to disclose information deemed private, personal, or confidential by State or federal law. The bill specifies that data or information posted on the State Internet website may be periodically updated, but is not subject to removal. The bill specifies further that the State Internet website must include a link or otherwise provide the general public with a means to access the Internet websites required to be established by public entities as a result of the bill. The bill provides for the establishment of the Public Finance Transparency Committee in the Department of the Treasury. The bill specifies that the committee is comprised of nine members, including the State Treasurer, the Chief Technology Officer, the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury, two cabinet-level officers appointed by the Governor, and four public members. The bill specifies that the public members of the committee will serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for certain necessary expenses. The bill specifies that it is the duty of the committee to advise, consult, and coordinate with the State Treasurer and the Chief Technology Officer to improve and expand upon the scope, content, and format of the State Internet website. The bill specifies further that it is the duty of the committee to seek the advice of and receive feedback from the general public and certain experts with knowledge of and interest in areas of public information access, gateway services, add-on services, and electronic information for the general improvement of the State public finance Internet website, and to issue an annual report. The bill requires certain other public entities, including counties, municipalities, State or local authorities, school boards and other instrumentality of the State, that receive direct grants or funds from the State during any fiscal year to, within 180 after the date the State public finance Internet website is required to be made available, and prior to the receipt of any additional funds in the next fiscal year, present a detailed plan to the State Treasurer for an Internet website that will be provided by the public entity and readily accessible to the general public without charge for access. The bill specifies that these public finance websites will be required to show in detail data and information regarding total annual expenditures, total annual funds received, and total bonded indebtedness of the public entity required to design and develop a website. The bill specifies that once a detailed plan for an Internet website has been submitted by a public entity and has been reviewed and accepted by the State Treasurer, the entity will have 90 days to implement the plan for the Internet website and have it readily available to the general public without charge. The bill specifies certain actions that may be taken by the State Treasurer if a detailed plan for an Internet website that is submitted for review is in need of certain changes, and specifies certain actions that may be taken by the State Treasurer if a detailed plan for an Internet website that is submitted for review is wholly unacceptable. The bill requires the State Treasurer to develop a template and to provide access to or use of any software that may be necessary for a public entity to use to retain and display any data and information required to be made publicly available. The bill specifies that once public entities are in receipt of the template and any software provided by the State Treasurer, the public entities are responsible to update information required to be made available to the public through the template and the software. The bill requires the State Treasurer, the Chief Technology Officer, and the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety to conduct three public hearings to receive public input and feedback and to collate information regarding the implementation of the bill. The bill specifies that the hearings must be held within 90 days of the effective date of the bill, and specifies that of the three hearings, one must be held in the northern, one must be held in the central, and one must be held in the southern regions of the State. The bill specifies further that the State Treasurer is required to provide public notice for the hearings. The bill requires the State Treasurer to provide technical assistance and training to a county, municipality, State or local authority, school board, or other instrumentality of the State that is required to maintain an Internet website as a result of the bill. The bill specifies that the purpose of the technical assistance and training is to convey best practices in: presenting a detailed plan for an Internet websites to the State Treasurer; obtaining and compiling financial data and information required to be made available on a public entity's Internet website; designing and developing an Internet website that is readily accessible to the general public without charge; and otherwise maintaining compliance with the provisions of the bill. The bill requires the Chief Technology Officer to establish a public finance Internet website technical support unit within the Office of Information Technology. The bill specifies that the support unit will be under the immediate supervision of a manager, and will be staffed by personnel currently appointed and employed by the Office of Information Technology. The bill specifies that the manager of the technical support unit will be required to develop and maintain a full-time program dedicated to providing information technology support and services to public entities required to maintain an Internet website, and to perform any other duties and responsibilities assigned to it by the Chief Technology Officer. The bill authorizes the State Treasurer to develop rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill specifies that the State Treasurer may make an immediate filing of regulations, effective for a limited duration. The bill appropriates to the Department of the Treasury from the General Fund such sums as may be necessary, not to exceed $100,000, as determined by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury, to provide resources, other than the property tax, to offset any additional direct expenditures that may be required for a public entity to plan, implement, and maintain an Internet website required to be made readily available to the general public without charge, and to otherwise effectuate the purposes of the bill. For fiscal year 2014 and for each fiscal year thereafter, the bill annually appropriates to the Department of the Treasury from the General Fund such sums as may be necessary, not to exceed $100,000, as determined by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury, to provide resources, other than the property tax, to offset any additional direct expenditures that may be required for a public entity to plan, implement, and maintain an Internet website required to be made readily available to the general public without charge, and to otherwise effectuate the purposes of the bill. The bill provides that its provisions take effect July 1, 2012 and that section 3 of the bill, which provides for the establishment of the State public finance Internet website, will remain inoperative until January 1, 2013. | In Committee |
