Legislator
Legislator > Patrick Diegnan
State Senator
Patrick Diegnan
(D) - New Jersey
New Jersey Senate District 18
In Office - Started: 05/09/2016
contact info
South Plainfield Office
908 Oak Tree Ave.
Unit P
South Plainfield, NJ 07080
Unit P
South Plainfield, NJ 07080
Phone: 908-757-1677
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1439 | Requires health benefits coverage for additional orthotic and prosthetic appliances under certain circumstances; requires coverage for orthotic and prosthetic appliances obtained through podiatrists. | Requires health benefits coverage for additional orthotic and prosthetic appliances under certain circumstances; requires coverage for orthotic and prosthetic appliances obtained through podiatrists. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S1297 | Requires MVC to create digital driver's licenses and digital non-driver identification cards. | Requires MVC to create digital driver's licenses and digital non-driver identification cards. | In Committee |
| S1403 | Requires employer or contractor engaged in work for public body to submit payroll records to DOLWD. | Requires employer or contractor engaged in work for public body to submit payroll records to DOLWD. | Passed |
| S317 | Revises "Athletic Training Licensure Act." | Revises "Athletic Training Licensure Act." | Passed |
| S862 | Requires DOT to provide additional information in annual report on pavement condition; makes report available to public. | Requires DOT to provide additional information in annual report on pavement condition; makes report available to public. | Passed |
| S1067 | Directs DHS to conduct landscape analysis of available mental health services. | Directs DHS to conduct landscape analysis of available mental health services. | Vetoed |
| A3323 | Requires pay for extracurricular activities to be included in compensation for TPAF purposes. | This bill amends the definition of compensation for purposes of the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) to include additional pay for performing extracurricular duties beyond the regular school day or the regular school year. This additional pay is currently not included in the definition of compensation for pension purposes. Extracurricular duties include, but are not limited to, preparation for and involvement in public performances, contests, athletic competitions, demonstrations, displays, and club activities. | Passed |
| A3035 | Prohibits certain vehicles from parking in electric vehicle charging spaces under certain circumstances. | Prohibits certain vehicles from parking in electric vehicle charging spaces under certain circumstances. | Passed |
| A1675 | Extends membership in TPAF to 10 years after discontinuance of service and to 15 years for those who were laid off or had 10 or more years of continuous service upon voluntary termination. | Extends membership in TPAF to 10 years after discontinuance of service and to 15 years for those who were laid off or had 10 or more years of continuous service upon voluntary termination. | Passed |
| S2335 | Requires school districts to provide instruction on history of Latinos and Hispanics as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards. | Requires school districts to provide instruction on history of Latinos and Hispanics as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards. | Passed |
| A3518 | Requires MVC to create digital driver's licenses and digital non-driver identification cards. | Requires MVC to create digital driver's licenses and digital non-driver identification cards. | Passed |
| S2167 | Requires public and certain nonpublic schools to comply with breakfast and lunch standards adopted by USDA. | Requires public and certain nonpublic schools to comply with breakfast and lunch standards adopted by USDA. | Passed |
| A3974 | Prohibits use of deceptive marketing practices by substance use disorder treatment providers. | Prohibits use of deceptive marketing practices by substance use disorder treatment providers. | Passed |
| A3973 | Revises law concerning patient referrals to substance use disorder treatment facilities, recovery residences, and clinical laboratories. | Revises law concerning patient referrals to substance use disorder treatment facilities, recovery residences, and clinical laboratories. | Passed |
| A4429 | Expands prohibitions on employers concerning requirements for employees to attend or listen to communications related to political matters. | Expands prohibitions on employers concerning requirements for employees to attend or listen to communications related to political matters. | 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 |
| S3302 | Expands prohibitions on employers concerning requirements for employees to attend or listen to communications related to political matters. | Expands prohibitions on employers concerning requirements for employees to attend or listen to communications related to political matters. | In Committee |
| 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. | 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. | Passed |
| S3711 | Makes annual allocation of $500,000 from Clean Communities Program Fund for public outreach concerning single-use plastics reduction program permanent. | Makes annual allocation of $500,000 from Clean Communities Program Fund for public outreach concerning single-use plastics reduction program permanent. | Passed |
| S3713 | Requires pay for extracurricular activities to be included in compensation for TPAF purposes. | This bill amends the definition of compensation for purposes of the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) to include additional pay for performing extracurricular duties beyond the regular school day or the regular school year. This additional pay is currently not included in the definition of compensation for pension purposes. Extracurricular duties include, but are not limited to, preparation for and involvement in public performances, contests, athletic competitions, demonstrations, displays, and club activities. | In Committee |
| S3812 | Removes certain limitations on receipt of retirement or death benefits under PFRS under certain circumstances. | Removes certain limitations on receipt of retirement or death benefits under PFRS under certain circumstances. | In Committee |
| 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. | Requires school bus personnel members to call 911 emergency line in potential life-threatening emergencies; requires certain school buses transporting students with disabilities to be equipped with certain safety features; makes appropriation. | Crossed Over |
| A5049 | Removes certain limitations on receipt of retirement or death benefits under PFRS under certain circumstances. | Removes certain limitations on receipt of retirement or death benefits under PFRS under certain circumstances. | Passed |
| A5264 | Requires establishment of automated platform to expedite construction code approval of applications to install residential solar energy systems. | Requires establishment of automated platform to expedite construction code approval of applications to install residential solar energy systems. | Passed |
| S4100 | Requires establishment of automated platform to expedite construction code approval of applications to install residential solar energy systems. | Requires establishment of automated platform to expedite construction code approval of applications to install residential solar energy systems. | In Committee |
| S4146 | 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. | 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 | In Committee |
| S4376 | Establishes Department of Veterans Affairs. | Establishes Department of Veterans Affairs. | Passed |
| S4377 | Authorizes NJ Infrastructure Bank to expend certain sums to make loans for transportation infrastructure projects for FY2026; makes appropriation. | This bill authorizes the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB) to expend up to $53,450,000 in Fiscal Year 2026 (FY2026) to provide low-interest loans to certain local government units that undertake one of 17 eligible transportation infrastructure projects set forth in the bill. The bill also authorizes the NJIB to make a maximum of $1 million in principal-forgiveness financing loans to project sponsors for planning and design costs. Under the bill, up to $100,000 of a loan, per borrower, is to be forgiven for a project where a principal amount of at least $250,000 is financed by the Transportation Infrastructure Financing Program through completion of the project's construction. Additionally, the bill permits the NJIB to use any loan repayments received to date, and the amounts for capitalized interest, interest accrued pursuant to a short-term or temporary loan made to a project sponsor pursuant to the Interim Transportation Financing Program, bond issuance expenses, and related amounts, to fund the FY2026 New Jersey Transportation Infrastructure Financing Program (NJTIB). The bill also authorizes the NJIB to utilize certain funds generated by the operation of the bank, including, but not limited to, proceeds from the sale of bonds, the revenues derived from investments, and loan repayments, to defray the NJIB's FY2026 operating expenses. Finally, the bill appropriates certain funds from the General Fund to the NJIB. Since its creation in 2018, the NJIB, in partnership with the Department of Transportation, has provided low-cost NJTIB loans for the construction of critical transportation infrastructure projects with the mission of reducing the cost of financing for New Jersey counties and municipalities and making possible responsible and sustainable economic development. | Passed |
| S4506 | Exempts minor league baseball players from certain State wage laws under certain circumstances. | This bill exempts minor league baseball players from the provisions of the State wage and hour laws and the recordkeeping requirements of the wage payment laws, provided the players are employed under a collective bargaining agreement that is in effect and expressly governs wages and working conditions. In putting forth this legislation, the sponsor affirms a dual commitment to organized labor and to the economic and social vitality of the New Jersey communities that host minor league baseball teams. The legislation recognizes the important role these teams play as sources of affordable family entertainment, youth engagement, and local economic development, while also respecting the strong labor protections already secured through collective bargaining. In March 2023, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the certified labor union for Major League Baseball players, entered into the first-ever nationwide collective bargaining agreement with Minor League Baseball. This landmark agreement established significant protections for minor league players, including guaranteed annual salaries, health care coverage, housing stipends, retirement benefits, meals, and tuition assistance. Due to the unique nature of minor league baseball employment--marked by irregular schedules, extensive travel, and non-traditional training demands--certain provisions of State wage and hour laws are incompatible with the terms negotiated by the parties. This bill ensures that the legal framework governing these players remains consistent with the collectively bargained agreement, without undermining its protections or benefits. The exemption established by this bill applies only during the period in which a valid collective bargaining agreement is in effect and expressly provides for the wages and working conditions of the affected players. The bill also requires the league and union to notify the Department of Labor and Workforce Development in the event of the agreement's termination or replacement, ensuring continued transparency and accountability. Several other states, including Florida, Indiana, and California, have taken similar steps to harmonize their labor laws with the terms of this collective agreement. This legislation adopts a balanced and narrowly tailored approach that supports players, protects the integrity of organized labor, and sustains the community and economic benefits of minor league baseball across New Jersey. | Passed |
| S1927 | Extends veteran's gross income tax exemption to spouses of deceased veterans. | This bill extends the veteran's gross income tax exemption to spouses of deceased veterans. Currently, veterans are allowed a $6,000 exemption, which can be taken as a deduction from their income, for purposes of calculating their State gross income tax liability. If a veteran dies during a taxable year, the spouse of the veteran is allowed the exemption for that taxable year if filing a joint return. However, the spouse is not allowed the exemption in subsequent years. Under this bill, the spouse of the deceased veteran would be allowed to continue to claim the exemption until the spouse remarries. | In Committee |
| S4649 | Changes date of "Juneteenth Day" in NJ to June 19 of each year. | This bill establishes that the "Juneteenth Day" holiday will be observed on June 19 of each year in New Jersey. Under current law, "Juneteenth Day" is observed on the third Friday of June each year in New Jersey. This change will allow the State holiday to correspond to the federal "Juneteenth National Independence Day" holiday. | In Committee |
| S4629 | Requires Rutgers University study economic impact of military installations in NJ; appropriates $155,000. | This bill requires the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers, The State University, through its Economic Advisory Service, to study the economic impact of the military installations in New Jersey to determine the overall impact of the installations upon the State gross domestic product. The purpose of the analysis is to: provide data-driven insights to deliver a thorough understanding of the economic impacts of proposed operating and capital budgets for all military installations within the State, including direct and indirect impacts at the State and county levels; evaluate the benefits and provide an objective review of potential construction and infrastructure projects, military and civilian employment, and State and local tax generation; and support strategic decision-making to serve as a foundation for evidence-based resource allocation and long-term planning while identifying potential weaknesses and threats. The Bloustein School is a recognized authority in this field and conducted similar studies in 2010 and 2013. The new study will provide up-to-date information for State policymakers. The insights derived from the analysis will enable informed, strategic, and impactful decisions that foster economic growth and prosperity. The bill appropriates $155,000 to Rutgers, The State University, to perform the study. | In Committee |
| S3920 | Requires State Police to establish recovery leave policy for troopers presenting proof of pregnancy. | Requires State Police to establish recovery leave policy for troopers presenting proof of pregnancy. | In Committee |
| S4039 | Exempts nonresident military spouses from "New Jersey First Act." | The "New Jersey First Act" requires most public employees in New Jersey to be residents of the State. This bill exempts nonresident military spouses from the residency requirement. This bill defines "nonresident military spouse" as a nonresident of this State who is the spouse of an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who has been transferred to this State in the course of the member's service, is legally domiciled in this State, or has moved to this State on a permanent change-of-station basis. | In Committee |
| S3401 | Establishes eligibility requirements for State small business set-aside program. | This bill establishes requirements for eligibility when the State implements a small business set-aside program. The State currently has a small business set-aside program. This bill clarifies that only businesses without an applicable federal revenue standard established by federal regulations are required to have a certain maximum number of employees. This bill also alters the definitions of gross revenue from a standard of three years in business to a standard of five years in business. The requirements established in this bill will be in addition to any and all rules or regulations, except that these requirements will supersede the rules and regulations adopted as N.J.A.C. 17:13-2.1(a). | In Committee |
| S3080 | Prohibits sports wagering licensees from offering player-specific proposition bets on college sports. | This bill prohibits sports wagering licensees in this State from offering or accepting wagers on player-specific proposition bets on collegiate sports or athletic events. The President of the National Collegiate Athletics Association has recently called on all states to adopt measures to address the rise in the harassment of student-athletes that compete in these games and events, and to maintain the integrity of college sports. Under the bill, a proposition bet is defined as a side wager on a part of a sport or athletic event that does not concern the final outcome of the sport or athletic event. Player-specific proposition bets may include the particular statistical performance lines of certain players and which player will score first. | In Committee |
| S3607 | Extends accidental death benefit for survivors of certain SPRS retirees. | This bill extends accidental death benefits for survivors of certain State Police Retirement System (SPRS) retirees. Under current law, the surviving spouse or child of a retired member of the SPRS who died on or before July 8, 2019 and had been receiving an accidental disability retirement allowance is permitted to apply to receive accidental death benefits if the retired member had a qualifying condition or impairment of health due to World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations. This bill removes the limitation that only a surviving spouse or child of a qualifying SPRS retiree who died before July 8, 2019 is eligible, so that the provisions will apply regardless of when the SPRS retiree died. In addition, this bill establishes eligibility for a surviving spouse or child of a qualifying SPRS member who had been receiving an ordinary disability retirement, a special retirement, or a service retirement. This bill prohibits a written and sworn statement from being required when applying for the accidental death benefits. Under current law, a spouse or child is only eligible for accidental death benefits if the member's or retiree's death was the result of a qualifying condition or impairment of health which the medical board determines to be caused by participation in World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations. This bill also allows the World Trade Center Health Program to make this determination. Under current law, the spouse of a deceased retired member who is receiving a pension due to the death of that member on or before July 8, 2019 is eligible to apply to the board of trustees and, upon approval of the application by the board, will receive the accidental death benefits if the surviving spouse submits sufficient documentation that the deceased retiree would have qualified for a retirement. This bill also allows the spouse to apply if the member did qualify for retirement or if the member previously filed the required written and sworn statement. This bill requires notification to SPRS surviving spouses and children of the changes made by the bill by certified mail within 60 days after the bill's effective date. Under current law, a surviving spouse, former surviving spouse, or surviving child, or any legal guardian of the surviving child, must submit an application not later than two years after the effective date of the law. This bill allows survivors to submit an application not later than two years after the date of the member or retiree's death, or two years after the effective date of this bill, whichever is later. Under current law, a surviving spouse or former surviving spouse or surviving child, or any legal guardian of the surviving child, is prohibited from being granted a retroactive payment based upon the difference between the benefit the person would have received if the benefit had been applicable on the date of death of the retiree and the benefit that the person has received from that date of death to the effective date of the law. This bill also provides that these survivors are prohibited from being granted a retroactive payment based upon the difference between the benefit the person would have received if the benefit had been applicable on the date of death of the retiree and the benefit that the person has received from that date of death to the date of the application approval if the date of approval is later than the effective date of the law. | Crossed Over |
| S2376 | Requires boards of education to ensure that all staff are trained in care of students with epilepsy and seizure disorders every five years. | Requires boards of education to ensure that all staff are trained in care of students with epilepsy and seizure disorders every five years. | Crossed Over |
| S699 | Establishes program in SADC for acquisition of development easements on privately-owned woodlands. | Establishes program in SADC for acquisition of development easements on privately-owned woodlands. | Crossed Over |
| S1042 | "Protecting Against Forever Chemicals Act"; establishes requirements, prohibitions, and programs for regulation of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). | This bill would prohibit the sale of certain products containing intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), require greater transparency in the labeling of cookware products containing PFAS, establish a source reduction program concerning the proper management of PFAS, and appropriate money for PFAS-related research. As defined in the bill, "PFAS" means substances that include any member of the class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom. Specifically, the bill would prohibit, beginning two years after the bill's effective date, the sale, offer for sale, or distribution of cosmetics, carpets, fabric treatment, and food packaging that contain intentionally added PFAS. In addition, the bill would require, beginning two years after the bill's effective date, manufacturers of cookware sold in the State that contains intentionally added PFAS in the handle of the product or in any product surface that comes into contact with food, foodstuffs, or beverages to list the presence of PFAS on the product label. Beginning two years after the bill's effective date, the sale, offer for sale, and distribution of cookware that contains PFAS would be prohibited unless the cookware product and the manufacturer of the cookware has complied with the bill's cookware labeling requirements. The bill would also require the DEP to recommend to the Legislature products, in addition to those prohibited from being sold, offered for sale, or distributed pursuant to the bill, by category or use that should not be sold, offered for sale, or distributed for sale in this State if they contain intentionally added PFAS. Under the bill, the DEP would have the authority to audit or investigate a manufacturer to assess the manufacturer's compliance with bill's provisions. The bill would provide that any proprietary information or trade secrets included in any written notification, certification, or any other record submitted to the DEP pursuant to the bill would be required to be kept confidential from the general public pursuant to P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.), commonly known as the open public records act. The bill would require the DEP to establish, no later than one year after the bill's effective date, a source reduction program to reduce the presence of PFAS in the State's air, water, and soil by encouraging the proper management of materials that contain PFAS and the use of safer alternatives. The program would be required to include certain items enumerated in subsection a. of section 12 of the bill. The bill would also require the DEP to conduct PFAS-related research and comprehensive monitoring and testing of the presence and impact of PFAS on the environmental media within the State, including air, water, biota, and soil. The DEP's research would be required to include certain items enumerated in subsection b. of section 13 of the bill. No later than two years after the bill's effective date, and annually thereafter, the DEP would be required to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature summarizing their research findings and activities and providing recommendations for programs, policies, and legislation to address the presence of PFAS in the State. Finally, the bill would appropriate $5 million to the DEP for the purposes of implementing the source reduction program, conducting PFAS-related research, and monitoring and testing environmental media, such as air, water, and soil, for PFAS pursuant to the bill. | In Committee |
| S220 | Establishes Nuclear Power Advisory Commission. | Establishes Nuclear Power Advisory Commission. | In Committee |
| S1989 | Enhances criminal penalties for persons invloved in certain human trafficking activities. | Enhances criminal penalties for persons involved in certain human trafficking activities. | Crossed Over |
| S1939 | Requires children's meals served in chain restaurants to meet certain nutritional standards. | Requires children's meals served in chain restaurants to meet certain nutritional standards. | In Committee |
| S4030 | Requires health care professionals to report cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neuron disease. | Requires health care professionals to report cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neuron disease. | In Committee |
| S4050 | Allows follow up communication from operators of telephone number for mental health and suicide crisis resources or 9-8-8 crisis hotline to minors at risk of committing suicide. | Allows follow up communication from operators of telephone number for mental health and suicide crisis resources or 9-8-8 crisis hotline to minors at risk of committing suicide. | 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 |
| S4515 | Limits certain requirements for certification of career and technical education teachers. | This bill limits certain requirements for certification of career and technical education teachers. The bill prohibits the State Board of Education from requiring a candidate for a certificate of eligibility in a career and technical education endorsement to complete an educator preparation program which exceeds 200-hours of instruction or one academic year. Currently, an individual may become certified with a career and technical education endorsement by going through the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Alternate Route program. The program is designed for those who have not completed a formal teacher preparation program at an accredited institution of higher education, but wish to become a State certified teacher. Alternate route teachers earn a Certificate of Eligibility (CE). The individual is required to first complete a minimum of 50 hours of pre-professional experience in an approved educator preparation program. After completing the 50 hours of formal instruction, the individual is to enroll in a two-year, 350-hour CTE Certificate of Eligibility educator preparation program at Brookdale Community College or William Paterson University. There is currently a shortage of qualified CTE educators. The two-year, 350-hour program has been criticized as having a detrimental effect on the recruitment of CTE teachers as it is viewed as expensive, time-consuming, and lacking in the practical experience currently offered by county vocational-technical school districts. It is the sponsor's intent to address the shortage of CTE teachers by requiring the educator preparation programs to limit the approved CTE alternate route programs to 200-hours of instruction or one academic year. | In Committee |
| S4312 | Modifies method of allocating State aid for providing auxiliary and remedial services to nonpublic school students. | Modifies method of allocating State aid for providing auxiliary and remedial services to nonpublic school students. | In Committee |
| SCR128 | Urges school districts to establish concussion management teams. | This resolution urges school districts to establish concussion management teams. In 2022 the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that roughly 2.3 million children and adolescents had received a diagnosis of a concussion or brain injury in their lifetime. Concussions are one of the most commonly reported injuries in children and adolescents who participate in sports and recreational activities. Students would benefit from having access to support services to optimally function in the learning environment upon sustaining a concussion. A concussion management team is a group of school-based professionals who work together to manage a student's care after a concussion. The team may include school physicians, school nurses, school psychologists, school social workers, athletic trainers, and school administrators. A concussion management team is in the school building during the day and its members have insight into the needs of students recovering from concussions. Additionally, a concussion management team ensures that a student safely returns to classroom and sports-related activity after a brain injury and typically collaborates with the student's family and school staff to coordinate care and support throughout the recovery process. While school districts are currently required to have a written policy on the prevention and treatment of concussions and other sports-related brain injuries, the benefits of a concussion management team include having a highly trained team of professionals readily available to answer the concerns of both educators and parents and knowing that each student with a concussion has the support they need to succeed in the learning environment. There are a number of organizations that provide information on the establishment of concussion management teams, including the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey, which seeks to improve the quality of life for anyone impacted by a brain injury by providing support, advocacy, and information. Organizations like the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey can be a resource to assist school districts in developing concussion management teams. The health and safety of students must remain a priority of the State and its school districts, and the establishment of school concussion management teams would strive to advance the appropriate care of the students with concussions and other brain injuries. | In Committee |
| SCR134 | Respectfully urges Congress to appropriate emergency funds for and increase staffing at facilities supporting Newark Liberty International Airport. | Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is a critical transportation hub for New Jersey, serving nearly 50 million passengers annually and supporting the State's economy through air travel, cargo transport, and tourism. In July 2024, control of EWR's airspace was transferred from New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) to Philadelphia TRACON, a move intended to address understaffing at New York TRACON. The shift to Philadelphia TRACON did not increase the number of air traffic controllers available to manage EWR's airspace. EWR has experienced multiple serious air traffic control system disruptions, including radar and communications outages which have resulted in flight delays, flight cancellations, ground stops, and air traffic controllers taking medical leave. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has struggled with outdated infrastructure for decades and has acknowledged that old systems, such as aging copper telecommunications lines and remote radar feeds, are contributing to the ongoing issues at EWR. The FAA is below targeted staffing levels nationwide and the Philadelphia TRACON remains affected by the nationwide air traffic controller shortage, with only 22 fully certified controllers and several others still in training, putting air traffic controllers in untenable situations and leading to precautionary flight caps at EWR, exacerbating flight delays and cancellations. On May 8, 2025, the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation announced a plan to build a brand new air traffic control system, but this long-term plan will take years to complete and action to modernize air traffic control infrastructure and increase staffing at EWR is urgently needed now. The safe, efficient, and modern functioning of the national airspace system is a federal responsibility, and ensuring system reliability and resilience at high-volume airports like EWR is essential to avoiding catastrophes and protecting public safety, regional economic continuity, and national mobility, and is in the best interests of the State. | In Committee |
| S341 | Requires Commissioner of Education to recommend dates for spring break in school districts. | Requires Commissioner of Education to recommend dates for spring break in school districts. | In Committee |
| S4564 | Adjusts qualification threshold for New Jersey Secure Choice Savings Program. | The bill reduces the threshold for required participation in the New Jersey Secure Choice Savings Program from businesses that have 25 or more employees to businesses that have one or more employees. The bill removes references to the term "small employer" in the "New Jersey Secure Choice Savings Program Act" to reflect this change. | In Committee |
| S4565 | Requires DEP to adopt rules and regulations establishing alternative provisions by which vehicle manufacturers may comply with Low Emission Vehicle program. | This bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to adopt rules and regulations, within one year of the bill's enactment, to establish an Interim Alternative ZEV Compliance Program, which would establish alternative provisions by which vehicle manufacturers may comply with the State's Low Emission Vehicle program. Specifically, the bill would provide that in model years 2027 through 2031, manufacturers of new vehicles who elect to comply with the Interim Alternative ZEV Compliance Program shall be deemed in compliance with any provisions of the Low Emission Vehicle program regulating the production and delivery for sale in New Jersey of zero-emission passenger vehicles or light-duty trucks, including the provisions of N.J.A.C.7:27-29.6. Under the bill, a manufacturer of new vehicles who elects to comply with the Interim Alternative ZEV Compliance Program would be authorized to offer its New Jersey dealers a portfolio of vehicles comprised of the required share of zero-emission vehicles for each year under the Low Emission Vehicle program, up to its ability to manufacture the vehicles actually ordered by New Jersey consumers, without any requirement or mandate that a dealer or consumer purchase any specific vehicle. | In Committee |
| S4134 | Prohibits certain vehicles from parking in electric vehicle charging spaces under certain circumstances. | Prohibits certain vehicles from parking in electric vehicle charging spaces under certain circumstances. | In Committee |
| A4652 | Establishes offense of inciting public brawl; upgrades penalty for disorderly conduct in certain circumstances. | An Act concerning public brawls and disorderly conduct and amending N.J.S.2C:33-1 and N.J.S.2C:33-2. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| SJR151 | Designates July 30 of each year as "Brian Sicknick Day" in New Jersey. | This joint resolution designates July 30 of each year as "Brian Sicknick Day" in New Jersey. On January 6, 2021, Officer Brian Sicknick was called upon to protect the United States Capitol. Officer Sicknick, who had served with the United States Capitol Police for more than 12 years, lost his life in the line of duty as a direct result of courageously defending Congress and the Capitol. Officer Sicknick was born on July 30, 1978 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His life can best be described as dedicated to public service. Officer Sicknick joined the United States Capitol Police in July of 2008 and on his most recent assignment he served on the First Responders Unit. During his career, Officer Sicknick became a member of the mountain bike unit. His duties included patrolling the grounds and protecting those he was sworn to serve, as well as the public at large that visited the Capitol on a daily basis. It is altogether fitting and proper to designate July 30 of each year as "Brian Sicknick Day" in New Jersey to recognize Officer Brian Sicknick who lost his life protecting the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. | In Committee |
| S4276 | Provides that State contract for non-commercial sustaining announcements will be awarded as single contract for all State agencies without public advertising for bids. | This bill requires the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury to award a single contract providing for the purchase by State agencies of services relating to the airing of non-commercial sustaining announcements to a non-profit association representing broadcasters, without publicly advertising for bids, when it determines that to do so is in the best interest of the State, price and other factors considered. "Non-commercial sustaining announcements" are radio and television public service announcements that promote various programs, including public health and safety campaigns, public education, and public outreach or awareness missions. | In Committee |
| S2013 | Makes local government business administrators eligible for membership in PERS; provides for transfer from Defined Contribution Retirement Program to PERS. | This bill makes business administrators serving in local governments eligible for membership in the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). Business administrators currently participate in the Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP). The bill defines "business administrator" as the executive and administrative officer of any political subdivision of the State or any agency, board, commission, authority, or instrumentality of the State or of a subdivision serving in a position with the title of business administrator, municipal or county administrator, municipal or county manager, city manager, town manager, village manager, borough manager, township manager, or any functional equivalent, as the case may be. The bill provides for the transfer to the PERS of a business administrator who is participating in the DCRP within 90 days following the effective date of the bill if the employee meets the eligibility requirements for membership in the PERS at the time of enrollment. The bill requires the PERS notify eligible business administrators of the required enrollment within 15 days after the effective date. The bill specifies that service credit transferred from a participant in the DCRP would be recognized as service credit in the PERS to determine eligibility for employer-paid health care benefits in retirement pursuant to current law. The bill also specifies that the membership tier will be determined by the member's participation date in the DCRP or their original enrollment date in the PERS, if applicable, whichever is earlier. Additionally, the actuary for the PERS is required to determine the unfunded accrued liability resulting from the transfer of the business administrators. This unfunded accrued liability will be amortized over a period of 20 years. The value of the account in the DCRP of the business administrator will be transferred to the PERS in accordance with relevant provisions of the federal Internal Revenue Code and Internal Revenue Service guidance. The bill will take effect immediately. | In Committee |
| S2332 | Allows complaint for guardianship of minor to be filed six months before minor reaches age 18 under certain circumstances; establishes certain standards for filing guardianship complaints. | This bill allows a complaint for guardianship of a minor who is anticipated to require a guardian upon attaining the age of 18 to be filed six months before the minor attains the age of 18. The bill also establishes certain standards for filing guardianship complaints in general. Under current law, once a child reaches age 18, a parent or other appropriate person may file a complaint for guardianship. However, if proceedings are delayed and a guardian is not yet appointed, the young person is left without the legal protection of a parent, other appropriate person, or appointed guardian, until such time as the guardian is actually appointed. Allowing guardianship proceedings to be initiated in advance will help avoid potential administrative or procedural delays and ensure a seamless transition as the minor turns age 18. Under the bill, an order of guardianship entered before a minor is 18 would not take effect until the day the minor turns 18. The bill additionally specifies that a complaint for adjudication of incapacity and appointment of a guardian shall not be withdrawn absent a showing that the alleged incapacitated person is deceased or has capacity. The showing of capacity does not require medical evidence but may, in the court's discretion, be satisfied by testimony of a witness with knowledge of the alleged incapacitated person's condition and circumstances. | Passed |
| S4018 | Requires health insurance and Medicaid coverage for screening, prevention, and treatment services of behavioral health issues affecting children. | 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) and the State Medicaid program to provide benefits to any covered person for medical expenses incurred relating to screening, prevention, and treatment of behavioral health issues in children. Carriers and the State Medicaid program are required to accept and reimburse claims for screening, prevention, and treatment using an at-risk diagnosis. As used in the bill, an "at-risk diagnosis" is a diagnosis made after consideration of factors influencing behavioral health and child development, such as family circumstances or life challenges, that does not lead to a formal mental health diagnosis and instead, promotes preventive care. Allowing providers to bill for an "at-risk diagnosis" authorizes providers to use an alternative code, including a Social Determinants of Health Z-code, to the codes of the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood when billing for services, without a formal mental health diagnosis for children who are 18 years of age or younger. | 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 |
| S4417 | Requires Commissioner of Education and Local Finance Board approval for certain board of education leases exceeding 20 years; authorizes boards to enter into 20-year lease purchase agreements for improvements or additions to school buildings. | This bill extends the period of time in which a board of education may execute certain: 1) leases with the federal government, the State, a political subdivision of the State, or any other individual or entity authorized to do business in the State; and 2) lease purchase agreements for improvements or additions to school buildings. Pursuant to current law, a board of education may lease a building from the federal government, the State, a political subdivision of the State, or any other individual or entity authorized to do business in the State. To execute the lease, certain conditions are required to be met, including a condition that any lease in excess of five years is to be approved by the Commissioner of Education and the Local Finance Board in the Department of Community Affairs. This bill instead requires commissioner and finance board approval only when the lease exceeds 20 years. Current law also requires commissioner approval in cases in which a board of education seeks to acquire improvements or additions to school buildings through lease purchase agreements. The agreements, however, are prohibited from exceeding five years and are to only be approved by the commissioner if any operating expenses related to the agreement can be included within the district's tax levy growth limitation and will not result in the need for approval of additional spending proposals to maintain existing instructional programs and extracurricular activities. This bill extends the current time limitation on these lease-purchase agreements to 20 years. All other existing statutory requirements in regard to these lease purchase agreements are maintained under the bill. | In Committee |
| S4384 | Concerns business hours of licensed used motor vehicle dealers. | This bill requires a used motor vehicle dealer licensee whose established place of business is located at or within a multi-dealer location to maintain at least four business hours per week, Monday through Saturday, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. During those business hours, the licensee, or an authorized signatory, is required to be personally present at the established place of business. In addition, the bill requires a multi-dealer representative to be present at the established place of business, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Under the bill, a multi-dealer representative does not need not qualify as an authorized signatory of any one motor vehicle dealer to assume the position of a multi-dealer representative. Finally, the bill defines "multi-dealer location" as a single structure with numerous office spaces from which discrete businesses operate used motor vehicle dealerships and which structure complies with regulations adopted by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission concerning a proposed place of business for a used motor vehicle dealer. | In Committee |
| S4383 | Permits pretrial detention for contempt violation of protective order issued under "Victim's Assistance and Survivor Protection Act." | This bill permits a prosecutor to file a motion for pretrial detention of an eligible defendant upon a contempt violation of an order entered under the "Victim's Assistance and Survivor Protection Act" (VASPA). Under current law, a prosecutor is permitted to file a motion for pretrial detention under the Criminal Justice Reform Act (CJR) for a contempt violation of an order under the "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 1991," (PDVA), N.J.S.A.2C:25-17 et seq. Under the contempt statute, N.J.S.A.2C:29-9, a violation of an order under PDVA and VASPA are treated the same; a person is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree if that person purposely or knowingly violates any provision in an order entered under PDVA or VASPA, when the conduct which constitutes the violation could also constitute a crime or a disorderly persons offense. In all other cases, a person is guilty of a disorderly persons offense if that person purposely or knowingly violates an order entered under PDVA or VASPA. However, N.J.S.A.2A:162-19 permits a prosecutor to make a motion for pretrial detention for a contempt violation under PDVA, but not VASPA. This bill expands N.J.S.A.2A:162-19 to permit a prosecutor to make a motion for pretrial detention for a violation of an order entered under the provisions of VASPA. A violation of the contempt statute for VASPA is a crime of the fourth degree if the violation could also constitute a crime or offense; otherwise it is a disorderly persons offense. | In Committee |
| S4405 | Concerns parking violations that obstruct NJT bus operations and bicycle lanes in certain circumstances. | This bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation (corporation) to issue citations for covered violations as evidenced by recorded images captured by bus obstruction monitoring systems. The bill requires a designated employee of the corporation or a contracted law enforcement agency to review recorded images for covered violations. The corporation is required to install and operate bus obstruction monitoring systems on buses owned and operated by the corporation, or operated under contract with the corporation, to capture recorded images of motor vehicles during the commission of a covered violation and to issue citations for covered violations. The number of buses to be equipped with bus obstruction monitoring systems is to be determined by the corporation. Under the bill, a bus obstruction monitoring system may only be used if it is operated by a bus obstruction monitoring system operator and a sign is affixed to the bus alerting drivers that the bus is equipped with a bus obstruction monitoring system. Under the bill, a bus obstruction monitoring system is to only retain recorded images of motor vehicles that contain evidence of a covered violation. Recorded images from a bus obstruction monitoring system may be retained for up to six months or 60 days after final disposition of the citation, whichever is later, if the record images contain evidence of a covered violation. If the recorded images do not contain evidence of a covered violation, the recorded images are required to be destroyed within 15 days after the recorded images were first captured. Recorded images are to be stored on secured servers or encrypted digital storage systems that meet or exceed State information security standards established by the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. Recorded images are not deemed a government record and are not to be discoverable as a government record by any person, entity, or governmental agency, except upon a subpoena issued by a grand jury or a court order in a criminal matter. Additionally, recorded images are not permitted to be offered as evidence in any civil or administrative proceeding not directly related to a covered violation. A bus obstruction monitoring system may not use biometric identification techniques, including facial recognition technology. A bus obstruction monitoring system operator is required to complete training by the manufacturer of the bus obstruction monitoring system in the procedures for setting up, testing, and operating the bus obstruction monitoring system. Upon completion of the training, the manufacturer is required to issue a signed certificate to the bus obstruction monitoring system operator, which certificate is to be admissible as evidence in any administrative or judicial proceeding for a covered violation. In addition, a bus obstruction monitoring system operator is required to perform manufacturer-specified functionality tests of each bus obstruction monitoring system prior to the start of daily service and at regular intervals throughout the day, as required by the manufacturer. Each test is to confirm proper operation of the camera, time and date stamp, location tracking, and image capture functions. A bus obstruction monitoring system operator is also required to complete and sign a test verification log for each bus obstruction monitoring system, which log is to meet certain requirements under the bill. Under the bill, no motor vehicle is permitted to stop, stand, or park in a dedicated bus lane, bus stop zone, or designated bicycle lane. Citations issued by a bus obstruction monitoring system for a covered violation may be contested on certain grounds as provided in the bill. An owner or operator of a motor vehicle who received a citation for a covered violation has 30 days from the date on which the citation was mailed to contest the alleged covered violation. If an owner or operator of a motor vehicle violates the bill's provisions, as captured by a bus obstruction monitoring system, the owner or operator of the motor vehicle is subject to a fine of $45 for the first offense. Subsequent offenses within that 12-month period are to increase by $45, with a maximum fine of $135 per offense. The corporation is permitted to retain any fines collected pursuant to the bill for the purposes of covering administrative costs of administering the bus obstruction monitoring system program. Any excess revenue from fines collected pursuant to the program is to be used to fund Access Link services. Additionally, the corporation is prohibited from entering into any agreement for bus obstruction monitoring systems or bus obstruction monitoring system operator services that bases contractor compensation on the amount of revenue generated in monetary fines collected. Prior to issuing any citations or fines for covered violations, the corporation is required to issue warning notices for 60 days following the date that active enforcement is implemented. The corporation is required to issue a public announcement regarding the corporation's implementation of the bus obstruction monitoring system and to provide the public with information about the bus obstruction monitoring system on the corporation's Internet website contemporaneous with the warning notice period. The bill requires the corporation to submit an annual report to the Governor and to the Legislature regarding the bus obstruction monitoring system, which report is to include certain information. With this bill, the sponsor intends to enhance safety for passengers boarding and alighting from buses particularly at designated bus stops, as well as for pedestrians, cyclists, and micro mobility users who often share curbside and lane space. By keeping bus stops, bus lanes, and adjacent bike lanes clear of obstructing motor vehicles, the bill aims to improve transit reliability, reduce delays, and promote safer and more accessible streets for all users. | In Committee |
| S4484 | Allows public bodies to provide required notices to newspapers distributed online and establishes related publication requirements; establishes rates that newspapers and online news publications may charge for each notice posted online. | Under current law, public bodies are required to provide notice to newspapers 48 hours prior to holding a meeting to conduct official business, under certain circumstances. This bill amends the definition of "adequate notice" for a public meeting to allow public bodies to satisfy their meeting notice requirements by publishing the notice in newspapers that are published in part or in whole electronically via the Internet and on online news publications. This bill also amends the definition of "newspaper" for the publication of all official notices and advertisements to allow the State or local bodies to publish in qualified or previously qualified newspapers that are now published electronically on the Internet and on online news publications. The bill also adds definitions for "designated publication address," "news," "original, general news content," and "paid online content." The bill, further, amends and expands the definition of "official advertising," and applies the definition to other related terms as specified in the bill. In cases where there is no qualified newspaper or online news publication, the State or local body (excluding a city) may publish each official advertisement that it is required to publish in at least one newspaper or online news publication that meets the requirements set forth in R.S.35:1-2.2, so long as the newspaper or online news publication maintains its designated publication address within the county in which the municipality is located for a period of not less than two consecutive years immediately preceding publication of its first official advertisement. The bill establishes rates for publishing official advertising for newspapers and online news publications based on the number of bona fide net paid subscribers. | In Committee |
| S4382 | Prohibits certain animal adoption centers from denying applicant for adoption of dog or cat solely due to applicant's age. | This bill would prohibit animal rescue organizations, shelters, pounds, and foster homes from denying an applicant for the adoption of a dog or cat solely on the basis of the applicant's age. The bill would also require every animal rescue organization, shelter, pound, or foster home to ensure that the animal rescue organization, shelter, pound, or foster home's adoption eligibility criteria for the adoption of a dog or cat is in compliance with the bill's requirements. | In Committee |
| SR131 | Honors life of Congressman William J. Pascrell, Jr. | This resolution honors late Congressman Pascrell. Congressman Pascrell, a tireless advocate for public health and safety who served New Jersey for decades, leaves behind a legacy of distinguished public service. Congressman Pascrell founded the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, an initiative that has played a critical role in advancing national policy, research, and resources for individuals affected by brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) occur due to a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that disrupts normal brain function, while acquired brain injuries (ABI) result from internal causes such as strokes, aneurysms, or tumors. Individuals who suffer from TBI or ABI often experience long-term disabilities ranging from minor impairments to severe and life-altering conditions, which affect their cognitive, physical, emotional, and social well-being. Over the years the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force has worked to increase awareness of brain injuries, support groundbreaking research initiatives, promote rehabilitation services, and address the long-term effects of brain injuries on individuals, families, and communities. As a co-chair of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, Congressman Pascrell advocated for research initiatives focused on treatment, rehabilitation, and potential cures for TBI. Brain injuries impact thousands of New Jersey residents in every congressional district, affecting children, veterans, athletes, seniors, and survivors of accidents and medical conditions, all of whom need strong legislative advocacy and support at both the State and federal levels. The Congressional Brain Injury Task Force remains a bipartisan effort, currently co-chaired by Democratic Congressman Chris Deluzio from Pennsylvannia and Republican Congressman Morgan Luttrell from Texas, and continues to advance Congressman Pascrell's legacy of championing policies that improve brain injury awareness, prevention, research, and treatment. It is vital that New Jersey's congressional delegation continues Congressman Pascrell's legacy by joining and supporting the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force to ensure that our State remains a leader in brain injury advocacy and policy. | In Committee |