| S407 | Clarifies spitting in law enforcement officer's food or drink constitutes aggravated assault; requires certain sanctions on restaurant employees who commit this crime. | This bill clarifies that spitting on the food or into the beverage of a law enforcement officer constitutes aggravated assault. The bill also requires restaurants to impose certain sanctions on an employee who engages in this conduct. Under current law, a person who throws a bodily fluid at a law enforcement officer while in the performance of the person's duties or otherwise purposely subjects the officer to contact with a bodily fluid commits aggravated assault. It is a crime of the third degree if the officer suffers bodily injury. Otherwise, it is a crime of the fourth degree. A third degree crime generally is punishable by a term of imprisonment of three to five years, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. Fourth degree crimes are punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 18 months, a fine of $10,000, or both. This bill clarifies that subjecting a law enforcement officer to contact with a bodily fluid includes spitting on an officer's food or into the officer's beverage and that this is a crime of the third degree. In addition to the three to five year term of imprisonment, the bill provides for a mandatory fine of $15,000. The bill also requires a restaurant employer to suspend an employee who is charged with aggravated assault for spitting in an officer's food or drink and fire the employee if convicted of the crime. A restaurant employer who violates this provision is to be civilly fined up to $500 for the first violation and up to $1,000 for each subsequent violation. The bill defines a restaurant as "any facility or part thereof in which food is prepared and provided or served for consumption on the premises, but shall not include mobile food establishments or any temporary food establishment which operates at a fixed location for a limited period of time in connection with a fair, carnival, public exhibition, or similar transitory gathering or charitable fund raising event." | In Committee |
| S388 | Requires MVC to accept emergency medical technician and paramedic certification cards as two points of documentation for purposes of MVC identification verification program. | This bill allows the applicant for an examination permit, a driver's license, commercial driver license, non-driver identification card, or power vessel operator's license to submit a valid emergency medical technician or paramedic certification card issued by the Department of Health to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) for the purposes of the MVC's Six-Point Identification Verification Program. The bill provides that these certification cards are to count for two points for the purposes of identification verification. | In Committee |
| S418 | Makes FY2023 supplemental appropriation of $17 million to DEP for grants for certain lake management activities. | This bill makes a one-time supplemental appropriation of $17 million for Fiscal Year 2023 to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from the General Fund. The bill directs the DEP to establish a program to use these funds for grants to assist qualified entities to pay certain costs associated with the management and maintenance of lakes for recreation and conservation purposes. The bill requires the DEP to develop criteria for the evaluation and ranking of applications to provide priority to projects submitted by qualified entities responsible for a lake with public access; and projects to improve water quality and increase recreational access and use of lakes, including projects to control nutrient levels in lakes in order to prevent future harmful algal blooms. The bill provides that a grant issued pursuant to the bill may be used for stormwater and nonpoint source pollution management activities, if the DEP determines that those activities would directly enhance, improve, or protect the use of a lake for recreation and conservation purposes. The bill defines "qualified entity" to mean: the Greenwood Lake Commission; the Lake Hopatcong Commission; a local government unit; an entity established pursuant to law or an entity established pursuant to ordinance by the municipalities surrounding a publicly-accessible lake for the management of the lake, including, but not limited to, the Deal Lake Commission or the Lake Topanemus Park Commission; or a nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal taxation pursuant to 26 U.S.C. s.501 (c)(3) and whose mission is the management or maintenance of a publicly-accessible lake. | In Committee |
| SR23 | Urges Cuba to extradite Joanne Chesimard to U.S. | This Senate Resolution urges Cuba to extradite Joanne Chesimard to the United States. Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, was convicted in 1977 of the May 2, 1973 murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster and wounding of New Jersey State Trooper James Harper during a shoot-out on the New Jersey Turnpike. After being pulled over for a routine traffic stop, Joanne Chesimard and fellow members of the radical Black Liberation Army opened fire on Troopers Foerster and Harper, and Joanne Chesimard eventually killed Trooper Foerster by shooting him in the head as he lay wounded by gunfire. In 1977, Joanne Chesimard was sentenced to life in prison, but two years later she escaped from a maximum security cell in what is now the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Union Township, New Jersey. Joanne Chesimard later fled to Cuba, where she was granted political asylum and has lived ever since. State authorities have made numerous efforts to extradite Joanne Chesimard and in 2013, Joanne Chesimard was the first woman named to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's most wanted terrorist list. President Obama recently announced that the United States will restore diplomatic relations it severed with Cuba more than 50 years ago. In light of this re-establishment of relations, Cuba is urged to extradite Joanne Chesimard to the United States so that she may be brought to justice for the murder of a dedicated law enforcement officer. | In Committee |
| S1195 | Requires public school student with concussion to be evaluated by physician or other licensed health care provider before return to school and return to physical activity at school. | This bill provides that a student enrolled in a school district who sustains a concussion must receive an evaluation by a physician or other licensed health care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussions and written clearance from one of these physicians in order to return to school. In the event that the physician provides notice that the student requires restrictions or limitations, the school district 504 team must immediately implement the restrictions or limitations and notify all teachers and staff who have contact with the student of the restrictions or limitations. The school district's 504 team, in consultation with the physician who provided notice, would promptly identify the manner in which the restrictions or limitations would be provided to the student during recovery and the need for the continuation or adjustment of the restrictions or limitations, and to determine the duration of the restrictions or limitations. The bill also provides that a student enrolled in a school district who sustains a concussion is prohibited from engaging in any physical activity at school including, but not limited to, recess, physical education, or intramural sports. The student may not participate in any physical activity until he is evaluated by a physician or other licensed health care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussions and he receives written clearance from the physician to participate. | In Committee |
| S435 | Establishes State Pension Cost of Living Reform Commission. | This bill establishes the State Pension Cost of Living Reform Commission. The commission will consist of 10 members that will examine ways in which the Legislature may reinstate cost of living adjustments (COLAs) for retirees and beneficiaries, including an analysis on the viability and cost of reinstatement to each of the State-administered defined benefit retirement systems separately and the State and Local Parts of each. The commission will propose its findings and recommended legislation to the Governor and the Legislature within six months of its first meeting. The commission will then expire. The commission will be comprised of the State Treasurer, the Director of the Division of Pensions and Benefits, and members of the public appointed by the Governor and by Legislative leadership from the Senate and the General Assembly. | In Committee |
| S411 | Requires board of education to publicly post full meeting agenda 48 hours prior to meeting. | Under current law, all board of education meetings must be public and each board is required to hold a meeting at least once every two months during the period in which the schools in the district are in session. This bill amends current law to also require a board to post on its Internet website in an easily accessible location the full meeting agenda for all board meetings 48 hours prior to the commencement of the meeting. The bill requires that the full meeting agenda will include a detailed description of each item on the agenda. Under the "Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA)," P.L.1975, c.231 (C.10:4-6 et seq.), public bodies, including boards of education, empowered as voting bodies to perform governmental functions, are required to give 48 hours of advance notice giving the time, date, location, and to the extent known, the agenda of their scheduled meetings. This bill codifies the 48 hours of advance notice requirement into the section of law specifically pertaining to boards of education, and helps enhance transparency and bring consistency to boards of education by requiring each board to post on its Internet website in an easily accessible location the full meeting agenda for all board meetings 48 hours prior to the commencement of the meeting. The full meeting agenda must include a detailed description of each item on the agenda. | In Committee |
| S652 | Broadens offenses of riot and disorderly conduct; enhances penalties for public monument destruction; addresses riot victim assaults; creates crime of promotion of violent, disorderly assembly. | In light of the exponentially greater risk of injury and damage caused by crowd-based destructive behavior, this omnibus bill addresses certain crimes committed during the course of riot or crowd-based behavior. Presently, under N.J.S.A.2C:33-1, a person is guilty of riot if he participates with four or more others in a course of disorderly conduct with an unlawful purpose, enumerated in the statute. This bill amends N.J.S.A.2C:33-1 to expand the categories of unlawful purposes to include when the actor, with six or more others, causes damage to property or injury to another. Riot under these circumstances is a crime of the fourth degree punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. The bill amends N.J.S.A.2C:33-2, Disorderly Conduct, which currently provides that a person commits a petty disorderly persons offense if he commits certain prohibited acts. This bill creates a new subsection c. to provide that a person commits a crime of the fourth degree if, during a riot, he engages in disorderly conduct in a place of public accommodation, resort or amusement. Under the bill, "Place of public accommodation, resort or amusement" includes any inn, tavern, road house or hotel, whether for entertainment of transient guests or accommodation of those seeking health, recreation or rest; any restaurant, eating house, or place where food is sold for consumption on the premises; any place maintained for sale of ice cream, ice and fruit preparations or their derivatives, soda water or confections, or where any beverages of any kind are retailed for consumption on the premises; any garage, any public conveyance operated on land or water, and stations and terminals thereof; any public bathhouse, public boardwalk, public seashore accommodation; any theater, or other place of public amusement, motion-picture house, airdrome, music hall, roof garden, skating rink, amusement and recreation park, fair, bowling alley, gymnasium, shooting gallery, billiard and pool parlor; any dispensary, clinic, hospital, public library, kindergarten, primary and secondary school, high school, academy, college and university, or any educational institution under the supervision of the regents of the State of New Jersey. Under these circumstances, the offense is a crime of the fourth degree. The bill amends N.J.S.A.2C:33-7, Obstructing highways and other public passages, to elevate the offense to a crime of the fourth degree if a person, who, having no legal privilege to do so, purposely or recklessly obstructs any highway or other public passage in the course of committing riot or disorderly conduct. The bill amends N.J.S.2C:33-9, Desecration of venerated objects, to elevate the offense to a crime of the fourth degree if the desecration occurs during a riot. The term desecrate is clarified to include conduct such as actual destruction or the toppling of a monument. The bill amends N.J.S.2C:12-1, Assault. Currently, the statute enumerates the circumstances when aggravated assault occurs; this bill adds the additional circumstance. Under the bill, a person is guilty of aggravated assault if he attempts to cause or purposely, knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to another in the course of a riot. Aggravated assault under this circumstance is a crime of the third degree, punishable by three to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. Additionally, paragraph (5) of subsection b. of N.J.S.A.2C:12-1 elevates simple assault to aggravated assault when committed against certain categories of persons, including when committed against a law enforcement officer acting in the performance of the officer's duties while in uniform or exhibiting evidence of authority or because of the officer's status as a law enforcement officer, and is graded as a crime of the third degree. Under the bill, if, in the course of a riot, an object is thrown at a law enforcement officer, or if the law enforcement officer is struck, whether or not with an object, the presumption of non-imprisonment for a first offense of a crime of the third degree shall not apply, and a mandatory period of six months imprisonment shall apply. The bill creates the new crime of promotion of violent, disorderly assembly. A person promotes violent, disorderly assembly if he conspires with others as an organizer, supervisor, financier or manager to commit any crime specified in chapters 11 through 18, 20, 33, 35, or 37 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes; N.J.S.2C:34-1; N.J.S.2C:39-3; N.J.S.2C:39-4; section 1 of P.L.1998, c.26 (C.2C:39-4.1); N.J.S.2C:39-5; or N.J.S.2C:39-9 in the course of a riot or at the site of a peaceable assembly. Promotion of violent, disorderly assembly is a crime of one degree higher than the most serious underlying crime referred to in subsection a. of this section, except that where the underlying offense is a crime of the first degree, promotion of violent, disorderly assembly is a first degree crime and the defendant, upon conviction, and notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of subsection a of N.J.S.2C:43-6, shall be sentenced to an ordinary term of imprisonment between 15 and 30 years. This bill is based upon a legislation concept entitled, "Combatting Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act," articulated in the media concerning an announcement made by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. | In Committee |