| S4438 | Permits waiver of juvenile regardless of age under certain circumstances; makes juveniles eligible for waiver for terrorism and human trafficking. | This bill permits the waiver of juveniles regardless of age under certain circumstances and makes juveniles eligible for waiver for terrorism and human trafficking. Under current law, juveniles 15 years of age and older at the time of the alleged delinquent act who are charged with certain offenses, such as criminal homicide, other than death by auto; first degree robbery; carjacking; and aggravated sexual assault, are eligible to be waived to adult criminal court. Under the provisions of this bill, these juveniles also would be eligible to be waived to adult criminal court for terrorism or human trafficking. The bill further provides that a juvenile, regardless of age, who is charged with terrorism, human trafficking, or certain other offenses, as set forth under current law, is eligible to be waived to adult criminal court if the circumstances and severity of the offense warrant waiver. | In Committee |
| S3750 | Enhances enforcement authority over developmental disability service providers; establishes "Residential Facility Quality of Care Improvement Fund" in DHS. | Enhances enforcement authority over developmental disability service providers; establishes "Residential Facility Quality of Care Improvement Fund" in DHS. | In Committee |
| S664 | Increases amount of cigarette and other tobacco products tax revenues provided to New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research to $10 million; establishes dedicated, non-lapsing Cancer Research Fund. | This bill increases the amount of cigarette and other tobacco products tax revenues provided to the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research (NJCCR) to $10 million. The bill also establishes a dedicated, non-lapsing Cancer Research Fund within the Department of the Treasury. In doing so, the bill prioritizes funding: 1) to expand the NJCCR's capacity to fund research regarding the causes, prevention, treatment, and palliation of all cancers and to serve as a resource of information to providers and consumers of cancer care and treatment services; and 2) for cancer research grants that reduce and eliminate disparities among the various racial and ethnic populations within the State's minority and vulnerable communities by increasing access to clinical trials and high-quality cancer care and treatment. Pursuant to current statute, the NJCCR annually receives $1 million in cigarette and other tobacco products tax revenues. This money is deposited into an existing lapsing Cancer Research Fund and then appropriated to the commission. In recent years, pursuant to the annual appropriations act, this money has been transferred from the Cancer Research Fund to the General Fund. The appropriations act then provides the NJCCR funding via a budget line. Despite the statutory requirement, in FY 2022, the NJCCR was appropriated $4 million in funding. Under the bill, the existing lapsing Cancer Research Fund is replaced by a non-lapsing, revolving fund. This fund is to be the repository of the $10 million in cigarette and other tobacco products tax revenues deposited into the account under the bill and any other funds approved by the Department of Health or the NJCCR. Moneys deposited in the fund, and any interest earned thereon, are to be used exclusively for providing grants for cancer research projects authorized and approved by the commission, with at least $5 million to be used to fund general cancer research and at least $5 million to be used to fund pediatric cancer research. The State Treasurer will be the custodian of the fund and all disbursements from the fund are to be made by the State Treasurer upon vouchers signed by the chairperson of the NJCCR or the chairperson's designee. The monies in the fund are to be invested and reinvested by the Director of the Division of Investment in the Department of the Treasury in the same manner as other trust funds in the custody of the State Treasurer, in the manner provided by law. Interest received on the monies in the fund are to be credited to the fund. | In Committee |
| S2672 | Authorizes special Ancient Order of Hibernians license plate. | This bill authorizes the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates. The chief administrator is to select the design of the license plates in consultation with the Ancient Order of Hibernians, New Jersey State Board (the organization). In addition to the required motor vehicle registration fees, there is an application fee of $50 and an annual renewal fee of $10 for these license plates. After deducting the cost of producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the license plates and any computer programming changes that are necessary to implement the license plate program, in an amount not to exceed $150,000, the additional fees are to be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the "Ancient Order of Hibernians License Plate Fund." The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to the organization. The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost per license plate in producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates. If the average cost exceeds $50 for two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the license plates. The bill also requires the organization to appoint a liaison to represent the organization in all communications with the commission regarding the license plates. The bill provides that no State or other public funds may be used by the commission for the initial cost of producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates or any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the Ancient Order of Hibernians license plate program. The bill also requires that the organization, or other individual or entity designated by the organization, contribute monies in an amount to be determined by the chief administrator, not to exceed a total of $25,000, to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program. The bill prohibits the commission from designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates, or making any necessary computer programming changes, until: (1) the organization, or its designee, has provided the commission with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the Ancient Order of Hibernians license plate program; and (2) the organization's liaison has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates, upon the availability for purchase of those plates. The chief administrator is responsible for publicizing the availability of the license plates on the commission's website. The organization, or any individual or entity designated by the organization, may also publicize the availability of Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates in any manner the organization deems appropriate. The provisions of the bill remain inoperative until the first day of the seventh month following the date on which the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission are provided by the organization or its designee. The bill expires on the last day of the 12th month following enactment if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received. | 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 |
| S4313 | Designates overpass of Stelton Road on Interstate Highway Route 287 as "Officer Conklin-Officer Cady Memorial Overpass." | This bill designates the overpass of Stelton Road at milepost 5.88 of the northbound and southbound lanes of Interstate Highway Route 287 as the "Officer Conklin-Officer Cady Memorial Overpass" to honor the memory of Richard H. Conklin and William J. Cady, two South Plainfield police officers who died in the line of duty three years apart on or near this stretch of road. Consistent with Department of Transportation policy and other road designations, the bill provides that State or other public funds are not to be used for producing, purchasing, or erecting signs bearing the designation for the "Officer Conklin-Officer Cady Memorial Overpass." The Commissioner of Transportation is authorized to receive financial assistance from private sources for the costs associated with producing, purchasing, erecting, and maintaining signs bearing the designation. | In Committee |
| S4342 | Makes victims of motor vehicle accidents eligible for VCCO compensation under certain circumstances; establishes Traffic Crash Victim's Bill of Rights. | This bill makes victims of motor vehicle accidents eligible for compensation from the Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) under certain circumstances and establishes the Traffic Crash Victim's Bill of Rights. Under current law, victims of certain crimes are eligible to receive compensation from the VCCO for certain expenses, including certain medical bills, counseling, loss of earnings, and funeral costs. This bill expands the crimes for which compensation is available to also include a motor vehicle crash involving a fatality or the removal of a victim from the scene of the crash by an ambulance. In addition, this bill establishes the Traffic Crash Victim's Bill of Rights. The bill provides that traffic crash victims are entitled to the following rights: 1) To obtain, upon request, a free, timely copy of the initial police report and, upon completion, any investigation report, evidence, and materials related to the crash, including but not limited to any follow-up report and documents, photographs taken at the scene of the crash or during postmortem examination, audio and video recordings from body worn cameras as defined under current law, audio and video recordings from the motor vehicle, any other audio or video recordings of the crash, and any summonses that were issued. These provisions are not to be construed as limiting or restricting any rights pursuant to the provisions of the open public records act; 2) To be notified of court proceedings and be permitted to give an impact statement in related adjudicatory proceedings, including any hearing regarding the suspension or revocation of the driver's license of the other driver; 3) To have the right to reasonable leave from the person's employer to participate in any hearings conducted by the Motor Vehicle Commission that are related to the motor vehicle crash or exercising any other rights provided by law; 4) To be free from intimidation, threats, or harassment from the other driver; 5) To be eligible to receive compensation and assistance pursuant to the provisions of the "Criminal Injuries Compensation Act of 1971"; and 6) To receive, upon request of information from a law enforcement agency regarding the crash, a copy of the provisions set forth in the bill and information provided by the Victims of Crime Compensation Office regarding the rights set forth in the bill. | In Committee |
| S4317 | Excludes contributions made to certain retirement savings plans under gross income tax. | This bill provides taxpayers a gross income tax exclusion in the amount of contributions made to certain retirement plans that qualify for federal income tax benefits. The affected types of plans are: (1) a plan established under section 401(a) or section 401(k) of the federal Internal Revenue Code; (2) amounts paid for annuity contracts under section 403(b) of the federal Internal Revenue Code, allowed to employees of governments and nonprofits; (3) a deferred compensation plan of a state or local government that meets the requirements of section 457 of the federal Internal Revenue Code; (4) a federal Thrift Savings Plan; or (5) a standard Individual Retirement Account pursuant to section 408 of the federal Internal Revenue Code. The contributions to these plans are taxed upon distribution from the account. The bill applies to contributions made or premiums paid in taxable years beginning on or after the January 1 next following the bill's enactment. | In Committee |
| S4051 | Allows school district to appoint certain specialists to provide school security services to schools. | This bill allows school districts to appoint a school security specialist to provide school security services. The bill defines a school security specialist as a person who is employed by a private company that engages in the business of providing, or undertaking to provide, school security services to schools. The school security specialist also may include a school district employee or any other private individual not employed by a private company that engages in the business of providing school security services to schools. Under the bill, a school security specialist is required: to be sound in body and of good health and moral character; to possess a minimum of 20 years of prior experience in law enforcement, having served in a supervisory capacity during that time and having been separated from that prior experience in good standing; to possess a valid New Jersey driver's license; and to be employed by a licensed security officer company and registered under the "Security Officer Registration Act." Prior to being appointed as a school security specialist, a person would be required to undergo a criminal history record check and successfully complete certain training programs. Upon the recommendation of the superintendent of schools, a local board of education may permit a school security specialist to carry a handgun in school buildings and on school grounds, provided the specialist complies with current law. A school security specialist may be deemed by the school principal as a staff member responsible for maintaining order, safety, or discipline in the school who is authorized to receive information as to the identity, charge, adjudication, and disposition of a juvenile charged with an offense. | In Committee |
| S4000 | Imposes conditions on drivers approaching stationary vehicles and revises public awareness campaign. | This bill amends current law to require motor vehicle drivers to move over or reduce the speed of the motor vehicle and be prepared to stop when approaching any stationary vehicle and to do so for any stationary vehicle regardless of whether the vehicle is displaying flashing, blinking, or alternating lights; flashing hazard warning signal lights; or utilizing road flares or reflective triangles. Under the bill, "vehicle" means every device in, upon, or by which a person or property is or may be transported upon a highway, excepting devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks or low-speed electric bicycles, low-speed electric scooters, or motorized bicycles. Under current law, motor vehicle drivers are required to move over, or reduce the speed of their vehicles, and be prepared to stop when approaching stationary authorized emergency vehicles, tow trucks, highway maintenance or emergency service vehicles, and sanitation vehicles displaying certain lights and for disabled vehicles flashing hazard warning signal lights or utilizing road flares or reflective triangles. This bill also requires the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety to include all stationary vehicles in a public awareness campaign to inform the general public of the importance of reducing speed and changing lanes when approaching stationary vehicles, the risks associated with the failure to do so, and any penalties and fines that are imposed by a failure to reduce speed or change lanes. | In Committee |
| S4170 | Designates State House Complex Welcome Center as "Governor Richard J. Codey Welcome Center." | An Act designating the State House Complex Welcome Center as the "Governor Richard J. Codey Welcome Center" and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S4126 | Prohibits certain uses of perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene. | This bill would prohibit certain uses of the chemicals perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE). Specifically, the bill would (1) prohibit all uses in commerce of TCE and (2) prohibit all consumer and commercial uses of PCE, and require an owner or operator of a facility that utilizes PCE to take appropriate measures to protect the facility's worker from exposure to PCE. The bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to adopt rules and regulations to implement these requirements. The bill would additionally specify that the DEP codify, on the state level, the rules and regulations that were adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in December, 2024 concerning the use of PCE and TCE. PCE is a solvent that is used in brake cleaners and adhesives, in dry cleaning, and in many industrial applications. The EPA has found that PCE is associated with health risks such as damage to the kidney, liver, and immune system, neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity, and cancer from inhalation or skin exposure. TCE is a volatile organic compound that is used in industrial cleaning and degreasing applications, lubricants, adhesives and sealants, paints and coatings, automotive care products, cleaning products, and furniture care products. The EPA has found that TCE is associated with health risks including liver cancer, kidney cancer, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. | Crossed Over |
| A4751 | Permits purchase of service credit in SPRS for period of enrollment in military service academy and in New Jersey State Police Academy, and employment as class two special law enforcement officer. | An Act concerning the purchase of service credit in the State Police Retirement System for certain military and police service and amending P.L.1965, c.89 and P.L.2013, c.87. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| 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 |
| A5067 | Requires appointment of alternate members of Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preservation Commission. | An Act concerning the Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preservation Commission and amending P.L.2009, c.132. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S742 | Appropriates unexpended funds from "New Jersey Bridge Rehabilitation and Improvement and Railroad Right-of-way Preservation Bond Act of 1989." | An Act concerning the improvement of the State transportation system and bridges and making an appropriation. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S2236 | Exempts nursing mothers from jury duty. | An Act concerning exemption from jury service and amending N.J.S.2B:20-10. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3587 | Upgrades, and in some circumstances provides for extended terms of imprisonment for, certain retail theft crimes, addresses gift card fraud, and authorizes new Attorney General initiatives to address organized retail theft. | An Act concerning retail theft, amending and supplementing various parts of the statutory law, and making an appropriation. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3606 | Permits purchase of service credit in SPRS for period of enrollment in military service academy and in New Jersey State Police Academy, and employment as class two special law enforcement officer. | This bill allows a member of the New Jersey State Police Retirement System (SPRS) to purchase credit in the retirement system for military service in the Armed Forces of the United States, the period of enrollment in the New Jersey State Police Academy, and employment as a class two special law enforcement officer prior to becoming a member. Under current law, a period of service in the United States Armed Forces qualifies as military service that a member of the SPRS may purchase for retirement purposes. This bill permits the purchase of the period of enrollment in a United States military service academy. The military service academies are the United States Military Academy, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and the Coast Guard Academy. These four service academies educate young people to serve as commissioned officers in the various branches of the United States Armed Forces. They are the only academies whose students are on active duty in the United State Armed Forces from the day they enter the academy, with the rank of cadet and midshipman, and subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. This bill also allows a member of the SPRS to purchase credit in the retirement system for graduation from the New Jersey State Police Academy or for employment as a class two special law enforcement officer, or both, prior to becoming a member. The bill provides that a member may purchase credit for all or a portion of such service rendered while enrolled in the New Jersey State Police Academy or employed by a public employer as a class two special law enforcement officer, or both. Under the bill, the SPRS credit purchased for enrollment in the New Jersey State Police Academy or employment as a class two special law enforcement officer, or both, is equivalent to service in the State Police as a member of the SPRS in qualifying for retirement benefits. | In Committee |
| S3447 | Establishes Special Education Transportation Task Force. | Establishes Special Education Transportation Task Force. | Crossed Over |
| S3952 | Revises law concerning patient referrals to substance use disorder treatment facilities, recovery residences, and clinical laboratories. | Revises law concerning patient referrals to substance use disorder treatment facilities, recovery residences, and clinical laboratories. | In Committee |
| S3955 | Prohibits use of deceptive marketing practices by substance use disorder treatment providers. | Prohibits use of deceptive marketing practices by substance use disorder treatment providers. | In Committee |
| S3799 | Revises credentialing process for physicians attempting to enter a health insurance carrier's provider network. | This bill makes changes to the existing health insurance carrier credentialing process to facilitate transparency and enforcement. First, the bill requires a carrier committee reviewing a credentialing application to notify the applicant within 30 days following submission of the application whether the application is incomplete. If the committee does not notify the applicant of an incomplete application within 30 days, the application is to be deemed complete. In addition, the bill requires carriers to include on their Internet websites the universal participation and renewal forms and an explanation of the credentialing process, including a list of all the documents required for participation and renewal and any expected timelines. The bill also provides that if a physician, while waiting to receive a credential to participate in the provider network of a carrier, is delivering health care services to covered persons within the network, the carrier is required to reimburse the physician for services delivered as of the date the credentialing application was filed, if the application is approved by the carrier. Under the bill, carriers are prohibited from requiring a physician who is already credentialed with the carrier and who changes employers or health care facilities within this State to submit a new application or renewal form to participate in the carrier's network solely on the basis that the physician changed employers or health care facilities. Lastly, the bill authorizes the Department of Banking and Insurance to receive, investigate, and enforce alleged violations of law relating to the credentialing process. | In Committee |
| 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 |
| S4286 | Establishes certain protections for health care professionals who receive behavioral health care and apply for State licensure. | This bill establishes certain protections for health care professionals who receive behavioral health care and are seeking State licensure as health care professionals. This bill is intended to encourage healthcare professionals to seek behavioral health care without fear of licensing repercussions. The bill aims to strike a balance between ensuring patient safety and encouraging healthcare professionals to seek behavioral health treatment. Under the bill, no State board or agency that licenses health care professionals in the State is permitted to inquire into an applicant's history of receiving behavioral health care during the licensing or license renewal process, except when inquiring about a behavioral health condition that impairs the applicant's ability to practice health care safely. A State board or agency will limit any questions on any licensing or license renewal forms concerning the applicant's behavioral health to inquiries about current impairments affecting the applicant's ability to perform the essential functions of the professional role with reasonable skill and safety. A State board or agency may inquire whether an applicant has a current health condition, including a behavioral health condition that impairs the applicant's ability to practice health care safely. Such inquiry must include assurances that the applicant will not face board or agency action if the applicant is receiving treatment for a behavioral health care condition and not currently impaired. Any inquiry responses related to past or current behavioral health care provided to an applicant will remain confidential and, if there is no impairment to the applicant's ability to practice safely, such responses will not be used as the sole basis for denial of licensure or license renewal or imposition of a requirement by the board or agency that the applicant participate in a treatment program as a condition of licensure. The bill requires the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety, in collaboration with the Department of Health, to provide training to each State licensing board and agency and the board and agency's staff on how to handle behavioral health disclosures in a non-stigmatizing manner. | In Committee |
| S4287 | Requires health insurance coverage for donation of organs from individuals declared dead. | This bill requires a carrier that offers a health benefits plan in New Jersey to provide coverage, without any cost-sharing, to an insured individual for the donation of an organ after the insured individual is declared dead in accordance with the "Declaration of Death Act." The insured individual who is declared dead: (1) is to be registered as an organ donor through the organ donor registry established by the State; or (2) is to have organs donated if the decision to donate is received from a representative of the insured individual who is declared dead, to include, but not be limited to, the named insured of the health benefits plan, if not the insured individual who is declared dead; a spouse; a child who is at least 18 years of age; sibling or legal guardian. | In Committee |
| S4299 | Creates Health Care Cost Containment and Price Transparency Commission, Office of Healthcare Affordability and Transparency, and hospital price transparency regulations; appropriates $5 million. | This bill creates the Health Care Cost Containment and Price Transparency Commission (commission), the Office of Healthcare Affordability and Transparency (office), and hospital price transparency regulations. Under the bill, the purpose of the office is to provide support, staffing, infrastructure, and expertise to the commission, and to comprehensively address health care cost growth while also establishing data analytics and public reporting mechanisms to ensure healthcare affordability, informed policymaking, and access for future generations. The office is to establish guidelines for health care entities to submit necessary data for the yearly evaluation of total health care expenditures, their incremental growth, pricing information, pricing incremental growth, the formulation of the healthcare cost growth benchmark and the hospital price benchmark, and for publishing relevant data publicly. Under the bill, the purpose of the 18 member commission is to: monitor, analyze, and contain health care prices by identifying drivers of health care cost growth including hospital price growth; establishing and adopting a health care cost growth benchmark and a hospital price growth benchmark; identifying health care entities that exceed the benchmark or benchmarks; and addressing increases in excess of the benchmark or benchmarks through public transparency, opportunities for remediation, and other actions, including civil penalties. The commission is to set a cost growth benchmark for health care entities. The commission is to impose civil penalties, pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.), on health care entities that either fail to respond to the commission's request to submit a corrective action plan or comply with the requirements of a corrective action plan. The bill provides that the Department of Health is to require hospitals to be in compliance with federal hospital price transparency requirements and provide a written warning notice to or request a corrective action plan from any hospital that is not in compliance with these federal requirements. A hospital is to be prohibited from attempting to collect a medical debt from a patient if the hospital is not, at the time of providing medical services to the patient, in compliance with the provisions of this bill. A hospital that fails to act in accordance with the provisions of this bill is to be liable to a civil penalty of $10 per day per hospital bed for each offense, pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). The bill appropriates to the office such sums as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this bill, as determined by the Commissioner of Health, but in no case is this amount to exceed $5,000,000. | In Committee |
| S3918 | Requires appointment of alternate members of Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preservation Commission. | Requires appointment of alternate members of Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preservation Commission. | In Committee |
| S1029 | "Invasive Species Management Act"; prohibits sale, distribution, import, export, and propagation of certain invasive species; establishes NJ invasive Species Council. | "Invasive Species Management Act"; prohibits sale, distribution, import, export, and propagation of certain invasive species; establishes NJ Invasive Species Council. | Crossed Over |
| S2078 | Extends membership in TPAF to 10 years after discontinuance of service and to 15 years for those who were laid off or had 10 or more years of continuous service upon voluntary termination. | Extends membership in TPAF to 10 years after discontinuance of service and to 15 years for those who were laid off or had 10 or more years of continuous service upon voluntary termination. | In Committee |
| S2116 | Provides that organ donor designation on driver's license or identification card remains upon renewal of license or card under certain circumstances. | Provides that organ donor designation on driver's license or identification card remains upon renewal of license or card under certain circumstances. | In Committee |
| S165 | Expands definition of child under PFRS and SPRS. | This bill expands the definition of a child under the PFRS and SPRS to include the child of a deceased member that is under the age of 24 and that is enrolled in a degree program in an institution of higher education for at least 12 credit hours in each semester. Under current law, a person is considered a child under the PFRS and SPRS if the person is: (1) under the age of 18; (2) 18 years of age or older and enrolled in a secondary school; (3) under the age of 24 and enrolled in a degree program in an institution of higher education for at least 12 credit hours in each semester, provided that the member died in active service as a result of an accident met in the actual performance of duty at some definite time and place, and the death was not the result of the member's willful misconduct; or (4) any age who, at the time of the member's or retirant's death, is disabled because of an intellectual disability or physical incapacity, is unable to do any substantial, gainful work because of the impairment and the impairment has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, as affirmed by the medical board. This bill would remove the requirement that if the child is under the age of 24 and enrolled in an institution of higher education, the child must be the survivor of a member who died in the line of duty to be considered a child under the PFRS or SPRS. This bill would permit any child of a deceased member that is under the age of 24 and that is enrolled in a degree program in an institution of higher education for at least 12 credit hours in each semester to be considered a child regardless if the member died in the line of duty or not. | In Committee |
| S2423 | Renames Juvenile Justice Commission as Youth Justice Commission. | An Act renaming the Juvenile Justice Commission and amending the various parts of the statutory law. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S314 | Concerns expenses to municipalities for tree purchase, planting, and removal. | This bill allows local government units to finance the purchase, planting, and removal of trees and shrubbery through the issuance of long-term and short-term debt. The bill amends the "Local Bond Law" to provide that the purchase, planting, and removal of trees and shrubbery constitutes a period of usefulness of 15 years. Consequently, the bill permits local government units to issue 15-year bonds to defray the costs of these expenses. The bill also amends the "Local Budget Law" to permit a local government unit to adopt a special emergency appropriation for the purchase, planting, and removal of trees and shrubbery following a natural disaster. This authorization would allow the local government unit to issue special emergency notes to defray the costs of these expenses. | In Committee |
| S4223 | Provides health care benefits to disabled members of TPAF and PERS. | This bill permits members of the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) and Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), or long term disability insurance recipients who are disabled and receiving TPAF or PERS disability insurance benefits, to be entitled to health care benefits under the School Employees' Health Benefits Program (SEHBP) and State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) in the same manner as it is provided to retirees of the TPAF and PERS retirement systems who receive health insurance under the SEHBP and SHBP, except that such health care benefits are to be free and will not require employee contributions. The bill provides that there is no deadline for disability insurance recipients to enroll in coverage and no eligibility requirements imposed to receive coverage, other than the member being required to be a recipient of disability insurance under TPAF or PERS. The bill also specifies that health benefits are not to be considered as benefits that reduce the amount that disabled TPAF or PERS members would receive in disability benefits and, for pension purposes, the member is to be considered as if the member was in active service for the duration of the time the disability benefit is received. | In Committee |
| S3450 | Establishes requirements for on-demand micro transit programs operating within State. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Transportation to establish and issue requirements for the operation of any on-demand micro transit programs operating within the State. These requirements are to provide that: (1) employees of an entity providing on-demand micro transit service are responsible for directly operating these services, with certain exceptions described in the bill; (2) on-demand micro transit drivers hold a valid commercial driver license; (3)on-demand micro transit drivers are compensated at no less than the same wages, hours, working conditions, and benefits as other drivers directly employed by the entity providing on-demand micro transit service; (4) existing employees of an entity that provides on-demand micro transit service are not adversely affected by the establishment and operation of the on-demand micro transit program; (5) each on-demand micro transit program creates additional transit service to transit deserts; and (6) the New Jersey Transit Corporation (corporation), in consultation with the Commissioner of Transportation, may establish any other rules, guidelines, or protocols. The bill also establishes the Micro Transit Oversight Committee (committee), which is required to review each on-demand micro transit plan established by the New Jersey Transit Corporation, a county transit agency, or any other entity and to certify that the plan meets all of the requirements established under the bill. The committee is to be comprised of three members: a representative from the New Jersey Transit Corporation appointed by the Governor upon recommendation of the executive director of the corporation, a member of the New Jersey General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and a member appointed by the President of the Senate upon recommendation of the labor organization representing the plurality of employees of the corporation involved in motorbus operations. Each member is to serve a term of one year. A majority of the membership of the committee constitutes a quorum for the transaction of committee business, and action may be taken at any meeting by the affirmative vote of a majority of the membership of the committee. An entity is prohibited from providing on-demand micro transit service until the entity receives the certification required by the bill. Under the bill, "on-demand micro transit" is defined as publicly available, technology-enabled, shared transportation provided by means of a motor vehicle to individuals selecting a pick-up and drop-off location by telephone or through a mobile application, and which transportation is provided at a time selected by the individual or as soon as possible after the individual selects pick-up and drop-off locations for such transportation. | In Committee |
| S3848 | Concerns alcoholic beverage licenses for sporting facilities. | An Act concerning alcoholic beverage licenses for sporting facilities and amending R.S.33:1-12. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4091 | Expands services that can be provided by audiologists and hearing aid dispensers. | An Act concerning audiologists and hearing aid dispensers and amending various parts of the statutory law. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A1672 | Makes disabled persons receiving disability payments pursuant to federal Railroad Retirement Act eligible to receive homestead property tax reimbursement. | An Act concerning eligibility to receive a homestead property tax reimbursement and amending P.L.1997, c.348. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S843 | Requires Adjutant General of DMVA create program for veterans to receive evaluation and treatment for PTSD, total brain injury, or traumatic brain injury. | This bill requires the Adjutant General of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to develop, in coordination with appropriate departments and agencies, a program to assist veterans in accessing evaluation and treatment for a post-traumatic stress disorder, total brain injury, or traumatic brain injury diagnosis related to military service. The program may include offering support and guidance, transportation, assistance filing disability compensation claims, assistance updating discharge status, health care and other services or programs available at the local, State and federal level for obtaining and addressing a post-traumatic stress disorder, total brain injury, or traumatic brain injury diagnosis. Under the bill, "veteran" means a person who served in the Armed Forces of the United States or a Reserve component thereof, including the New Jersey National Guard. | In Committee |
| S4251 | Establishes procedure for removal of health care facility from provider network and certain circumstances to allow for special enrollment period. | This bill establishes certain procedures that are required to be followed if a carrier removes a health care facility network from its provider network or a health care facility network leaves a carrier's provider network. Prior to any removal or departure, a carrier or a health care facility network is to provide electronic notice of the potential removal or departure to the other party and electronic notice to the Department of Banking and Insurance, as prescribed by the department. The carrier is to require continued coverage of claims provided by the health care facility network for a period of no less than 15 business days after the notice of potential removal has been sent to the health care facility network and the department. During the 15-business day period of continued coverage, the carrier and the health care facility network are required to negotiate in good faith to come to an agreement. Notice to subscribers and patients residing in the county or counties where a health care facility network is located is to be issued on the first day of the 15 business day period to disclose that: (1) the negotiation is taking place; and (2) the potential impact if a negotiation fails. Conspicuous notice of the potential removal is to also be displayed on each party's Internet website and applications used by their respective subscribers and patients. Upon conclusion of the 15-business day period, if negotiations to reach an agreement between a carrier and health care facility network have failed, a special enrollment period of 30 days is to open to individuals who 1) belong to a small employer health benefits plan or an individual health benefits plan and 2) are residing in the county or counties where a health care facility network is located. The carrier is to provide coverage of claims provided by the health care facility network for the entirety of the special enrollment. The special enrollment period is to allow a policyholder of a small employer health benefits plan or an insured of an individual health benefits plan to select a new health benefits plan, including, but not limited to, through enrollment in the State-based exchange or in an employer-based plan of a spouse. Upon conclusion of the 15-day period of continued coverage, if the carrier and the health care facility network have not reached an agreement for the health care facility network to remain in the carrier network, the carrier is to provide coverage of claims provided by the health care facility network as an out-of-network charge with the insured party only responsible for payment of any portion of claims provided by the health care facility network in the same manner as provided for prior to the removal of the health care facility network from the carrier's network. The carrier network is responsible for the remaining charges until: (1) the next open enrollment period for that carrier; or (2) the carrier and the health care facility network reach a new agreement for the health care facility network to remain in the carrier network. | In Committee |
| S4159 | Concerns issuance of standard basic driver's licenses to individuals with certain disabilities after expiration of prior license. | This bill requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to allow a person with an expired standard basic driver's license to renew the person's standard basic driver's license without being required to re-take the written examination or the road test in certain circumstances. To be eligible for license renewal without being required to re-take the written examination or the road test, the person is required to produce documentation from certain medical professionals that demonstrates that the person has either a mental or a psychological condition that interferes with the person's ability to renew the person's license in person at a commission agency location. Additionally, for the person to be eligible for this license renewal process, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is required to determine, based on the person's prior driving record, that the person can safely operate a motor vehicle. | In Committee |
| S3190 | Requires certain juveniles to appear before court in county where incident giving rise to delinquency complaint allegedly occurred. | Requires certain juveniles to appear before court in county where incident giving rise to delinquency complaint allegedly occurred. | Crossed Over |
| S3666 | Requires school districts to provide instruction on risks of compulsive gambling as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. | Requires school districts to provide instruction on risks of compulsive gambling as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. | In Committee |
| S1242 | Makes compulsive gambling prevention, education, and treatment program optional penalty for casino gambling by person under legal age of 21; makes fine optional. | Under current law, a person who enters or gambles at a casino when the person is under 21 years of age is guilty of a disorderly persons offense and is subject to a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $1,000. This bill would allow the court the option to impose the fine, and to also require that person to participate in a compulsive gambling prevention, education, and treatment program that meets certain criteria, such as those provided by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. | In Committee |
| S3694 | Prohibits cryptocurrency automatic teller machines. | This bill prohibits any business entity from owning, controlling, installing, or managing a cryptocurrency automatic teller machine (ATM) in this State. Under the bill, cryptocurrency is defined as any digital form of currency that functions as a medium of exchange through a decentralized computer network without reliance on any central authority such as a government or financial institution. In addition, a cryptocurrency ATM means a physical, internet-connected kiosk allowing users to buy, sell, send, or receive cryptocurrency by depositing money using a debit card, credit card, or cash. Under the provisions of the bill, owning, controlling, installing, managing, selling, or offering for sale a cryptocurrency ATM in this State is an unlawful practice under the consumer fraud act, punishable by a monetary penalty of not more than $10,000 for a first offense and not more than $20,000 for any subsequent offense. In addition, violations may result in cease and desist orders issued by the Attorney General, the assessment of punitive damages, and the awarding of treble damages and costs to the injured party. While cryptocurrency ATMs offer a convenient way for individuals to buy, sell, send, or receive digital currencies, there has been a significant rise in scams associated with their use. According to the United States Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Sentinel Network, fraud losses linked to these cryptocurrency automatic teller machines have surged nearly tenfold since 2020 to more than $110 million in 2023 and exceeded $65 million in just the first half of 2024. Since many incidents of fraud go unreported, these figures likely represent only a portion of the overall impact. It is the sponsor's intent to protect consumers from falling victim to financial losses associated with the use of cryptocurrency automatic teller machines. | In Committee |
| S4114 | Requires MVC to develop informational pamphlet concerning operation of low-speed electric bicycles and low-speed electric scooters; requires certain food delivery companies to distribute pamphlet to certain individuals. | This bill requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to develop and publish an informational pamphlet concerning the operation of low-speed electric bicycles and low-speed electric scooters. Additionally, this bill requires a food delivery company to distribute the pamphlet to all individuals who deliver food on behalf of the company by means of a low-speed electric bicycle or low-speed electric scooter. When developing the pamphlet, the MVC is required to include, at a minimum: (1) current laws and regulations regarding the operation of low-speed electric bicycles and low-speed electric scooters; (2) penalties for failure to follow the current laws and regulations regarding the operation of low-speed electric bicycles and low-speed electric scooters; and (3) a notice stating that all food delivery companies operating within this State are required to distribute the pamphlet to all individuals who deliver food on behalf of the company by means of a low-speed electric bicycle or low-speed electric scooter. The MVC is required to update the pamphlet at least once a year with any updated laws and regulations regarding the operation of low-speed electric bicycles and low-speed electric scooters. The MVC is required to publish the pamphlet on the commission's Internet website and include a translation of the pamphlet from English to at least five languages, including Spanish. The MVC is required to distribute two copies of the pamphlet to any food delivery company operating within this State within 60 days of developing the pamphlet and an updated pamphlet annually. Additionally, under this bill, any food delivery company operating within this State is required to distribute a copy of the pamphlet to all individuals who deliver food on behalf of the food delivery company by means of a low-speed electric bicycle or low-speed electric scooter within 30 days of receiving the informational pamphlet and include a copy of the pamphlet in any paperwork given to a prospective employee during the hiring process. This bill defines "food delivery company" as any company providing food ordering and delivery services that allows a customer to place an order for delivery by telephone or online either through a mobile application or Internet website and uses a low-speed electric bicycle or low-speed electric scooter to deliver the food. | In Committee |
| S4108 | Requires appointment of State Dementia Services Coordinator; appropriates $150,000. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services to appoint a State Dementia Services Coordinator. The State coordinator is to be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the position. The duties of the State coordinator is to include: 1) developing and coordinating the implementation of a master plan to address the impact of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders or other forms of dementia; 2) coordinating with existing State programs, services, facilities, and agencies that provide services and other assistance to persons with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders or other forms of dementia; 3) developing procedures to facilitate communication, collaboration, coordination, and information sharing between, and prevent the duplication of dementia care services provided by, State departments, offices, divisions, agencies, and community-based organizations; 4) identifying service gaps in the provision of appropriate dementia care services and other assistance by State departments, offices, divisions, agencies, and community-based organizations; and 5) increasing awareness of, and facilitating access to quality, coordinated treatment and dementia care for persons with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders or other forms of dementia. The appointed State Dementia Services Coordinator: is authorized to call upon any department, office, division, or agency of the State to supply the coordinator with data and any other information necessary to discharge the coordinator's duties; and may consult with experts or other knowledgeable individuals in the public or private sector on any aspect of the coordinator's mission. The provisions of the bill also require each department, office, division, or agency to cooperate fully with, and provide assistance to, the coordinator to perform the coordinator's duties. The bill appropriates $150,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services to effectuate the purposes of the bill. | In Committee |
| S4090 | Increases maximum age for pediatric long-term care facility residents to 26. | This bill provides that pediatric long-term care facilities may admit and provide services to residents who are age 26 or younger. Currently, the maximum age for pediatric long-term care residents is age 19. | In Committee |
| S4110 | Requires New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology to establish matching grant program for public research universities that receive certain federal research grants; appropriates $5 million. | This bill requires the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology to establish a matching grant program for public research universities that meet certain criteria. Awards under the matching grant program would be distributed to public research universities for federal research projects that align with priority industries, as determined by the commission. Under the bill, a public research university would be eligible to apply to the commission for matching grant funds in accordance with application guidelines and procedures to be established by the commission. The commission would establish an application form and procedure for public research universities to apply for matching grant funds. In establishing the application form and procedure, the commission is required to evaluate applications based on certain minimum criteria laid out in the bill. Funds awarded under the matching grant program may be used as a match for federal research proposals that require a financial match receive or that provide higher consideration to proposals in which a financial match is in place. The bill requires the commission to annually prepare and submit to the Governor and to the Legislature a report that, at a minimum, details each of the recipients of matching grants and that describes the effectiveness of the grant program in assisting with the promotion of economic development in the State. Finally, the bill appropriates $5 million to effectuate the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| S1000 | Requires MVC to place designation on motor vehicle's registration information indicating registrant is deaf or hard of hearing. | Requires MVC to place designation on motor vehicle's registration information indicating registrant is deaf or hard of hearing. | In Committee |
| S315 | Permits school bus driver to administer epinephrine to student in emergency under certain circumstances. | This bill requires the policy of a board of education or a nonpublic school for the emergency administration of epinephrine to a student will permit a school bus driver to administer epinephrine to a student when the following conditions are met: (1) the student's parent or guardian has provided written authorization for a school bus driver to administer epinephrine to the student in an emergency; (2) the student's parent or guardian has provided to the board of education or chief school administrator of a nonpublic school written orders from a physician or advanced practice nurse that the student requires the administration of epinephrine for anaphylaxis; (3) the board or chief school administrator of a nonpublic school informs the student's parents or guardians in writing that the district and its employees or agents or the nonpublic school and its employees or agents, the school bus driver, and school bus contractor will have no liability as a result of any injury arising from the administration of the epinephrine via a pre-filled auto-injector mechanism; (4) the student's parents or guardians sign a statement acknowledging their understanding that the district or the nonpublic school, the school bus driver, and school bus contractor will have no liability as a result of any injury arising from the administration of the epinephrine via a pre-filled auto-injector mechanism to the student and that the parents or guardians will indemnify and hold harmless the district and its employees or agents or the nonpublic school and its employees or agents, the school bus driver, and school bus contractor against any claims arising out of the administration of the epinephrine via a pre-filled auto-injector mechanism; and (5) the school bus driver has been properly trained in the administration of epinephrine via a pre-filled auto-injector mechanism using standardized training protocols established pursuant to current law. The training will be conducted by an entity or individual approved by the Department of Health. | In Committee |