| S378 | Provides for certain group home licensees to obtain Medicaid reimbursement for reservation of beds used by residents on therapeutic leave. | This bill would require a group home for individuals with developmental disabilities to reserve and hold the room and bed of a Medicaid beneficiary who is temporarily absent from the group home due to therapeutic leave. "Therapeutic leave" is defined to mean the temporary absence of a resident from a group home for therapeutic, non-medical reasons, including, but not limited to, vacations, visits with parents, other family members, or caregivers, attendance at a residential camp, or residence in a temporary shelter. The bill prohibits a group home from allowing a Medicaid beneficiary's bed to be occupied by another individual during the period of time in which the beneficiary is on therapeutic leave. The bill further provides that a Medicaid recipient who is temporarily absent from the group home for the purposes of therapeutic leave will continue to be covered by the medical assistance program for the number of days, not exceeding 12 days per calendar year, that the group home maintains the resident's bed. The New Jersey Medicaid program will reimburse a group home licensee, at the per diem rate, for the group home's reservation of a bed for a Medicaid beneficiary who is on therapeutic leave, for the maximum period of up to 12 days per calendar year. A Medicaid beneficiary's temporary absence from a group home for the purpose of therapeutic leave is to be consistent with the beneficiary's individualized habilitation plan and authorized in writing by the beneficiary's treatment team. The dates and purpose of each such temporary absence are to be documented in the Medicaid beneficiary's individualized habilitation plan and health record. The group home licensee will also be required to maintain accurate and up-to-date internal records regarding residents' use of therapeutic leave days, and make those records available for review by the department, upon request. The bill provides that, in instances where a Medicaid beneficiary transfers residence from one group home to another within a calendar year, the receiving group home will be required determine the number of therapeutic leave days that have already been allowed by the previous group home of residence within the same calendar year. A record of any therapeutic leave days that have been used by the resident is to be included by the sending facility in the information that is provided to the receiving facility in association with the transfer of the resident thereto. A Medicaid beneficiary will only be deemed to be temporarily absent from a group home for therapeutic leave, for the purposes of obtaining reimbursement under the bill, if the beneficiary is not present in the facility for a full and consecutive 24-hour period beginning and ending at midnight. If the beneficiary is present in the group home for any portion of a day, beginning and ending at midnight, reimbursement for that day may not be sought or provided under the bill. A group home will be required to notify the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services in the Department of Human Services upon the commencement of a period of therapeutic leave, and the division will be required to confirm the need to maintain the resident's bed, and certify the group home's eligibility to receive payment under the Medicaid program. | In Committee |
| S373 | Establishes task force to study issues facing returning members of US Armed Forces, NJ National Guard, and reserve component of US Armed Forces; creates permanent commission to study various definitions related to veteran status. | This bill establishes a task force on returning members of the United States Armed Forces and reserve components, and the New Jersey National Guard. The purpose of the task force will be to identify and review the issues and concerns facing members of the United States Armed Forces, New Jersey National Guard, and a reserve component of the United States Armed Forces returning from overseas deployments involving the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and recommend the measures the State should take to address and remedy the issues and concerns, including legislation if appropriate. The task force will: examine current data, research, programs, and initiatives related to the physical, social, emotional, and mental impact of military service upon service members and their families; identify effective strategies for promoting lifelong physical, social, emotional, and mental health of service members and their families; and develop recommendations to implement those strategies, including legislation if appropriate. The task force will prepare and issue a final report on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations, including any recommendations for legislation that it deems appropriate. The task force will expire 30 days after submission of its report. The bill also creates a permanent study commission to study the definitions related to veteran status. The study commission will: compile and analyze the various definitions of "veteran," "disabled veteran," "service-disabled veteran," and any other definition of veteran in the statutes; identify statutes with unique and restrictive requirements for the various definitions and determine if the requirements may be revised to achieve more uniform definitions; identify potential revisions to be made to the statutes to provide for a clearer understanding of the requirements for qualification under the various definitions; consult with the military community for expertise and input; and use the findings of the study commission, and the expertise from the military community, to recommend changes to the various definitions and submit the findings, conclusions, and recommendations in its annual reports. | In Committee |
| S401 | Creates "Unemployment Intake Accountability Pilot Program." | This bill establishes a three-year "Unemployment Intake Accountability Pilot Program" in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The objective of the pilot program shall be to test the viability of recording customer service intake calls to the Division of Unemployment Insurance. Under the pilot program, a representative sample of customer service intake calls is to be recorded for later analysis by the commissioner. The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development may enter into contracts to enact this pilot program. No later than one year following the effective date of the bill, the commissioner is required to survey the record of customer service intake calls to the Division of Unemployment Insurance. The survey shall obtain information including, but not limited to: the resolution rate of calls recorded by the pilot program; time elapsed between customer intake and the resolution of calls recorded by the pilot program; and any correlation between the time elapsed and the level of benefits received by the recipient. The commissioner shall use the survey results to publish an annual report on the effectiveness of the customer service intake telephone system. It is the view of the sponsor that this pilot program is necessary because of public dissatisfaction with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, including claimant reports of rudeness during telephone interactions with the department. | In Committee |
| S384 | Modifies "New Jersey Tort Claims Act" to provide for State to be strictly liable for injuries caused by State-mandated vaccines. | This bill would make the State strictly liable for damages stemming from certain vaccine-related injuries. The "New Jersey Tort Claims Act" (NJTCA) provides that the public entities and public employees are to be generally immune from civil liability in tort actions. "Public entity" is defined to include the State and any county, municipality, district, public authority, public agency, and any other political subdivision or public body in the State. The NJTCA specifically immunizes all public entities and public employees from liability for any injury resulting from the decision to perform or not to perform any act to promote the public health of the community by preventing disease or controlling the communication of disease within the community. The Act further specifies that no public entity or public employee may be held civilly liable for any injury resulting from the public entity's or public employee's acts of commission or omission arising out of and in the course of the entity's or employee's acquisition, stockpiling, distribution, or dispensing of drugs and vaccines that mitigate the effects of exposure to nuclear, chemical, or biological agents caused by an act of terrorism or arising out of a state of emergency as declared by the Governor. This bill would amend the NJTCA to specify that, notwithstanding the Act's existing immunity provisions, a public entity will be strictly liable for an injury that is caused by the administration of a vaccine if the plaintiff establishes that: 1) the vaccine was mandated by State law, rule, or regulation as a condition of attendance at a child care center, preschool program, elementary or secondary school, or institution of higher education, or by emergency declaration, at the time of the vaccine's administration; 2) the vaccine was administered by a public employee or any other person authorized to ensure compliance with the State's vaccination requirements; and 3) the injury was proximately caused by the administration of the vaccine. Documentation of a final determination of vaccine injury, which is issued through the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration in the United States Department of Health and Human Services, or a final judgment issued by a court of competent jurisdiction that includes a finding of vaccine injury will constitute prima facie evidence that the injury was proximately caused by the administration of the vaccine. The bill provides that any damages awarded to an individual pursuant to its provisions are to be reduced by any amount for which the individual has received compensation from any other source, including, but not limited to, compensation paid under an insurance policy, by a State or federal health benefits program, by an entity which provides health services on a prepaid basis, or by the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, regardless of whether the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program issued a final determination of vaccine injury. The bill further specifies that its provisions may not be deemed to constitute a State compensation program, under 42 U.S.C. s.300aa-15, for the purposes of determining whether compensation is available under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Because the term "public entity," as defined in the NJTCA, includes the State as well as any county, municipality, district, public authority, public agency, or other political subdivision or public body, the bill would clarify that, whenever a public entity, other than the State, is named as a defendant in a suit brought pursuant to the bill, that entity will be entitled to seek and obtain indemnification and reimbursement from the State General Fund for any monetary damages that are paid and other reasonable costs that are incurred thereby in association with the resolution of the case. Reimbursement is be provided upon the Secretary of State's receipt of a claim for reimbursement and approval of the claim by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury. A claim for reimbursement is to be submitted in accordance with the same timeframes, and in the same manner, as is specified by the NJTCA for claims of damage or injury. The bill provides for the Legislature to annually appropriate, from the General Fund to the Secretary of State, such sums as the State Treasurer and the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury determine are necessary for the reimbursements authorized under the bill. This bill would take effect immediately and would apply to all vaccine-related injuries that are sustained after, or that are ongoing as of, the effective date. | In Committee |
| S369 | Provides for reduced sales tax imposition on certain sales in certain Highlands Region Preservation Area municipalities. | This bill would provide a 50% sales and use tax exemption in any municipality 99% or more of the area of which is located within the Highlands Region preservation area. Because of the State designation of the Highlands Region preservation area, the economic vitality of municipalities that are entirely or almost entirely slated for preservation is seriously undermined. This sales tax exemption should result in maintaining the local economic base, preserve retail establishments and retain jobs in these municipalities. | In Committee |
| S455 | Prohibits requiring students to wear face masks in schools and on school buses. | This bill provides that a student attending a public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school would not be required to wear a face mask while in any indoor or outdoor area of any building of, or while on the grounds of, the school which the student is attending. A student would also not be required to wear a face mask while present on a school bus. The bill would not prohibit a student from voluntarily wearing a face mask while in any indoor or outdoor area of any building of, or while on the grounds of, the school which the student is attending or while the student is present on a school bus. | In Committee |