| S1253 | Establishes pilot program in DOE to use therapy dogs in public elementary school wellness programs. | This bill establishes a three-year pilot program to assess the academic and health benefits associated with the use of therapy dogs in public elementary school wellness programs. A therapy dog is a dog that has been trained, evaluated, and registered with a handler to provide animal assisted therapy and other animal assisted activities within a school or other facility. Some research suggests that the use of therapy dogs in schools is associated with improvements in school attendance, confidence, motivation, and reading and writing skills. Under the bill, a school district that wants to participate in the pilot program is required to submit an application to the commissioner. The application is required to include, but need not be limited to: the number of elementary schools in the school district; the number of students enrolled in each elementary school; information on student participation in wellness programs at each elementary school; and information on how the school district plans to use therapy dogs to promote student wellness. The commissioner will select two districts in each of the southern, central, and northern regions of the State to participate in the program and will seek a cross section of school districts from urban, suburban, and rural areas of the State. The commission will provide pilot districts with guidance regarding the use of therapy dogs in schools including: examples of activities that students may engage in with a therapy dog; recommended training requirements for therapy dog handlers; recommended measures to evaluate the health and appropriate behavior of therapy dogs; and insurance issues relevant to having therapy dogs on school district property. No later than June 30 of the third school year following the establishment of the pilot program, the commissioner will submit to the Governor and to the Legislature a report that evaluates the effectiveness of the pilot program in improving the academic performance and health outcomes of students in elementary schools. | Crossed Over |
| S2331 | "Equitable Outcomes in Child Support Collection Act"; establishes procedures regarding collection of child support on behalf of children in custody of DCPP. | An Act concerning the liability for maintenance costs of children in the care or custody of the Division of Child Protection and Permanency and amending and supplementing P.L.1962, c.142. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| SJR76 | Designates second Friday in December of each year as "PSRPs in Our Schools Day" in New Jersey to recognize contributions of paraprofessionals and school-related personnel (PSRPs). | Designates second Friday in December of each year as "PSRPs in Our Schools Day" in New Jersey to recognize contributions of paraprofessionals and school-related personnel (PSRPs). | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S684 | Requires telecommunications, cable television, and Internet service providers to allow for service contracts to be paused or canceled following service recipients's admission to long-term care facility. | An Act allowing for service contracts to be paused or canceled following service recipients' admission to certain long-term care facilities and supplementing Title 56 of the Revised Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S745 | Requires DOT and DLPS to implement weigh-in-motion monitoring program. | Requires DOT and DLPS to implement weigh-in-motion monitoring program. | In Committee |
| S4056 | Prohibits health insurance carriers from placing time limit on coverage of anesthesia services before, during, or after medical or surgical procedures. | This bill prohibits health insurance carriers from placing a time limit on the coverage of anesthesia services before, during, or after a medical or surgical procedure. Under the bill, a carrier (including an insurance company, health service corporation, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation, or health maintenance organization authorized to issue health benefits plans in the State) will be prohibited from limiting coverage based on the amount of time in which anesthesia services are used before, during, or after a medical or surgical procedure. For the purpose of this bill, "anesthesia services" means the same as the prevailing medical coding standards found within the American Medical Association's Current Procedural Terminology code for anesthesia, including anesthesia modifier codes. | In Committee |
| S4062 | Requires DCA to review and amend State Uniform Construction Code concerning parking structures to address increased weight of electric vehicles. | This bill requires the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs (commissioner) to review and amend the State Uniform Construction Code (UCC) to address the increased weight imposed upon those structures due to electric vehicle occupancy. The commissioner is to review and amend the UCC to address both new and existing parking structures. The bill provides that, for new parking structures, the commissioner is to study, develop, and implement UCC requirements, which are to include, but not be limited to: (1) requirements for the increased weight of electric vehicles; (2) new installation codes for electric vehicle chargers; (3) distributing electric vehicle parking spaces for the reduction of load intensity; (4) an analysis of common parking structure construction types to determine whether the parking structure could withstand an increased load; and (5) establishing a minimum of 10 percent electric vehicle parking spaces in new parking structures. The bill further provides that, for existing parking structures, the commissioner is to study, develop, and implement UCC requirements, which are to include, but not be limited to: (1) a review of existing parking structure load requirements; (2) a process for monitoring, measuring, and documenting parking structure performance with increased electric vehicle occupancy; (3) publishing detailed example analysis and strengthening projects as models for assessment and upgrade; and (4) requirements for the owners of parking structures, which the department deems unsound or structurally deficient due to increased electric vehicle occupancy, to develop a remediation plan, including a timeline for coming into compliance within 90 days of the notice of deficiency, or the department is to be empowered to close the parking structure until the owner brings the parking structure into compliance. The bill provides that the commissioner is to, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations as necessary to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill is to take effect on the first day of the third month next following the date of enactment, except that the commissioner is permitted to take anticipatory action necessary to effectuate the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| S4061 | Directs DHS to establish three year advertising campaign to attract certified home health aides to health care professions; appropriates $3 million. | This bill directs the Department of Human Services (DHS), in consultation with the Department of Health (DOH), to establish a three year advertising campaign to attract certified home health aides to health care professions. The campaign will promote: health care professions as engaging, dynamic, and rewarding career opportunities; and available scholarships, student loan redemption programs, and other available financial support opportunities for certified home health aides seeking careers in health care professions. The DHS, in developing and administering the advertising campaign, is also required to create targeted advertising to increase the recruitment of certified home health aides to health care professions: (1) from underrepresented racial groups; (2) with expertise in providing care to senior citizens; and (3) into certain high-demand fields. The bill requires the DHS, in consultation with the DOH, to submit a report to the Governor and to the Legislature on the implementation and effectiveness of the advertising campaign. The report must include the commissioner's recommendation on the advisability of the advertising campaign's continuation. The bill takes effect immediately and expires upon submission of the report required to be prepared under the bill. | In Committee |
| S4066 | Establishes that final restraining order survives plaintiff's death where other persons are also protected; requires prosecutors to provide notice of defendant's release to other persons protected by order. | This bill amends the New Jersey Prevention of Domestic Violence Act ("PDVA") to expressly provide that a domestic violence final restraining order survives the death of the person protected by the restraining order, where that restraining order also protects other persons besides just the recipient. This bill also amends the law to require that prosecutors provide notice of a defendant's release be given to other persons protected by a final restraining order, in addition to just notifying the restraining order's recipient. Under current law, a final restraining order issued in this State is permanent and does not have an automatic expiration date or event, such as the death of the recipient. A final restraining order can, however, be dissolved or modified upon good cause shown if one of the parties files an application with the Family Part of the Chancery Division of the Superior Court, but only if the judge who dissolves or modifies the order is the same judge who entered the order or has available a complete record of the hearing or hearings on which the order was based. However, this bill would clarify that a domestic violence final restraining order that also protects other persons, besides just the recipient, does not terminate upon the recipient's death. This bill further directs prosecutors to notify, not only a victim of domestic violence, but also any other person who is listed as a protected person on any domestic violence final restraining order, upon a domestic violence defendant's release from custody. Under current law, whenever a defendant charged with a crime or an offense involving domestic violence is released from custody the prosecuting agency is to notify the victim. However, there is no such notification requirement for any other person who is listed as a protected person on any domestic violence final restraining order. This bill adds this requirement. | In Committee |
| S4073 | Authorizes creation of US Navy Veteran license plates. | This bill authorizes the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue special United States Navy Veteran license plates to honorably discharged United States Navy veterans. The bill provides that the design of the United States Navy Veteran license plate is to display the words, "U.S. Navy Retired" along with an image or other pictorial designation of Navy insignia. The chief administrator, in consultation with the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs (department), is to select the design and color scheme of the United States Navy Veteran license plates. In addition to all fees otherwise required by law for the registration of a motor vehicle, there is an application fee of $50 and an annual renewal fee of $10 for the United States Navy Veteran license plates. After the deduction of the cost of designing, producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the plates and of any computer programming changes that are necessary to implement the license plate program, additional fees will be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the "United States Navy Veteran License Plate Fund." The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to the department and are to be used to support programs benefiting Navy veterans. The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost of producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the specialty license plates. If the average cost per plate exceeds $50 in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the license plate program. The bill also requires that the adjutant general appoint a liaison to represent the department in all communications with the commission regarding the United States Navy Veteran license plates. The bill provides that State or other public funds are not to be used by the commission for the initial cost to implement the United States Navy Veteran license plate program. The bill requires an individual or entity designated by the department to contribute non-public monies, not to exceed $25,000, to offset the initial costs to design, produce, issue, and publicize the license plates and for computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the program. The bill authorizes the department to receive funds from private sources to be used to offset the initial costs. The commission is not required to design, produce, issue, or publicize the availability of the license plates, until: (1) the individual or entity designated by the department has provided the commission with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the license plate program; and (2) the department liaison has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for the license plates. The provisions of the bill will remain inoperative until the first day of the 13th month after the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission are provided to the commission. The bill expires on the last day of the 12th month after enactment if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received by that date. | In Committee |
| S4058 | "Ruth Gilbert Alzheimer's Accessibility Act"; allows certain individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or dementia to receive, and caregivers transporting those individuals to utilize, parking privileges reserved for persons with disability. | This bill permits a person to park a motor vehicle in parking spaces reserved for a person with a disability if the person has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia and the person's ability to walk is limited, impaired, or creates a safety condition while walking as certified by a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. Under the bill, a person diagnosed Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia and whose ability to walk is limited, impaired, or creates a safety condition while walking is eligible to receive from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission a person with a disability identification card, a vehicle identification placard, and license plates that display the national wheelchair symbol. Under current law, vehicle identification placards are required to be displayed on the motor vehicle used to transport an individual with a disability and when the vehicle is parked overtime or in parking spaces reserved for individuals with a disability. A caregiver may utilize the placard while transporting an individual with a disability. Additionally, under current law, wheel chair symbol license plates may be issued to motor vehicles owned, operated, or leased by an individual with a disability or by any person furnishing transportation on the individual's behalf. | In Committee |
| A4968 | Modifies list of transportation infrastructure projects eligible to receive loans from NJ Infrastructure Bank for FY2025. | An Act concerning the expenditure of funds by the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank to finance a portion of the cost of certain transportation infrastructure projects and amending P.L.2024, c.43. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A5121 | Appropriates $49.5 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to DEP for State acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including Blue Acres projects, and Green Acres Program administrative costs. | An Act appropriating $49.5 million from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax revenues for the acquisition of lands by the State for recreation and conservation purposes, including Blue Acres projects, and certain administrative expenses. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3390 | Requires notification of pet presence in seasonal rental unit. | Requires notification of pet presence in seasonal rental unit. | In Committee |
| S3366 | Eliminates fee for special plates for firefighters and members of first aid or rescue squads. | Eliminates fee for special plates for firefighters and members of first aid or rescue squads. | In Committee |
| SJR93 | Designates first full week of May of each year as "Teacher Appreciation Week." | Designates first full week of May of each year as "Teacher Appreciation Week." | In Committee |
| S2498 | Requires Commissioner of Education to establish and maintain educator common application and web portal. | Requires Commissioner of Education to establish and maintain educator common application and web portal. | Crossed Over |
| S1285 | Makes disabled persons receiving disability payments pursuant to federal Railroad Retirement Act eligible to receive homestead property tax reimbursement. | This bill would make disabled persons who receive disability payments pursuant to federal Railroad Retirement Act, (45 U.S.C. s. 231 et seq.), eligible to receive a homestead property tax reimbursement. Under current law, only disabled persons who receive monetary payments pursuant to Title II of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. s.401 et seq.) are eligible to receive a homestead property tax reimbursement. | In Committee |
| S2874 | Expands services that can be provided by audiologists and hearing aid dispensers. | Expands services that can be provided by audiologists and hearing aid dispensers. | In Committee |
| S3997 | Provides PERS members and certain retirees same benefits provided to members enrolled in retirement system before July 1, 2007. | This bill removes the membership tiers established in the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and transfers all current non-retired members of PERS to the membership tier referred to as "Tier 1" by the Division of Pensions and Benefits. All transferred members will be considered eligible for any benefits associated with Tier 1. Under the bill, employees of public employers who earn more than the minimum salary requirement, but do not currently meet the minimum hour eligibility requirements, will be considered eligible to be enrolled as members of PERS. The employer is to process the compulsory enrollment of each affected employee within two months following the enactment of the bill. Any affected employees who are currently enrolled as participants of the Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP) will be eligible for an automatic transfer of all years of service credit to PERS, if the employee elects to transfer their membership from DCRP to PERS. Any years of service credit transferred to PERS from DCRP will be used to qualify members for retirement and health benefits associated with PERS, but will not be used to calculate the amount of pension benefit. A participant's prior contributions into the DCRP will not be transferred into PERS and will remain in the fund. The employee will receive a notice of the transfer of service credit to PERS within two months following the enactment of the bill. Upon receiving the notice, the affected employee has six months to notify their employer if they do not wish to become enrolled as a member and transfer their service credit to PERS. Employees in the DCRP who opt out of the transfer will remain in the DCRP. Additionally, any members of PERS who are receiving long term disability insurance will be eligible to apply for disability retirement as long as they apply within two calendar years following the enactment of the bill. Any changes to the early retirement, deferred retirement, service retirement, and maximum base salary resulting from the transfer of members to Tier 1 of PERS will only affect members who begin processing a retirement application after the bill is enacted. | In Committee |
| S3998 | Provides TPAF members and certain retirees same benefits provided to members enrolled in retirement system before July 1, 2007. | This bill removes the membership tiers established in the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) and transfers all current non-retired members of TPAF to the membership tier referred to as "Tier 1" by the Division of Pensions and Benefits. All transferred members will be considered eligible for any benefits associated with Tier 1. Under the bill, employees of public employers who earn more than the minimum salary requirement, but do not currently meet the minimum hour eligibility requirements, will be considered eligible to be enrolled as members of TPAF. The employer is to process the compulsory enrollment of each affected employee within two months following the enactment of the bill. Any affected employees who are currently enrolled as participants of the Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP) will be eligible for an automatic transfer of all years of service credit to TPAF, if the employee elects to transfer their membership from DCRP to TPAF. Any years of service credit transferred to TPAF from DCRP will be used to qualify members for retirement and health benefits associated with TPAF, but will not be used to calculate the amount of pension benefit. A participant's prior contributions into the DCRP will not be transferred into TPAF and will remain in the fund. The employee will receive a notice of the transfer of service credit to TPAF within two months following the enactment of the bill. Upon receiving the notice, the affected employee has six months to notify their employer if they do not wish to become enrolled as a member and transfer their service credit to TPAF. Employees in the DCRP who opt out of the transfer will remain in the DCRP. Additionally, any members of TPAF who are receiving long term disability insurance will be eligible to apply for disability retirement as long as they apply within two calendar years following the enactment of the bill. Any changes to the early retirement, deferred retirement, service retirement, and maximum base salary resulting from the transfer of members to Tier 1 of TPAF will only affect members who begin processing a retirement application after the bill is enacted. | In Committee |
| S4013 | Permits clinical laboratories to provide certain patients discounts without affecting NJ FamilyCare reimbursement rates or violating NJ Familycare rebate prohibitions. | This bill establishes the "Clinical Laboratory Services Reimbursement and Vulnerable Patient Discount Act," which permits clinical laboratories to provide certain patients with discounts without affecting NJ FamilyCare reimbursement rates or violating NJ FamilyCare rebate prohibitions. N.J.A.C.10:61-1.7 provides that under no circumstances is a clinical laboratory allowed to charge the NJ Family program an amount that exceeds the provider's charge for identical services to other groups or individuals. Moreover, a clinical laboratory in violation of this current NJ FamilyCare reimbursement policy would additionally be non-compliant with the existing anti-rebate regulation as, pursuant to N.J.A.C.10:61-2.4, a discount to a patient is considered a rebate. It is the sponsor's belief that these regulations, in combination, have the effect of impeding access to care for uninsured, underinsured, or underserved individuals by forcing clinical laboratories to stop offering discounted charges to these vulnerable patients. The provisions of this bill are designed to reverse these consequences. Under the bill, notwithstanding the provisions of N.J.A.C.10:61-1.7 to the contrary, reimbursement for items or services provided by a clinical laboratory under NJ FamilyCare are required to be in an amount equal to the lesser of: the amount specified in the maximum fee schedule set forth in existing regulation or future policy; or the clinical laboratory's usual charge for the identical item or service when provided to the general public. Any discount offered by a clinical laboratory is to be deemed permissible as long as it is consistent with federal law and regulation. Moreover, a clinical laboratory may charge or accept a lesser amount than the amount charged to NJ FamilyCare for an item or service, based on the financial hardship of an individual: (1) without affecting the reimbursement amount under NJ FamilyCare for the same or substantially similar item or service; or (2) without constituting a violation of N.J.A.C.10:61-2.4. Additionally, upon the effective date of the bill, all pending or existing actions initiated by the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services in the Department of Human Services under NJ FamilyCare regarding conduct by a clinical laboratory considered in violation of the provisions of N.J.A.C.10:61-1.7 or N.J.A.C.10:61-2.4, either alone or in combination with each other, which actions are subsequently permissible under the bill, are to be dismissed or vacated. Finally, the bill provides that any discount offered, or amount charged or accepted, by a clinical laboratory in compliance with the bill's provision are not to be subject to penalties under section 17 of P.L.1968, c.413 (C.30:4D-17). This State law, among other things, establishes that it is a crime of the third degree when a Medicaid provider willfully receives medical assistance payments in a greater amount than that to which a provider is entitled. | In Committee |
| S4036 | Makes $3 million supplemental appropriation for bonus awards for certain COVID-19 emergency essential frontline State workers of Local 195 International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers. | This bill provides for a supplemental appropriation of $3,000,000 from the General Fund to provide individual employee awards to the many essential frontline State workers of Local 195 of International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers who provided emergency frontline workplace service during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Independent Review of New Jersey's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic completed on March 7, 2024 noted that one of the strengths of New Jersey State Government's response was that staff across government departments and agencies went above and beyond what they were expected or paid to do. Many state employees put their lives on hold to ensure that the important work of their department or agency continued amidst the uncertainty, additional workload, and safety challenges posed by the pandemic. Many frontline agency workers also reported experiencing significant trauma due to the panic and urgency of the response and the demands associated with their jobs. Personal losses and increased workloads caused many State workers to endure prolonged exhaustion and pandemic fatigue. Workers were overwhelmed by the sudden and dramatic increase in their responsibilities, which agencies had to process while being understaffed. Across departments and agencies, state employees demonstrated resilience and flexibility. Many state agencies worked closely with their respective unions to ensure their staff were well placed to continue their work during the pandemic. Agencies that had pre-existing relationships with union leaders were able to have proactive discussions and continuous dialogue in the early stages of the pandemic, enabling rapid decision making concerning workplace attendance by staff deemed essential for the health and safety of human life. The many frontline State workers of Local 195 of International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers ensured the continued operation and maintenance of the many crucial State facilities, which provide essential services to their clients and patients who could not survive a termination of services during the pandemic. This appropriation will ensure that the many thousands of these State employees receive additional compensation in the form of individual bonuses for their essential work during the most dangerous of times. | In Committee |
| A1476 | Establishes "New Jersey Target Zero Commission." | An Act establishing the "New Jersey Target Zero Commission" and supplementing Title 27 of the Revised Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S361 | Establishes "New Jersey Target Zero Commission." | Establishes "New Jersey Target Zero Commission." | In Committee |
| S765 | Revises law prohibiting feeding of bears; establishes program in DEP for distribution of bear-proof garbage cans. | Revises law prohibiting feeding of bears; establishes program in DEP for distribution of bear-proof garbage cans. | In Committee |
| S3943 | Appropriates $49.5 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to DEP for State acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including Blue Acres projects, and Green Acres Program administrative costs. | This bill appropriates the sum of $49.5 million to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide funding for the acquisition by the State of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including for Blue Acres projects, pursuant to the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.). The funding in this bill is provided from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax (CBT) revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution, approved by the voters of the State in November 2014. The "Preserve New Jersey Act" implements the constitutional dedication of CBT revenues for open space, farmland, and historic preservation. The act provides that a certain amount of the portion of dedicated CBT revenues allocated each year for the Green Acres program is to be used for: the acquisition of lands for open space, including Blue Acres projects, and development projects on State lands administered by the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife and Division of Parks and Forestry; grants and loans to fund local government open space acquisition and development projects; and grants to nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes. This bill appropriates moneys for State open space acquisition projects, including for Blue Acres projects. Specifically, this bill appropriates $23.725 million to the DEP to provide funding for the acquisition by the State of lands for recreation and conservation purposes. This appropriation allocates funding for the acquisition by the State of lands, for recreation and conservation purposes, located throughout the State within the 14 project categories identified in section 1 of the bill. The bill also appropriates $23.725 million to the DEP to provide funding for the acquisition by the State, for recreation and conservation purposes, of properties throughout the State that are prone to or have incurred flood or storm damage, or that may buffer or protect other lands from such damage, i.e., "Blue Acres" projects. In addition, section 3 of the bill appropriates $2.05 million to the DEP for the purposes of paying administrative costs associated with administering the applicable provisions of the "Preserve New Jersey Act." Of the total funds appropriated in the bill, the sum of $7.517 million is available due to interest earnings on the constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues. The "Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund" was established by section 6 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act." The "Preserve New Jersey Blue Acres Fund" was established by section 7 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act." P.L.2019, c.136 amended the "Preserve New Jersey Act" to incorporate the purposes of the "Preserve New Jersey Blue Acres Fund" into the "Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund," rather than having two separate funds, both providing moneys to the DEP for the acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes. Of the funding allocated for the acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes by the State, a minimum of 10 percent is to be allocated for Blue Acres projects. The projects and appropriations listed in this bill have been approved by the DEP and the Garden State Preservation Trust. Lastly, the bill authorizes the department to re-distribute certain other moneys made available by project cancellations or cost savings to provide additional funding, for recreation and conservation purposes, to previously approved and funded State projects, subject to the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee. The bill provides that the additional funding, if provided from a Green Acres bond act, may include administrative costs. | In Committee |
| S3839 | Modifies list of transportation infrastructure projects eligible to receive loans from NJ Infrastructure Bank for FY2025. | This bill makes changes to the authorization given to the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB) to make loans for transportation infrastructure projects for Fiscal Year 2025. P.L.2024, c.43 was enacted into law on July 10, 2024, which authorized the NJIB to expend, for the purpose of making loans to or on behalf of local government units to finance all or a portion of the cost of construction of certain transportation infrastructure projects, up to $53,883,706 or such amounts as can be supported through the balances in the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank Fund and via direct appropriation through the State capital program. This bill amends the list of transportation infrastructure projects for which the NJIB is authorized to make loans pursuant to P.L.2024, c.43 to include new projects, remove projects, modify the priority of certain projects, and modify the allowable loan amounts for certain projects. The bill authorizes the NJIB to expend up to $61,400,000 or such amounts as can be supported through the balances in the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank Fund and via direct appropriation through the State capital program. | In Committee |
| S3752 | Establishes certain governance and service standards for developmental disability service providers; appropriates $300,000. | This bill provides protections for individuals with developmental disabilities through the establishment of provider governance and service standards. These standards apply to provider agencies that are authorized to bill greater than $250,000 of services in a State Fiscal Year and to deliver services in provider-managed environments, which the bill defines as a "covered provider agency." In these environments, provider agencies substantially control all aspects of the programming and often the physical setting in which programming occurs. This arrangement creates additional vulnerabilities, particularly for individuals that rely on service providers for all of their long-term care needs. This bill sets standards for provider agency governance to ensure that funds paid by the Division of Developmental Disabilities (division) in the Department of Human Services are properly managed and expended on direct client services. Provider agencies within the scope of the bill are required to have a minimum of five board members, the majority of which are required to be independent, as well as to provide transparency on board composition and meetings. The bill requires the appointment a self-advocate or family member or guardian of a service recipient to each board of directors as a board observer to represent the interests of recipients and their families. Covered provider agencies with greater than $2 million of revenue are required to establish an independent audit committee with a minimum of three members. The bill requires each covered provider agency to post the three most recent annual audited financial statements on the provider agency's Internet website. The bill includes several provisions to ensure that funds paid by the division are primarily expended on direct client services. This includes a cap of 15 percent on program revenue expenditures for executive compensation, general and administrative costs, and similar expenses, plus profit and retained earnings. Existing caps on compensation have been incorporated, updated, and indexed to future increases in the State's minimum wage. Similarly, existing prohibitions on loans to staff members are included. The bill provides that no covered provider agency may pay the costs of any individual salary, except under certain circumstances, in excess of the schedule set forth under the bill. This bill protects service recipients from actions taken by covered provider agencies and their owners that create significant financial or programmatic risk. The bill requires that provider agencies inform the division when a variety of events occur that can reasonably be expected to adversely impact the provider agency's operation or service delivery. These provisions also give the division authority to take action to address the situation and prevent future reoccurrence, including the appointment of an independent monitor. This bill requires that covered provider agencies establish policies on the prevention, reporting and disposition of nepotism, conflicts of interest, non-discrimination and retaliation. Policies against retaliation are of particular concern in order to establish a climate where employees, recipients and families are comfortable raising service quality concerns with the provider agency's management and the division. The bill requires each covered provider agency to employ a full-time salaried manager at each site where the provider agency delivers provider-managed services to more than three clients. This bill incorporates existing insurance and indemnification standards, including the division's authority to annually adjust insurance minimums to ensure that coverage remains consistent with the level of protection needed for staff and service recipients. The bill appropriates from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services the sum of $300,000 for the purposes of hiring additional staff members to monitor and enforce the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| S3755 | Establishes framework for appointment of receiver for provider of services to individuals with developmental disabilities. | This bill provides protections for individuals with developmental disabilities by establishing a framework that allows the Department of Human Services (department) to request the appointment of a receiver to certain low performing service providers of this community. Under the bill, an appointed receiver is to oversee the management of the provider-managed services, which includes both financial and operational components, to protect the interests and care of the individuals with developmental disabilities receiving services. Absent this bill, the department must rely on non-performing provider agencies to move for receivership, which creates substantial risk for care recipients if a provider is failing financially or otherwise unable or unwilling to remedy dangerous conditions in its programs. Similar to authority held by the State's Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Health, this bill provides the department with authority to make a motion to a court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a receiver for a provider of services to individuals with development disabilities if: there exists a pattern or practice in substantial violation of the standards of health, safety, or recipient care established under federal, State, or local law, regulations, or policy; or if any other condition dangerous to life, health, or safety of a recipient exists. Under the bill, a recipient means an individual that is both eligible for Division of Developmental Disabilities services and has received an applicable service by a provider. Applicable services include community residence services, private residential facility services, day habilitation services, individual supports, or any long-term care services. This bill: sets standards for a motion to request, and a court order and court proceedings to appoint, a receiver, as well as the responsibilities and rights of providers and the department during those proceedings; outlines the authority of the appointed receiver and the termination of the receivership when the objectives of the court order are met; establishes a method for the department to request the transfer of ownership of a site and provider-managed services to a new provider; and creates standards for provider agency defenses. These provisions are based on both existing authority held by the Department of Health for oversight of licensees, as well as a court order recently used by the department to successfully wind down a low-performing provider agency of services to individuals with developmental disabilities. | In Committee |
| S3975 | Provides gross income tax exclusion for military compensation paid to State residents for out-of-State military service. | This bill allows a gross income tax exclusion for certain military compensation paid to members of the United States Armed Forces who are domiciled in New Jersey but who serve their military duty at a station or deployment outside of the State of New Jersey for a minimum of six months of the taxable year. | In Committee |
| S3967 | Provides cancer and cardiovascular screenings to law enforcement officers; establishes fund; appropriates $20 million. | This bill provides cancer and cardiovascular disease screenings to law enforcement officers. The screenings will be conducted by a physician not less than three years after the start of the law enforcement officer's employment as a law enforcement officer and every three years thereafter during the course of the law enforcement officer's employment. The screenings will be for colon, lung, bladder, oral, thyroid, skin, blood, breast, cervical, testicular, and prostate cancers. The bill also provides reimbursement to public employers of up to $2,500 for law enforcement officers who are enrolled in a healthcare plan other than SHBP through their public employer. The bill establishes a dedicated, non-lapsing fund called the "SHBP Law Enforcement Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Screenings Fund" to offset the costs of the cancer and cardiovascular screenings for law enforcement officers provided for in the bill. The bill establishes a $10 motor vehicle summons surcharge to be applied to each motor vehicle fine and penalty imposed and collected through a court under authority of any motor vehicle or traffic violation in the State. The $10 surcharge will be deposited in the law enforcement fund. The bill also appropriates $20 million to be deposited into the law enforcement fund. | In Committee |
| S2295 | Concerns pretrail and post-trial considerations for certain crimes involving operation of vehicles, including rebuttable presumption for pretrial detention, pretial recommendation of no release from detention, suspension or revocation of license, and vehicle forfeiture. | Concerns pretrial and post-trial considerations for certain crimes involving operation of vehicles, including rebuttable presumption for pretrial detention, pretrial recommendation of no release from detention, suspension or revocation of license, and vehicle forfeiture. | In Committee |
| S305 | Requires Administrative Law Judges to be enrolled in Workers Compensation Judges Part of PERS. | This bill requires the enrollment in the Workers Compensation Judges Part of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) of Administrative Law Judges of the Office of Administrative Law, as a condition of employment for service as an administrative law judge for each judge enrolled after the effective date of the bill. Currently, administrative law judges are enrolled in the Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP). Administrative law judges will be subject to and governed by the laws and regulations of the Workers' Compensation Judges Part which was established in 2001 and reopened in 2021. An administrative law judge who is currently a participant in the DCRP will be transferred out of the program to the Workers' Compensation and Administrative Law Judges Part of PERS within 90 days following the bill's effective date. An administrative law judge who is currently a participant in PERS will be transferred into the Workers' Compensation and Administrative Law Judges Part of PERS within 90 days following the bill's effective date. The account in the DCRP for each judge will be transferred and each judge will be given service credit for service during participation in the program of administrative law judges. The unfunded liability for the benefits provided by the transfer will be paid by appropriations from the State General Fund. | In Committee |
| S2402 | Establishes New Jersey Veterans' Organization Building Grant Program. | This bill establishes the New Jersey Veterans' Organization Building Grant Program. The bill establishes a grant program in the Economic Development Authority that will support veterans' organizations and their building needs, throughout the State. These organizations, such as VFW posts, could be in need of new buildings or could have buildings that are in need of repair. Grants will be awarded when the buildings are used to assist veterans. In order to award the grants, this bill establishes a fund in the Department of the Treasury, to be known as the "Veterans' Organization Building Grant Fund." This grant program will be funded by the Legislature through yearly appropriations to the fund. The grant program also allows New Jersey taxpayers to voluntarily contribute a portion of their tax refund, or enclose a separate contribution, for the fund. There is appropriated from the General Fund $2,000,000 to the Economic Development Authority to fund the "Veterans' Organization Building Grant Program." | In Committee |
| SJR29 | Designates August of each year as "Professional Engineers Month" in NJ and first Wednesday in August of each year as "Professional Engineering Day." | This joint resolution designates the month of August each year as "Professional Engineers Month" in New Jersey and first Wednesday in August of each year as "Professional Engineering Day." The licensing of professional engineers in the United States began in August 1907 to ensure that the engineering profession is practiced by qualified and ethically accountable professionals. Professional engineers are dedicated to applying scientific knowledge, mathematics, and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical, societal, and commercial problems while holding the public health, safety, and welfare paramount. Nearly 10,000 professional engineers in New Jersey contribute significantly to the technological growth and economic well-being of the State through their work in manufacturing, engineering services, scientific research and development, construction, education, government, industry, and private practice. The designated month and day will reflect that professional engineers should be recognized for their many achievements on behalf of the industries, commerce, and the people of New Jersey, and their commitment to protect the health, welfare, and safety of the public above all other considerations. The designated month and day will also highlight that the engineering profession offers a unique and publicly oriented vocation for young people in the State to be educated and trained to continue the work, innovation, and accomplishments of their predecessors in improving the health, welfare, and safety of the public. The joint resolution also respectfully requests the Governor to issue an annual proclamation calling upon the citizens of the State to participate fittingly in the observance of "Professional Engineers Month" and "Professional Engineering Day." | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S354 | Updates scope of practice of optometrists. | Updates scope of practice of optometrists. | In Committee |
| S3611 | Provides grant to study and map mental health care resources for children; makes appropriation. | An Act concerning mental health services for children, supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3545 | "Climate Superfund Act"; imposes liability on certain fossil fuel companies for certain damages caused by climate change and establishes program in DEP to collect and distribute compensatory payments. | "Climate Superfund Act"; imposes liability on certain fossil fuel companies for certain damages caused by climate change and establishes program in DEP to collect and distribute compensatory payments. | In Committee |
| SJR103 | Declares NJ "Purple Heart State." | This resolution declares New Jersey a "Purple Heart State." New Jersey veterans and active duty military members have fought selflessly to preserve our nation's freedom, with many being wounded or killed while in the line of duty. The Purple Heart Medal is awarded in the name of the President to veterans and active duty military members who have been wounded or killed while serving in our nation's Armed Forces. The recipients of the Purple Heart Medal deserve recognition and honor for the bravery that recipients have shown while serving our nation. Three states, including West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, are declared "Purple Heart States." Parts of 45 states are part of the "Purple Heart Trail," a symbolic and honorary system of roads, highways, bridges and other monuments that give tribute to the veterans and active duty military members who have been awarded the Purple Heart Medal. New Jersey has multiple counties, cities, and locations that are part of the "Purple Heart Trail." The "Purple Heart Trail" was established at the 1992 Military Order of the Purple Heart convention, which was held in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Declaring New Jersey a "Purple Heart State" honors the contributions and sacrifices of the New Jersey service members who have received the Purple Heart Medal. Purple Heart Medal recipients from the State have been vital in maintaining the freedoms and way of life enjoyed by the State's citizens. The people of New Jersey have great respect, admiration, and the utmost gratitude for all of the service members who have selflessly served our country and the State. Therefore, it is altogether fitting and proper to declare New Jersey a "Purple Heart State." Declares NJ "Purple Heart State." | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S2978 | Establishes protected leave under "Family Leave Act" and family temporary disability leave benefits for bereavement for death of child, miscarriage, stillbirth, and certain other circumstances. | Establishes protected leave under "Family Leave Act" and family temporary disability leave benefits for bereavement for death of child, miscarriage, stillbirth, and certain other circumstances. | In Committee |
| S3437 | Requires creation of license plates that allow disabled veterans to park in parking spots reserved for persons with disabilities. | Requires creation of license plates that allow disabled veterans to park in parking spots reserved for persons with disabilities. | In Committee |
| S3537 | Requires State to bear partial cost of transportation of certain homeless students to school. | This bill requires the State to bear a partial cost of the transportation of certain homeless students to school. Under current law, when a homeless child attends school in the district of residence while temporarily residing in another district, the district of residence is required to provide for transportation to and from school. This bill requires the State to bear any cost for that transportation that exceeds the average per pupil cost for transportation services in the district of residence. Current law also permits any student who moves from one school district to another as a result of being homeless due to an act of terrorism or a natural disaster to remain in the original district for two years, provided that the student's parent or guardian remains homeless for that period. In this circumstance, the original district is required to provide transportation to the student. This bill requires the State to bear any cost for that transportation that exceeds the average per pupil cost for transportation services in the district in which the parent or guardian last resided prior to becoming homeless. | In Committee |
| S3909 | Authorizes creation of "250th Anniversary Revolutionary War" license plates. | This bill requires the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to issue 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War license plates. The design of the license plate is to be chosen by the chief administrator, in consultation with the New Jersey Historical Commission (historical commission) in the Department of State. In addition to the required motor vehicle registration fees, there is an application fee of $50 and an annual renewal fee of $10 for the license plates. After deducting the costs to implement the plates, the additional fees collected are to be deposited into the "250th Anniversary Revolutionary War License Plate Fund." The proceeds of the fund are to be appropriated annually to support and preserve Revolutionary War sites throughout New Jersey. The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost of producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the specialty license plates. If the average cost per plate exceeds $50 in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the license plate program. The bill also requires that the Chair of the New Jersey Historical Commission appoint a liaison to represent the historical commission in all communications with the MVC regarding the license plates. The bill provides that State or other public funds may not be used by the MVC for the initial cost to implement the license plate program. The bill requires the historical commission, or an individual or entity designated by the historical commission, to contribute non-public monies, not to exceed $25,000, to offset the initial costs to design, produce, issue, and publicize the license plates and for any computer programming necessary to implement the program. The bill authorizes the historical commission to receive funds from private sources to be used to offset the initial costs. The MVC is not required to design, produce, issue, or publicize the availability of the license plates, or make any necessary programming changes, until: (1) the historical commission, or an individual or entity designated by the historical commission, has provided the MVC with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the MVC in establishing the license plate program; and (2) the historical commission has provided the MVC with a minimum of 500 completed applications for the license plates, upon the availability for purchase of those license plates. The provisions of the bill will remain inoperative until the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the MVC are provided by the historical commission or its designee. The bill expires on the last day of the 12th month following the bill's enactment if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received. | In Committee |
| S3901 | Requires school districts to include instruction on risks associated with social media and cell phone addiction in grades 6 through 12. | This bill requires school districts to include instruction on the risks associated with social media and cell phone addiction in grades 6 through 12. Under current law, school districts are required to incorporate instruction on the responsible use of social media into the technology education curriculum of students in grades 6 through 8 as part of the district's implementation of the Core Curriculum Content Standards in Technology. This bill requires school districts to incorporate instruction on the risks associated with social media and cell phone addiction for students in grades 6 through 12 as part of the district's implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. Under the bill, the instruction is to provide information in addition to what is required under current law concerning the potential negative impact cell phone addiction and social media use my have on a student's mental health, personal relationships, and personal development. | In Committee |
| S3772 | Concerns valuation of board and lodging with respect to workers' compensation. | This bill revises the workers' compensation law to modernize its treatment of board and lodging provided by an employer when calculating the rate of benefits. Currently, board and lodging furnished by an employer are regarded as part of wages and valued at $25 per week, unless a different amount is fixed at the time of hiring. The bill provides, instead, that, unless a different amount is fixed at the time of hiring, the value of employer furnished board and lodging be its market value, except that if the claimant continues to receive board or lodging during the period of total temporary disability, the value of the board or lodging will not be included in the calculation of the workers' compensation rate for purposes of temporary total disability. | In Committee |
| S3673 | Permits person with certain brain injuries to voluntarily make notation on driver's license, identification card, and in MVC registry; establishes program to train law enforcement officers in interactions with persons with certain brain injuries. | Permits person with certain brain injuries to voluntarily make notation on driver's license, identification card, and in MVC registry; establishes program to train law enforcement officers in interactions with persons with certain brain injuries. | In Committee |
| S331 | Authorizes creation of Student Movement Against Cancer license plates. | Authorizes creation of Student Movement Against Cancer license plates. | In Committee |
| S900 | Exempts poll workers wages from affecting unemployment compensation. | Exempts poll workers wages from affecting unemployment compensation. | In Committee |
| S3608 | Permits restaurants and certain alcoholic beverage retailers and manufacturers to conduct business within designated outdoor space or on public sidewalk. | An Act concerning outdoor sale of food and alcoholic beverages and supplementing Title 40 of the Revised Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3878 | Eliminates transfer inheritance tax for step-grandchildren. | This bill eliminates the State's transfer inheritance tax for the step-grandchildren of a decedent by treating step-grandchildren the same as a decedent's stepchildren and grandchildren under the New Jersey Transfer Inheritance Tax Act, R.S.54:33-1 et seq. Currently, step-grandchildren are treated as Class D beneficiaries under subsection d. of R.S.54:34-2 because they do not fall within any of the other statutory classes of beneficiaries (Classes A and C; subsections a. and c.) set forth in that section of law. As Class D beneficiaries, step-grandchildren of a decedent are subject to a transfer inheritance tax of: 15 percent on any property transfer of an amount up to $700,000; and 16 percent on any property transfer in excess of that amount. By contrast, the grandchildren of a decedent, being the "issue of any child or legally adopted child of a decedent," are classified as Class A beneficiaries under subsection a. of R.S.54:34-2, and thus are not subject to any transfer inheritance tax pursuant to the provisions of that section of law. Transfers to stepchildren are likewise treated as Class A beneficiaries and exempt from any transfer inheritance tax under R.S.54:34-2.1. Under the bill, step-grandchildren, i.e., the issue of any stepchild of a decedent, would be treated like stepchildren and grandchildren with respect to a decedent's property transfer, and thus be considered Class A beneficiaries subject to no taxation. | In Committee |
| S3886 | Creates crime of victimization of a senior citizen or a person with a disability. | This bill establishes a separate crime of victimization against a senior citizen or a person with a disability, which must be charged and proved as any other crime. Victimization would be graded one degree higher than the offense that was committed. A person would be guilty of victimization if the person commits any crime listed in the bill against a senior citizen or a person with a disability. Upon a conviction, the sentence imposed by the court would not merge with the sentence imposed for the underlying offense. This bill also provides that if the underlying crime for which the person is being sentenced was graded as a crime of the first or second degree, the sentence imposed shall include a term of post-incarceration parole supervision. Under the bill, a "senior citizen" is defined as a person 62 years of age or over. A "person with a disability" is defined as a person who by reason of any pre-existing medically determinable physical or mental impairment is substantially incapable of exercising normal physical or mental power of resistance, and includes, but is not limited to, any person determined disabled pursuant to the federal Social Security Act or any other governmental retirement or benefits program that uses substantially the same criteria for determining eligibility. | In Committee |
| S3854 | Extends Wounded Warrior Caregivers Relief Act to caregivers of certain veterans. | This bill amends the Wounded Warrior Caregivers Relief Act to extend the tax credit benefit to caregivers of certain veterans. Under current law, the Wounded Warrior Caregivers Relief Act provides a gross income tax credit to family caregivers of armed service members with service-connected disabilities arising out of service on or after September 11, 2001. The bill revises the definition of veteran to mean any citizen and resident of this State discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States and extends the tax credit to caregivers of veterans who fall under the revised definition. | In Committee |
| SJR14 | Designates third Sunday of November of each year as "World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims" in NJ. | Designates third Sunday of November of each year as "World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims" in NJ. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4706 | Revises statutes implementing certain property tax relief programs pursuant to recommendations promulgated by Stay NJ Task Force. | An Act concerning the Stay NJ property tax benefit program and amending and supplementing various parts of the statutory law. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| AJR46 | Designates October of each year as "Hindu Heritage Month" in New Jersey. | This joint resolution designates January of each year as "Hindu Heritage Month" in the State of New Jersey in recognition of the many Hindu residents of this State and their rich and noteworthy history and cultural contributions to this State. Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, dating back to a time between 3000-8000 BCE. Sacred texts have been passed on through generations for thousands of years, creating a strong following of 1.1 billion Hindus in the 21st century. Hindus believe in a variety of deities, each representing different concepts and values within Hinduism. Different sects of Hindus emphasize particular deities and practices over others, depending on their beliefs. Various Hindu gods and goddesses can be traced to origin points spanning several thousand years, making the traditions surrounding Hinduism and the Hindu deities rich and storied. Some deities have holidays celebrated in their honor, such as Diwali, the Festival of Lights, which celebrates Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and fortune. Another well-known Hindu holiday is Holi, the Festival of Colors. It is a holiday celebrating the coming of spring, famous for colorful paste and water thrown on those celebrating. Hindus have made enormous contributions to cultural development throughout history across the globe. Significant achievements in math, science, and medicine used in the modern world can be traced to Hindus. New Jersey is lucky enough to be the state with the highest percentage of Hindu residents in the United States. The Hindu community has shown others the beauty of their beliefs, including though the establishment of the largest Hindu temple in the world, now located in Robbinsville, New Jersey. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| SJR12 | Designates October of each year as "Hindu Heritage Month" in New Jersey. | Designates October of each year as "Hindu Heritage Month" in New Jersey. | In Committee |
| S2697 | Permits certain motor vehicles to display both amber and green warning lights. | Permits certain motor vehicles to display both amber and green warning lights. | In Committee |
| S359 | Requires notice of motor vehicle safety recalls upon registration of motor vehicle; requires motor vehicle manufacturers to pay fee to MVC in certain circumstances. | Requires notice of motor vehicle safety recalls upon registration of motor vehicle; requires motor vehicle manufacturers to pay fee to MVC in certain circumstances. | In Committee |
| S507 | Concerns installation, modification, and sale of certain mufflers and exhaust systems; requires inspection of mufflers and exhaust systems. | Concerns installation, modification, and sale of certain mufflers and exhaust systems; requires inspection of mufflers and exhaust systems. | In Committee |
| S3693 | Revises statutes implementing certain property tax relief programs pursuant to recommendations promulgated by Stay NJ Task Force. | Revises statutes implementing certain property tax relief programs pursuant to recommendations promulgated by Stay NJ Task Force. | In Committee |
| S3849 | Increases certain local public contract bid threshold. | This bill amends the "Local Public Contracts Law," P.L.1971, c.198 (C.40A:11-1 et seq.), to increase, from $17,500 to $22,000, the statutory, maximum contract amount at which the governing body of a local contracting unit may designate an employee to award a contract without public advertising for bids, regardless of whether the designated employee possesses a qualified purchasing agent certificate. Under the bill, if a contracting unit has established a bid threshold in excess of $22,000, and has designated a person possessing a qualified purchasing agent certificate to serve as the contracting unit's purchasing agent, then the contracting unit is not required to award the contract itself, and may delegate the power to award contracts in an amount between $22,000 and the bid threshold to the holder of the qualified purchasing agent certificate. Current law authorizes the governing body of a contracting unit that has designated a purchasing agent to establish a bid threshold of up to $25,000 or the threshold amount set by the Governor, which amount is currently set at $44,000. Therefore, under the bill, a contracting unit would be able to delegate the award of a contract below $22,000, or all contracts below $22,000, to a purchasing agent or other employee, without publicly advertising for bids. If a contracting unit designates a purchasing agent and sets a bid threshold in excess of $22,000, the contracting unit may delegate the power to award contracts between $22,000 and the public bid threshold to the purchasing agent. | In Committee |
| S3843 | Requires continuation of health benefits dependent coverage for certain children with disabilities who are 26 years of age or older. | This bill requires health insurers (health, hospital and medical service corporations, commercial group health insurers; health maintenance organizations, and health benefits plans issued pursuant to the Individual Health Coverage Program and the Small Employer Health Benefits Program) and group health plans that provide dependent coverage of children to continue to make that coverage available for adult children who are 26 years of age or older if the child is: (1) incapable of self-sustaining employment by reason of intellectual disability or physical handicap; (2) and is chiefly dependent upon the subscriber for support and maintenance. | In Committee |
| SCR116 | Establishes "Joint Legislative Statesmanship Task Force" to promote importance of civility to students in grades kindergarten through 12. | This concurrent resolution establishes the "Joint Legislative Statesmanship Task Force." The purpose of the task force is to promote the importance of civility to students in grades kindergarten through 12 across the State and to emphasize the importance of treating each other with respect and dignity in daily interactions and discourse. The task force is to be comprised of 12 members of the Legislature, to be appointed as follows: six members of the Senate, three of whom are to be members of the majority party appointed by the Senate President and three of whom are to be members of the minority party appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; and six members of the General Assembly, three of whom are to be members of the majority party appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and three of whom are to be members of the minority party appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly. In conducting its business, the task force is required to annually travel to schools across the State to, at a minimum, discuss with students:· the core values that underpin the meaning of civility and how it can be practiced in everyday life, even while in school; · the importance of engaging with others in a respectful manner and ways in which students can foster meaningful and productive dialogue with each other even when they disagree on a particular topic;· instances in which the members of the task force worked with others to resolve differences in a civil way;· cases in which the members of the task force worked with other members of the Legislature, especially those who are of different political affiliations, in order to facilitate the enactment of positive change throughout the legislative process; · examples of times in which the members of the task force did not agree with others and how the members expressed their disagreement, or otherwise resolved the disagreement, in a civil way; and· overall how to demonstrate mutual respect and consideration in language, attitudes, behaviors, and verbal, nonverbal, written, and digital communications. In fulfilling the requirements of the bill, the task force is to annually travel to schools it designates and ensure that it visits a cross section of elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools located in urban, suburban, and rural areas of the State, with equal consideration given to schools located in the north, central, and southern geographical regions of the State. | In Committee |
| S3823 | Creates separate crime for items depicting sexual exploitation or abuse of children; concerns computer generated or manipulated sexually explicit images. | This bill amends and updates the law prohibiting child pornography in two important respects. First, under the bill, the statute concerning child pornography is separated from its current placement within the statute concerning child endangerment, so as to create a separate and distinct crime. This is intended to provide clarity in law enforcement and court documents, and the analysis and tracking of crime statistics, when referring to child pornography rather than the broader crime of child endangerment. Because of this recodification of the statute, it is necessary to also update the cross references in other sections of law that refer to either child pornography or child endangerment. Second, under the bill, the crime of child pornography is expanded to include manipulated depictions, also known as "deepfakes," that by means of image manipulation, creation, or modification, appear to show an identifiable child or a purported child engaging in a prohibited sexual act or in the simulation of such an act. The bill also amends the statutes concerning obscenity to include manipulated depictions, also known as "deepfakes," that by means of image manipulation, creation, or modification, appear to show a purported child engaging in a prohibited sexual act or in the simulation of such an act. Under current jurisprudence, the distinction between child pornography and obscenity is that child pornography involves the depiction of an actual victim (i.e., an identifiable child), while obscenity does not require the depiction of an actual victim. The bill also amends the statute concerning leaders of child pornography networks to bring that statute into conformity with the provision of the child pornography statute concerning possession with intent to distribute. Under current law, leader of a child pornography network is a crime of the first degree if the offense involves 100,000 or more items depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of a child, a crime of the second degree if the offense involves at least 1,000 but less than 100,000 items, and a crime of the third degree if the offense involves less than 1,000 items. Under the bill, leader of a child pornography network is a crime of the first degree if the offense involves 1,000 or more items; otherwise it is a crime of the second degree. These are the same thresholds as the crime of possession with intent to distribute child pornography. A crime of the first degree is punishable by a term of imprisonment of 10 to 20 years, a fine of up to $200,000, or both. A crime of the second degree is punishable by a term of imprisonment of five to ten years, a fine of up to $150,000, or both. A crime of the third degree is punishable by a term of imprisonment of three to five years, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. Finally, the bill also amends the invasion of privacy statute in two important respects. First, the statute is amended to include manipulated depictions, also known as "deepfakes," that by means of image manipulation, creation, or modification, appear to show an intimate or sexually explicit image of a person who did not in fact consent to such depiction or engage in the depicted conduct. Second, the statute is amended to clarify that a person's consent to being photographed, filmed, or recorded in an intimate or sexual manner does not imply consent to the distribution of such images. | 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 |
| S3460 | Requires Attorney General to conduct study tracking residential burglaries and issue guidance to law enforcement and public. | This bill requires the Attorney General, in consultation with the Administrative Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Superintendent of State Police, the New Jersey Association of Chiefs of Police, and the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey, to conduct a study and prepare a written report concerning residential burglaries in the State. The bill requires the report to include, but not be limited to:· annual State residential burglary statistics beginning with calendar year 2018 through the most recently available data, itemized by county, including, but not limited to: the number of residential burglaries reported, including whether the burglary occurred during the day, night, or weekend, and whether any weapon was used; the number of residential burglaries resulting in injury or death to a resident or law enforcement officer; the number of residential burglaries that coincided with theft of a motor vehicle; the average and median dollar value of property damage or theft incurred; and the number of adults and juveniles charged with and convicted or adjudicated delinquent of burglary of a residence; · a summary of law enforcement initiatives and activities, including public awareness activities, implemented during the reporting period to address the issue of residential burglaries Statewide, and the effects of those initiatives and activities; and· recommendations to decrease the number of residential burglaries committed in the State, including any recommendations for legislative or regulatory action that may be necessary to effectuate this purpose. Under the bill, the Attorney General is required to submit an initial report to the Governor and the Legislature within six months of the bill's enactment, and to submit an annual report thereafter. | In Committee |
| S3006 | Establishes crimes of home invasion burglary and residential burglary. | An Act concerning burglary of residential dwellings, supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes, and amending various parts of the statutory law. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3780 | Provides gross income tax exclusion for distributions from individual retirement accounts to qualified charitable organizations. | This bill provides a gross income tax exclusion for distributions from a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA that are made to a qualified charitable organization. A Roth IRA is a type of tax-advantaged individual retirement account that allows account holders to contribute after-tax dollars towards retirement. Contributions made to the account grow tax-free while qualified withdrawals, also known as distributions, may be made without incurring income tax liability, provided certain conditions are met. Qualified distributions from a Roth IRA currently include amounts paid or distributed: (1) on or after the date the account holder attains 59 1/2 years of age; (2) to a beneficiary, or if a beneficiary has not be designated, to the estate of an account holder on or after their death; (3) for reasons attributable to the account holder's disability; or (4) as a qualified first time home buyer distribution. Distributions made for a non-qualified purpose are subject to taxes and penalties. A traditional IRA is another type of tax-advantaged individual retirement account that allows account holders to direct pre-tax income toward investments that can grow tax-deferred until the funds are withdrawn, at which point the money is treated as ordinary income and is subject to income tax. In limited circumstances, certain interest, dividends and other earnings credited to an IRA can be withdrawn tax-free, provided those earnings are from investments in government debt obligations, such as bonds issued by the federal government, the State, or local governments. For the purposes of the bill, a "qualified charitable organization" is a charitable organization that receives tax exempt status pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code. Typically, organizations that receive this exemption are those operating exclusively for charitable, religious, scientific, literary, educational, testing for public safety, or other specified purposes. Accordingly, the bill provides that distributions made from a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA to these organizations would be exempt from State income tax. | In Committee |
| S3795 | Permits certified nurse aides to be employed as personal care assistants. | This bill allows a licensed health care facility to be permitted to employ a certified or conditionally certified nurse aide (CNA) in the capacity of a personal care assistant. | In Committee |
| S3791 | Requires DOT to ensure electric vehicle charging stations are accessible to disabled drivers. | This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to require, no later than 18 months after the effective date of the bill, that electric vehicle charging stations in the State are accessible to allow for independent use by drivers with disabilities. The bill requires electric vehicle chargers to be located on an accessible route for drivers with mobility devices. The bill requires the DOT to adopt technical requirements for accessible routes established under federal law. The bill establishes that a charging space with mobility features shall provide a vehicle space with a minimum width of at least 11 feet and a minimum length of at least 20 feet, and that chargers provide a clear floor or ground space which meet the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990" (ADA) requirements for ground and floor surfaces, including criteria for firmness, stability, and slip resistance. Further, under the bill, a reasonable number of chargers, as determined by the DOT, are required to comply with ADA operable parts requirements, including technical requirements for clear floor or ground space, reach ranges, and operation and a connector is required to allow operation with one hand and no tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist, and with no more than five pounds of force. Finally, the bill directs that all chargers operated or maintained by any entity within the State are required to comply with the technical requirements for hardware under the federal "Rehabilitation Act of 1973." | In Committee |
| S3728 | Requires municipal planning boards and zoning boards of adjustment to incorporate recommendations from certain local environmental commissions on applications for development. | This bill would require each municipal planning board or board of adjustment to review and consider recommendations that are submitted, by the local environmental commission, on any application for development pending before the respective board, and, to the extent possible, to incorporate those environmental recommendations into the board's decision on the relevant application. While existing law already authorizes a local environmental commission to submit such recommendations to these local boards, in association with each such board's review of development applications submitted thereto, the law does not currently require either type of board to review or consider, or to use, those recommendations in any way. In addition, this bill would require the planning board and the board of adjustment to provide a copy, rather than an informational copy, of every application for development to the environmental commission. The bill would also change the current law to provide that a failure of the planning board or the board of adjustment to provide a copy of the application for development to the environmental commission would invalidate any hearing or proceeding. Current law provides that the failure to provide a copy of application for development would not invalidate any hearing or proceeding. | In Committee |
| S3749 | Allows individual entering assisted living or long-term care facility to terminate trash collection contract. | This bill requires a trash collection service doing business in this State to allow a person who has entered a long term care or an assisted living facility to terminate a trash collection contract without incurring an early termination fee. Unless otherwise waived by the trash collection service, the bill requires the person to give the service recipient no less than 45 days' notice prior to the requested date of the contract's termination or cancellation. However, if a physician's order requires the person's immediate relocation to a long-term care facility, this notice requirement would be waived, and the contract could be terminated within 48 hours. The trash collection service is to provide a standard termination form to the service recipient upon request, which the service recipient and a physician are to utilize when requesting contract termination or cancellation from the service. If a service recipient is unable to submit the standard termination form and a representative of the recipient is requesting contract termination or cancellation, the representative is to submit to the trash collection service the standard termination form and a copy of the power of attorney, conservatorship, or guardianship documents verifying the representative's authority. The bill also allows a trash collection service to require written proof of a service recipient's relocation to a long-term facility. In this event, the bill provides that the delivery of a written notice to the trash collection service of the contract termination and a letter signed by the service recipient's physician no later than 45 days prior to the scheduled date of termination would be deemed to constitute sufficient proof. | In Committee |
| S3722 | Implements recommendations of New Jersey Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission to remove mandatory minimum sentences for certain non-violent drug crimes. | This bill would eliminate mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment for individuals convicted of non-violent drug offenses. The bill incorporates the non-violent drug crimes that the New Jersey Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission (CSDC) recommended, in an annual report, to have the mandatory minimum terms eliminated. These include the following crimes: (1) N.J.S.A.2C:35-3 (Leader of Narcotics Trafficking Network); (2) N.J.S.A.2C:35-4 (Maintaining or operating a controlled dangerous substance production facility); (3) N.J.S.A.2C:35-5 (Manufacturing, distributing or dispensing); (4) N.J.S.A.2C:35-6 (Employing a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme); (5) N.J.S.A.2C:35-7 (Distribution on or within 1,000 feet of school property); (6) N.J.S.A.2C:35-8 (Distribution to persons under age 18; enhanced punishment); and (7) N.J.S.A.2C:43-6 (Sentence of imprisonment for crime; ordinary terms; mandatory terms). | In Committee |
| S1220 | Increases penalties for failing to secure a child in a child passenger restraint system or booster seat while operating a motor vehicle. | Increases penalties for failing to secure a child in a child passenger restraint system or booster seat while operating a motor vehicle. | In Committee |
| A2607 | Authorizes taxicabs, limousines, and transportation network companies to provide paratransit services for two-year period. | An Act concerning paratransit services. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A2180 | Permits certain persons to operate Type S school buses. | An Act concerning school transportation, amending P.L.2015, c.268 (C.18A:39-20.1). | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3672 | Establishes protections for immigrants interacting with government agencies; designates "New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act." | This bill creates a uniform code for State and local government entities, as well as health care facilities, regarding the use of resources to aid federal immigration law enforcement, and designates the "New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act." Under the bill, the definition of government entities includes any of the principal departments of the executive branch of State government and any parts or creations thereof, any independent State authority, commission, instrumentality or agency, including any public institution of higher education. The bill's definition also includes political subdivisions of the State and combinations of political subdivisions, independent authorities, commissions, instrumentalities and agencies created by a political subdivision or combination of political subdivisions. Under the bill, government entities and healthcare facilities are prohibited from collecting certain personal and identifying information unless it is strictly necessary for program or service administration. Any record resulting from that collection, whether written or oral, would not be a government record under the "Open Public Records Act" unless an election agency requires it to ascertain the eligibility of a candidate when citizenship is required for an elected office. Any record also shall not be disclosed except as required to administer benefits or services pursuant to State or federal law, or valid court order or warrant, issued by a federal Article III judge or magistrate or the State equivalent. The bill provides that the prohibition on sharing information may be waived if the subject of the record or information provides written consent in that person's preferred language. The written consent shall include the following: (1) the exact record or information to be shared; (2) the purpose for sharing the record or information; (3) a statement clarifying that consent is voluntary and declining to consent shall not result in discrimination or retaliation by the government entity; (4) a statement clarifying that consent may be revoked, but that revocation does not impact a record or information already shared via prior written consent provided pursuant to this section; and (5) the person or agency to receive the record or information. The bill requires government entities to review their confidentiality policies, guidance and recommendations to identify any changes necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of the bill and make any changes as expeditiously as possible, but no later than one year after the bill becomes effective. The bill also requires these entities to share their policies prominently on their Internet websites. This bill also requires the Attorney General, in consultation with the Public Defender, to prepare a written notice explaining in plain language the provisions of section 6 of the bill. Section 6 of the bill details the prohibition of certain actions by law enforcement. The bill requires the notice and all translations to be posted to the Internet website of the Department of Law and Public Safety and to be considered vital documents pursuant to P.L.2023, c.263 (C.52:14-40 et seq.). The Attorney General is also required to consult with stakeholders serving or representing immigrant communities in the development of standardized training and guidance for law enforcement to comply with the bill's provisions. The AG also shall provide mandatory training to all State, county and local law enforcement agencies within one year of the bill's effective date. Any newly sworn officer is required to complete this training within a year of the officer's appointment. The Department of Human Services is required to consult with stakeholders serving or representing immigrant communities to develop and lead a multilingual campaign to promote public awareness of the bill's requirements for law enforcement agencies. As part of the awareness campaign, DHS is required to publish the text of section 6 of the bill's provisions and a plain language summary and explanation of those requirements on its Internet website within 180 days of the bill's enactment. . Under the bill, the Attorney General is also required to consult with other government entities and stakeholders in the development of model policies for sensitive locations. These locations include health care facilities, public schools, public libraries, shelters, and any other locations deemed appropriate by the Attorney General to ensure that eligible individuals are not deterred from seeking services or engaging with government entities. The model policies prohibit the request or collection of certain information regarding a person's immigration status, place of birth or taxpayer identification except to determine eligibility for services or program benefits. The model policies prohibit assistance or participation of immigration enforcement, and prohibit the permission of immigration enforcement on entity premises that are not open without restriction to the general public. The Attorney General is required to publish the model policies on the Internet website of the Department of Law and Public Safety. The bill requires government entities with authority to regulate sensitive places to adopt the model policies within 180 days of issuance by the Attorney General's office and encourages facilities not regulated by government entities to adopt the policies. The bill prohibits certain actions by law enforcement. Specifically, State, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies and officials shall not: (1) stop, question, arrest, search, or detain any individual based on actual or suspected citizenship or immigration status, or actual or suspected violations of federal civil immigration law; (2) inquire about an individual's immigration status, citizenship, place of birth, or eligibility for a social security number; (3) make an arrest, detain, or prolong the detention of an individual based on civil immigration warrants; (4) use agency or department moneys, facilities, property, equipment, or personnel to investigate, enforce, or assist in the investigation or enforcement of any federal program requiring registration of individuals on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, citizenship, or national or ethnic origin; or (5) make agency or department databases available to anyone or any entity for the purpose of immigration enforcement or investigation or enforcement of any federal program requiring registration of individuals on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, citizenship, or national or ethnic origin. The bill nullifies any agreement, policy or practice in place that permits in conflict with this clause. Law enforcement agencies in the State are also prohibited from: (1) participating in civil immigration enforcement operations; (2) providing to federal immigration authorities any information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular person; (3) providing access to any State, county, or municipal law enforcement equipment, office space, database, or property; (4) providing access to a detained individual for an interview; (5) facilitating or complying with immigration detainers, notification requests, and transfer requests from federal immigration authorities; (6) continuing to detain a person past the time the person would otherwise be eligible for release from custody based solely on an immigration detainer or civil immigration warrant; (7) entering into, modifying, renewing, or extending any agreement to exercise federal immigration authority or conduct immigration enforcement pursuant to section 287(g) of Title 8 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. §1357(g), or otherwise exercising federal civil immigration authority or conducting immigration enforcement outside of the purview of 287(g) of Title 8 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. §1357(g); or (8) providing or sharing funds, property, equipment, personnel, or access to facilities or real property not open to the general public for purposes of engaging in, assisting, supporting, or facilitating immigration enforcement. The bill provides that violations of the prohibitions on police conduct in the bill would be enforceable under the "New Jersey Civil Rights Act," P.L.2004, c.143. If an agency or law enforcement official intends to comply with an immigration detainer, notification request, civil immigration warrant, or transfer request concerning a person in custody, a written explanation specifying the legal basis for that action is required to be given to the person is custody. Lastly, the bill requires each State, county, and municipal law enforcement agency to submit to the Attorney General a report that includes: (1) the number of detainer requests, transfer requests, and notification requests made by immigration authorities, and the responses of the State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency. For any request that was granted, the report shall specify any legal basis for granting that request; (2) the number of interviews requested and the number of interviews conducted, either in person or telephonically, by immigration authorities of people in State, county, or municipal law enforcement custody. For each interview conducted, the report shall specify any legal basis for granting the interview; (3) any other requests made by immigration authorities for the agency's participation in immigration enforcement, the responses of the State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency, and the legal basis for granting the request; and (4) to the extent the law enforcement agency has knowledge, any information about State, county, and municipal databases to which immigration authorities have had access to at any time in the course of the year, including: the name of the database; an overview of information available on the database; the purpose for which immigration authorities have access to this database; the process through which immigration authorities requested access and agencies reviewed this request, if applicable; any legal basis for providing immigration authorities access to the database; and the frequency with which immigration authorities accessed the database over the course of the year. Law enforcement agencies have 180 days after the effective date of the bill to produce the first report and must then annually submit a report within 30 days of the end of the State's fiscal year. The Attorney General is initially required to publish the report on the office's website within 90 days of receipt, and then within 90 days of the end of the fiscal year thereafter. The Attorney General is also required to annually submit to the Governor and Legislature a report on each law enforcement agency's compliance with the provisions of this act. | In Committee |
| S3698 | Permits surviving spouse of retired member of PFRS to be enrolled in SHBP and to continue to receive pension benefit after remarriage in certain circumstances. | Under this bill, certain surviving spouses of retired members of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS) will receive State-paid health care benefits through the State Health Benefits Program and a continuation of pension benefits after remarriage. The surviving spouse of a retired member of the PFRS who died prior to, on, or after the effective date of this bill and who was receiving an accidental disability retirement allowance at the time of death will be eligible to enroll for health care benefits coverage in the State Health Benefits Program after the effective date of this bill and the annual premiums for such coverage for the surviving spouse and any dependent children will be paid in full by the State. Such a surviving spouse will also be eligible to continue to receive upon remarriage the pension benefit provided by current law to surviving spouses of deceased retired members. The State will be responsible for any increase in contributions to the retirement system required of employers other than the State due to the continuation of the payment of the pension benefit after remarriage. This bill will only apply if the surviving spouse provides documentation, approved by the Board of Trustees of the PFRS, demonstrating that the injury that caused the disability, the complications from that disability, or the aggravation or acceleration of a preexisting condition caused by the disability was a significant contributing factor in the retired member's death. An eligible surviving spouse whose pension was terminated due to remarriage prior to the effective date of this bill may apply to the board to have the pension benefit reinstated and payable again commencing from the date of application. | In Committee |
| S3705 | Increases cap on personal care assistant services from 40 hours to 91 hours per week for Medicaid beneficiary determined clinically eligible for nursing facility level of care. | This bill increases the cap on personal care assistant (PCA) services from 40 hours to 91 hours per week for a Medicaid beneficiary determined clinically eligible for nursing facility level of care. The bill defines "personal care assistant services" to mean health related tasks associated with the cueing, supervision, or the completion of activities of daily living, as well as related tasks. PCA services are certified as medically necessary; delivered in accordance with a beneficiary's written plan of care; and performed by a qualified individual, typically in a beneficiary's home, and under the supervision of a registered professional nurse. Currently, pursuant to State regulation, the Medicaid program limits PCA services to a maximum of 40 hours per week per beneficiary. Additional hours of service may be approved by the Department of Human Services on a case-by-case basis and based on exceptional circumstances. The sponsor believes that the existing policy puts pressure on seniors who need nursing facility level of care to leave their homes and seek care in long-term care facilities, a policy that is more expensive for the State and unfair to seniors who have worked all their lives to maintain the independence and dignity of living in their own home. In addition, 40 hours per week of PCA services is insufficient to supplement care from a beneficiary's family and friends. Since New Jersey's cost of living is one of the highest in the country, these caregivers often need more hours of PCA services for their loved one in order to maintain their own employment. Increasing the service cap for the State's most vulnerable Medicaid beneficiaries will ensure that they can thrive within the community for additional years. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Human Services to approve, as medically necessary, up to 91 hours of PCA services per calendar week for any eligible Medicaid beneficiary who is clinically eligible for nursing facility level of care. The department is also required to modify the existing assessment tool for PCA services to reflect the provisions of this bill. | In Committee |
| S3389 | Provides certain requirements concerning railroad safety. | This bill provides certain requirements concerning railroad safety. Under the bill, the owner or operator of a dangerous hazardous train is to require at least a two-person crew on all dangerous hazardous trains. The owner or operator of a dangerous hazardous train is to further require that all dangerous hazardous trains clearly display the name of the railroad company that owns the dangerous hazardous train. The bill provides for certain exceptions to the two-person crew requirement, including: when a train is performing helper service; when a train is a tourist, scenic, historic, or excursion operation that is not part of the general railroad system of transportation; when a train is a locomotive that is not attached to railcars, is located inside a rail yard, and is being moved between tracks or moved to or from a maintenance shop; and when the owner or operator has been exempted from the two-person crew requirement by the Commissioner of Transportation. However, the bill specifies that the two-person crew requirement is mandatory when a train is transporting one or more loaded freight cars containing any material poisonous by inhalation or transporting 10 or more loaded freight cars or freight cars loaded with bulk packages or containing certain hazardous materials. The bill also prohibits a railroad company, including a short line, from operating any train that exceeds 8,500 feet in length on any main line or branch line within the State. Any person or railroad company that violates this maximum length is liable for a civil penalty of at least $500 but not more than $1,000 per foot exceeding the maximum train length allowed under the bill. The maximum penalty allowed is $250,000 in instances of gross negligence or a pattern of repeated violations that cause an imminent hazard of death or injury or that have caused death or injury, regardless of train length. The owner or operator of a privately owned railroad is required to submit a copy of federally required bridge inspection reports to the Commissioner of Transportation, the Governor, and the Legislature. Under the bill, the Board of Public Utilities (board), in conjunction with Department of Transportation (DOT), is required to work with each railroad company that operates in the State to ensure that wayside detector systems are installed and are operating along railroad tracks on which the railroad company operates and to ensure that such systems meet certain standards. If a railroad company refuses to work or otherwise cooperate with the board and the DOT in good faith, the board and the DOT are required to investigate the railroad company's safety practices and standards to determine whether the company appears to be in compliance with federal railroad safety standards. If the railroad company does not appear to be in compliance, the board and the DOT are then required to make a report to the Federal Railroad Administration (administration), within 60 days after this determination, detailing the results of the investigation and recommending that the administration take enforcement action against the railroad company. The bill requires the board and the DOT to send a copy of the report to the Governor and Legislature. The bill requires that all non-profit labor organizations representing a class or craft of employees of rail carriers or rail carrier contractor officials (non-profit labor organizations) be permitted onto railroad property to assist in inspecting for safety hazards and are permitted to identify any alleged safety hazards. Finally, the bill requires the DOT to work with non-profit labor organizations and local emergency response service providers to apply for federal grants. With the exception of the maximum length provisions of the bill, this bill does not apply to certain Class III carriers as defined by the Surface Transportation Board. | In Committee |
| S3501 | Requires certain public awareness campaigns to include information about duty of motorist to take certain action when approaching pedestrian, bicycle, or personal conveyance. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Transportation (commissioner) and the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety (director) to update, on an annual basis, public awareness programs and a public awareness campaign that inform motorists of their duty to take certain actions when approaching certain vehicles and the importance of taking these actions. The bill also requires the commissioner to use variable message signs at least once per year to inform motorists of their duty to take certain actions when approaching certain vehicles and the importance of taking these actions. Additionally, this bill requires the commissioner to develop, and update annually, public awareness programs and use, at least once per year, variable message signs to inform motorists of their duty to take certain actions when approaching a pedestrian, bicycle, or personal conveyance. The bill further requires the director to establish and update annually a public awareness campaign that includes information about the importance of complying with a law that requires motorists to take certain actions when approaching a pedestrian, bicycle, or personal conveyance, the risks associated with failing to comply with the law, and the penalties and fines that will be imposed for violating the law. | In Committee |
| S3526 | Changes certain Mobility and Transportation Innovation Program requirements; appropriates $20 million. | Changes certain Mobility and Transportation Innovation Program requirements; appropriates $20 million. | In Committee |
| S3678 | Establishes Distraction Free Schools Grant Program; appropriates $2 million. | This bill establishes the Distraction Free Schools Grant Program. The program is to provide grants to public schools to promote the limited use of cell phones and social media platforms during regular school hours and during school-sanctioned events where the student is under the direct supervision of a teaching staff member or employee of the public school. The bill requires the Department of Education to develop and recommend best practices and programs concerning student use of cell phones and social media platforms for public schools receiving a grant under the program. The recommendations are to, at a minimum, (1) provide age appropriate and grade-level differentiated policies concerning limiting student use of cell phones and social media platforms; (2) be consistent with State and federal law including accommodations provided in a student's Individualized Education Program or educational plan; (3) permit student use of cell phones in the case of an emergency or in response to a perceived threat of danger; (4) permit student use of cell phones upon submission by a parent or guardian of documentation from a health care professional indicating that the use of a cell phone is necessary for the health or well-being of the student; (5) address smartphones, cell phones with only text or voice, and other relevant devices, including smart watches; (6) list options that may be utilized by a public school for cell phone storage, including pouches and cell phone lockers; (7) provide recommendations for a public school to establish network-based restrictions to prevent the use of, or access to, social media platforms; and (8) detail protocols for communicating the school's policy concerning student use of cell phones and social media platforms to students, their families, and teaching staff members. Additionally, the bill requires the department to provide technical assistance and training to public schools that receive a grant under the program. Under the bill, a public school wishing to participate in the program would submit an application to the Commissioner of Education in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner. As part of the application, the public school is required to demonstrate how the grant funding will assist the school in limiting student use of cell phones and social media platforms. The bill stipulates that a public school is not required to implement the recommendations on best practices and programs developed by the commissioner as a condition of receiving grant funding. The bill also stipulates that grant awards are to be allocated to public schools on a competitive basis, in a manner determined by the commissioner. The bill requires a public school receiving a grant under the program to submit an annual report to the commissioner which includes information on the school's use of grant funding to limit student use of cell phones and social media and the impact of the policies implemented by the school on academic achievement, student behavior and disciplinary infractions, absenteeism, and harassment, intimidation, and bullying. After compiling the information submitted by the schools participating in the grant program, the commissioner is required to submit a report evaluating the effectiveness of the grant program to the Governor and the Legislature. The report is to include an analysis of the impact of the grant program on academic achievement, student behavior and disciplinary infractions, absenteeism, and harassment, intimidation, and bullying in comparison to metrics of public schools not receiving a grant under the program. | In Committee |
| S3676 | Requires public institution of higher education to provide alternative scholarship to student-athlete who loses athletic scholarship due to injury. | This bill requires a public institution of higher education to provide an alternative scholarship to a student-athlete who loses an athletic scholarship due to an injury. If a public institution of higher education rescinds or does not renew an athletic scholarship previously awarded by the institution to a student-athlete due to an incapacitating injury or illness, the bill requires the institution to provide the student-athlete with a scholarship equal in value to the athletic scholarship for the remainder of the student's enrollment in an undergraduate degree program at the institution, or for a maximum of five academic years, inclusive of the duration of the athletic scholarship, whichever is shorter. The bill defines "incapacitating injury or illness" to mean an injury or illness directly related to the student-athlete's participation in an intercollegiate athletic program at a public institution of higher education that has been determined by the institution's medical staff to make the student-athlete medically ineligible to continue participation in intercollegiate athletics. | In Committee |
| S3191 | Permits certain transportation research contracts to be awarded to private research institutions of higher education and other entities. | This bill permits the New Jersey Transportation Research Bureau within the Department of Transportation (bureau) to award research contracts to private research institutions of higher education and certain other entities. Under current law, the bureau is required to award research contracts only to New Jersey public research institutions of higher education, except when the manager of the bureau (manager) makes a written determination that additional competition in terms of quality of work product, timeliness of work product delivery, or availability of specific transportation expertise from entities other than New Jersey public research institutions will benefit the Department of Transportation (department). The bill removes a provision that authorizes the manager to allow for competitive bidding for research contracts when doing so will benefit the department. The bill requires the bureau to determine whether awarding a research contract to a public or private research institution of higher education or another entity is in the public interest and provides that the manager has a duty to establish and maintain relationships with private research institutions of higher education and other entities. Additionally, the bill changes the definition of "entities" to include entities other than non-profit organizations. | In Committee |
| SJR129 | Designates February 12th of each year as "Carly Day" in NJ. | This resolution designates February 12th of each year as "Carly Day" in New Jersey. Bayville resident Carly Fetzer was born with a congenital heart defect known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Congenital heart defects are problems with the structure of the heart that are present at birth and change the normal flow of blood through the heart. In the US, 9 out of every 1,000 babies will be born with a heart defect. In Carly's first years of life, she had three surgeries to reroute her body's blood flow and despite the odds she lived 18 remarkable years before she passed away. Carly's friends and family established the Carly Fetzer Queen of Hearts Foundation to honor Carly. The foundation provides food vouchers to families at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and donates money to research studies that focus on children with congenital heart defects. Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week is observed annually from February 7th to February 14th. Designating February 12th as "Carly Day" would provide New Jerseyans with an annual reminder on the effects that congenital heart defects have on individuals diagnosed with a congenital heart defect in the State. | In Committee |
| S3596 | Increases penalties for denying access to public facilities, NJT, and transportation network companies to service dogs and their handlers. | This bill increases the penalties, from civil to criminal, for any person who denies or interferes with the access of a service dog or their handler to a public facility, to any form of transportation operated by the New Jersey Transit Corporation, or any transportation network company. Currently, any person who interferes or denies the access of a service dog or their handler to a public facility is liable for civil penalties as follows:· $250 for the first violation; · $500 for the second violation; and· $1,000 for the third and each subsequent violation. This bill would subject any person denying access to a public facility, to any form of transportation operated by NJT, or any transportation network company towards a service dog or their handler to criminal penalties. A person in violation of section 1 of P.L.1971, c.130 (C.10:5-29), or section 1 of P.L.2016, c.25 (C.27:25-5b), or section 15 of P.L.2017, c.26 (C.39:5H-15) would be charged with a petty disorderly persons offense for the first violation, and a disorderly persons offense for the second and each subsequent violation. A petty disorderly persons offense is punishable by imprisonment for up to 30 days, a fine of up to $500, or both. A disorderly persons offense is punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine of up to $1,000, or both; however, for a second and each subsequent violation, the standard term of up to six months' imprisonment has been increased to up to one year. | In Committee |
| S3599 | Requires DOE to establish program for coaches of school district and nonpublic school athletic activities to obtain certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. | This bill requires the Department of Education to establish a program for coaches of school district and nonpublic school athletic activities to obtain certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Under current law, any person who coaches a school district or nonpublic school athletic activity is required to hold a current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This bill requires the department, in consultation with the Department of Health, to offer a program for these coaches to obtain this certification. The program is to: utilize the current national evidence-based guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation; be modeled on an instructional program established by the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or other training program recognized by the Department of Health; include a hands-on learning component for each participating coach; and be provided at no cost to a participating coach. The bill stipulates that the costs of implementing the program are to be borne by the State. | In Committee |