| S423 | Amends State college law to remove certain employees from civil service system and allow boards of trustees to conduct collective bargaining. | This bill removes from the civil service system all State college or university positions in titles listed as unclassified service titles or career service titles on the effective date of the bill. However, the bill also provides that an employee with permanent status in a title on the effective date of the bill, will be permitted to retain all career service rights as long as he remains in that title. Pursuant to P.L.1986, c.42 the State colleges and universities were granted autonomy from civil service restrictions in regard to professional members of the academic, administrative, and teaching staffs. This bill is intended to remove all other titles from the civil service system. The bill also provides that each State college or university would function as a public employer under the "New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act," and conduct all labor negotiations. Under current law, section 12 of P.L.1986, c.42 (C.18A:64-21.1), it is the Governor who has this responsibility. The University of Medicine and Dentistry and the New Jersey Institute of Technology currently conduct all labor negotiations at their institutions. | In Committee |
| S429 | Establishes certification program for disabled-owned businesses. | This bill authorizes the Department of the Treasury to certify businesses owned by persons with a disability in the same way that the Department provides for the certification of minority and women's businesses. New Jersey's disabled residents are vital participants in economic, civic, and social life in the State. Businesses owned in whole or in part by persons with disabilities touch all parts of the State's economy, providing vital goods and services to New Jerseyans and visitors. Enabling the certification of business entities owned by members of underrepresented communities contributes to the success and recognition of such businesses and helps such businesses thrive. The Division of Revenue in the Department of the Treasury already provides the opportunity for minority owned, women owned, veteran owned, and disabled-veteran owned businesses to apply for certification as such, but no such mechanism exists in New Jersey for disabled-owned businesses. This bill permanently remedies that lack of opportunity, affirms that disabled-owned business owners are welcome and encouraged to conduct business in New Jersey, and enables such businesses to proudly announce that they are recognized by the State as a disabled-owned business enterprise. | In Committee |
| S430 | Establishes "New Jersey Pandemic Bill of Rights for the Welfare of Individuals." | This bill establishes the "New Jersey Pandemic Bill of Rights for the Welfare of Individuals." The bill accords the citizens of the State of New Jersey with the following rights during a pandemic, a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease, or a declared public health emergency: (1) to have effective safeguards in place to protect a resident of a nursing home or long-term care facility or a person with a preexisting condition against an infectious disease that is the basis of the pandemic or declared public health emergency; (2) to be fully evaluated and treated in a health care facility, and not to be released from that facility without knowing whether one has tested positive for an infectious disease that is the basis of the pandemic or declared public health emergency, thereby depriving one of care and further spread of disease; (3) to receive adequate nourishment, medical care, and other necessities from a properly staffed health care facility, as a patient of that facility; (4) to be provided appropriate physical and occupational therapies and to be periodically moved to prevent debilitating wounds if a patient is confined to a bed; (5) to be permitted visitation as a patient or resident of a health care facility in accordance with the need for proper support by family or loved ones; (6) to have safeguards implemented by a health care facility to protect against the infectious disease that is the basis of the pandemic or declared public health emergency; (7) to have the needs and wishes stated in a legal or medical directive met without government interference or mandates that prohibit health care professionals from carrying out such directive, including, but not limited to, do not resuscitate orders; (8) to have attorneys designated as essential workers and to have attorney offices remain open during a pandemic, a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease, or a declared public health emergency; and (9) to have full access to legal services and have the ability to visit an attorney's office during a pandemic, a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease, or a declared public health emergency. The bill requires the Commissioner of Health to publish a notice of the rights enumerated in the bill, and to make the notice available to the public on the Department of Health's Internet website. All health care facilities, including nursing homes and long-term care facilities, are to post a copy of the notice in a conspicuous location that is available to the public. | In Committee |
| Bill | Bill Name | Motion | Vote Date | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1636 | Changes MVC voter registration procedures. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| S2167 | Requires public and certain nonpublic schools to comply with breakfast and lunch standards adopted by USDA. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S317 | Revises "Athletic Training Licensure Act." | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2019 | Authorizes pharmacists to dispense HIV prophylaxis without individual prescription under certain circumstances; mandates prescription benefits coverage. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S862 | Requires DOT to provide additional information in annual report on pavement condition; makes report available to public. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2051 | Requires law enforcement officer to conduct risk assessment of and provide assistance to domestic violence victims. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S1403 | Requires employer or contractor engaged in work for public body to submit payroll records to DOLWD. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S1320 | Requires certain information be included in certain contracts with licensed public adjusters. | Senate Floor: Concur Governor Recommendations | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S1067 | Directs DHS to conduct landscape analysis of available mental health services. | Senate Floor: Concur Governor Recommendations | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A2929 | Requires disclosure of lead drinking water hazards to tenants of residential units; prohibits landlords from obstructing replacement of lead service lines; concerns testing of certain property for lead drinking water hazards. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3323 | Requires pay for extracurricular activities to be included in compensation for TPAF purposes. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A3361 | Establishes limit on rent increase for certain dwelling sites for modular or industrialized buildings or manufactured homes. | Senate Floor: Concur Governor Recommendations | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A3128 | Authorizes HMFA to use certain tax credits; directs HMFA to conduct tax credit auctions to provide financial assistance for certain housing purposes. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A1948 | Requires VCCO to issue annual report to Governor and Legislature. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A1682 | Requires State Board of Education to adopt New Jersey Student Learning Standards pertaining to labor movement; requires school districts to provide instruction on labor movement. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2346 | Creates Code Red alert pilot program to shelter at-risk individuals during certain hot weather and air quality events; appropriates $5 million. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2373 | Provides employment protections for paid first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder under certain conditions. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3424 | Establishes certain program requirements for school counselor certification; outlines role and duties of school counselor; requires professional development for school counselors; establishes position of School Counselor Liaison in DOE. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3518 | Requires MVC to create digital driver's licenses and digital non-driver identification cards. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Abstain |