| S3588 | Waives 15 day waiting period for medical aid in dying under certain circumstances. | This bill waives the 15 day waiting period for medical aid in dying under certain circumstances. Under current law, in order to receive a prescription for medication that a qualified terminally ill patient may choose to self-administer pursuant to P.L.2019, c.59 (C.26:16-1 et al.), the patient is to make two oral requests and one written request for the medication to the patient's attending physician, subject to the following requirements, with at least 15 days elapsing between the first and second oral requests, and between the first oral request and the issuance of a prescription for the medication. Additionally, at least 48 hours must elapse between the receipt of the written request, which may be submitted at any time, and issuance of the prescription. This bill waives the 15-day waiting periods in the case of a patient who, based on reasonable medical certainty, is not expected to survive for 15 days. The attending physician will be required to document the medical basis for the determination that the patient is not expected to survive for 15 days. The bill retains the 48-hour waiting period between submission of a written request and the issuance of a prescription for medical aid in dying medication. | In Committee |
| S3593 | Allows distributions from NJBEST account to Roth IRA as qualified withdrawals and excludes such distributions from gross income tax. | This bill allows distributions from a New Jersey Better Education Savings and Trust (NJBEST) account to a Roth IRA to be considered a "qualified withdrawal" for purposes of the NJBEST program and exempt from State income tax, consistent with a recent change in federal income tax law. Under section 529 of the federal Internal Revenue Code, states are authorized to establish "qualified tuition programs." More commonly referred to as "529 plans," these programs provide tax-advantaged savings accounts to help assist individuals in saving for certain higher education expenses of a designated beneficiary. Typically, the designated beneficiary is a child of the individual who opens a 529 savings account, but another family member may be designated as well. The State's 529 plans are offered as part of the NJBEST program, which is administered by the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA). The program offers a number of investment options to help contributions made to a program account grow over time. Provided that contributions to a NJBEST account are withdrawn to pay for a qualified higher education expense, any investment earnings that have accrued to the account will be exempt from State and federal taxes. Qualified higher education expenses include amounts spent for enrollment or attendance of the designated beneficiary at an institution of higher education such as tuition, fees, books, supplies, equipment, room and board, among other similar expenses. Recently, federal legislation was enacted to amend section 529 of the federal Internal Revenue Code to allow a "special rollover" of funds from a 529 savings account into a Roth IRA beginning after December 31, 2023, without imposing tax liability related to the withdrawal of monies from the 529 savings account. These special rollovers may occur, subject to the following conditions: (1) the 529 savings account is required to have been open for the designated beneficiary for a period of at least 15 years; (2) the Roth IRA to receive the rollover funds is required to be established in the name of the designated beneficiary of the 529 savings account; (3) the amounts to be rolled over originate from amounts deposited into the 529 savings account at least five years prior to the date of the rollover; and (4) no more than $35,000 in total funds may be rolled over, subject to annual Roth IRA contribution limits. The NJBEST statute defines a "qualified withdrawal" as "a withdrawal from an account to pay the qualified higher education expenses of the designated beneficiary of the account." The statute further defines a "qualified higher education expense" in accordance with the definition of such expenses contained in Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. Since a rollover from a 529 savings account into a Roth IRA would not be considered a "qualified higher education expense," any withdrawal which effectuates such a rollover would not be considered a "qualified withdrawal" under the NJBEST statutes and subject the account earnings to State income tax. The bill amends the definition of a "qualified withdrawal" under State law to include the special rollover of funds now allowed pursuant to federal law. The bill would further amend State law to exclude a special rollover funds from calculation of a taxpayer's gross income for purposes of determining income tax liability. | In Committee |
| S3539 | Establishes temporary grant program for pharmacies; appropriates $10 million. | This bill establishes a temporary grant program for pharmacies and appropriates $10 million for this purpose. Under the bill, the Department of Human Services is to establish a temporary grant program to aid pharmacies, which are experiencing financial difficulties, due to federal rules that increase direct and indirect remuneration fees, in a manner to be determined by the Commissioner of Human Services. The bill provides that the Commissioner of Human Services is to establish and publish application procedures and eligibility requirements for the grant program. Finally, the bill appropriates $10 million to the Department of Human Services to effectuate the purposes of the bill. | In Committee |
| S3567 | Provides access to periodic cancer screening examinations for volunteer firefighters through SHBP physicians and other providers. | This bill requires access to periodic cancer screening examinations for volunteer firefighters serving in fire district of this State, or a fire department, unit, or company of or in this State or a political subdivision of this State, without cost-sharing. Under the bill, physicians who participate in the State Health Benefits Program network will be required to offer these periodic examinations to volunteer firefighters and then a physician or other provider may request payment from the State for the provision of services not to exceed $1,250 in the aggregate per three-year period for each firefighter. According to the bill, fire district of this State, or a fire department, unit or company of or in this State or a political subdivision of this State, which relies on services from volunteer firefighters must maintain adequate records to facilitate the payment. Current law entitles paid firefighters enrolled in the State Health Benefits Program and paid firefighters eligible for enrollment in the State Health Benefits Program to periodic cancer screening examinations every three years without cost-sharing. By law, the State will reimburse public employers in an amount not to exceed $1,250 per three-year period for each firefighter. This bill extends the reimbursement provisions available to paid firefighters under current law to unpaid firefighters serving in any fire district with a volunteer fire department or wherein there exists one or more incorporated volunteer fire companies affording fire protection to the fire district, or any fire department, unit, or company of or in the State or a political subdivision of this State. | In Committee |
| S3532 | Includes Sikhs as protected class in bias intimidation law; appropriates $100,000. | This bill amends N.J.S.A.2C:16-1, the crime of bias intimidation,to specifically include Sikhism in the protected classes set forth in the statute. Sikhism is the monotheistic religion founded in India in the 15th century by Guru Nanak. New Jersey is home to approximately 100,000 Sikhs, which is one of the largest Sikh populations in the United States. On October 16, 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI") released its annual report of hate crime statistics, which recorded 198 anti-Sikh hate crime incidents. According to the FBI report, Sikhs remain the second-most targeted group in the nation for religiously-motivated hate crime incidents. Current law enumerates the protected classes of race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, and ethnicity in the bias intimidation statute. Under the provisions of the bill, a person is guilty of the crime of bias intimidation if he commits, attempts, conspires, or threatens the immediate commission of certain specified offenses with a purpose to intimidate an individual or group because of their membership within a protected class, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ethnicity, or Sikhism, or knowing that the conduct would cause an individual or group to be intimidated on that basis or under circumstances in which the victim believes he was targeted on that basis. Pursuant to this bill, all local, county, and State law enforcement entities in New Jersey are to report all violations under the statute to the State and federal law enforcement agencies responsible for preparing bias crime reports. Further, this bill sets forth that the Office of Attorney General, in consultation with the Department of Education, is to: (1) develop training, for the dissemination to county and local law enforcement agencies, on Sihkism, which shall include, but not limited to, visible Sikh identity features, including turbans, bracelets, moustaches, beard, and physical attire, and the classification of bias intimidation cases as anti-sikh, to prevent the misclassification of hate and bias incidents. (2) coordinate with other State agencies and departments in the creation of a public awareness campaign and educational initiatives on Sikhism; and (3) annually report to the Governor and the Legislature on the public awareness campaign,educational initiatives on Sikhism executed through the public awareness campaign across different public platforms, and on the steps taken to include Sikhism education across curriculum standards in different grades across township boards of education within this State. Pursuant to this bill, the New Jersey Office of Attorney General, in consultation with the New Jersey field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, shall develop a transnational repression recognition and response training program that is to include how to identify different tactics of transnational repression and best practices for appropriate county, local and state law enforcement prevention, reporting, and response tactics. Current law establishes within the Division of Purchase and Property in the State Department of the Treasury, the position of Chief Diversity Officer. This bill expands the Chief Diversity Officer's responsibilities to include: ensuring that each public entity of this State incorporate the definition for anti-Sikh hate into the bias intimidation policy of the public entity; and ensuring that the definition of anti-Sikh hate is incorporated into the diversity, equity, and inclusivity promotion policies in any program offered by the State or any political subdivision of the State. This bill appropriates $100,000, for three consecutive years following enactment, from the General Fund to the Office of the Attorney General to fund Sikh awareness educational initiatives and outreach efforts to the Sikh community. | In Committee |
| S3540 | Grants discretion to court in expungement of records related to domestic violence arrests not resulting in conviction. | This bill broadens the discretion of the court in deciding whether an automatic expungement is appropriate in criminal cases involving domestic violence where proceedings against the person are dismissed, the person was acquitted, or the person was discharged without a conviction or finding of guilt. Currently, under N.J.S.A.2C:52-6, when a person has been arrested or held to answer for a crime, disorderly persons offense, petty disorderly persons offense, or municipal ordinance violation under the laws of this State or of any governmental entity thereof and proceedings against the person are dismissed, the person is acquitted, or the person is discharged without a conviction or finding of guilt, the Superior Court is directed to order the expungement of all records and information relating to the arrest. If proceedings took place in municipal court, the municipal court is directed to follow procedures developed by the Administrative Director of the Courts. Those procedures, found in Supplement to Directive #02-16 require Criminal, Family and Municipal Courts to order an expungement of all related records and information at the time of dismissal, acquittal, or discharge without a conviction or adjudication of delinquency (including juvenile diversion). The bill amends N.J.S.A.2C:52-6 to provide that, in cases involving domestic violence, the court is granted discretion, at the time of the dismissal, acquittal or discharge, following an objection by the county prosecutor, to bar the relief until six months after the entry of the order of dismissal This discretion would extend to proceedings in the municipal court. It is the sponsor's view that victims of domestic violence can be intimidated or coerced into withdrawing charges against an abuser, or refusing to cooperate in the prosecution of criminal charges, resulting in the dismissal of charges or acquittal and eligibility for the immediate expungement of the arrest that did not result in a conviction. The automatic expungement of all records and information relating to an arrest involving domestic violence permitted under this law can result in the same defendant appearing before the court multiple times on new domestic violence charges with no prior arrest record for the court to consider. | In Committee |
| S3546 | Requires certain high-traffic facilities to obtain permit from DEP and annually implement measures to reduce air pollution caused by facility. | This bill would establish a program in the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to require certain high-traffic facilities to obtain a permit from the DEP and annually implement measures to reduce air pollution caused by the facility. Specifically, the bill would apply to "regulated facilities," defined by the bill as (1) a facility used for the purpose of goods distribution, whether leased or used as a proprietary facility, which has 100,000 square feet or more of business area; (2) a facility located in an overburdened community and used for the purpose of goods distribution, whether leased or used as a proprietary facility, which has 50,000 square feet or more of business area; or (3) a facility that generates 50 or more truck trips per day, including a port or any part of a port. The bill would require each owner or operator of a regulated facility to obtain, and abide by the terms of, an indirect source air pollution permit issued by the DEP. A newly constructed regulated facility would not be allowed to commence operations without first obtaining an indirect source air pollution permit issued by the DEP. The goal of the indirect source air pollution permit program would be to reduce air pollution from regulated facilities to zero by the year 2050. Each permit would require the regulated facility to implement an annual quota of air pollution mitigation measures, determined by the DEP using a points-based accounting system. Points would be awarded for measures, as enumerated in subsection a. of section 4 of the bill, including purchasing battery-electric trucks, purchasing and using battery-electric forklifts, yard trucks, or other on-site equipment and using battery-electric trucks at the regulated facility or in truck trips to or from the regulated facility. Persons who violate the bill's provisions could be liable for civil administrative penalties of between $10,000 and $20,000 per violation, and civil penalties of up to $20,000 per violation. In order to monitor compliance with the bill's provisions, the bill would require the DEP to annually conduct truck counting on a representative sample of roads adjacent to regulated facilities, and to annually conduct monitoring of idling and hoteling activities at a representative sample of regulated facilities. In addition, the DEP would be required to annually conduct an inspection of at least 10 percent of the regulated facilities located in overburdened communities, and at least five percent of all other regulated facilities, using a randomized selection process. The bill would require owners or operators of regulated facilities to pay an annual permit fee, which would be set at a level sufficient to cover the DEP's administrative costs in implementing the bill's provisions. The first annual permit fee paid by a regulated facility would also include an amount sufficient to fund the cleanup and restoration of the facility and its land once the facility is no longer in commercial operation for longer than one year. The DEP would be required to provide certain public notifications under the permit program, including public notice of the submission of permit applications, renewals, or revisions, and the full permit application, the draft and final findings by the consulted agencies, and the agencies' response to comments, for each permit. Finally, the bill would require the DEP to post a list of regulated facilities, along with certain items of information enumerated in subsection c. of section 7 of the bill, on its website, and to submit an annual report on the program established by the bill to the Governor and the Legislature. | In Committee |
| S3573 | Increases bid advertising threshold on certain purchases, contracts, or agreements. | This bill increases, from $25,000 to $150,000, the bid advertising threshold on certain State contracts. This bill would allow smaller construction and repair projects under $150,000 to be informally bid by the using agency without full advertising thereby reducing the time and cost required to complete these smaller projects. Under current law, any purchase, contract, or agreement may be made, negotiated, or awarded by the Director of the Division of Purchase and Property or the Director of the Division of Property Management and Construction without advertising if the aggregate amount involved including labor and construction materials does not exceed $25,000 or the amount adjusted by the Governor, in consultation with the Department of the Treasury as permitted by current law. This threshold applies to certain contracts or agreements for the erection, construction, alteration or repair of any public building or facility. The most recent adjustment to the amount was made in 2021 and is currently $71,000. This bill increases the bid advertising threshold in the case of purchases of labor and construction materials to $150,000. | In Committee |
| S3134 | Requires MVC to take certain action concerning commercial driver licenses and commercial learner's permits. | An Act concerning commercial driver licenses and learner's permits and amending and supplementing P.L.1990, c.103. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4534 | Revises definition of qualified assistance fund expenses under UEZ program to include costs of transportation infrastructure projects and related debt service. | An Act concerning urban enterprise zones and amending P.L.1983, c.303. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S2810 | Changes membership of board of trustees of SPRS to remove requirement that two members be private citizens. | An Act concerning the membership of the board of trustees of the State Police Retirement System and amending P.L.1965, c.89. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S741 | Authorizes State Treasurer to sell as surplus certain real property and improvements in City of Jersey City in Hudson County. | An Act authorizing the State Treasurer to sell certain surplus real property and improvements owned by the State in the City of Jersey City, County of Hudson. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A3861 | "Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act." | An Act concerning the report and collection of medical debt and supplementing P.L.1997, c.172 (C.56:11-28 et seq.). | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3192 | "Real Estate Consumer Protection Enhancement Act." | An Act concerning consumer rights in certain real estate transactions and amending P.L.2009, c.238 and supplementing Title 45 of the Revised Statutes and chapter 8 of Title 56 of the Revised Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A1677 | Authorizes extended terms for lease and purchase contracts for electric school buses; permits New Jersey School Boards Association to serve as government aggregator to obtain energy services for local units. | An Act concerning electric school buses and government aggregation of certain energy services, and amending various parts of the statutory law. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A1669 | Removes obstacles to teacher certification for certain teachers; repeals law establishing alternative certificate of eligibility. | An Act concerning teacher certification, supplementing chapter 26 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and repealing P.L.2023, c.180. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S357 | Concerns rights of juvenile defendants who elect to be tried as adults. | This bill provides that juvenile defendants who voluntarily elect to be tried as adults shall have the same procedural rights as juvenile defendants who are involuntarily waived by the prosecutor from the Family Part to the Criminal Part of the Superior Court. A juvenile may voluntarily choose to be tried as an adult as part of a plea agreement, or if the juvenile insists on a trial by jury. Under current law, in cases in which a prosecutor seeks to have a juvenile tried as an adult, the juvenile still retains some of the rights afforded by the New Jersey Code of Juvenile Justice, such as the right to be housed in a juvenile facility if convicted and sentenced to imprisonment, the right to seek remand of the case back to the Family Part if it is in the interests of justice, and, except for certain violent crimes, the right to have the case remanded back to the Family Part for sentencing after conviction. However, it is not clear whether a juvenile who voluntarily chooses to be tried as an adult retains those same rights. In addition to clarifying the rights of juvenile defendants, this bill requires the court to determine that an election by a juvenile to be tried as an adult is made knowingly, willingly, and voluntarily, given the differential treatment under the law between juveniles adjudicated delinquent and adults convicted of crimes. As part of making that determination, the court would be required to conduct a hearing during which the juvenile would be informed of the differences in sentencing or disposition between adults and juveniles for the offenses charged. | In Committee |
| S360 | Authorizes taxicabs, limousines, and transportation network companies to provide paratransit services for two-year period. | Authorizes taxicabs, limousines, and transportation network companies to provide paratransit services for two-year period. | In Committee |
| S3439 | Revises definition of qualified assistance fund expenses under UEZ program to include costs of transportation infrastructure projects and related debt service. | Revises definition of qualified assistance fund expenses under UEZ program to include costs of transportation infrastructure projects and related debt service. | In Committee |
| S3263 | Authorizes extended terms for lease and purchase contracts for electric school buses; permits New Jersey School Boards Association to serve as government aggregator to obtain energy services for local units. | Authorizes extended terms for lease and purchase contracts for electric school buses; permits New Jersey School Boards Association to serve as government aggregator to obtain energy services for local units. | In Committee |
| S2806 | "Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act." | "Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act." | In Committee |
| S3529 | Criminalizes the use of "signal jammers." | This bill would criminalize the use of "signal jammers" under State law. Such devices are already illegal under federal law. "Signal jammers," which are also known as signal blockers, GPS jammers, cell phone jammers, and text blockers, are radio frequency transmitters that are designed to block, jam, or otherwise interfere with authorized radio communications. These devices can prevent cell phones from making or receiving calls, texts, and emails; block Wi-Fi devices from connecting to the Internet; prevent a GPS from receiving correct positioning signals; and prevent a first responder from locating a person in an emergency. Under current New Jersey law, it is a crime of the fourth degree to: (1) make, or cause to be made, a radio transmission of energy in this State unless the person obtains a license, or an exemption from licensure, from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) pursuant to applicable federal law or regulation, or (2) do any act to cause an unlicensed radio transmission of energy or interference with a public or commercial radio station licensed by the FCC or to enable the radio transmission of energy or interference to occur. This bill provides that it would also be a crime of the fourth degree to interfere with or cause interference to any radio communications of any station licensed or authorized by or under any federal law or regulation or operated by the United States government; or, in violation of federal law or regulation, to use any scanning receiver that is capable of: (1) receiving transmissions in the frequencies allocated to the domestic cellular radio telecommunications service, (2) readily being altered by the user to receive transmissions in such frequencies, or (3) being equipped with decoders that convert digital cellular transmissions to analog voice audio. The provisions of this bill are also set out in federal law, specifically in 47 U.S.C. s.301 and 47 U.S.C. s.333. | In Committee |
| S3503 | Provides corporation business and gross income tax credit for certain Pre-Broadway and Post-Broadway theater productions. | This bill provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits to production companies for costs incurred for certain accredited theater productions. Specifically, the bill provides that a production company may receive tax credits for costs related to eligible pre- and post-Broadway theater productions that are performed at qualified facilities in New Jersey. The credits would equal 35 percent of the production's eligible production and performance expenditures. Under the bill, production and performance expenditures include: (1) expenditures for design, construction, and operation, including sets, special and visual effects, costumes, wardrobe, make-up, and accessories; (2) costs associated with sound, lighting, staging, facility expenses, rentals, per diems, and accommodations; (3) payroll costs up to $250,000 per week; and (4) certain advertising and public relations expenditures and transportation expenditures. The bill requires production companies to apply to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for the initial approval of tax credits. However, the bill provides that the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury would be responsible for the final approval of tax credits. Under the bill, the total value of tax credits awarded in each fiscal year may not exceed $10 million. | In Committee |
| S3204 | Creates second degree crime of home invasion burglary as No Early Release Act offense; creates third degree crime of residential burglary; permits waiver of juvenile with firearm during burglary of residence. | This bill creates This bill creates the second degree crime of home invasion burglary, subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA), and the third degree crime of residential burglary, which would not be subject to the NERA. Additionally, it allows for the waiver of juveniles to adult criminal court for crimes related to the burglary of residential dwellings and clarifies statutory definitions. Specifically, under the provisions of this bill, a person commits the crime of home invasion burglary if the person enters or remains surreptitiously in a residential dwelling without license or permission to do so and: 1) purposely, knowingly, or recklessly inflicts bodily injury on anyone; 2) attempts to inflict or threatens to inflict bodily injury on anyone; or 3) is armed with or displays what appear to be explosives or a deadly weapon. As a second degree crime, home invasion burglary would be penalized by a mandatory term of imprisonment between five to 10 years. Additionally, the convicted offender would be required to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed, without the possibility of parole since the bill includes the crime of home invasion burglary under the NERA. A convicted offender could also be subject to a fine of up to $150,000 (the ordinary fine amount applicable to second degree crimes). Under the provisions of this bill, a person commits the crime of residential burglary if the person enters or remains surreptitiously in a residential dwelling without a license or permission to do so. As a third degree crime, the term of imprisonment for a residential burglary is between three to five years, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. In addition, this bill provides for the waiver of a juvenile to adult criminal court if a home invasion burglary or residential burglary is committed while the juvenile is in possession of a firearm. The bill also clarifies the definition of residential dwelling and the statutory definition of burglary. The provisions of this bill provide that a person who is at least 18 years old and has a prior conviction for a home invasion burglary in which the person used or possessed a firearm during the commission of the crime would be subject to an extended term of imprisonment. Additionally, under the provisions of this bill, a person convicted of a home invasion burglary or a residential burglary who, in the course of committing or attempting to commit the crime, used or was in possession of a stolen vehicle, would be subject to an extended term of imprisonment. Finally, this bill would require a person applying for certain employment opportunities to file a disclosure statement stating whether or not the applicant has been convicted of home invasion burglary or residential burglary. | In Committee |
| S3491 | Secures protections for patients and providers accessing and providing legally protected health care activities; establishes right of residents to legally protected health care services, which are restricted in other states. | This bill establishes certain protections for individuals seeking abortion or gender-affirming health care services, as well as certain protections for professionals who provided abortion-related health care services. Crime: Interference with Reproductive or Gender-Affirming Health Services This bill creates the new crime of "interference with reproductive or gender-affirming health services." A person is guilty of the crime if the person purposely or knowingly, with the purpose to unlawfully restrict another's access to or receipt or provision of reproductive or gender-affirming health care services or to intimidate the person from becoming or remaining a reproductive or gender-affirming health care services patient, provider, volunteer or assistant: (1) inflicts or attempts to inflict bodily injury; (2) obstructs any person seeking to enter into or exit from a reproductive or gender-affirming health care services facility; (3) intimidates, threatens, or coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any person or entity because that person or entity is a reproductive or gender-affirming health care services patient, provider, volunteer, or assistant; (4) damages, defaces, or destroys the property of a person, entity, or facility, or attempts to do so, because the person, entity, or facility is a reproductive or gender-affirming health care service patient, provider, assistant, volunteer, or facility; (5) videotapes, films, photographs, or records by electronic means, within 100 feet of the entrance to a reproductive or gender-affirming health care services facility, a patient, provider, volunteer, or assistant without that person's consent; or (6) discloses or distributes a videotape, film, photograph, or recording of the person. Interference with reproductive or gender-affirming health care services is a crime of the fourth degree, but is a crime of the second degree if the victim suffers significant or serious bodily injury. Further, interference with reproductive or gender-affirming health care services is a disorderly persons offense if the act would cause a reasonable person to suffer: (1) damage to the victim's business or personal reputation; (2) financial harm; or (3) pain and suffering, mental anguish, or emotional harm. A crime of the fourth degree is punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. A crime of the second degree is punishable by five to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $150,000, or both. A disorderly persons offense is a punishable by up to six months imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Civil Action: Interference with Reproductive or gender-affirming Health Services The bill also authorizes a person to bring a civil action against a person who unlawfully interferes with another person's reproductive or gender-affirming health care services. Under the bill, a court may award: (1) injunctive relief; (2) compensatory damages in an amount not less than liquidated damages computed at the rate of $1,000 for each violation; (3) punitive damages upon proof of willful or reckless disregard of the law; (4) reasonable attorney's fees and other litigation costs; and (5) any other preliminary and equitable relief as the court determines to be appropriate. Under the bill, the Attorney General may bring a civil action to enjoin a violation of the law, for compensatory damages, and for the assessment of a civil penalty against each person who violates the law. The civil penalty imposed on each actor will be up to, but not exceed, $10,000 for a first violation, and $25,000 for any subsequent violation. Dispersal of Gatherings The bill authorized any law enforcement officer to order the immediate dispersal of a gathering that substantially impedes access to or departure from an entrance or driveway to a reproductive or gender-affirming health care facility during the business hours of the facility. Failure to comply with an order to disperse issued by the Attorney General or a law enforcement officer is a disorderly persons offense. A disorderly persons offense is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Licensing Boards The bill prohibits a board from imposing any additional or alternative penalties, in accordance with N.J.S.A.34:1-22, on the holder of a certificate, registration, or license based solely on the holder providing, authorizing, participating, referring to, or assisting with any health care, medical service, or procedure related to an abortion for a person who resides in a jurisdiction where the provision, authorization, participation, referral, or assistance is illegal. Applicability of Laws of Other States The bill establishes that a law of another state that authorized a person or government entity to bring a prosecution, civil action, or any other legal action to deter, prevent, sanction, or punish any person engaging, aiding, or assisting in providing or prescribing any legally protected health care activity is against the public policy of this State. Further, such laws of another state are prohibited from being applied to any matter, case, or controversy heard in a State court or in an administrative tribunal of this State. The prohibition does not apply to an action founded in tort, contract, or statute under the laws of this State, or an action founded in tort, contract, or statute under the similar laws of another state. This includes, but is not limited to, an alleged act of malpractice or negligence by a person in the person's profession or occupation. Protection of Patient Information This bill updates P.L.2022, c.51 to provide a definition of "legally protected health care activity" and "gender-affirming health care services." P.L.2022, c.51 provides certain protections with respect to the disclosure of patient information relating to reproductive health care services, as well as protecting access to health care, medical services, and procedures related to an abortion for persons who come to this State from jurisdictions in which these actions are illegal. The bill provides that in any civil action or other proceeding preliminary thereto, a medical provider or other covered entity, as described under federal law concerning medical privacy and security, is barred from disclosing the following communications or information, unless the patient or patient's conservator, guardian, or other authorized legal representative explicitly consented in writing to the disclosure: (1) any communication made to the covered entity, or any information obtained by the covered entity from, a patient or the conservator, guardian, or other authorized legal representative of a patient relating to legally protected health care activity; or (2) any information obtained by personal examination of a patient relating to legally protected health care activity that is permitted under the laws of this State. Additionally, under the bill, a public entity of this State or employee, appointee, officer or official or any other person acting on behalf of a public entity would be prohibited from providing any information, or expending or using time, money, facilities, property, equipment, personnel or other resources in furtherance of any interstate investigation or proceeding seeking to impose civil or criminal liability upon a person or entity for: (1) the provision, receipt, or seeking of, or inquiring or responding to an inquiry about legally protected health care activity that is legal in this State; or (2) assisting, advising, aiding, abetting, facilitating, soliciting, or conspiring with any person or entity providing, receiving, seeking, or inquiring or responding to an inquiry about legally protected health care activity that is legal in this State. Extradition This bill updates N.J.S.A.2A:160-14.1 to prevent a person from being extradited to another state under certain circumstances related to "legally protected health care activity." Under current law, N.J.S.A.2A:160-14.1 prevents extradition as it relates to "reproductive health care services." Under the bill, "Legally protected health care activity" is defined as activity providing, seeking, receiving, assisting with, or inquiring about reproductive health care services or gender-affirming health care services that are lawful in this State, regardless of the patient's location. Relatedly, the bill also defines "gender-affirming health care services" to mean all supplies, care, and services of a medical, behavioral health, mental health, surgical, psychiatric, therapeutic, diagnostic, preventative, rehabilitative, or supportive nature, including medication, relating to the treatment of gender dysphoria and gender incongruence. "Gender-affirming health care services" does not include sexual orientation change efforts as defined by N.J.S.A.45:1-55. In Vitro Fertilization Protections This bill strengthens reproductive health care freedom in New Jersey by specifying that: every individual present in this State, including, but not limited to, an individual who is under State control or supervision, shall have the fundamental right to choose whether to use assisted reproductive technology (ART), including, but not limited to in vitro fertilization (IVF); and a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus shall not have independent rights under any of the laws of the State. Medicolegal Investigations This bill removes the requirement that a medical examiner conduct a medicolegal investigation of a death in the State related to a fetal death occurring without medical attendance. This provisions seeks to ensure that a woman who has a miscarriage or fetal complications is not investigated or the fetal death criminalized. Repealers The bill repeals the following statutes, which have either been obviated by court decision or would be obviated by this bill: (1) N.J.S.A.2A:65A-5 through N.J.S.A.2A:65A-7 (banned partial birth abortions); (2) N.J.S.A.9:17A-1.1 through N.J.S.A.9:17A-1.12 (required parental notification for minors' abortion); (3) N.J.S.A.30:4D-6.1 (barred Medicaid payment for abortion except where necessary to save the woman's life). | In Committee |
| S3239 | Establishes exemption from ban on importation of woodchucks under certain circumstances. | The bill establishes an exemption to the ban on importation of woodchucks into the State for the importation of a woodchuck for the purposes of replacing a groundhog in order for a county or municipality to celebrate Groundhog Day when the county's or municipality's groundhog has died, provided that every effort is made to replace the groundhog with a woodchuck found in the State or imported from a state in which a variant of rabies other than raccoon rabies is not endemic as provided for in the bill. The bill directs the Division of Fish and Wildlife to notify each county and municipality in the State of the limited exception established by the bill, provide guidelines for replacing a woodchuck that dies, and establish procedures for relocating a woodchuck or authorizing its importation. Finally, the bill directs the division to establish requirements for the proper housing and handling of the woodchuck placed in the custody of the county or municipality, as applicable. | 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 |
| S2472 | Establishes minimum Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare reimbursement rate for pediatric special care nursing facilities. | This bill requires the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS) within the Department of Human Services to establish a minimum Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare reimbursement rate of $950.00 per day for pediatric special care nursing facilities (SCNFs). Pediatric SCNFs provide specialized, long-term care and rehabilitation to medically fragile children and youth, up to 21 years of age. The bill, however, conditions the provision of this minimum reimbursement rate upon a facility's compliance with applicable State and federal laws and regulations concerning licensure, patient safety, and quality of care. The bill additionally appropriates from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services such sums as are necessary to implement this reimbursement rate increase. New Jersey currently has four pediatric SCNFs that participate in the State Medicaid program and the NJ FamilyCare program: the Pediatric Long Term Care Center at Children's Specialized Hospital (Mountainside and Toms River), the Phoenix Center for Rehabilitation and Pediatrics (Haskell), and the Voorhees Pediatric Facility (Voorhees). | In Committee |
| S2378 | Provides gross income tax deduction to eligible educators and paraprofessionals for expense of classroom supplies. | This bill provides a gross income tax deduction to eligible educators and paraprofessionals employed by a New Jersey elementary or secondary school for certain expenses incurred by the educator or paraprofessional for classroom supplies during the taxable year. This New Jersey gross income tax deduction is modeled on the federal income tax deduction for educator expenses allowed under section 62 of the federal Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. s.62). The bill defines an "eligible educator" as an individual who is employed as a kindergarten through grade 12 teacher, instructor, counselor, speech language specialist, or principal by a public or private school located in this State for at least 900 hours during a school year. The bill defines a "paraprofessional" as an individual who is employed as a school aide or classroom aide who assists a teaching staff member with the supervision of pupil activities by a public or private school located in the State that provides elementary education or secondary education. The bill allows the deduction of unreimbursed expenditures by an eligible educator or paraprofessional for supplies (other than nonathletic supplies for courses of instruction in health or physical education), books, computer equipment, including related software and services, and other equipment and supplementary materials used by the eligible educator or paraprofessional in the classroom. | In Committee |
| SCR81 | Proposes constitutional amendment to increase amount of veterans' property tax deduction from $250 to $2,500 over four years. | If approved by the voters of the State, this proposed constitutional amendment would increase the amount of the veterans' property tax deduction from the current $250 to $2,500. The increase would occur over four years. Veterans who are honorably discharged from active service in a branch of the United States Armed Forces qualify for the deduction. A qualified veteran's surviving spouse would receive the deduction after the qualified veteran dies. The amendment would increase the amount of the deduction to $1,000 in tax year 2025, $1,500 in tax year 2026, $2,000 in tax year 2027, and $2,500 in tax year 2028, and every tax year thereafter. The voters of the State last approved an increase in the amount of the deduction in 1999, from $50 to $250, over four years. The amount of the deduction has been $250 since 2003. | In Committee |
| S3442 | Permits home health care services agencies to employ certified nurse aides as homemaker-home health aides. | The bill provides that a licensed home care services agency licensed may employ certified nurse aides to work as homemaker-home health aides. Under current law, home care services agencies are only permitted to employ certified homemaker-home health aides, while long-term care facilities are permitted to employ both certified homemaker-home health aides and certified nurse aides under certain conditions. | In Committee |
| SCR100 | Proposes constitutional amendment to provide property tax exemption for primary residence owned and occupied by surviving spouse of first responder who dies while performing regular or assigned duties. | Proposes constitutional amendment to provide property tax exemption for primary residence owned and occupied by surviving spouse of first responder who dies while performing regular or assigned duties. | In Committee |
| S3084 | Allows property tax rebate for disabled veterans. | This bill allows veterans with a service-connected disability to receive a property tax rebate from the State in proportion to the percentage of their service-connected disability. The bill provides property tax relief to veterans who have a disability rating of less than 100 percent total and permanent disability. Veterans who have a disability rating of 100 percent total and permanent disability are already exempt from paying property taxes. Veterans with a service-connected disability are assigned a disability rating from the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs. A disability rating may range from 0 percent to 100 percent. That rating will determine the percentage of property taxes paid that the veteran will be allowed as a rebate under this bill. Funding for the rebate allowed by this bill is dependent on annual appropriations by the Legislature. The bill caps the rebate at $5,000 and limits availability of the rebate to veterans with gross income of up to $200,000. | In Committee |
| S3411 | Establishes EMS part of PERS; provides enhanced benefits for emergency medical services employees. | This bill creates an EMS Part in the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) to provide enhanced pension benefits under terms identical to those provided to prosecutors under the Prosecutors Part of the PERS, including mandatory retirement at age 70. The members of the EMS Part will include State, county, or municipal employees serving in one of the following positions: emergency medical technician; mobile intensive care paramedic; paramedic; flight paramedic; mobile intensive care nurse; flight nurse; emergency medical services supervisor or deputy supervisor; emergency medical services chief or deputy chief; emergency medical services hazardous materials responder technician; emergency medical services coordinator, dispatcher, or instructor; or any position the primary or essential duties of which require the employee to be trained in basic or advanced life support services and who is certified or licensed by the Department of Health to perform these services. The State will be liable for the increased pension costs payable by counties or municipalities as a result this bill. | In Committee |
| S3404 | Eliminates salary reference for retired members of PERS returning to employment in teaching staff positions. | This bill eliminates a reference to a salary threshold for retired members of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) who return to employment in teaching staff positions with a public institution of higher education. Under current law, the cancellation and re-enrollment requirement will not apply to a former member of the retirement system who, after having been granted a retirement allowance, becomes employed again by a public institution of higher education in a teaching staff position if the compensation exceeds $10,000 per year. The $10,000 threshold was a reference to a prior version of the law and is not needed because the legislative intent is to exempt retirees returning to teaching positions in public institutions of higher education without regard to their annual compensation. The amendments in this bill are based on a New Jersey Law Revision Commission proposal. | In Committee |
| S3397 | Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for employers of certain persons with disabilities. | This bill provides corporation business and gross income tax credits to taxpayers that employ certain persons with disabilities. The credit would be for up to 15 percent of the wages paid by the taxpayer during a taxable year to a qualifying employee with a disability, not to exceed $2,000 per qualified employee. To claim the credit, a taxpayer would be required to submit an application to the Director of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for certification that the employee has a disability for purposes of qualifying for the credit. A copy of the certification would be included with the taxpayer's tax return. The contents of the certification would only state the fact the employee has a qualifying disability and not disclose any private or confidential health information. The bill requires the director to establish an application process and prescribe the form and manner through which a taxpayer may submit an application to obtain a certification from the director that an employee is a qualified employee with a disability for purposes of the tax credit. The bill provides that applications would be deemed approved and written authorizations are deemed issued if the director fails to make a determination regarding within 90 calendar days of the date a complete application is received or if the director fails to issue a written authorization within five calendar days of the date a determination is made. The bill defines a "qualified employee with a disability" as a person with a disability recognized under the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990," Pub.L.101-336 (42 U.S.C. s. 12102). A qualified employee is also required to be employed by the taxpayer for at least 35 hours a week and paid wages at a rate of no less than $15 per hour. A taxpayer would be unable to claim the credit for the wages paid to a person with a disability who works for the taxpayer as an independent contractor or on a consulting basis. | 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 |
| S330 | Requires DOH to operate mobile cancer screening program; appropriates $100,000. | Requires DOH to operate mobile cancer screening program; appropriates $100,000. | In Committee |
| S1032 | Requires DHS and DCF to conduct study on service provider workforce, and to evaluate rates paid to, and assess cost of living adjustments for, service providers. | Requires DHS and DCF to conduct study on service provider workforce, and to evaluate rates paid to, and assess cost of living adjustments for, service providers. | In Committee |
| S2010 | Requires minimum annual State appropriation of $10 million for Public Health Priority Funding. | This bill supplements the "Public Health Priority Funding Act of 1977" and requires a minimum annual State appropriation of $10 million for Public Health Priority Funding, thereby reinstating New Jersey's only State appropriated, unrestricted fund for local health departments. Such appropriation will be expended in accordance to the provisions of the "Public Health Priority Funding Act of 1977." From 1966 to 2010, under the "State Health Aid Act" and later amended as the "Public Health Priority Funding Act of 1977," the State provided local health departments with flexibility to address local needs, emerging threats, and other priorities via the appropriation of dedicated funds. The State eliminated Public Health Priority Funding in the FY 2011 Appropriations Act. For context, in FY 2010, Public Health Priority Funding amounted to approximately 15 percent of the total funding for local health departments. Currently, local health departments in New Jersey are funded via local property taxes and State and federal funding that is designated for specific purposes, such as vaccines or environmental health services. | In Committee |
| S1224 | Incorporates boardwalks into transportation local aid program and provides for Local Aid Infrastructure Fund grants to boardwalk projects. | This bill amends the definition of public highway to include boardwalks. The bill also amends the State transportation local aid program formula for the distribution of county aid and municipal aid to include boardwalk mileage in addition to county and municipal road mileage respectively. This provides counties and municipalities with the same amount of annual local aid funding for each mile of boardwalk that they must maintain as they receive for each mile of road that they must maintain. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Transportation (commissioner) to provide no less than $4 million per year in grants from the Local Aid Infrastructure Fund for boardwalk projects in State Fiscal Years 2022 through 2031. The Local Aid Infrastructure Fund is a discretionary grant pool that the commissioner may award to projects not covered by the other local aid program categories. | In Committee |
| S3346 | Requires Commissioner of Transportation to publish notice of certain transportation-related infrastructure projects and activities on Internet website, and directs State Comptroller to monitor publication of notifications. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Transportation to publish notice of certain transportation-related infrastructure projects and activities on an Internet website to provide increased accountability and transparency in the allocation and spending of federal funds made available to the State under any federal program for transportation-related infrastructure projects or activities. Under the bill, the commissioner, in consultation with the Chief Technology Officer in the Office of Information Technology, is required to design and develop, maintain and operate a single, searchable Internet website that has the capacity to retain and display data and information concerning the allocation and spending of federal funds made available to the State for transportation-related infrastructure projects or activities. The bill requires the website to be maintained and operated not later than 30 days after the bill's effective date, and to be accessible through a link prominently displayed on the home page of the official Internet website for the State of New Jersey. The bill requires the website to be available to the public without charge for access, and to be organized by type of expenditure and State agency associated with the expenditure of federal funds. Additionally, the bill requires the website to allow for public comment, and to incorporate links to other governmental websites for transportation-related infrastructure projects or activities. The bill requires the commissioner to utilize the website to publish notice of each transportation-related infrastructure project or activity, the cost or contract price of which is to be paid with or out of federal funds by or on behalf of a State agency, not later 30 days after the date the funds are first allocated by or on behalf of a State agency. The bill provides that notices published on the website must include information concerning: -- the name and address of the entity responsible for coordinating and conducting the project or activity; -- the names of the principal officers and directors of the entity and, if the entity coordinating and conducting the project or activity is a subsidiary of another entity, the name and address of the parent entity and the names of its principal officers and directors; -- a description of the project or activity and a statement of its purpose; -- the cost or price of the project or activity; -- the beginning and termination dates of the project or activity; and -- the State agency responsible for administering federal funds allocated to the project or activity. The bill requires notices published on the website to also include information regarding: whether an entity responsible for coordinating and conducting a project or activity is certified as a minority business or a women's business by the Director of the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services in the Department of the Treasury; and the number of State residents and the number of women and minorities employed as a result of the project or activity. The bill requires the State Comptroller to monitor the website, and to oversee the publication of transportation-related notifications. The bill requires the State Comptroller to provide written notification to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the General Assembly of any irregularities or inconsistencies identified in the design and development, maintenance and operation of the Internet website, and to provide similar notification of any failure to publish notifications required by the bill. The bill requires the State Comptroller to issue an annual report on or before December 1 of each year in which the website is maintained and operated. The bill requires the report to include information regarding: -- the design and development, maintenance and operation of the Internet website; -- any irregularities or inconsistencies or failures identified during the course of the previous year; and -- any recommendations for improvement of the website or the publication of notifications. The bill also requires the annual report to include data and information concerning the number of State residents and the number of women and minorities employed as a result of federally funded transportation-related infrastructure projects or activities, and the total number of entities responsible for coordinating and conducting transportation-related infrastructure projects or activities during the previous calendar year which are certified as a minority business or a women's business by the director. The bill authorizes the commissioner to adopt rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of the bill, and permits the immediate filing of those rules and regulations with the Office of Administrative Law, effective for a period not to exceed 180 days following the bill's effective date. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment. | In Committee |