| S2783 | "Travel Insurance Act." | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3802 | Differentiates certain legal services from traditional insurance products. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| SJR96 | Permanently designates August 17th as "Nonprofit Day" in NJ. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2951 | Authorizes provision of monetary awards to whistleblowers who report State tax law violations committed by employers in construction industry. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2961 | Establishes minimum qualifications for persons employed on public works contract. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2961 | Establishes minimum qualifications for persons employed on public works contract. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| SJR100 | Designates July of each year as "Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month" in NJ. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4085 | Allows for natural organic reduction and controlled supervised decomposition of human remains. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3041 | Prohibits cooperative from receiving public works contract when cooperative-approved vendor fails to pay prevailing wage; concerns cooperative purchasing agreements with other states; and permits contracting units to award certain indefinite contracts. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4178 | Authorizes State Treasurer to grant temporary deed of easement in Borough of Sea Girt in Monmouth County. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3132 | Imposes certain requirements on secondhand dealers of cellular telephones and wireless communication devices. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3189 | Makes various changes to "New Jersey Angel Investor Tax Credit Act" and Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer Program; repeals "New Jersey Ignite Act." | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4331 | Establishes licensure for cosmetic retail services. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4429 | Expands prohibitions on employers concerning requirements for employees to attend or listen to communications related to political matters. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3287 | Provides gross income tax deduction for amounts paid to taxpayers for sale of certain real property interests for conservation purposes. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3309 | Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3309 | Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4455 | Allows exemption from New Jersey gross income of certain capital gains from sale or exchange of qualified small business stock. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3418 | Authorizes certain types of permanent structures, recently constructed or erected on preserved farmland, to be used, in certain cases, for purposes of holding special occasion events thereon. | Senate Floor: Concur Governor Recommendations | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4603 | Allows commercial farmer to be awarded reasonable costs and attorney fees for defending against bad faith complaints under "Right to Farm Act". | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4712 | Establishes Office of Veteran Advocate and ombudsman for DMVA; appropriates funds. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4765 | Requires driver education and testing on responsibilities when approaching and passing pedestrians and persons operating bicycles and personal conveyances; requires driver's manual to include information on sharing roadway with motorists for certain road users. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3618 | Directs DEP and DOT to establish "Wildlife Corridor Action Plan." | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4897 | Revises law requiring certain student identification cards to contain telephone number for suicide prevention hotline. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3711 | Makes annual allocation of $500,000 from Clean Communities Program Fund for public outreach concerning single-use plastics reduction program permanent. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3776 | Establishes Chronic Absenteeism Task Force. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4937 | Concerns satellite cannabis dispensaries, Cannabis Regulatory Commission membership, and post-employment restrictions on State employees. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A4937 | Concerns satellite cannabis dispensaries, Cannabis Regulatory Commission membership, and post-employment restrictions on State employees. | Senate Floor: Amend | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A4954 | Requires members of historic preservation commissions to complete historic preservation planning course. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A4971 | Requires EDA to provide grants to certain small businesses affected by State infrastructure and construction projects. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4969 | Ensures boards of elections have discretion to make initial determination of validity of cast ballots; requires Secretary of State to establish uniform guidelines for assessing validity of ballots. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3858 | Requires school bus personnel members to call 911 emergency line in potential life-threatening emergencies; requires certain school buses transportating students with disabilities to be equipped with certain safety features; makes appropriation. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3887 | Requires DEP to provide public access for boats to certain State-and county-owned lakes and reservoirs. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5049 | Removes certain limitations on receipt of retirement or death benefits under PFRS under certain circumstances. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3910 | Makes various changes to provision of preschool aid and facilities requirements; establishes Universal Preschool Implementation Steering Committee; requires full-day kindergarten in all school districts. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| S3917 | Makes various changes to school funding law and Educational Adequacy Report; establishes Special Education Funding Review Task Force. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| S3931 | Updates requirements for licensure in occupational therapy. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| S3933 | Establishes School Supervisor Mentorship Pilot Program; appropriates $500,000. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3944 | Provides that certain non-profit corporation alcoholic beverage theater licensees include disregarded entities of such corporations; allows certain community theaters to sell alcoholic beverages. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5100 | Re-appropriates unexpended balance of FY2024 appropriation for Town of West New York to support recreation center; appropriates $3 million for Town of West New York - Recreation Center to restore lapsed FY2024 funding. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A5130 | Requires enforcing agency to conduct inspection of construction in specified time window. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3982 | Requires certain information be provided to parent at least two business days prior to annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting; establishes IEP Improvement Working Group in DOE. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5170 | Requires State to purchase certain unused tax credits issued under New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| S4028 | Limits amount of payment that State agency as property owner may withhold from certain contractors on State construction contracts to two percent of amount due. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5199 | Requires resident and fellow physicians employed by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, who are eligible for coverage in SHBP, to be eligible to enroll and receive health insurance on first day of employment. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Senate Floor: Reconsidered Vote | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Senate Floor: Amend | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A5264 | Requires establishment of automated platform to expedite construction code approval of applications to install residential solar energy systems. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4122 | Revises apportionment of State lottery contributions. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4135 | Provides allowance for certain redevelopment projects undertaken by institutions of higher education under New Jersey Aspire program. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5309 | Permits up to three credits of continuing medical education on menopause to be used by advanced practice nurses and physicians for license renewal. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5378 | Modifies provisions of Cultural Arts Incentives Program, New Jersey Aspire Program, and Grow New Jersey Program; eliminates Community-Anchored Development Program. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A5381 | Provides medical documentation requirement for certain members of PERS, PFRS, and SPRS to receive accidental disability retirement allowance for participation in 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations; removes filing deadline. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4263 | Revises certain provisions concerning, and establishes certain education and data reporting requirements related to, involuntary commitment. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5447 | Prohibits sweepstakes model of wagering; establishes new penalties for unlawful gambling operations and practices; directs Division of Consumer Affairs and Division of Gaming Enforcement to enforce penalties. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A5463 | Requires electric public utilities to submit annual report on voting to BPU. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4293 | Requires owner or operator of data center to submit water and energy usage report to BPU. | Senate Floor: Reconsidered Vote | 06/30/2025 | Abstain |
| S4293 | Requires owner or operator of data center to submit water and energy usage report to BPU. | Senate Floor: Concur in House Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4293 | Requires owner or operator of data center to submit water and energy usage report to BPU. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A5563 | Establishes "Summer Termination Program" for certain utility customers. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A5563 | Establishes "Summer Termination Program" for certain utility customers. | Senate Floor: Amend | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A5546 | Concerns financial powers and responsibilities of Capital City Redevelopment Corporation. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| S4376 | Establishes Department of Veterans Affairs. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| A5687 | Establishes Next New Jersey Manufacturing Program to incentivize in-State manufacturing investments and job creation. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5688 | Imposes surcharge on hotel occupancies in certain municipalities to fund fire services; provides for appropriation. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| S4426 | Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects in FY2026. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4426 | Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects in FY2026. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4467 | Authorizes NJ Infrastructure Bank to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2026. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4467 | Authorizes NJ Infrastructure Bank to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2026. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4451 | Clarifies requirements for land use plan element and housing plan element of municipal master plan. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| SCR131 | Approves FY2026 Financial Plan of NJ Infrastructure Bank. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4400 | Extends hours that minor employed by national sports association, league, or team may work under certain circumstances. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4387 | Requires establishment of tracking system in Division of Consumer Affairs to determine compliance with continuing education requirements. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4423 | Authorizes BPU to provide site approval for small modular reactors; authorizes operators of small modular reactors to store spent nuclear fuel on-site. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4476 | Permits awarding of contracts for certain preschool education services by resolution of board of education; extends maximum length of preschool education services contracts to three years. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| S4472 | Eliminates five percent down payment requirement for local bond ordinances involving hazard mitigation and resilience projects. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4506 | Exempts minor league baseball players from certain State wage laws under certain circumstances. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4530 | Requires BPU to revise community solar program targets. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| S4530 | Requires BPU to revise community solar program targets. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Nay |
| State | District | Chamber | Party | Status | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | District 26 | Senate | Republican | In Office | 01/08/2008 | |
| NJ | District 26 | House | Republican | Out of Office | 02/25/2001 | 01/23/2024 |