| S3375 | Requires school districts to maintain supply of nasal rescue medication and oxygen for seizure emergencies; provides for training of designees to administer nasal rescue medication and oxygen when school nurse is not physical present. | This bill requires a school district, as part of the implementation of a seizure action plan, to maintain a supply of diazepam nasal spray, midazolam nasal spray, and any other similar nasal rescue medication approved for seizures and identified in a seizure action plan submitted to the school district, as prescribed under a standing protocol from a licensed physician or an advanced practice nurse and portable oxygen delivery devices in secure but unlocked locations easily accessible by the school nurse and trained designees throughout each school building to ensure prompt availability in the event of a seizure emergency during school hours and at any other time when a school-sponsored event is taking place on the premises of a school building. The school nurse of each school building would be responsible for designating locations where such nasal rescue medication and oxygen delivery devices would be placed. Nothing in this bill would be construed to prohibit the use of portable oxygen delivery devices to respond to other medical emergencies that may occur during school hours or when a school-sponsored function is taking place on the premises of a school building. The school nurse would have the primary responsibility for administering nasal rescue medication and oxygen but would be able to designate, in consultation with the board of education, additional employees to administer nasal rescue medication to a student when the nurse is not physically present at the scene of a seizure emergency. The school nurse would also be responsible for determining that:· the designees have been properly trained in the administration of nasal rescue medication and oxygen using standardized training protocols established by the Department of Education in consultation with the Department of Health;· the parents or guardians of the student consent in writing to the administration of nasal rescue medication and oxygen by the designees;· the board of education informs the parents or guardians of the student in writing that the district and its employees or agents will have no liability as a result of any injury arising from the administration of nasal rescue medication and oxygen to the student;· the parents or guardians of the student sign a statement acknowledging their understanding that the district will have no liability as a result of any injury arising from the administration of nasal rescue medication and oxygen to the student and that the parents or guardians will indemnify and hold harmless the district and its employees or agents against any claims arising out of the administration of nasal rescue medication and oxygen to the student; and· the permission is effective for the school year for which it is granted and is renewed for each subsequent school year upon fulfillment of the above requirements. In developing the training protocols under the bill, the Department of Education and the Department of Health would be required to: consult with the New Jersey School Nurses Association; distribute the protocols to school districts at the beginning of each school year; and update the protocols as needed. The Department of Education would be responsible for reimbursing the costs incurred by school districts implementing certain provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| S3354 | Requires DOT to consult Department of Agriculture and County Agriculture Development Boards when developing transportation capital project list. | This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to consult with the Department of Agriculture (DOA) and County Agriculture Development Boards (county boards) when developing the Annual Transportation Capital Program. The bill requires the DOT to develop a methodology to account for the transportation infrstructure needs identified by the DOA and county boards, and to incorporate those needs into DOT management systems, the analytic tools used to evaluate the condition of transportation infrastructure, when identifying infrastructure projects for inclusion in the Annual Transportation Capital Program. The State has made significant investments into farmland preservation efforts. Additional investments must be made into the transportation infrastructure surrounding such farmland to preserve the productivity and viability of New Jersey farms. Investments in transportation infrastructure that benefits agriculture will help maintain farming as a viable industry in the State and provide net benefits to the economy as a whole. | In Committee |
| S2908 | Requires MVC to issue special windshield stickers marking electric vehicles exempt from emission inspections. | This bill requires the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue special windshield stickers for electric vehicles that are owned or leased and registered in New Jersey to indicate that the electric vehicles are exempt from emission inspections. The bill defines "electric vehicle" to mean any vehicle powered solely by electric without an on-board engine or generator, and that does not use a hydrocarbon fuel to create electricity. Electric vehicle includes a plug-in electric, but not plug-in hybrid electric, or solar-powered vehicle. Under the bill, the windshield stickers are to be designed by the chief administrator, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety (director). There is to be no fee for the issuance of the windshield stickers. The windshield stickers are required to be displayed in a manner prescribed by the chief administrator, in consultation with the director, and to be clearly visible to law enforcement officers. The windshield stickers are required to be removed and returned to the commission within 30 days of the date that the ownership or leasehold period of the vehicle has ended. The bill requires the chief administrator, in consultation with the director, to adopt regulations specifying the size, placement, and other formal requirements or additional safeguards as the chief administrator deems necessary for the issuance and display of the windshield stickers. | In Committee |
| S3000 | Permits certain persons to operate Type S school buses. | Permits certain persons to operate Type S school buses. | In Committee |
| S3301 | Establishes Council for Community Recovery and Family Success; appropriates $4.0 million. | This bill establishes the Council for Community Recovery and Family Success in, but not of, the Department of Community Affairs, which will develop strategies to promote the well-being of infants, children, youth, and families, and encourage family success. The council will consist of 25 members, including the Commissioners of Children and Families, Community Affairs, Corrections, Education, Health, Human Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, and the Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Commission in the Department of Law and Public Safety, or their designees, who will serve ex officio, and 17 public members, who will be representatives of certain entities that provide services to children and families, or have certain experience with receiving family services in New Jersey. The council will manage the development and implementation of a Statewide initiative concerning the social and economic well-being of infants, children, youth, and families, and the provision of holistic, age and developmentally appropriate services that support a child's development from birth to young adulthood. In order to implement the Statewide initiative, the council will: (1) advocate for a State Bill of Rights for Infants, Children, Youth, and Families, which will provide a framework for the initiative; (2) identify and develop policies, strategies, and financial priorities that promote family success; (3) recommend policies to improve the efficacy of existing State and community-based services and programs; (4) explore strategies to leverage public and private funding to provide preventive services; and (5) establish community recovery and family success councils in each county. The goal of the Statewide initiative will be to: promote positive family relationships, community connections, and preventive services to ensure financial security, quality education, health, safety, and permanency for infants, children, youth, and families through an integrated service planning and delivery system. The bill defines "distress services" to mean services to remediate circumstances that endanger the safety, permanency, health, and well-being of infants, children, and youth; and "preventative services" as those services that promote the safety, permanency, health, and well-being of the target populations and divert the need for distress services. The council will submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature that will include recommendations for legislative and administrative actions on the use of public and private resources to support family success initiatives and preventive services for all families. The bill appropriates $4.0 million from the General Fund to the council to implement the provisions of the bill, and provides that the council may use any unexpended appropriations in the succeeding fiscal year. | In Committee |
| S3307 | Provides filing extension and medical documentation requirement for certain members or retirees of PFRS, SPRS, or PERS regarding accidental disability retirement allowance for participation in 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations. | Under current law, members and retirees of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS) and the State Police Retirement System (SPRS), and certain members and retirees of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) are eligible to receive an accidental disability retirement allowance for a permanent and total disability resulting from participation in 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations. In order to be eligible, the member or retiree must have filed notice of service during certain dates and at certain locations within two years of enactment of the law in 2019. This bill extends the time period during which a member or retiree must file a written and sworn statement with the retirement system to be eligible for the benefit to two years after the effective date of this bill, and permits the board of trustees of the retirement system to approve additional extensions in two-year increments thereafter. Under current law, in order to be eligible for the benefit, the member or retiree must have successfully passed a physical examination for entry into public service, which failed to disclose evidence of the qualifying condition or impairment of health that formed the basis for the disability. This bill allows the member or retiree, as an alternative, to present sufficient evidence of one or more medical examinations or results, performed within a reasonable period of time before or after entry into public service, which failed to disclose evidence of the qualifying condition or impairment of health that formed the basis for the disability as an alternative for proof of eligibility. This bill also requires the board of trustees of each retirement system to notify members and retirants in the retirement system of the enactment of this bill within 30 days of enactment. | In Committee |
| S2181 | Eliminates requirement for State residency of public school employees for period of three years. | Eliminates requirement for State residency of public school employees for period of three years. | Crossed Over |
| S1287 | Removes obstacles to teacher certification for certain teachers; repeals law establishing alternative certificate of eligibility. | Removes obstacles to teacher certification for certain teachers; repeals law establishing alternative certificate of eligibility. | In Committee |
| S1458 | Requires DMVA to develop mobile application to provide guidance on available resources to veterans and their families. | This bill requires the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to develop a mobile application for veterans and their families. The mobile application will be a resource guide and will provide veterans and their families with information related to veterans' legal rights, medical and insurance issues, education, housing, the transition from active to civilian life. The guide should have substantially the same information as available on the DMVA website, A Resource Guide for New Jersey's Military, Veterans and Families, and New Jersey Veterans Benefits Guide. Making these resources available through a mobile application will provide veterans with an additional avenue to access DMVA resources. The content on mobile applications generally loads faster than websites, and mobile applications are easier to use than websites and will provide veterans with a better user experience. | In Committee |
| S1075 | Establishes "Cop 2 Cop Sustainability Fund" to support "Law Enforcement Officer Crisis Intervention Services" Cop 2 Cop telephone hotline program; appropriates $500,000. | This bill establishes the "Cop 2 Cop Sustainability Fund" and appropriates an additional $500,000 from the General Fund to this fund to support the "Law Enforcement Officer Crisis Intervention Services" Cop 2 Cop telephone hotline program in the current fiscal year and ongoing. The "Law Enforcement Officer Crisis Intervention Services" Cop 2 Cop telephone hotline program is a 24-hour confidential peer support hotline and service for law enforcement personnel and their families. This program is currently operated at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care's National Call Center. The Cop 2 Cop telephone hotline program currently receives up to $400,000 annually from Body Armor Replacement Funds pursuant to R.S.39:5-41. This bill would dedicate an additional $500,000 to the "Cop 2 Cop Sustainability Fund" to support the Cop 2 Cop telephone hotline program. | In Committee |
| S3243 | Makes supplemental appropriation of $500,000 to DOH for Huntington's Disease Grant Program. | This bill makes a supplemental appropriation of $500,000 to Division of Community Health in the Department of Health (DOH) for the Huntington's Disease Grant Program. The amount appropriated under the bill, in addition to any other State or federal funds allocated for the same purposes, is to be allocated to support grants to institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, or New Jersey based and operated research organizations for the provision of pre-symptomatic testing, neurology and psychiatry services, neurophysiological evaluations, treatment, disease management, and counseling for people living with or at risk for Huntington's disease. According to the department's Notice of Fund Availability, the Huntington's Disease Grant Program is currently estimated to distribute $200,437 in FY 2023. This supplemental appropriation would increase that amount to $700,437. Huntington's disease is a fatal rare, inherited disease that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. It deteriorates a person's physical and mental abilities during their prime working years and has no cure. Huntington's disease has a wide impact on a person's functional abilities and usually results in movement, cognitive, and psychiatric disorders. Many describe the symptoms as having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease simultaneously. According to the DOH, there are approximately 900 to 1,200 New Jersey residents who are living with Huntington's disease. The incidence of the disease is estimated between 1 in 8,000 and 1 in 10,000 State residents. There are also about 7,000 at-risk individuals in New Jersey. But since this is a fatal disease, this number may be low since the majority of people who go through genetic counseling decide to not get tested. | In Committee |
| S2533 | Makes supplemental appropriation of $15 million to DMVA for New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation for facilities expansion. | This bill provides a supplemental appropriation of $15 million from the General Fund to the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs for the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation for the purpose of providing financial assistance to complete facilities expansion, consisting of an additional 11,850 square feet for the Vietnam Era Museum. The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation commemorates New Jersey service members who served in Vietnam and their families through storytelling that enhances public understanding of the Vietnam War Era. The Foundation serves over 10,000 New Jersey students annually. The expansion would help the Foundation obtain critical accreditation and recognition from national bodies and public audiences, acquire State-of-the-art equipment to care for museum artifacts, and deliver a premier educational experience that would attract volunteers, tourists, and revenues to the museum and the State. | In Committee |
| A4059 | Requires Commissioner of Education to permit certain school districts losing State school aid to submit budgets after enactment of FY 2025 appropriations act. | An Act concerning budget submissions for certain school districts. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4161 | Establishes Stabilized School Budget Aid Grant Program to restore certain portions of State school aid reductions; permits certain school districts to exceed tax levy growth limitation in 2024-2025 school year; appropriates $44.7 million. | An Act concerning school district finances and making an appropriation. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3081 | Establishes Stabilized School Budget Aid Grant Program to restore certain portions of State school aid reductions; permits certain school districts to exceed tax levy growth limitation in 2024-2025 school year; appropriates $44.7 million. | Establishes Stabilized School Budget Aid Grant Program to restore certain portions of State school aid reductions; permits certain school districts to exceed tax levy growth limitation in 2024-2025 school year; appropriates $44.7 million. | In Committee |
| S3002 | Requires Commissioner of Education to permit certain school districts losing State school aid to submit budgets after enactment of FY 2025 appropriations act. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to permit certain school districts losing State school aid to submit budgets after enactment of the State fiscal year 2025 appropriations act. The commissioner is authorized under the bill to make any adjustments to the school budget calendar that are necessary to conform with the provisions of the bill, which adjustments include a compressed schedule by which a school district can enact its budget. The bill would apply to school districts, which are proposed to receive a State school aid reduction and are experiencing a reduction that is greater than the total amount of the district's unused tax authority permitted under current law. This unused tax authority is often referred to as "banked cap." Under current law, a school district may add to its adjusted tax levy in any one of the next three succeeding budget years, the amount of the difference between the maximum allowable amount to be raised by taxation for the current school budget year and the actual amount to be raised by taxation for the current school budget year. | In Committee |
| S3216 | Expands NJT Access Link paratransit service area to include certain veterans health care facilities; appropriates $1 million. | This bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) to expand its Access Link paratransit service area to include every health care facility operated by the United States Veterans Health Administration in the State (i.e., veterans health care facility). Under the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990," any public entity that operates a fixed route, public transportation system is required to provide complementary, origin-to-destination paratransit service for persons with a disability. In compliance with this requirement, NJ Transit currently makes available Access Link paratransit service. As required under federal law, Access Link service is generally made available for origins and destinations that are located within a three-quarter mile radius of NJ Transit's existing bus routes and light rail stations. Notably, this bill requires NJ Transit to make available Access Link paratransit service to and from every veterans health care facility, regardless of whether the facility is located within the minimum paratransit service area required under federal law. Specifically, the bill requires NJ Transit to expand the Access Link service area to include any origins and destinations within: (1) a radius of 1.5 miles around each veterans health care facility; and (2) a width of 1.5 miles on each side of the most direct route connecting each veterans health care facility to NJ Transit's closest existing fixed bus route or light rail station. However, this expanded service area would not include any origins or destinations in which NJ Transit does not have the legal authority to operate paratransit service. Under the bill, NJ Transit would also be prohibited from entering into any contract, or exercising any option to extend an existing contract, concerning the provision of Access Link service by a paratransit service provider unless the contract or option complies with the requirements of this bill. The bill also appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Fund to NJ Transit to defray any costs incurred in the implementation of this bill. | 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 |
| SJR113 | Celebrates career of New Jersey resident John Sterling. | This joint resolution celebrates the long career of sports broadcasting legend John Sterling. Sterling was known for his boisterous voice and unique play-calling style for the New York Yankees. Sterling called over 5,400 games for the Yankees and saw them through some of the best runs in franchise history. John Sterling started radio broadcasting for the team in 1989, and continued uninterrupted until his retirement in the spring of 2024. Although Sterling grew up in New York, he is currently a resident of Bergen County, New Jersey. Sterling will forever be tied to the Yankees and is a beloved figure in sports broadcasting. | In Committee |
| S3175 | Removes registered apprenticeship program requisites of public work contractors; sets apprenticeship standards for prevailing wage projects. | This bill amends the "New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act" by setting a standard for apprenticeship programs if a contractor or subcontractor chooses to participate in an apprenticeship program. The bill revises "The Public Works Contractor Registration Act" by removing the requirement that a contractor participate in a registered apprenticeship program in order to be eligible for public works projects. | In Committee |
| S3138 | Permits EMTs to administer epinephrine using needle and syringe that is not prefilled. | This bill permits emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to administer epinephrine using a needle and syringe that is not prefilled. Under the bill, in addition to an EMT's authorization to administer epinephrine using a pre-filled epinephrine auto-injector mechanism pursuant to P.L.2003, c.1 (C.26:2K-47.1 et al.), an EMT is to be permitted to administer epinephrine using a needle and syringe that is not prefilled. The bill provides that the Commissioner of Health (commissioner) is to establish written standards and application procedures which an EMT is to meet in order to obtain certification to administer epinephrine using a needle and syringe that is not prefilled. The commissioner is to certify a candidate who (1) provides evidence of satisfactory completion of an educational program which is approved by the commissioner and includes training in the administration of epinephrine using a needle and syringe that is not prefilled; and (2) passes an examination in the administration of epinephrine using a needle and syringe that is not prefilled, as approved by the commissioner. | In Committee |
| S323 | Requires MVC to conduct unscheduled surprise inspections of certain school buses. | This bill requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to conduct a minimum of two annual inspections of school buses through the MVC school bus enhanced safety inspection program (program). In addition to the annual scheduled inspection of school buses required under current law, MVC is also required to conduct unscheduled surprise inspections. The bill also provides that any fine imposed pursuant to the "School Bus Enhanced Safety Inspection Act" that is collected and remitted to the MVC is required to be used for the continued administration of the program. | In Committee |
| S349 | Concerns motor vehicles overtaking certain pedestrians and persons operating bicycles and personal conveyances. | An Act concerning motor vehicles overtaking certain pedestrians and persons operating bicycles and personal conveyances and amending P.L.2021, c.194. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3131 | Requires DOH to expand services provided under plan to improve perinatal mental health services and health insurers to cover costs of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder screening. | This bill requires the Department of Health (DOH) to expand services provided under the plan to improve access to perinatal mood and anxiety disorder screening developed and implemented pursuant to P.L.2021, c.380 (C.26:2-178.1 et seq.). Specifically, the bill amends section 1 of P.L.2021, c.380 (C.26:2-178.1) to mandate that the Perinatal Mental Health Coalition of New Jersey and the Maternal Child Health Consortia consult with the DOH to develop and implement the plan to improve access to perinatal mood and anxiety disorder screening required under the provisions the law. The bill also amends the law to mandate that the plan also include strategies to: (1) expand the referral network of mental health care providers and support services to serve women: planning a pregnancy; during pregnancy, during the time period prior to giving birth; and during the first year after a woman's pregnancy; (2) insure that women planning a pregnancy and women who are about to give birth are screened for perinatal mood and anxiety disorder risk factors; (3) implement a standardized process to collect data concerning all perinatal mood and anxiety disorder screening, referral, treatment, and support services provided in an outpatient setting; (4) implement a perinatal mental health continuing education requirement for all health care professionals and certified peer specialists who provide perinatal treatment and care; and (5) require the DOH prepare a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder screening, referral, treatment, and support services resource guide. The bill stipulates that a health care professional or a certified peer specialist who has received training related to perinatal mental health care services and provides perinatal treatment and care to pregnant women, women who have recently given birth, or the parent or parents of a newborn infant is to complete a continuing education course on perinatal mental health. Under the bill's provisions, the State Board of Medical Examiners and the New Jersey Board of Nursing are to require that the number of credits of continuing medical education required of the health care professionals licensed or certified by the respective boards, who provide perinatal treatment and care, to include one credit of a continuing educational course on perinatal mental health, as a condition of license or certification renewal. The bill also requires health insurers to provide coverage for expenses incurred in screening women for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, as required by the plan to improve access to perinatal mood and anxiety disorder screening, referral, treatment, and support services developed and implemented by the DOH, during preconception, pregnancy, prior to giving birth, and throughout the first year after pregnancy. Specifically, this provision of the bill affects health, hospital, and medical service corporations; individual and group health insurance policies; health maintenance organizations; individual health benefits plans; small employer health benefits plans; the State Health Benefits Program; the School Employees' Health Benefits Program; and the State Medicaid Program. | In Committee |
| SJR107 | Designates March of each year as "Fibromuscular Dysplasia Awareness Month." | This joint resolution designates the month of March of each year as "Fibromuscular Dysplasia Awareness Month" in order to promote an awareness and understanding of the disease. Fibromuscular dysplasia, commonly referred to as FMD, is a disease that causes abnormal cellular development in the arterial wall, which can lead to the narrowing or tearing of arteries. FMD is considered a rare disease that currently has no cure or standard protocol to treat it. The joint resolution also respectfully requests the Governor to issue an annual proclamation calling upon public officials and citizens of this State to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs. | In Committee |
| S3124 | Establishes "Mass Violence Care Fund"; appropriates $10 million. | This bill establishes the "Mass Violence Care Fund" and appropriates $10 million. Under the provisions of this bill, a Mass Violence Care Fund is established in the Department of Law and Public Safety. The fund is to be administered by the Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) and be used solely to provide a sustainable source of funds to provide coverage for physical and behavioral health care expenses related to a mass violence event that are not paid for by insurance or any other source. The moneys in the fund are to be invested and reinvested by the Director of the Division of Investment in the Department of the Treasury. All costs of administering the fund, including the necessary and proper expenses incurred by the VCCO in administering the fund, are to be paid from the fund. Under the bill, the VCCO is to make distributions from the fund in accordance with the following criteria and any rules or regulations adopted by the VCCO establishing eligibility criteria: 1) only gains, interest, dividends, and other revenue earned on the moneys in the fund and any amounts gifted to the fund may be expended; 2) payments from the fund may be made only for an eligible victim's eligible expense; 3) payments from the fund to a victim for an eligible expense may not be made sooner than three years after the applicable mass violence event; and 4) payments may not be made to satisfy a financial commitment for services or expenses that would otherwise have been paid from another public or private source, including but not limited to Medicaid or private insurance. Under the bill, the VCCO is to adopt rules and regulations establishing eligibility criteria for victims, mass violence events, and healthcare and other expenses and the VCCO is not to make any distributions from the fund prior to the adoption of the rules and regulations. Further, the bill requires the Attorney General to establish a Mass Violence Care Fund Working Group. The purpose of the working group is to identify specific options and eligibility criteria to help ensure that individuals adversely affected by a mass violence event are provided some financial relief from physical and behavioral health care costs not paid for by insurance or some other source. The bill requires the working group to consider and determine: 1) gaps in payments for physical and behavioral health care services for victims of mass violence events; 2) methods of investing the moneys in the Mass Violence Care Fund by the bill to ensure sustainable annual financial returns; 3) options for determining eligibility for distribution from the fund, including parameters for: a) who is considered a victim of a mass violence event; b) which healthcare costs are considered eligible expenses; and c) what constitutes a mass violence event; and 4) any other items the working group determines are necessary to carry out the purposes of the fund.The working group is to consist of the following members: 1) a member of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate; 2) a member of the General Assembly, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; 3) the Attorney General or a designee; 4) the Commissioner of Health or a designee; 5) the State Treasurer or a designee; 6) the Director of the Victims of Crime Compensation Office or a designee; and 7) a representative of the VTV Family Outreach Foundation. Under the bill, the working group is to issue a report containing its recommendations for eligibility requirements and rules and any recommendations for legislation to the VCCO no later than nine months after the bill's effective date. Finally, the bill appropriates from the General Fund to the Department of Law and Public Safety $10 million for the provision of that amount to the "Mass Violence Care Fund" to be used for the purposes set forth in the bill. | In Committee |
| S3092 | Ensures no school district receives State school aid reduction greater than five percent. | This bill establishes a new category of State school aid entitled "stabilized reduction aid." Under the bill, stabilized reduction aid is to be used to ensure that, in the 2024-2025 school year and each school year thereafter, a school district receives no greater than a five percent reduction in State school aid compared to the prior school year. The bill specifies that a county vocational school district would receive the greater of the amount of State school aid calculated pursuant to the provisions of the bill or the amount of State school aid calculated with the inclusion of vocational expansion stabilization aid. Under current law, vocational expansion stabilization aid ensures that a county vocational school district receives no less than the sum of the district's State school aid received in the 2017-2018 school year. | In Committee |
| S3012 | Designates September 11 of each year "September 11 Remembrance Day." | This bill would designate September 11 of each year as "September 11 Remembrance Day" to honor the memory of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001 and in recognition of the police officers, firefighters, emergency services personnel, and other citizens of this State and country who risked their own lives, health, and safety to assist the victims of those attacks. The observance of one minute of silence in public schools on September 11 will serve as an annual reminder and lesson to students that freedom is not free, but can be preserved only at the cost of great personal sacrifice and adherence to duty. | In Committee |
| S3026 | Requires MVC to provide customers with certain documents in-person, same day. | This bill requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to provide all customers who have an in-person appointment to receive certain documents at any commission agency location within the State with the option to receive the new or renewed document on the same day as the appointment and prior to leaving the the commission agency location, provided that the customer has completed the proper application and provided any necessary payment. Upon request from the applicant, the commission is required to issue the following documents on the same day as the appointment: (1) a standard basic driver's license; (2) a standard motorcycle license; (3) a standard special learner's permit; (4) a standard examination permit; (5) a standard probationary driver's license; (6) a standard non-driver identification card; (7) a REAL ID basic driver's license; (8) a REAL ID motorcycle license; (9) a REAL ID probationary driver's license; (10) a REAL ID identification card; (11) a commercial driver license; and (12) a motor vehicle registration certificate. The bill also requires the commission to ensure that one or more cameras and license printers are available at each commission agency location for the same-day issuance of the documents. | In Committee |
| S3009 | Establishes "John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey." | This bill establishes the "John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey." Under the bill, all statutes, rules, and regulations, in this State including all local laws or ordinances related to the elective franchise must be construed liberally in favor of: (1) protecting the right of voters to have their ballot cast and counted; (2) ensuring that eligible voters are not impaired in registering to vote; and (3) ensuring voters of race, color, and language-minority groups have equitable access to fully participate in the electoral process in registering to vote and voting. The bill prohibits the authority to prescribe or maintain voting or elections policies and practices to be so exercised as to unnecessarily deny or abridge the right to vote. The bill also prohibits a local election office or political subdivision from using a method of election that has the effect of impairing the ability of members of a protected class to elect candidates of their choice or influence the outcome of elections, as a result of vote dilution. The bill requires that any policy and practice that burdens the right to vote must be narrowly tailored to promote a compelling policy justification that must be supported by substantial evidence. The bill provides factors for determining if a violation of the bill has occurred, including if a voter's right to vote has been violated or if the voter has experienced vote dilution. Under the bill, if a violation of the provisions of the bill occurs, the bill provides a remedy process, including for apportionment and redistricting maps. The bill provides that after a New Jersey Voter Empowerment Act (NJVEA) notification letter is mailed from a prospective plaintiff to a political subdivision, the political submission may pass an NJVEA resolution reaffirming: (1) the political subdivision's intention to enact and implement a remedy for a potential violation of the bill; (2) specific steps the political subdivision will undertake to facilitate approval and implementation of such a remedy; and (3) a schedule for enacting and implementing such a remedy. The bill provides that if the governing body of a political subdivision lacks the authority under this act or applicable State law or local laws to enact or implement a remedy identified in the resolution, or fails to enact or implement a remedy identified in the resolution, within 90 days after the passage of the resolution, or if the political subdivision is a covered entity as defined by the bill, the governing body of the political subdivision must coordinate with the Attorney General to resolve the violation, including reaffirming that any proposal is unlikely to violate the United States Constitution, New Jersey Constitution, or any federal or State law; and is feasible to implement. Under the bill, the Attorney General is provided with certain preclearance powers. The bill provides that if certain political subdivisions that have been the subject to court order or government enforcement action based on violations of the bill; the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended; the 15th amendment to the United States Constitution, or a voting-related violation of the 14th amendment to the United States Constitution, may be subject to preclearance, which is the process of obtaining prior approval from the Attorney General or a court of this State for any changes related to election procedures in that political subdivision. The bill provides assistance to language-minority groups. Under the bill, a local election office or a political subdivision that administers elections must provide language-related assistance in voting and elections to a language-minority group in a political subdivision if, based on data from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey, or data of comparable quality collected by a public office, that: (1) more than two percent, but in no instance fewer than 100 individuals, eligible voters of a political subdivision are members of a single language-minority group and are limited English proficient; or (2) more than 4,000 of eligible voters of such political subdivision are members of a single language-minority group and are limited English proficient. The bill further provides that a local election office or political subdivision required to provide language assistance to a particular language-minority group pursuant to this section must provide voting materials in the covered language of an equal quality of the corresponding English language materials, including registration or voting notices, forms, instructions, assistance, or other physical or online materials or information relating to the electoral process, including ballots. Under the bill, any aggrieved persons or organization whose membership includes aggrieved persons or members of a protected class, organization whose mission, in whole or in part, is to ensure voting access and such mission would be hindered by a violation of this bill, or the Attorney General may file an action pursuant to the bill in court. The bill provides that any action or investigation to enforce any provision of this bill, the Attorney General would have the authority to take proof and determine relevant facts and to issue subpoenas in accordance with the civil and criminal laws of this State. The bill also establishes the "New Jersey Voting and Elections Institute," at a public university in New Jersey, to maintain and administer a database and central repository of elections and voting data available to the public from all local election offices and political subdivisions in the State of New Jersey and to foster, pursue, and sponsor research on existing laws and best practices in voting and elections. The bill also contains a severability provision. If any section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, or other portion of the bill is for any reason held or declared by any court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or preempted by federal law, or the applicability of that portion to any person or facility is held invalid, the remainder of the bill would not thereby be deemed to be unconstitutional, preempted, or invalid. The purpose of this bill is to: (1) encourage participation in the elective franchise by all eligible voters to the maximum extent; (2) ensure that eligible voters who are members of racial, ethnic, and language minority groups have an equal opportunity to participate in the political processes of this State and exercise the elective franchise; (3) improve the quality and availability of demographic and election data; and (4) protect eligible voters against intimidation and deceptive practices. This bill would take effect immediately. | In Committee |
| A1495 | Exempts receipts from sales of materials, supplies, and services for certain affordable housing projects from sales and use tax. | An Act exempting receipts from the sales of materials, supplies, and services for certain affordable housing projects from taxation under the sales and use tax, and amending P.L.1980, c.105. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S1484 | Exempts receipts from sales of materials, supplies, and services for certain affordable housing projects from sales and use tax. | Exempts receipts from sales of materials, supplies, and services for certain affordable housing projects from sales and use tax. | In Committee |
| S2995 | Renames Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital as Richard J. Codey Psychiatric Hospital. | This bill renames Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital as Richard J. Codey Psychiatric Hospital. The Department of Health will be required to alter its official publications to reflect this designation, and will make expeditious efforts to replace any existing signs, advertisements, or any other public indicators of the hospital's name to reflect this designation. Under the bill, any reference made in any law, rule, regulation, contract, or document to Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital will refer to the Richard J. Codey Psychiatric Hospital. The bill revises any references to Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in current law to Richard J. Codey Psychiatric Hospital. | In Committee |
| S2985 | Allows social worker to acquire four hours of continuing education credit for volunteering as poll worker. | This bill allows each person licensed or certified by the State Board of Social Work Examiners to earn up to four credits of continuing education by volunteering as a poll worker on the day of a State primary and general election. Under the bill, a person may volunteer for either a primary or a general election, or both, and is to receive two credits for each time the person served as a volunteer, as appropriate. A person licensed or certified by the board cannot earn more than four credits per renewal period for volunteering as a poll worker. For purposes of recordkeeping, a person is to maintain proof of the time as a poll worker by obtaining a certified letter issued by the municipality, county or other local government charged with managing an election or in another manner and form as determined by the board. The provisions of the bill are not to be construed as requiring a person to volunteer as a poll worker. The credits are an option for a person to fulfill continuing education requirements that are required pursuant to current law. | In Committee |
| SR87 | Recognizes 100th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between United States and Ireland. | This Senate resolution recognizes the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Ireland. On October 7, 1924, 100 years ago, Ireland formally opened diplomatic relations with the United States of America when Irish Ambassador Timothy Smiddy performed the presentation of credentials to President Calvin Coolidge. The United States was one of the first nations to recognize the new Irish state following the Irish people's long and painful struggle for independence. When Ambassador Smiddy emerged from the White House, he had become Ireland's first ambassador to any country in the world. The already established and deep connection of the Irish people to the United States made it appropriate that the first dispatch of an Irish representative was to Washington D.C. Approximately 32 million people in the United States and 1.3 million people in New Jersey today claim Irish ancestry. Irish immigrants helped build the America known to the world today, from the skyscrapers of Manhattan and the transcontinental railroad to our modern political system. Irish people have made an enormous contribution to public debate and politics in America, from their local communities to the White House. More than twenty American Presidents have claimed some Irish ancestry. The influence of Irish-Americans extends well beyond the Oval Office and the United States Capitol to every state of the nation. This fact being most evident by the significant number of State legislators in the American Irish State Legislators Caucus. Since Timothy Smiddy's presentation of credentials 100 years ago, an additional 18 Irish Ambassadors have presented credentials to United States Presidents. Over this time, the relationship between Ireland and the United States has progressed significantly. Ireland has transformed into the economically prosperous, culturally vibrant, and peaceful nation it is today. This transformation is due to the support of friends in the United States, from the crucial role America played in brokering peace in Northern Ireland, culminating with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, to the substantial American economic investment in Ireland. America and Ireland have a two-way prosperous economic relationship as there are almost 1,000 American companies in Ireland employing over 200,000 people and almost 650 Irish companies in America employing over 100,000 people. The American-Irish relationship is a shining example of how ancestral ties, historical connections, cultural affinities, and shared values can create a foundation for an enduring partnership and mutual prosperity. Irish-American State legislators in New Jersey and across the United States are playing a vitally important role in fostering this partnership and ensuring that it continues and flourishes for another century to come. | In Committee |
| S2991 | Requires school districts to include instruction on bullying awareness and prevention as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. | This bill directs each school district to incorporate age-appropriate bullying awareness and prevention education in grades preschool through 12 as part of the district's implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. The education is to include, but not be limited to, information on the: (1) definitions of bullying; (2) various types of bullying; (3) permanence of social media posts and the harm that may be caused through online harassment or bullying; (4) ways to seek help for yourself or others who may be affected by bullying; and (5) potential consequences of bullying on the perpetrator. Under the bill, the education is to be designed to develop an awareness and sensitivity to the ways in which bullying may be exacerbated by intolerance of persons of different races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, genders or gender identities, abilities, or who have other distinguishing characteristics. Finally, the Commissioner of Education is required to provide school districts with age-appropriate sample learning activities and resources. | In Committee |
| S2865 | Establishes "The Voter Convenience Act" to allow voters to vote at any polling place in their municipality on election day. | Establishes "The Voter Convenience Act" to allow voters to vote at any polling place in their municipality on election day. | In Committee |
| S743 | Establishes Training Clinicians to Support Adults with Autism Workforce Development Program in Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services; appropriates $500,000. | This bill establishes the Training Clinicians to Support Adults with Autism Workforce Development Program in the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services. The purpose of the program will be to recruit and train individuals to serve adults with autism and drive innovations to improve the quality of life for adults with autism. In general, the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services will have discretion to determine the scope and details of the program, including the duration of the program and whether to offer different iterations of the program to different student populations. However, the bill specifies that, at a minimum, the program is to seek to annually enroll eight to 10 students and provide 20 to 40 hours of intensive training per week. The program will seek to recruit students enrolled in baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral programs across a range of disciplines, with a focus on recruiting students who demonstrate a commitment to a future career supporting adults with autism. The training provided under the program will include intensive hands-on training alongside senior clinical staff, academic coursework, opportunities to work alongside senior faculty to develop research involving best practices, and the completion of an innovative capstone project. The bill appropriates $500,000 to the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services to support the establishment and implementation pf the program. Many adults with autism in New Jersey are currently without access to high-quality services and supports. As a result, people with autism are often relegated to an adulthood marked by social isolation, unemployment, untreated psychological and physical health conditions, and near-complete reliance on parents, family, and other caregivers to meet basic needs. This situation represents a crisis for many adults with autism and their families. A lack of trained support staff for this growing population, limited research-based support practices, and limited research-based service delivery models all contribute to these issues. It is the sponsor's belief that the program established under the bill will help address this Statewide crisis using an innovative, multifaceted approach to support adults with autism. Since its creation in early 2017, the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services has provided a variety of training experiences for 197 students from a range of disciplines including psychology, social work, education, pre-medicine, public health, and occupational therapy. It is the only center of its kind in New Jersey, and one of a select few in the nation. | In Committee |
| SCR43 | Proposes constitutional amendment to make State trustee of public natural resources and guarantee to the people other environmental rights. | Proposes constitutional amendment to make State trustee of public natural resources and guarantee to the people other environmental rights. | In Committee |
| S2504 | Requires Medicaid reimbursement rates for certain primary and mental health care services match reimbursement rates under Medicare. | Requires Medicaid reimbursement rates for certain primary and mental health care services match reimbursement rates under Medicare. | In Committee |
| S744 | Removes requirement that local units may only provide broadband telecommunication service via wireless community network. | This bill removes a requirement of law that limits the types of broadband telecommunications services, also known as wireless Internet service, that may be provided by a local unit. Specifically, the bill provides that local units would no longer be required to provide broadband telecommunications service through a wireless community network. Under current law, the governing body of a local unit, including counties, municipalities, and other local entities, is permitted to: (1) establish a related competitive business segment to: (i) construct, own, and operate broadband telecommunications infrastructure for the provision of broadband telecommunications service via a wireless community network; or (ii) provide broadband telecommunications service via a wireless community network; or (2) enter into a contract with a private entity to: (i) provide broadband telecommunications service via a wireless community network; or (ii) construct, own, use, acquire, deliver, grant, operate, maintain, sell, purchase, lease, or equip broadband telecommunications infrastructure for the provision of broadband telecommunications service via a wireless community network. These local units are also permitted to issue revenues bonds, pursuant to the "Local Bond Law" (N.J.S. 40A:2-1 et seq.), to pay for all or part of the costs of the infrastructure used for these purposes. By removing the requirement for broadband telecommunications service to be provided via wireless community networks, this bill would authorize a local unit to provide broadband telecommunications service in any manner that the local unit deems necessary, provided that the local unit otherwise complies with the requirements of State and federal law. | In Committee |
| S198 | Prohibits investment by State of pension and annuity funds in, and requires divestment from, 200 largest publicly traded fossil fuel companies. | This bill, would prohibit the Director of the Division of Investment (director) from investing any assets of the State retirement funds in any of the top 200 companies that hold the largest carbon content fossil fuel reserves. Under the bill, divestment from coal companies would be required to be completed within two years, and from all other fossil fuel companies within one year. The director would be authorized to cease divestment or reinvest in previously divested companies if the director demonstrates that, as a direct result of the divestment, the State retirement funds have or will become equal to or less than 99.5 percent of their hypothetical value had no divestment occurred. Finally, the bill would require the State Investment Council and the director to report on the divestment efforts required by the bill within 120 days of the bill's effective date, and annually thereafter. | In Committee |
| S2894 | Requires notice of cancellation or nonrenewal of automobile and homeowners insurance policies to be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested. | This bill requires that a written notice of cancellation or nonrenewal of a homeowner's insurance policy or an automobile insurance policy must be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, and by regular mail with a proof of mailing, or the policy remains in effect. | In Committee |
| S2846 | Establishes civil action for abuse, neglect, exploitation or bullying of minor or adult with disability; provides that bullying of vulnerable adult may constitute grounds for investigation by adult protective services and report to law enforcement. | This bill provides for a specific civil action by a disabled minor or disabled adult for injury resulting from abuse, neglect, exploitation, or bullying. The bill's definition of "disability" is the same as the definition set forth in the Law Against Discrimination, P.L.1945, c.169 (C.10:5-1 et seq.): "physical or sensory disability, infirmity, malformation, or disfigurement which is caused by bodily injury, birth defect, or illness including epilepsy and other seizure disorders, and which shall include, but not be limited to, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical coordination, blindness or visual impairment, deafness or hearing impairment, muteness or speech impairment, or physical reliance on a service or guide dog, wheelchair, or other remedial appliance or device, or any mental, psychological, or developmental disability, including autism spectrum disorders, resulting from anatomical, psychological, physiological, or neurological conditions which prevents the typical exercise of any bodily or mental functions or is demonstrable, medically or psychologically, by accepted clinical or laboratory diagnostic techniques. Disability shall also mean AIDS or HIV infection." Under the bill, every civil action for an injury to a minor with a disability under the age of 18 where such injury resulted from abuse, neglect, exploitation, or bullying and the injury occurred prior to, on, or after the effective date of the bill would be required to be commenced within 37 years after the minor reaches the age of majority, or within seven years from the date of reasonable discovery of the injury and its causal relationship to the act, whichever is later. The bill provides that every civil action for an injury to an adult with a disability aged 18 or older where such injury resulted from abuse, neglect, exploitation, or bullying that occurred prior to, on, or after the effective date of the bill would be required to be commenced within seven years from the date of reasonable discovery of the injury and its causal relationship to the act. The bill also provides that the bullying of a "vulnerable adult" may constitute grounds for an investigation by adult protective services and a report to law enforcement for possible criminal prosecution. Under the "Adult Protective Services Act," P.L.1993, c.249 (C.52:27D-406 et seq.), a health care professional, law enforcement officer, firefighter, paramedic or emergency medical technician who has reasonable cause to believe that a vulnerable adult is the subject of abuse, neglect or exploitation must report the information to the county adult protective services provider. Other persons with such reasonable cause may report the information. The act defines a "vulnerable adult" as "a person 18 years of age or older who resides in a community setting and who, because of a physical or mental illness, disability or deficiency, lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to make, communicate, or carry out decisions concerning his well-being and is the subject of abuse, neglect or exploitation." Under the Adult Protective Services Act, the county adult protective services provider must initiate an investigation within 72 hours of a report. If necessary, the provider may petition a court for an order to conduct the investigation. If the provider finds reasonable cause to believe that the vulnerable adult has been the subject of abuse, neglect or exploitation, the provider will determine the need for protective services and arrange for such services. The director of a county adult services provider may petition for a court order for services if he determines that the vulnerable adult will incur a substantial risk of physical harm or deterioration without protective services, and the adult refuses or is unable to consent. The act further provides that if the county director or his designee has reasonable cause to believe that a caretaker or other person has committed a criminal act against a vulnerable adult, the director must immediately report the information to local law enforcement officials or the county prosecutor. This bill would add bullying of a vulnerable adult as grounds for an investigation and report. The bill defines "bullying" as "any gesture, any written, verbal, or physical act, or any electronic communication that causes a reasonable person to fear for his safety or fear damage to his property." Under the bill, health care providers and first responders would be required to report bullying, in addition to abuse, neglect, or exploitation, and other persons could report such acts. In addition, the bill adds to the specific criminal acts that the county director is required to report to law enforcement or the prosecutor a violation of section 1 of P.L.2015, c.186 (C.2C:24-7.1), Endangering Another Person. Under this statute, creating a risk of injury to another person is a criminal offense ranging from a disorderly persons offense to a crime of the third degree, depending on the offender's criminal culpability and the degree of risk of injury to the victim. If the offense is committed against a person with a developmental disability, the criminal penalties are increased by one degree, so that they range from a crime of the fourth degree to a crime of the second degree. A crime of the second degree is generally punishable by a term of five to 10 years or a fine up to $150,000, or both; a crime of the third degree, by a term of three to five years or a fine up to $15,000, or both; and a crime of the fourth degree, by a term up to 18 months or a fine up to $10,000, or both. A disorderly persons offense is generally punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to $1,000, or both. | In Committee |
| S2807 | Requires MVC to waive knowledge test requirement for certain military service members who apply for commercial driver license. | This bill requires the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to waive the knowledge test requirement for certain military service members who apply for a commercial driver license. Under the federal "Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986," the federal government requires the states to meet certain standards governing the issuance of commercial driver licenses. These standards include the requirement that every applicant pass a knowledge test and a skills test before obtaining the license. However, federal regulations allow the states to waive these testing requirements for military service members who meet certain conditions set forth by the federal government (49 C.F.R. s.383.77). As authorized, the State currently requires the MVC to waive the skills test requirement for qualified military service members who apply for certain commercial driver licenses. Under the bill, the MVC would also waive the knowledge test requirement for qualified military service members. As required by federal regulations, a current or former military service person may qualify for the knowledge test waiver if, during the one-year period immediately preceding the date of application, the person: (1) was regularly employed as an operator of certain military vehicles; (2) operated a vehicle that is representative of the type of commercial motor vehicle that the person expects to operate; (3) has not simultaneously held more than one civilian license; (4) has not had any license suspended, revoked, or canceled; (5) has not been convicted of certain types of serious traffic offenses; and (6) has not been convicted of certain types of motor vehicle violations arising in connection with a traffic accident and has no record of an accident in which the person was at fault. However, under current State law, military applicants who seek to operate the following categories of commercial vehicles are not permitted to receive the skills test waiver: (1) vehicles designed to transport 16 or more passengers; (2) vehicles designed to transport between eight and 16 persons if used to transport such persons for hire on a daily basis to and from places of employment; (3) vehicles used in the transportation of hazardous materials; or (4) vehicles used for the transportation of children to or from a school or other similar places of education. Similarly, these applicants would not qualify for the knowledge test waiver provided under the bill. | In Committee |
| S2339 | Establishes State Parkinson's disease registry. | Establishes State Parkinson's disease registry. | In Committee |
| S1210 | Requires automatic external defibrillators on-site at certain places of public assembly and youth athletic events. | Requires automatic external defibrillators on-site at certain places of public assembly and youth athletic events. | In Committee |
| S1268 | Authorizes special "We Support the Arts" license plates with proceeds to New Jersey State Council on Arts. | This bill authorizes a "We Support the Arts" license plate, with proceeds dedicated to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. The design of the license plate would be chosen by the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) after conducting a Statewide contest. The design would include the slogan "We Support the Arts." There is a $50 initial fee in addition to the registration fees required by law, with a $10 annual fee in addition to the renewal fees required by law. The monies raised, after reimbursement to the MVC, would be deposited into the "Support the Arts Fund," also established by this bill. Under the bill, the MVC is prohibited from using State or public funds for the initial cost of designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of support the arts license plates, or for any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the support the arts license plate program. The New Jersey State Council on the Arts (the council), or an individual or entity designated by the council, would be required to contribute non-public monies in an amount to be determined by the chief administrator, not to exceed $25,000, to be used to offset these initial costs or computer programing changes. The council, or designated individual or entity, would also be required to provide the commission with not less than 500 completed applications for support the arts license plates, along with the initial fee for each application, constituting the initial order for support the arts license plates. The bill would take effect immediately, but would remain inoperative until the first day of the seventh month following the date on which the specified non-public moneys and initial applications are delivered to the MVC. The bill would expire if these requirements are not met by the last day of the 12th month following the date of enactment. | In Committee |
| S2771 | Requires DHS to establish Alzheimer's disease public awareness campaign. | This bill requires the Department of Human Services (DHS) to establish Alzheimer's disease public awareness campaign. Under the bill, the Commissioner of Human Services, subject to available funds, is required to establish an Alzheimer's disease public awareness and education program. The purpose of the program is to promote public awareness of Alzheimer's disease and the value of early detection and possible treatments, including the benefits and risks of those treatments. The DHS may accept for that purpose any grant of monies, services, or property from the federal government, an organization, or a medical school. The program is to include the following: (1) development of a public campaign to promote Alzheimer's disease awareness and education, including, but not limited to, the subjects outlined in the bill; (2) development of educational materials to be made available through local boards of health, physicians, hospitals, and clinics; and (3) development of educational programs for judicial staff, police officers, fire fighters, and social services and emergency medical service providers, to assist them in recognizing the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and understanding how to respond to the needs of persons with the disease in the course of performing their duties. The bill provides that the DHS, in consultation with the Greater New Jersey Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, is to prepare and make available on the DHS's Internet website, in English and Spanish, and in a manner that is easily understandable by the general public, information about the symptoms and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and any other information that the commissioner deems necessary. | In Committee |
| S325 | Requires NJT rail stations and bus and rail terminals to display historical information about area in or around stations and terminals. | This bill requires all New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJT) rail stations and bus and rail terminals to display historical information about the area in or around the stations and terminals. The bill requires the NJT to identify a series of New Jersey historic sites and memorials, as that term is defined in the bill, located within or around its rail stations and bus and rail terminals. The NJT is then to design, purchase, erect, and maintain a historic marker describing the persons, places, and events commemorated and having other suitable inscription as the NJT may deem necessary. The bill requires the New Jersey historic sites and memorials to be inclusive of all eras and diverse cultural aspects of New Jersey's history, as well as be geographically representative of the entire State. The bill allows the NJT to seek the assistance and cooperation of local government officials and entities, owners, or operators of historic sites and memorials in the State, or entities that identify and compile data on historical sites and memorials to facilitate the goal of this bill. | In Committee |
| S2780 | Requires SJTA to suspend certain tolls on the Atlantic City Expressway in certain circumstances. | This bill requires the South Jersey Transportation Authority to suspend the collection of any toll east of the Garden State Parkway on the Atlantic City Expressway when U.S. Route 40 is closed east of the Garden State Parkway. U.S. Route 40 is a main thoroughfare for many residents of this State. U.S. Route 40 is also prone to flooding. If, for any reason, the route is closed, there is no efficient means of travel for many motorists to and from Atlantic City to Pleasantville without having to pay a toll. | In Committee |
| S2723 | Exempts certain motor vehicles that are owned by certain nutrition programs and certain nonprofit organizations that offer social services from motor vehicle registration fees. | This bill provides an exemption from motor vehicle registration fees for motor vehicles not used for pleasure or for hire that are owned by a local nutrition program for seniors that is a Meals on Wheels America member and those that are owned by certain nonprofit organizations that offer social services. | In Committee |
| S2725 | Provides gross income tax deduction for senior citizens for certain medical expenses for in-home care or care in assisted living and long-term care facilities and funeral expenses. | This bill provides a gross income tax deduction for senior citizens and for blind and disabled individuals for certain unreimbursed qualified long-term care expenses, not to exceed $50,000, paid by the taxpayer for the care of the taxpayer or the taxpayer's spouse or dependent who is also a senior or blind or disabled individual. This bill addresses a financial concern for senior citizens and others who have to pay gross income tax on income that they receive from long-established savings and investments that are then expended to pay for their residence-based medical care, nursing care, and maintenance or personal care. Qualified long-term care expenses are defined the same as for purposes of the federal medical expenses deduction, and include services provided for in-home care and care provided in assisted living and long-term care facilities for chronically ill and disabled individuals. They include a variety of services provided through a variety of service providers that are necessary diagnostic, therapeutic, curing, treating, mitigating, rehabilitating, and maintenance and personal care services required by such an individual and are provided pursuant to a plan of care prescribed by a licensed health care practitioner. This deduction will allow these taxpayers to avoid tax on the income they pay for their own medical care that is delivered in their home or in an assisted living and long-term care facility. The medical expenses allowed for this deduction may not be claimed also under the existing statutory gross income tax deduction for medical expenses. This bill also provides a gross income tax deduction for senior citizens, blind individuals, and disabled individuals for unreimbursed funeral expenses, not to exceed $50,000, paid by the taxpayer for the funeral of the taxpayer's spouse or the taxpayer's dependents, if those individuals were 62 years of age or over, blind, or disabled at the time of death. This deduction addresses the financial concern of elderly and disabled taxpayers who are faced with using income from life-long savings and investments to pay for the funeral expenses of close family members. | In Committee |
| S2703 | Requires institution of higher education to have automatic external defibrillator on premises of each athletic facility and student center. | This bill requires an institution of higher education to place an automated external defibrillator in an unlocked location in each athletic facility and student center with an appropriate identifying sign. The defibrillator will be accessible during the normal operating hours of the athletic facility or student center and within reasonable proximity of the institution's athletic fields. Under the bill, the institution is required to ensure that: (1) at least two staff members who are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of the defibrillator are in the athletic facility or student center during the normal operating hours; and (2) each defibrillator is tested and maintained according to the manufacturer's operational guidelines, and notification is provided to the appropriate first aid, ambulance, or rescue squad, or other appropriate emergency medical services provider regarding the defibrillator, the type acquired, and its location. An institution of higher education and its staff are granted immunity from civil liability in the acquisition and use of a defibrillator. | In Committee |
| S2700 | Establishes "Patient Protection and Safe Staffing Act." | This bill establishes the "Patient Protection and Safe Staffing Act," which provides certain staffing standards in State hospitals, ambulatory surgical facilities, developmental centers, and psychiatric hospitals. Specifically, the bill provides that, in addition to existing staffing requirements provided by law or regulation, the Commissioner of Health is to adopt regulations that provide minimum direct care registered professional nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and unlicensed assistive personnel-to-patient staffing ratios for all patient units in general and special hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities, in accordance with the minimum staffing requirements that are established by the bill. The regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Health are not to decrease any staffing ratios that are already in effect on the bill's effective date. The bill provides that the Commissioner of Health is to require all general and special hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities to employ an acuity and staffing system for the purpose of increasing staffing levels above the minimum levels established in the bill, or otherwise provided by law or regulation, in order to ensure adequate staffing of each unit, service, or department. The bill requires the Department of Health to enforce the bill's requirements by conducting periodic inspections and responding to complaints. A registered professional nurse or other staff member, a collective bargaining agent of a staff member, or a member of the public, who believes that the hospital or facility in which the nurse or staff member is employed is in violation of the requirements established by the bill, may file a complaint with the Commissioner of Health. In responding to a complaint, the commissioner will be required to conduct an investigation to determine whether or not a hospital or facility is in violation. Following the completion of an investigation, in which investigation the department determines a hospital or facility to be in violation of the requirements established by the bill, the hospital or facility may be issued a civil penalty in increasing amounts for repeat violations. Any money collected by the court in payment of a civil penalty imposed will be conveyed to the State Treasurer for deposit into the Patient Protection and Staffing Fund (fund) established by the bill. Moneys in the fund will be dedicated and used only for the purposes of increasing the number of inspectors employed by the Department of Health to enforce the provisions of the bill, advancing nursing recruitment and retentions programs, supporting student loan forgiveness for nursing students, and increasing pay for nursing teaching staff. Finally, in addition to the above-described requirements applicable to the Commissioner of Health, the bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services to conduct a review of Department of Human Services regulations concerning registered professional nurse staffing standards in developmental centers and State psychiatric hospitals, and to revise the regulations, as appropriate, to reflect safe staffing practices and assure adequate staffing at the facilities. | In Committee |
| S2559 | Requires State reimbursement to municipalities of cost of disabled veterans' total property tax exemption. | This bill would require the State to annually reimburse each municipality for the cost of complying with the State mandate of affording disabled veterans with a total exemption from property taxation. The bill would require the State to cover the cost of the actual taxes exempted plus the administrative costs incurred by municipalities in connection with the reimbursement program. Under current law, each municipality must individually make up for any lost revenue resulting from a parcel of property being exempted from property taxation because of its ownership by a disabled veteran. This often results in an increase in taxes to other property taxpayers in the municipality or a reduction in municipal services. Because the number of qualifying disabled veterans varies from municipality to municipality, compliance with the State policy to exempt disabled veterans' property taxes impacts upon some municipalities more greatly than on others resulting in inequity. This bill would put an end to that inequity by having the State reimburse each municipality for the cost of complying with the State mandate of affording disabled veterans with a total exemption from property taxation. | In Committee |
| S2555 | Regulates residential mental health treatment facilities. | This bill regulates residential mental health treatment facilities. Under the bill, residential mental health treatment facilities, as defined in the bill, are to: (1) provide mental health services or treatment in a manner that is consistent with the Level 3.5 level of care according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine in a 24 hours per day and seven days per week, structured living environment for patients who require such support, and in instances where inpatient hospitalization treatment is unnecessary; (2) provide health services or treatment for limited periods of time with the goal of preparing patients to move into the community at lower levels of care; and (3) provide health services or treatment without any retrospective review or concurrent review of medical necessity. The bill provides that no residential mental health treatment facility is to operate within this State except pursuant to a license obtained from the Commissioner of Health (commissioner), upon an application made therefor. The applicant is to be required to furnish evidence of the facility's ability to comply with the minimum standards for licensure established by the commissioner and of the good moral character of the facility's owners. Under the bill, the commissioner is to issue a license to a residential mental health treatment facility if the applicant is of good moral character and the facility is in compliance with the bill's provisions. There is to be a presumption in favor of an applicant's good moral character if the applicant is currently licensed and in good standing in this State as a mental health program pursuant to N.J.A.C.8:121 et seq. A residential mental health treatment facility is not to be licensed to operate at the same location as a residential substance use disorders treatment facility or program. The bill amends section 19 of P.L.1992, c.160 (C.26:2H-7a) to exempt residential mental health treatment facilities from the certificate of need requirement. The certificate of need program is a regulatory process that is administered by the Office of Certificate of Need and Healthcare Facility Licensure with the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH). Under the certificate of need program, certain health care facilities are required to obtain the DOH's approval prior to constructing, relocating, or renovating their facilities. Finally, the bill provides that the commissioner is to adopt rules and regulations establishing minimum standards for the licensure of residential health treatment facilities and the treatment of patients therein, and if feasible, structure the rules and regulations similarly to the regulations which are applicable to residential substance use disorders treatment facilities or programs, as set forth in N.J.A.C.8:111 et seq. | In Committee |
| S2597 | Permits individual holding a nursing multistate license to be eligible for school nurse certification. | This bill permits registered nurses holding a nursing multistate license to be eligible for an educational services certificate with a school nurse endorsement, a school nurse/non-instructional endorsement, and a substitute school nurse/non-instructional credential. P.L.2019, c.172 (C.45:11A-9 et seq.) entered the State into the enhanced multistate Nurse Licensure Compact (eNCL). The eNLC provides for a mutual recognition model of nurse licensure in which a nurse needs to obtain one license from the nurse's state of residence in order to be permitted to practice nursing in any other state that is a party to the compact, as long as the nurse complies with the state practice laws of the state in which the patient is located at the time that care is rendered. This bill amends current law to permit a nurse holding a multistate license through the eNCL to be eligible for an educational services certificate with a school nurse endorsement, a school nurse/non-instructional endorsement, and a substitute school nurse/non-instructional credential. | In Committee |
| S2526 | Provides free telecommunication services for incarcerated persons at State, county, and private adult and juvenile correctional facilities. | This bill provides that all adult and juvenile correctional facilities in the State operated by the Department of Corrections, the Juvenile Justice Commission, the counties, and private operators allow incarcerated persons to make and receive telephone calls, video calls, and electronic mail free of charge to both the sending and receiving party. Under current law, incarcerated persons may be charged for domestic telephone calls at up to 11 cents per minute using a debit, prepaid, or collect call system. Current law does not require incarcerated persons to have access to video calls or electronic mail, although such capability is already in place at certain facilities, with a fee charged to the incarcerated person. The bill makes an appropriation of such funds as may be necessary for the implementation of the bill, as certified by the Commissioner of Corrections and the Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Commission. The Department of Corrections and the Juvenile Justice Commission retain the authority to establish rules and regulations for the security of telecommunication services. It is the sponsor's intent that the bill would not require any renegotiation of existing State or local contracts for telecommunication services, but would instead shift the costs associated with the contracts to the correctional facility operator. In the sponsor's view, the more incarcerated persons stay in touch with their families, the better they do when they reenter society, while those with weaker support systems due to lack of communication during incarceration are more likely to re-offend. Maintaining family and community connection while incarcerated is key to successful reentry, and thus it is in the public interest to reduce the economic burden on incarcerated persons associated with making and receiving calls and messages. The sponsor notes that New York City, Connecticut, California, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Colorado have all recently adopted legislation to make telecommunication services free to incarcerated persons. The sponsor further notes that prison telecommunication services is a $1.4 billion industry that has been accused of price-gouging and profiteering from the families of incarcerated persons. According to some studies, one in three families with an incarcerated loved one goes into debt over the cost of telephone calls charged by correctional facilities. It is the sponsor's intent to ease the enormous financial burden on the families of incarcerated persons who are simply trying to maintain communication with their loved ones. | In Committee |
| S2587 | Permits pharmacists to dispense certain drugs in emergency without prescription. | This bill permits a pharmacist to dispense or sell an emergency supply of a chronic maintenance drug without a current, valid prescription from a practitioner, under certain conditions. To dispense or sell an emergency supply of a drug under the bill: · the pharmacy at which the pharmacist is practicing must have a record of a prescription for the drug in the name of the patient who is requesting the emergency supply, but the prescription does not provide for a refill or the time permitted for providing the refill has passed;· the pharmacist must attempt but fail to obtain authorization to refill the prescription from the practitioner who issued the prescription or another practitioner responsible for the patient's care;· the pharmacist must determine, in the pharmacist's professional judgment, that refusal to provide an emergency supply of the drug would endanger the health or welfare of the patient;· the drug must not be a controlled dangerous substance;· the amount of the drug dispensed must not exceed a 30-day supply as provided in the most recent prescription or, if the standard unit of dispensing for the drug exceeds a 30-day supply, the amount dispensed must not exceed the standard unit of dispensing;· the pharmacist may not have provided an emergency supply of the particular drug pursuant to this subsection to the same patient in the previous 12-month period; and· the pharmacist must fulfill all documentation and other requirements for dispensing established by the Board of Pharmacy by regulation. The bill provides civil immunity for pharmacists and their employers for acts or omissions in connection with the dispensing of an emergency supply of a drug pursuant to this bill unless the act or omission constitutes gross negligence, recklessness, or willful or wanton misconduct. The bill also states that it would not preclude a pharmacist from dispensing an emergency supply of a drug under other authority granted by regulations promulgated by the Board of Pharmacy. Currently, N.J.A.C.13:39-7.4 permits emergency dispensing of a 72-hour supply of a drug, under conditions that are more permissive than the conditions for dispensing a longer-term supply established under this bill. | In Committee |
| S2537 | Exempts disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients from payment of municipal parking meter fees when vehicle bears veteran's or recipient's special license plate or placard issued by MVC. | This bill allows the use of a special license plate or placard issued to a disabled veteran (veteran) or Purple Heart recipient (recipient) to permit a veteran or recipient to be exempt from paying a parking meter fee (fee) when driving or traveling as a passenger in a motor vehicle regardless of the vehicle's ownership. The exemption does not apply to instances when the motor vehicle is parked for more than 24 hours at one location where the motor vehicle is subject to a fee. | In Committee |
| S2574 | Establishes signs and Internet websites for State tourism attractions, historic sites, and historic districts. | This bill requires the establishment of signs and Internet websites for State tourism attractions, historic sites, and historic districts. Under the bill, the Department of Transportation, in coordination with and subject to the approval of the Federal Highway Administration, is directed to adopt rule amendments governing participation in the Tourist Oriented Directional Signs (TODS) Program, adding tourism attractions, historic sites, and historic districts as eligible facilities under the TODS program. The rule amendments are intended to provide awareness of and directional guidance to tourism attractions, historic sites, and historic districts in the State through roadway signs, and support a trail-like path through signage which allows persons to find and visit various indoor and outdoor attractions in an efficient and reasonable manner, and promote these locations within New Jersey. The bill requires the rule amendments, as a condition of eligibility to participate in the TODS program, that tourism attractions, historic sites, and historic districts: (1) be located within 15 miles of the State highway on which the intersection approach sign is erected; (2) be open to the general public a minimum of six hours each day and five days per week for at least 20 consecutive weeks in a year; (3) provide artistic, cultural, historical, or entertainment value to tourists; (4) be licensed and approved by all appropriate authorities; and (5) be in compliance with all laws regarding public accommodation. The bill specifically directed the department, in coordination and subject to the approval of the Federal Highway Administration, to adopt amendments to the rules governing the procedures and standards for the implementation of the Specific Service Sign (Logo) Program, adding tourism attractions, historic sites, and historic districts as eligible attractions, for the purpose of applying for the installation of a business logo panel on the blue motorist service signs along designated freeways and interstate highways. In addition, the bill requires the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State, in consultations with the Division of Parks and Forestry in the Department of Environmental Protection, the Historic Preservation Office in the Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Historic Trust in the Department of Community Affairs, and the New Jersey Historical Commission, to develop and maintain a website providing information on tourism attractions, historic sites, and historic districts in the State. The website would provide awareness of and directional guidance to tourism attractions, historic sites, and historic districts in the State and allow persons to find and visit them in an efficient and reasonable manner and to promote these locations within New Jersey. Under the bill, the information on the website would be searchable and available as a list and as an interactive map. The website would: (1) specify the location of each attraction, site, and district, and provide driving directions from the north, south, east, and west, as well as directions by public transit, where applicable; (2) provide information about whether an attraction, site, and district offers guided tours, the frequency of the tours, and the hours during which the tours are conducted; (3) display photographs of each attraction, site, and district; and (4) provide contact information for the owner or operator of each attraction, site, and district, including the telephone number and web address, and any other information that the Director of the Division of Travel and Tourism deems appropriate. | In Committee |
| S2521 | Allows for issuance of two-year temporary courtesy license for nonresident military spouses in certain professions. | This bill amends current law on temporary courtesy licenses for nonresident military spouses. Under the bill, a nonresident military spouse who seeks and is approved to be issued a temporary courtesy license in New Jersey from the State Board of Applied Behavior Analyst Examiners; the State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners, including the Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee; the New Jersey Board of Nursing; the Occupational Therapy Advisory Council; the State Board of Psychological Examiners; the State Board of Social Work Examiners; or the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Advisory Committee is to have the temporary courtesy license for two years, with the option, at the discretion of the specific board, council, or committee and submission of an application by the holder of the temporary courtesy license, for a one-year extension. Currently, temporary courtesy licenses are granted for one year, with the option for a one-year extension. | In Committee |
| S991 | Establishes permanent unit in Office of Emergency Management to address access and functional needs of residents related to disasters and emergencies. | This bill requires the State Office of Emergency Management to establish a permanent unit in the office to serve the needs of State residents with access and functional needs. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on residents of New Jersey with disabilities, older adults, and other at-risk groups, many of whom are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, as well as the consequences of other types of disasters and emergencies. In 2018, the CDC estimated that 24.6% of New Jersey adult residents had a disability, which is a sizeable portion of the State's population. The economic impact on people with disabilities and their families, as well as the burden on individual health as a result of the pandemic, are an existential threat to the disability community. Accordingly, it is in the public interest for the State to engage in comprehensive planning and coordination within the northern, central, and southern regions of the State to support residents with access and functional needs. | In Committee |
| S2530 | Establishes rebuttable presumption that person who commits domestic violence by strangling victim be detained prior to trial. | This bill establishes a rebuttable presumption that a person who is charged with aggravated assault by strangling a victim of domestic violence is to be detained prior to trial. Under P.L.2014, c.31, also known as the "Criminal Justice Reform Law," criminal courts are authorized to order the pretrial release of a defendant pending further proceedings, or order pretrial detention of defendants who are found to be a flight risk, a danger to another or the community, or likely to obstruct further criminal proceedings. Current law also upgrades the crime of simple assault to aggravated assault if the defendant knowingly or, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, recklessly obstructs the breathing or blood circulation of a person who, with respect to the actor, meets the definition of a victim of domestic violence, by applying pressure on the throat or neck or blocking the nose or mouth of the person, thereby causing or attempting to cause bodily injury. It is a crime of the third degree to commit aggravated assault against a victim of domestic violence. A crime of the third degree is punishable by a term of imprisonment of three to five years, a fine up to $15,000, or both. The presumption of non-imprisonment generally applicable to third degree and fourth degree crimes committed by first-time offenders does not apply to persons who commit aggravated assault against a victim of domestic violence. Under this bill, if a court finds probable cause that a defendant committed aggravated assault by strangling a domestic violence victim there would be a rebuttable presumption that the person is to be detained pending trial because no amount of monetary bail, non-monetary conditions of release, or combination thereof would reasonably assure the defendant's appearance in court, the safety of any other person or the community, and that the defendant will not obstruct the criminal justice process. This presumption may be rebutted by the defendant upon a showing of the preponderance of the evidence in support of the defendant. If the defendant is unable to rebut the presumption, the court may order pretrial detention, but if rebutted, the prosecutor would still have the opportunity to establish grounds for pretrial detention. A rebuttable presumption currently applies under P.L.2014, c.31 when a prosecutor makes a motion for the pretrial detention of a defendant charged with murder or any crime for which the defendant would be subject to an ordinary or extended term of life imprisonment. This bill extends that presumption to aggravated assault in situations where the defendant is charged with aggravated assault by strangling a victim of domestic violence. | In Committee |
| S1392 | Establishes Office of Clean Energy Equity in BPU; directs establishment of certain clean energy, energy efficiency, and energy storage programs for overburdened communities; makes change to community solar program. | Establishes Office of Clean Energy Equity in BPU; directs establishment of certain clean energy, energy efficiency, and energy storage programs for overburdened communities; makes change to community solar program. | In Committee |
| S2518 | Increases annual income limitation to receive senior and disabled citizens' property tax deduction to $15,000. | This bill would amend current law to increase the annual income threshold for eligibility to receive the senior and disabled persons $250 property tax deduction from $10,000 to $15,000 once that increase is authorized by constitutional amendment. | In Committee |
| S2511 | Prohibits sale of cats, dogs, or rabbits by pet shops; repeals "Pet Purchase Protection Act." | This bill repeals the "Pet Purchase Protection Act," P.L.1999, c.336 (C.56:8-92 et seq.) and replaces it with a prohibition on the sale of cats, dogs, and rabbits by pet shops. The bill also imposes several other requirements concerning the sale and adoption of animals. The bill provides that, without limiting the prosecution of any other practices which may be unlawful pursuant to State consumer fraud laws, it would be an unlawful practice and a violation of State consumer fraud law, P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.), for any breeder or broker to knowingly sell a cat or dog that is unfit for purchase. The bill defines "unfit for purchase" as having any disease, deformity, injury, physical condition, illness, or defect which is congenital or hereditary and severely affects the health of the animal, and which was manifest, capable of diagnosis or likely contracted on or before the sale and delivery of the animal to the consumer. The bill specifies that the death of an animal within 14 days of its delivery to the consumer, except by death by accident or as a result of injuries sustained during that period, would be construed to mean the animal was unfit for purchase. The bill establishes a prohibition on the sale of cats, dogs, or rabbits by pet shops and establishes a $500 fine for each violation of this prohibition to be collected in a civil action under the Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999. The bill authorizes a pet shop to: 1) sell or offer for sale any other type of animal as may be otherwise permitted pursuant to State law or regulation, or sell or offer for sale pet supplies for any type of animal, including a cat, dog, or rabbit, if it is licensed by its municipality to do so; and 2) offer, in collaboration with an animal rescue organization, shelter, or pound, space in the pet shop to showcase cats, dogs, and rabbits that are available for adoption, provided that no payment or compensation, monetary or otherwise, is exchanged between the pet shop and animal rescue organization, shelter, or pound, for the use of the pet shop or for the adoption of any cat, dog, rabbit, or any other animal. The bill prohibits animal rescue organizations, animal rescue organization facilities, pet shops, shelters, or pounds from obtaining a cat, dog, or rabbit from a breeder or broker in exchange for any type of compensation. The bill specifies that: 1) no provision of the bill may be construed to alter, diminish, replace, or revoke the requirements for pet dealers that are not pet shops or the rights of a consumer purchasing an animal from a pet dealer that is not a pet shop, as may be provided elsewhere in law or any rule or regulation; 2) any provision of law or regulation pertaining to pet shops that does not pertain to the sale of cats, dogs, or rabbits would continue to apply to pet shops; and 3) no provision of the bill may be construed to alter, diminish, replace, or revoke any recourse or remedy that is otherwise available to a consumer purchasing a cat, dog, rabbit, or any other type of animal and provided under any other law. The bill specifies that the bill's provisions may not be construed to interfere with the implementation of, or otherwise invalidate, or limit or restrict any municipality, county, local health agency, or municipal or county board of health from enacting or enforcing, any law, ordinance, rule, or regulation that places additional obligations or restrictions on pet shops, pet shop sales, pet dealers, breeders, brokers, or breeder or broker sales. | In Committee |
| S2494 | Establishes emergency teacher endorsements in certain circumstances. | This bill establishes an emergency instructional certificate for teacher candidates in high-need fields. Under the bill, a chief school administrator or the board of directors of a private school for students with disabilities may apply to the executive county superintendent or the Commissioner of Education, as applicable, for an emergency endorsement to an instructional certificate to enable teachers to full high-need fields prior to qualifying for the endorsement through regular course. In order to be eligible to receive an emergency endorsement, the amendments require a teacher candidate: to have already obtained a certificate of eligibility, certificate of eligibility with advanced standing, or a standard instructional certificate in another endorsement area; and be enrolled in a coherent sequence of courses in the emergency subject field at an educator preparation program at a regionally accredited four-year institution of higher education. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Education to publish a list of the high-need fields eligible to receive an emergency endorsement on its internet website and requires the State Board of Education to annually reevaluate the high-need fields that are eligible for an emergency instructional certificate. The bill also stipulates that a teacher candidate who has been issued an emergency endorsement may be employed in a full-time or part-time teaching position. Finally, bill stipulates that no more than 20 percent of a board of education's or a private school for students with disabilities' teaching staff may be employed with an emergency instructional certificate. | In Committee |
| S2473 | Concerns substitution of work experience for certain requirements to obtain licensure and certification in social work. | This bill supplements the "Social Workers' Licensing Act of 1991" to provide an alternative pathway for the substitution of work experience for social workers licensure and certification requirements. The bill allows the State Board of Social Work Examiners to consider a combination of educational and experiential records when assessing an applicant's qualifications. Under the bill, the board is authorized to determine if the education and experience of the applicant is satisfactory and indicative of competency for the role of a licensed clinical social worker, licensed social worker, or certified social worker without examination. | In Committee |
| S225 | Establishes incentive program for installation of energy storage systems. | This bill requires the Board of Public Utilities (board) to develop a program to provide monetary incentives to persons who install new energy storage systems in the State. Specifically, the bill directs the board, no later than 180 days after the bill's effective date, to publish incentive levels and an application process for an energy storage incentive pilot program. The pilot program will continue until the board adopts rules and regulations to establish a permanent program pursuant to the bill. The program is to meet or exceed the State's goal of hosting two gigawatts of energy storage capacity by 2030. The bill establishes certain requirements for the program, including parameters for the types of energy storage projects eligible for the program, as described in the bill. The program is available to customer-sited energy storage systems, which are smaller energy storage systems owned by a customer of electric utilities and sited in a customer's residence or business, and to front-of-the-meter energy storage systems, which are larger energy storage systems that are connected directly to the grid. The bill directs the board to reserve a portion of the incentives for energy storage systems owned by low-to-moderate income customers and customers sited in overburdened communities. The incentives are an upfront incentive and a performance incentive. The upfront incentive consists of a one-time payment made by the board's Clean Energy Program, which is funded by the societal benefits charge imposed under current law pursuant to N.J.S.A.48:3-60. The amount of the upfront incentive is calculated using a "gap analysis," as defined in the bill, to determine the difference between the all-in system cost and the expected lifetime revenue that the customer can expect to gain from the system. "All-in system cost" is defined as the total cost of purchasing and installing a new energy storage system, including the costs of hardware, siting, installation, permitting, and interconnection. The bill requires certain applicants for an upfront incentive to pay a deposit and requires applicants to meet certain timeline requirements, as described in the bill. The bill specifies that the board is to allocate at least $60 million per year of funds collected from the societal benefits charge for upfront incentives for the duration of the pilot program. The performance incentive is a recurring payment, made by an electric public utility, to compensate the owner of the energy storage system for services to the grid made by the system, including reduction of peak demand and supply of power during outages. The bill directs each electric public utility to file a tariff, a pricing structure that includes rates and other charges, with the board for front-of-the-meter energy storage systems that are not subject to a tariff by PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. The tariff is required to take into account the costs of service and benefits to the grid from front-of-the-meter energy storage systems. The tariff is required to exempt front-of-the-meter energy storage systems from charges intended for customers who consume electricity, including, but not limited to, the societal benefits charge. Finally, the bill directs the board to submit a report to the Legislature on the pilot program no later than one year after the program is established. | In Committee |
| S210 | Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging stations and for commercial zero emission vehicle fleet conversions. | This bill provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging stations and for the purchase of commercial zero emission vehicles. The first component of the credit is based on the amount a taxpayer pays to purchase and install an electric vehicle charging station at their business, trade, or occupation, at the taxpayer's primary residence in this State, or at a multi-family or mixed-use property for use by tenants or guests. The credit is capped at 50 percent of the amount paid towards the purchase and installation of the electric vehicle charging station during a privilege period or taxable year, or $1,000 per station, whichever amount is less. The second component of the credit is based on the difference in the amount paid by a taxpayer for a qualified commercial zero emission vehicle compared to what the taxpayer would have paid for a comparable conventionally fueled vehicle. This credit is capped at 50 percent of the difference between the amount paid during the privilege period or taxable year towards the purchase of a qualified commercial zero emission vehicle and the amount that would have been paid for a comparable conventionally fueled vehicle, except that the credit cannot exceed $25,000 if the qualified commercial zero emission vehicle weighs less than 14,000 pounds, $50,000 if the vehicle weighs 14,001 to 26,500 pounds, and $100,000 if the vehicle weighs more than 26,500 pounds. A taxpayer is required to submit an application with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, who is responsible for certifying a taxpayer's application for the credit, and providing a copy of the certification to the taxpayer and the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury. These tax credits are non-refundable, but may be carried forward for seven years after the privilege period or taxable year during which the credit are initially earned. The credit would be available for a five-year period commencing on January 1 next following the effective date of the bill. | In Committee |
| S1493 | Eliminates smoking ban exemption for casinos and simulcasting facilities. | Eliminates smoking ban exemption for casinos and simulcasting facilities. | In Committee |
| S2431 | Permits persons who are hearing impaired to apply for vehicle identification placards. | This bill permits any person who has been issued a driver's license with the numerical code designating hearing-impairment to apply to the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (chief administrator) for a corresponding windshield placard for use on a vehicle owned or operated by the applicant. The windshield placard is to bear the international symbol of the deaf, be posted or attached to the motor vehicle in a place and manner to be determined by the chief administrator, and be free of charge to applicants. Under the bill, a person who uses the windshield placard is not permitted to receive parking privileges reserved for persons with disabilities, unless the person is otherwise qualified and authorized to receive those parking privileges. The bill also provides that a citation for a violation of law is not to be issued and a penalty or fine is not to be assessed for operating a motor vehicle with a valid windshield placard, issued pursuant to this bill. | In Committee |
| S2380 | Permits certain mental health professionals working in school districts to refer or help facilitate referral of students to private professional counselors. | This bill would permit a student assistance coordinator or a school psychologist or other mental health professional working in a school district to refer, or help facilitate the referral of, a student to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling, for mental health assessments and services. An individual licensed to provide professional counseling would include, but not be limited to, a psychiatrist, certified social worker, licensed clinical social worker, licensed social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, certified psychoanalyst, or licensed psychologist. A principal or a school counselor will also be permitted to refer or help facilitate the referral of a student to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling, after first consulting with the student assistance coordinator or a school psychologist or other mental health professional working in the school district. In the case of a student who is not legally permitted to consent on his own to the assessments and services, the student's parent or guardian will be notified of the referral or the facilitation of the referral, and the parent or guardian will be required to consent prior to the provision of any assessment or service by the licensed private individual. In the case of a referral or the facilitation of a referral of a student to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling, the bill provides that neither the school district nor the individual making the referral or facilitating the referral will be required to bear the cost of the assessments and services provided to the student. | In Committee |
| S2377 | Requires public institutions of higher education to waive or reimburse application fees and transcript fees for veterans and members of the military. | This bill requires a public institution of higher education to waive or reimburse the institution's application fee and fee for the receipt or transmission of a transcript for each veteran, member of the Armed Forces of the United States, the Reserve components thereof, or member of the New Jersey National Guard who resides in the State and accepts admission to the public institution of higher education. | In Committee |
| S2362 | Creates gallery space on State House grounds for display of certain art works. | This bill requires the State Capitol Joint Management Commission to designate space in the State House or on the grounds of the State House for the display of art work from each county in New Jersey. Each county will have an opportunity to have art work displayed from their respective county, determined by a schedule to be established by the commission. Each display will be for at least 60 days and will include only art work from the scheduled county. The Director of Public Information, in the Office of Legislative Services, will select which art work will be displayed, based on the standards promulgated by the commission. | In Committee |
| S2372 | Allows termination of motor vehicle lease in event of death; prohibits imposition of fee for early termination. | This bill allows a motor vehicle lease to be terminated upon the death of the lessee and the return of the vehicle to the dealer or lessor. The bill prohibits a dealer or lessor from imposing or assessing any fee for the early termination of a vehicle lease in the event of a lessee's death. However, the dealer or lessor would be permitted to assess a reasonable fee for a vehicle returned with excess wear, use, or mileage, if specified in the lease agreement. The bill also prohibits a lease from requiring, in the event of a lessee's death, that the decedent's surviving spouse, family member, guardian, or estate administrator or executor: 1) purchase the leased vehicle; 2) buy out the remainder of the lease; or 3) continue to lease the vehicle under the original terms of the lease. A surviving spouse, family member, guardian, or estate administrator or executor would need to provide a death certificate, or other satisfactory proof of the lessee's death, to the dealer or lessor within 60 days after the death of the decedent. The bill provides that it is not to be construed as applying to a surviving co-lessee who executed the motor vehicle lease agreement with the lessee. Further, the bill requires that dealers and lessors provide information about early termination in the event of death in the lease contract or financing agreement. A dealer or lessor in violation of this requirement would be subject to a $500 penalty. | In Committee |
| S2323 | Requires Division of Developmental Disabilities to make comprehensive list of its programs available to public. | This bill requires the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) in the Department of Human Services (DHS) to include on its website and make available in print to a member of the public, upon request, a comprehensive list of available services and supports from DDD for individuals with developmental disabilities. The list is to include a detailed description of the different services and supports, including, but not limited to, those available through: the Supports Program to persons residing in unlicensed settings such as the home of a family member or their own home; the Community Care Waiver to persons residing in licensed residential settings such as group homes, supervised apartments, and supported living arrangements; the self-directed services program; and any other program providing services and supports funded in whole, or in part, by DDD. The comprehensive list would also include the specific criteria for eligibility for each program, which would, at a minimum, include any requirements for: application for and maintenance of eligibility for the Medicaid program; the level of care needed by the individual with a developmental disability seeking services and supports from DDD; an assessment of the needs of an individual with a developmental disability, and the different amounts of funding to be made available for services and supports for the individual based on those needs, as applicable. The list would also provide information about the availability of transitional planning for individuals with developmental disabilities, guardianship services from DDD, and any other information that DDD deems necessary to help an individual with a developmental disability obtain services and supports from DDD. The bill also requires DDD to update the list as necessary to ensure that the list reflects a current and comprehensive list of available services and supports, and to prominently display on the DHS website, or include with any printed materials, information about any webinars or presentations offered by DDD that may help an individual with a developmental disability obtain services and supports from DDD. | In Committee |
| S2316 | Requires certain ratios of school library media specialists to students in public schools. | This bill establishes minimum ratios of school library media specialists to students required in school districts. The ratios are:· in each public school having an enrollment of less than 300 students on October 15 of the prior school year, the board of education is required to employ, at a minimum, one half-time staff member who holds an educational services certificate with a school library media specialist endorsement;· in each public school having an enrollment of between 300 and 1,499 students on October 15 of the prior school year, the board of education is required to employ, at a minimum, one full-time staff member who holds an educational services certificate with a school library media specialist endorsement; and· in each public school having an enrollment of 1,500 or more students on October 15 of the prior school year, the board of education is required to employ, at a minimum, two full-time staff members who hold an educational services certificate with a school library media specialist endorsement. The bill specifies how much time in each school day the school library media specialist is required to devote to school library work in public secondary schools, which is dependent upon the enrollment in the school. The bill also requires a public school having an enrollment of 500 or more students on October 15 of the prior school year to employ a minimum of one full-time staff member to serve as a library clerk, and to employ one additional full-time staff member to serve as a library clerk for each additional 500 students enrolled in the school. In order to be college- and career-ready in the twenty-first century, students must be able to use a wide range of information resources including books, media, technology, and the Internet. All students must be able to locate, evaluate, and interpret information accurately for academic and professional success. A qualified school library media specialist is uniquely suited through educational training and professional development to provide this educational foundation for all students. Many states currently require school library media specialists in their schools and most use student enrollment to determine the number of school library media specialists the schools employ. | In Committee |
| S2297 | Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for certain solar energy system expenditures. | This bill provides a tax credit under the corporation business tax and the gross income tax for certain solar energy system expenditures. Under the bill, a taxpayer is eligible to claim a credit in an amount equal to 35 percent of qualified solar energy system expenditures up to $5,000 for residential properties, $350 per unit for apartment buildings, and $500,000 for commercial and industrial properties. For purposes of the bill, qualified solar energy system expenditures include the cost of components utilizing solar radiation to produce energy, and expenditures for materials, labor costs for on-site preparation, assembly, and original installation, in addition to architectural and engineering services and designs or plans directly related to the construction or installation of the solar energy system equipment. The bill also specifies that a taxpayer may still receive the tax credit if the taxpayer leases the solar panels on their property from another entity, or if the taxpayer purchases energy produced by the solar panels on their property from another entity that owns the panels. The bill provides that a taxpayer must first qualify for a credit to be eligible to claim the credit. To qualify, a taxpayer must file an application with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection who is responsible for issuing a certification confirming that the expenditures meet the requirements of qualified solar energy system expenditures. The bill provides that the commissioner has 90 days after receipt of a complete application to make a determination as to the issuance of a certification. If the application is certified, the commissioner must submit the certification to the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury and to the taxpayer. The taxpayer then uses that certification when filing a tax return that includes a claim for the credit. The bill provides that the first privilege period or taxable year in which a taxpayer may use the credit is the privilege period or taxable year in which the certification is granted. The bill also provides that the amount of any unused credit may be carried forward, if necessary, to each of the seven privilege periods or taxable years following the period or year in which the credit is first allowed, but stipulates that a credit is not allowed if the qualified solar energy system expenditures are used to secure another credit in the same or prior period or year by the same or another taxpayer. The bill requires the commissioner to establish a pre-certification process through which a taxpayer can determine if expected solar energy system expenditures are eligible for a credit, and to develop and adopt regulations, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Taxation, establishing technical specifications and certification requirements for the qualification of solar energy system expenditures. The bill specifies that pre-certification established by the commissioner may require submission of certain written information describing the equipment to be purchased and how it is intended to be used or consumed, but that obtaining pre-certification is not required to qualify for a credit. The maximum cumulative amount of credits permitted is limited to $25 million Statewide per year, and the program would expire after five years. The purpose of this bill is to encourage taxpayers to install solar panels on their homes and businesses by providing financial incentives to do so. | In Committee |
| S2305 | Provides spouses of military servicemembers with gross income tax credit, up to $500, for professional relicensing fees incurred upon relocating to State. | This bill provides a gross income tax credit, up to $500, for spouses of certain military servicemembers who incur professional relicensing fees upon relocating to the State. Specifically, an eligible spouse of a servicemember who moves to the State due to military orders is eligible to receive a refundable gross income tax credit in the amount of qualified relicensing fees incurred due to the relocation, not to exceed $500. The term "eligible spouse" is defined to mean a person who, at the time the fees are incurred, is married to a member of the Armed Forces of the United States and relocates to the State pursuant to a permanent change of station order. The term "qualified relicensing fees" is defined to mean the fees incurred by the spouse that are for a license or certification required by the State to engage in a profession: (1) for which the State requires a professional or occupational license or certification; and (2) that the eligible spouse practiced prior to moving to the State. However, this credit only covers: (1) the relicensing fees incurred beginning on the date that the permanent change of station order is issued; and (2) ending on the first day of the thirteenth month next following the reporting date in the permanent change of station order. The Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury is required to issue forms and procedures that enable a taxpayer to verify that he or she qualifies for a credit per this bill. Spouses of servicemembers are required to uproot their lives and move to another State (or country), sometimes frequently, based on military orders. In doing so, these individuals incur costs associated with rebuilding their professional careers in the State. This bill serves dual purposes of easing the burdens placed on military families and helping professionals develop their careers in the State. | In Committee |
| S1603 | Establishes fringe benefit rate for State colleges and universities. | This bill directs the Division of Budget and Accounting, also known as the Office of Management and Budget, in the Department of the Treasury to establish a fringe benefit rate for public institutions of higher education that reflects the actual cost of employee fringe benefits. The separate fringe rate is to first apply in FY 2025. Currently, the fringe benefit rate used is not specific to employees at the State's public institutions of higher education, but to State employees in general. Many State employees are enrolled in the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), while many of the employees employed by State public colleges and universities are enrolled in the less costly Alternative Benefit Plan (ABP) or are not enrolled in a retirement plan. This results in a difference between the actual cost of benefits and the amount paid to the State. | In Committee |
| S520 | Provides gross income tax deduction for E-ZPass tolls paid. | This bill provides a deduction from New Jersey gross income for certain tolls paid on State toll roads via the E-ZPass system. The deduction, in the amount of $1,000 per taxable year, is available to an individual who has an E-ZPass account, for the operation of a motor vehicle by the individual or any member of the individual's household on any toll roadway in this State, or any interstate toll bridge or toll tunnel connecting New Jersey with another state, including, but not limited to those operated by the Delaware River Joint Tollbridge Commission, the Burlington County Bridge Commission, the Delaware River and Bay Authority, the Delaware River Port Authority, or the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, during the taxable year if, in the aggregate, such E-ZPass tolls paid by the individual exceed $1,000 in the aggregate, for the taxable year. The bill provides that amounts paid as fines, penalties, administrative fees, or which are reimbursed, or deductible as business expenses, or otherwise under certain provisions of State or federal law, are not includible in determining the aggregate amount of E-ZPass tolls paid in a taxable year. This bill is intended to assist individuals in offsetting the considerable expenses associated with commuting, which have been aggravated by the recent increase in the State gasoline tax rate. By providing toll-paying commuters with a way to offset a portion of their costs, this bill recognizes that these individuals are paying more than their fair share of the burden of maintaining safe, modern, and ample roadways in the State. | In Committee |
| S853 | Establishes Mental Health Awareness Pilot Program in DOE. | This bill directs the Commissioner of Education to establish a two-year Mental Health Awareness Pilot Program, the purpose of which is to address mental health issues prevalent among middle and high school students. The school districts that are selected to participate in the pilot program will identify innovative methods to increase mental health awareness among students and provide students with coping skills necessary to manage the various life stressors that give rise to or exacerbate mental health issues. Under this bill, a school district that wishes to participate in the pilot program will submit an application to the commissioner. The application will include (1) a description of the school district including the number of enrolled students; absenteeism rates; academic performance indicators; and the percentage of enrolled students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch under the federal School Lunch Program; (2) the number of psychologists, social workers, and guidance counselors working in the school district; (3) an inventory of mental health services currently provided by the school district; and (4) any other information the commissioner deems appropriate. This bill directs the commissioner to select six school districts to participate in the pilot program. The commissioner will select school districts in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State and seek a cross section of school districts from urban, suburban, and rural areas. Under this bill, the commissioner will submit a report to the Governor and Legislature two years after the establishment of the pilot program. The report will contain information on the implementation of the pilot program and the commissioner's recommendation on the advisability of continuing or expanding the program. | In Committee |
| S201 | Establishes Renewable and Efficient Energy Financing Program; authorizes BPU to transfer up to $20 million annually in societal benefits charge revenues to New Jersey Infrastructure Bank for purposes of program. | This bill would establish the Renewable and Efficient Energy Financing (REEF) program in the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB). The purpose of the REEF program would be to provide loans and other forms of financial assistance, as the NJIB deems appropriate, to State entities, local units, and school districts to finance cost-effective energy efficiency improvements in buildings and other property owned or operated by the State entities, local units, or school districts. The NJIB would also be authorized to provide loans and other financial assistance directly to a private entity for an energy efficiency improvement project sponsored and guaranteed by a local unit. A State entity, local unit, or school district seeking financial assistance under the REEF program would be required to apply to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) in a form and manner determined by the BPU. The BPU, in consultation with the NJIB, would develop criteria for the approval or disapproval of applications. As part of the application process, an applicant would be required to perform an energy efficiency assessment of the buildings or other property owned or operated by the applicant. The assessment would identify the energy efficiency improvements that could be installed and operated in the buildings or other property at a total cost that is less than the energy cost savings, in the form of lower energy bills, realized by the applicant over the lesser of a 10-year period or the useful life of the energy efficiency improvement. Upon approval of an application, subject to the availability of funds, the NJIB would make loans or other forms of financial assistance to the applicant to finance all or a portion of the cost of the energy efficiency improvements identified in the assessment. The loans and other forms of financial assistance would be made subject to terms and conditions determined by the NJIB. The installation or contract for the installation of the energy efficiency improvements would be required to address provisions concerning payment schedules, monitoring, inspection, measuring, and warranties as are necessary to ensure that the energy efficiency improvements installed and operated in the building or other property are cost-effective. The bill establishes in the NJIB a special, nonlapsing fund to be known as the Renewable and Efficient Energy Financing Fund. Monies in the fund would be used by the NJIB to make loans and other financial assistance under the bill, and for administration of the REEF program. The fund would be credited with: (1) moneys obtained from the payment of principal and interest on loans made under the bill; (2) moneys transferred to the NJIB from the BPU under the bill; (3) any other moneys appropriated by the Legislature or made available to the NJIB for the purposes of the bill; and (4) any interest earnings or other investment income earned or received on the moneys in the fund. Under the bill, in next the State fiscal year after the bill's enactment and each year thereafter, the BPU would be required to transfer to the NJIB up to $20 million from available balances accumulated in accounts of the BPU from funds collected through the societal benefits charge (a surcharge imposed on all electric and gas public utility customers in the State) for the purposes of the REEF program. The BPU and the NJIB would be authorized to enter into any contract deemed necessary to implement the payment arrangement between the two entities. The BPU, in consultation with the NJIB, would be required to develop a priority system for energy improvement projects and establish ranking criteria and funding policies for the energy efficiency improvement projects to be funded under the program. The BPU would be required to set forth a "Renewable and Efficient Energy Financing Program Project Priority List" for funding by the NJIB each fiscal year. Finally, the BPU and the NJIB would be required to submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature on the effectiveness of the program in promoting energy efficiency and energy cost savings for State entities, local units, and school districts. | In Committee |
| S1753 | Requires health insurance coverage for certain student athlete physical examinations. | This bill requires certain health insurers (health, hospital, and medical service corporations, commercial individual and group health insurers, health maintenance organizations, the State Health Benefits Program, and the School Employees' Health Benefits Program) to provide health benefits coverage for expenses for an annual physical examination for the purposes of pre-participation clearance for student athletic or camp activities. The bill takes effect on the 120th day following enactment and applies to policies or contracts issued or renewed on or after that date. | In Committee |
| S602 | Authorizes school nurses to administer opioid antidotes to overdose victims on school property, with immunity from civil, criminal, and professional liability, pursuant to "Overdose Prevention Act." | This bill would amend the State's "Overdose Prevention Act" (OPA), P.L.2013, c.46 (C.24:6J-1 et seq.), in order to authorize school nurses to administer opioid antidotes, with immunity, to overdose victims who are located on school property, or are engaged in school-sponsored activities. The bill would authorize a health care practitioner to prescribe or dispense opioid antidotes, through a standing order, to a school nurse, or to a school that employs a school nurse, who is deemed by the health care practitioner to be capable of administering the antidotes to overdose victims in an emergency. A school nurse acting pursuant to a standing order would be authorized, in an emergency situation, to administer an opioid antidote, without fee, to any person on school property, or to any person engaged in a school-sponsored activity, if the nurse believes, in good faith, that the person is experiencing an opioid overdose. Consistent with the OPA's existing immunity provisions, the bill would provide schools and school nurses with immunity from civil and criminal liability, and immunity from professional disciplinary action, in association with any act or omission, which is related to the administration of an opioid antidote, and which is undertaken, in good faith, in accordance with the provisions of the bill and the OPA. The bill would also make several technical amendments to the OPA to correct improper citations and terminological references, and improve clarity. | In Committee |
| S338 | Requires membership of boards of trustees of State colleges and universities and county colleges to include two college employees. | This bill provides that the board of trustees of any State college or university and the board of trustees of any county college is required to have two members who are employees of the college or university, to be appointed by the Governor from a list of candidates recommended by the labor organizations that represent the employees. An employee member would serve a term of two years, except that the initial terms would be staggered. In the event that the employees of the State college or university or county college are represented by more than two labor organizations, the employee members will be recommended to the Governor based on an agreement among the labor organizations. An employee member would have full voting rights, but could not participate in any matter affecting the employment or terms or conditions of employment of an employee of the college. Current law prohibits county college employees from serving as members of the college's board of trustees. This bill amends the law to eliminate that prohibition. | In Committee |
| S1961 | Provides for presumptive eligibility for home and community-based services and services provided through program of all-inclusive care for the elderly under Medicaid. | This bill requires the Department of Human Services (department) to provide for the presumptive eligibility for home and community-based services, nursing home services, and the program of all-inclusive care for the elderly (PACE) under Medicaid for an individual who is: seeking home and community-based services, nursing home care or PACE enrollment; awaiting an eligibility determination for Medicaid and any applicable Medicaid waiver program offering home and community-based services, nursing home services, or services provided through PACE; and likely to be financially and clinically eligible for Medicaid and any applicable Medicaid waiver program offering home and community-based services, nursing home services, or services provided through PACE as determined by the department. The department will provide Medicaid coverage for eligible home and community-based services, nursing home services, services provided through PACE to an individual who is granted presumptive eligibility. Coverage will begin upon the receipt of an individual's request for services and will end if the individual is determined clinically or financially ineligible for home and community-based services, nursing home services, or services provided through PACE under Medicaid during the eligibility determination process. An individual seeking presumptive eligibility for home and community-based services, nursing home services, or services provided through PACE under Medicaid will be required to submit a request to the department in a manner and form as determined by the Commissioner of Human Services (commissioner). An individual granted presumptive eligibility will be required to submit a completed application for Medicaid and any applicable Medicaid waiver program offering home and community-based services, nursing home services, or services provided through PACE no later than the end of the month following the month in which presumptive eligibility is granted. The department will provide each individual granted presumptive eligibility pursuant to this bill a written notice explaining the terms and conditions of presumptive eligibility and the home and community-based services, nursing home services, or services provided through PACE that the individual will be eligible to receive. A home and community-based services provider, nursing home facility, or PACE center is to be reimbursed for all Medicaid-eligible services rendered to an individual who has been granted presumptive eligibility, regardless of whether the individual granted presumptive eligibility is determined clinically or financially ineligible for home and community-based services, nursing home services, or services provided through PACE under Medicaid during the eligibility determination process. The commissioner will apply for such State plan amendments or waivers as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this bill and to secure federal financial participation for State Medicaid expenditures under the federal Medicaid program. | Dead |
| S825 | Exempts persons with disabilities and persons who are homeless from payment of identification card fees. | Exempts persons with disabilities and persons who are homeless from payment of identification card fees. | In Committee |
| S885 | Establishes protections from abusive and controlling litigation for victims of domestic violence. | This bill establishes protections from abusive and controlling litigation for victims of domestic violence. Specifically, this bill provides additional protections for victims of domestic violence who suffer continued abuse in the form of abusive and controlling litigation. "Abusive and controlling litigation" is defined under the bill to mean litigation initiated, advanced, or continued by a person that is filed in bad faith and primarily for the purpose of delay or malicious injury, or harassing, intimidating, or maintaining contact with the other party. While current law provides relief for citizens in this State who are subjected to baseless or "frivolous" litigation, the relief is limited to certain types of litigation, and typically limits the relief to an award of attorneys' fees and costs. Current law does not provide specific protections for victims of domestic violence who are subjected to ongoing litigation filed in bad faith by their abuser in an attempt to maintain contact with them or cause financial or emotional harm. This bill establishes a process for the court to determine whether a person is an abusive and controlling litigant. Under the bill, the process is initiated upon motion of a victim of domestic violence or on the court's own motion. A person is deemed an abusive and controlling litigant if the person has committed an act of domestic violence pursuant to the provisions of the "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 1991"; initiates, advances, or continues litigation against their victim in bad faith and primarily for the purpose of delay; malicious injury; or harassing, intimidating, or maintaining contact with the victim; and the court finds, by a preponderance of the evidence that:· claims, allegations, and other legal contentions in the litigation are without any reasonable basis in law or equity and could not be supported by a good faith argument for an extension, modification, or reversal of existing law, an existing order, or the establishment of a new order; or· allegations and other factual contentions in the litigation are made without evidentiary support; or· one or more of issues that are the basis of the litigation have previously been the subject of litigation filed in the same or another court in this State or any other court of competent jurisdiction and the actions have been litigated and disposed of unfavorably to the alleged abusive and controlling litigant. The provisions of the bill provide that there is a rebuttable presumption that a person is an abusive and controlling litigant if: · the litigation initiated, advanced, or continued by the person allegedly engaging in abusive and controlling litigation involves the same or substantially similar issues between the same or substantially similar parties which have been litigated within the past five years; or· within the past 10 years, a court has determined that person has previously engaged in abusive and controlling litigation or similar conduct; or· within the past 10 years, the party allegedly engaging in abusive and controlling litigation has been found to have initiated, advanced, or continued litigation that was found to have been frivolous. Upon finding that a person is an abusive and controlling litigant, the court is required to enter an order:· dismissing any matter or denying any relief requested pursuant to pending abusive and controlling litigation;· awarding reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, including those associated with a motion filed pursuant to this bill; · providing that the victim is not required to respond any pending or future litigation initiated by the abusive and controlling litigant, unless directed to do so by the court; and· prohibiting the abusive and controlling litigant from initiating, advancing, or continuing litigation involving the victim of the abusive and controlling litigation, except upon leave of court granted upon application submitted in accordance with the rules of court. Nothing in the provisions of the bill is to be deemed to restrict an abusive and controlling litigant from filing, initiating, advancing, or continuing litigation that does not violate the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| S952 | Requires health insurance coverage for annual mental health screening. | 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, and the State Health Benefits Program) to provide coverage for an annual mental health screening. The provisions of the bill will take effect 90 days after the date of enactment and will apply to all health benefits plans issued or renewed on or after that date. | In Committee |
| S336 | Requires DOH to establish Community Health Center Integrated Care Loan Program; appropriates funds for purpose of loan program. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Health, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Human Services, to establish the Community Health Center Integrated Care Loan Program. The purpose of the loan program is to provide zero percent interest, short-term financing loans to community health centers to support the integration of the center's existing health services with an additional modality of care. Under the bill, a "community health center" means a federally qualified health center (FQHCs), an ambulatory care facility, a certified community behavioral health clinic (CCBHC), a behavioral health program, and a substance use disorder facility. Eligible modalities of care include: primary care services, behavioral health care services, and substance abuse disorder services. Research demonstrates that integrating physical and behavioral health care services enhances access to services, improves quality of care and patient outcomes, and lowers overall health care costs. However, funding constraints often make the shift to integrated care difficult for community health centers that lack the capital to make the initial staffing and infrastructure investments needed to comply with the additional licensure requirements. It is the sponsor's goal that this loan program will provide the opportunity to the State's health care providers, who serve the most vulnerable residents, to offer the benefits of integrated care to their patients. A community health center that elects to participate in the loan program is required to submit an application to the commissioner on a form and in a manner prescribed by the commissioner. The application, at a minimum, is to require the center to provide the following: 1) a description of the existing health care services offered at the center and of the new modality of care that will be integrated within the center upon receipt of the loan; 2) a requested loan amount, along with a corresponding budget outlining how the funds will be expended to achieve integration of the new modality of care; 3) data which demonstrates that the center is in need a financial resources to successfully provide an additional modality of care; and 4) information on the community health center's patient population. Upon receipt of an application, the commissioner is to review the application and, subject to evaluation and the availability of funds in the Community Health Center Integrated Care Loan Fund, award a loan to each approved applicant within 30 days of the receipt of an application. The Community Health Center Integrated Care Loan Fund is a non-lapsing revolving fund established under the bill and credited with monies received from the General Fund as well as any monies available from the federal government, private foundations, or other sources. The commissioner, to the maximum extent practicable, is required to equitably distribute loans to successful applicants in the northern, central, and southern regions of the State and give priority to centers that are located in areas with a high Medicaid population, as determined by the commissioner. Loan recipients are required to use the funds for the following purposes associated with the integration of a new modality of care: 1) staff and training costs; 2) licensure fees; 3) infrastructure improvements required to comply with licensure requirements; and 4) any other costs approved by the commissioner in the application process. | In Committee |
| S772 | Clarifies that law enforcement agencies may hold gun buyback programs and permits voluntary surrender of ammunition. | This bill clarifies that a person may voluntarily surrender ammunition to a law enforcement agency. Under current law, a person may voluntarily surrender a firearm after giving written notice to the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality in which the person resides or the Superintendent of State Police. This bill authorizes a person to surrender ammunition in the same manner as a firearm. The bill also clarifies that the Office of the Attorney General or a county prosecutor's office may authorize gun buyback programs to allow people to anonymously and voluntarily surrender any firearm, ammunition, or weapon in their possession. Under the bill, gun buyback programs that accept surrendered firearms also are required to accept surrendered ammunition. Gun buyback programs would be permitted to grant an award in exchange for any surrendered firearm or weapon. Law enforcement agencies in this State routinely host gun buyback programs. This bill clarifies that this is a permissible practice under current law. | In Committee |
| S1983 | Eliminates certain practice restrictions for advanced practice nurses. | This bill eliminates practice restrictions for advanced practice nurses (APNs), including restrictions that limit the ability of APNs to prescribe medications and administer anesthesia, and establishes new requirements for APNs to prescribe medications. The bill expressly provides that, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law or regulation to the contrary, an APN with greater than 24 months or 2,400 hours of licensed, active, advanced nursing practice will be authorized to practice without a joint protocol with a collaborating provider. With regard to prescribing medications, the bill requires the use of New Jersey Prescription Blanks and satisfying continuing professional education requirements related to pharmacology and prescribing controlled substances. An APN with fewer than 24 months or 2,400 hours of licensed, active, advanced nursing practice in an initial role will be permitted to prescribe medication only if a formal joint protocol with a physician or experienced advanced practice nurse is in place. The bill revises the requirements for APNs to authorize patients for medical cannabis and to issue written instructions for medical cannabis, to provide that the APN will only be required to meet the requirements set forth under the "Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act," P.L.2009, c.307 (C.24:6I-1 et al.). Those requirements include: possessing active State and federal registrations to prescribe controlled dangerous substances; being the health care practitioner responsible for the ongoing treatment of a patient's qualifying medical condition; and complying with various other requirements for issuing written instructions for medical cannabis. The bill further provides that every APN who is an APN-Anesthesia and who has completed 24 months or 2,400 hours of licensed, active, advanced nursing practice in an initial role will be authorized to practice as an APN-Anesthesia to the full scope of practice for APNs-Anesthesia, without any requirement for supervision by a licensed physician and without any requirement that the APN-Anesthesia enter into joint protocols with a licensed physician. The bill provides that any State law or regulation that requires the signature or similar endorsement of a physician will be deemed to require the same of an APN, to the extent consistent with an APN's scope of practice. The bill revises and repeals certain sections of law that are obviated by the changes made under the bill. | In Committee |
| S866 | Suspends fines for certain first-time paperwork violations committed by small businesses. | This bill would suspend the assessment of fines against small businesses for certain minor first-time paperwork violations. Under the bill, a small business means a business entity that employs 50 full-time employees or fewer and qualifies as a small business concern as defined in the federal "Small Business Act." Under the bill, a fine would not be suspended if:· the violation has the potential to cause serious harm to the public interest;· failure to impose a fine or penalty would impede or interfere with the detection of criminal activity;· the violation concerns the assessment or collection of any tax, debt, revenue, or receipt;· the violation was not corrected within six months of the date the small business received notification of the violation; or· except as provided below, the violation presents a danger to public safety. If a State agency or regulatory authority determines that the violation presents a danger to the public safety, the agency or regulatory authority may nevertheless suspend the assessment of a fine under certain circumstances if the violation is corrected within 24 hours after notification to the business of the violation. This bill is based upon a federal bill that was sponsored in the 114th United States Congress, introduced on January 7, 2015. The federal bill provided for the suspension of fines under certain circumstances for first-time paperwork violations by small businesses. | In Committee |
| S345 | Establishes "Resiliency and Environmental System Investment Charge Program." | This bill establishes the "Resiliency and Environmental System Investment Charge Program" (RESIC), which creates a regulatory mechanism that enables water and wastewater utilities (utilities) to recover the costs of investment in certain non-revenue producing utility system components that enhance water and wastewater system resiliency, environmental compliance, safety, and public health. The bill authorizes a utility to petition the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) concerning RESIC activities through the submission of a foundational filing. A utility that offers more than one regulated service may file a joint foundational filing for a RESIC that includes infrastructure investments for multiple regulated services or separate foundational filings to establish a separate RESIC for each regulated service offered by the utility. If a utility files separate foundational filings, each RESIC approved by the BPU would be subject to a separate revenue recovery cap. Under the RESIC program, after approval of the foundational filing, a utility may charge customers for the costs of installing, rehabilitating, improving, or replacing utility system infrastructure in accordance with the bill. However, the bill provides that the total revenues recovered through the RESIC rate may not exceed the RESIC-cap, which amount equals five percent of the utility's total annual revenues, as adjusted for certain approved charges. Under the bill, the utility would also be required to identify the amounts owed by each customer, based on the RESIC rate, separately on the customer's utility bill. | Dead |
| 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 |
| S689 | Allows persons diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or Crohn's disease to receive parking privileges reserved for persons with disability. | This bill permits a person who has been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or Crohn's Disease, as certified by a physician with a plenary license to practice medicine and surgery in this State or a bordering State; a physician stationed at a military or naval installation located in this State who is licensed to practice in any state; a physician assistant licensed to practice in this State or a bordering state; or a nurse practitioner licensed to practice in this State or a bordering state, to park a motor vehicle in parking spaces reserved for persons with a disability. Under the bill, persons diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or Crohn's Disease are eligible to receive from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission a person with a disability identification card, a vehicle identification placard, and license plates that display the national wheelchair symbol. People living with Irritable Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or Crohn's Disease often suffer from the debilitating urgency to use a restroom immediately. In addition, the chronic nature of these conditions can result in certain mobility issues, such as difficulty walking, standing, or traveling for long periods of time. This bill would help to alleviate some of the obstacles facing people who have been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or Crohn's Disease. | In Committee |
| S1206 | Permits qualified person with post-traumatic stress disorder to obtain handicapped parking placard. | This bill would permit a person diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to obtain a handicapped parking placard. To qualify for the handicapped parking placard, a psychiatrist or psychologist licensed in this State or a bordering state, or a psychiatrist or psychologist stationed at a military or naval installation located in New Jersey who is licensed to practice in any state, would certify the person's diagnosis of PTSD. | In Committee |
| S828 | Requires MVC to accept certain documents as proof of name change for driver's license. | This bill requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to accept a licensee's birth certificate, marriage certificate, social security card, divorce decree, or court order as sufficient proof of the licensee's legal name for display on the driver's license. The bill also extends the time period that a licensee has to change the licensee's name with MVC from two weeks after a legal name change to six months after a legal name change or upon the next driver's license renewal, whichever date is sooner. It is the sponsor's intent to remove the barriers to changing a licensee's legal name on a driver's license that have been created by the MVC. The MVC does not currently permit a licensee to change the middle name of a licensee's legal name, as a result of marriage, without a court order, despite the fact that the Social Security Administration and many other States allow this change. | In Committee |
| SCR54 | Condemns all forms of anti-Semitism and rejects attempts to justify anti-Jewish hatred. | This resolution condemns all forms of anti-Semitism and rejects attempts to justify anti-Jewish hatred. Throughout the last decade, there has been clear evidence of increasing incidents and expressions of anti-Semitism throughout the world. More recently, in a 2018 report, the Anti-Defamation League noted that in 2018 there were 1,879 anti-Semitic incidents against Jews and Jewish institutions, which included the deadliest attack on Jewish persons in American history on October 27, 2018 at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where 11 worshippers were killed. In 2018, a report showed New Jersey ranked third in the nation in anti-Semitic incidents with 200 anti-Semitic incidents reported. In 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported an increase in hate crimes against Jews or Jewish institutions and found that attacks against Jews or Jewish institutions made up 60.3 percent of all religious-based hate crimes. There is an urgent need to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities, and synagogues, schools, cemeteries, and other institutions. Anti-Semitism is the centuries-old bigotry and form of racism faced by Jewish people simply because they are Jews. Anti-Semitism is a challenge to the basic principles of tolerance, pluralism, and democracy and the shared values that bind Americans together. The First Amendment to the Constitution established the United States as a country committed to the principles of tolerance and religious freedom, and the Fourteenth Amendment established equal protection of the laws as the heart of justice in the United States. Adherence to these principles is vital to the progress of the American people and the diverse communities and religious groups of the State of New Jersey. The New Jersey Legislature unequivocally condemns all forms of anti-Semitism and rejects attempts in this State, the United States, and throughout the world to justify anti-Jewish hatred. In 2021, anti-Semitic incidents were the highest in the past 10 years, reaching an all-time high of 2,717 incidents in the United States. In New Jersey, anti-Semitic incidents in 2021 were the second highest in the nation for the third straight year, and comprised 14 percent of the total number of incidents in the United States. There were 370 anti-Semitic incidents in New Jersey in 2021, representing an increase from 345 in 2019 and 295 in 2020. Of these incidents in New Jersey, 123 took place in public areas, 82 took place in non-Jewish K-12 schools, 44 took place at Jewish institutions, 40 occurred at private residences, 35 took place at business establishments, and 29 took place online. The 44 incidents that took place at Jewish institutions in New Jersey in 2021 occurred across 13 different counties, represented a significant 76 percent increase compared to the 25 such incidents recorded in 2020, and included 39 incidents of harassment, four incidents of vandalism, and one incident of assault. Incidents related to Israel or Zionism in New Jersey increased by 35 percent in 2021, reaching a total of 27 incidents. The Anti-Defamation League recorded the highest number of anti-Semitic incidents of 2021 during the month of May, which directly coincided with the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. There were 56 incidents documented in New Jersey in May 2021, which is 86 percent higher than the State's average monthly total of 30 incidents. In New Jersey's schools, there were 82 anti-Semitic incidents in 2021, representing a 110 percent increase relative to 2020, of which 40 were incidents of harassment and 42 were incidents of vandalism. In New Jersey's institutions of higher education, there were 16 anti-Semitic incidents recorded in 2021, which represents a 45 percent increase relative to the 11 incidents recorded in 2020. | In Committee |
| S1609 | Creates online job portal for behavioral health care workers and online internship and externship portal for health care students. | This bill creates an online job portal for behavioral health care workers and online internship and externship portal for students enrolled in both physical and behavioral health care training programs. Under the bill the Department of Health (department) is to create, maintain, and update an online job portal that permits in-State employers to post job openings for behavioral health care workers. The bill defines "behavioral health care" to mean health care and associated services for the treatment of a mental illness, emotional disorder, or substance use disorder. In addition, the department will be required to create, maintain, and update an online internship and externship portal that permits in-State employers to post internship and externship openings providing academic credits for students studying to become a health care professional. The department will be authorized to contract with a third-party entity to develop and administer the online behavioral health job portal, the online internship and externship portal, or both. | In Committee |
| S1254 | Requires health benefits coverage of hearing aids for all ages. | This bill amends P.L.2008, c.126, "Grace's Law," by removing the specification that 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 NJ FamilyCare Program) provide coverage for expenses incurred in the purchase of a hearing aid only for covered persons who are 15 years old or younger. The bill generalizes the requirement so that health insurers must provide these benefits regardless of the covered person's age. In addition, the bill supplements P.L.2007, c.103 (C.52:14-17.46.1 et seq.) to require the School Employees' Health Benefits Commission to ensure that every contract purchased by the commission meets the same requirements for hearing aid coverage as "Grace's Law." The provisions of the bill will take effect 90 days after the date of enactment and will apply to all health benefits plans issued or renewed on or after that date. | In Committee |
| S233 | Establishes NJ Wind Institute for Innovation and Training. | This bill would establish the New Jersey Wind Institute for Innovation and Training (institute). The institute would be governed by a board consisting of nine members, as follows: the Governor, the President of the Board of Public Utilities, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Secretary of Higher Education, and the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, or their designees; and three public members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The public members would have relevant experience in one or more of the following areas: workforce development; organized labor; education, research and innovation; clean energy or offshore wind development; environmental protection; or diversity and inclusion. The institute would be charged with: (1) designing, establishing, and implementing workforce development, education, research, and innovation programs and initiatives that advance the State's offshore wind industry and associated clean energy goals; (2) collaborating with State agencies and other instrumentalities that include, but are not limited to, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Board of Public Utilities, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology; (3) engaging with, collaborating, and coordinating efforts among offshore wind stakeholders, including but not limited to industry, State and federal agencies, regional partners, public and private institutions of primary, secondary, and higher education, labor groups, environmental groups, and environmental justice organizations in order to advance offshore wind workforce development, education, research, and innovation; and (4) promoting, supporting, and funding offshore wind workforce development, education, research, and innovation efforts, including issuing requests for proposals or requests for qualifications, awarding grants or loans to private companies, private or public organizations, or individuals, entering into agreements and contracts, and entering into public-private partnerships. The institute would be headed by an executive director, who would receive compensation without regard for Title 11A of the Revised Statutes. The executive director would be responsible, among other things, for hiring staff for the institute who would also receive compensation without regard for Title 11A of the Revised Statutes. Under the bill, no action taken at meetings held by the board would have force or effect until approved by the Governor or until 10 days after a copy of the minutes have been delivered. If, in this 10-day period, the Governor returns the copy of the minutes with a veto of any action taken by the board or any member thereof at the meeting, the action would have no effect. The bill authorizes the Governor to approve all or part of an action taken prior to the expiration of the 10-day period. The bill would delegate to the institute certain enumerated powers, as described in section 8 of the bill. The bill would also authorize the board to form nonprofit entities, as described in section 9 of the bill. Under the bill, the institute and any nonprofit entity formed or for which control is assumed by the institute could enter into any agreements necessary to provide for the establishment, operation, and financial support of the institute and the nonprofit entity. The Governor's Budget-in-Brief for Fiscal Year 2023 includes $5 million to help establish the Wind Institute for Innovation and Training to support the State's offshore wind workforce. According to the budget-in-brief, this funding would complement funding from other sources, including Clean Energy Fund allocations and funding related to offshore wind development. This bill would establish the institute in statute. | In Committee |
| S746 | Expands volunteer tuition credit program to volunteers and eligible dependents enrolled in four-year public institutions of higher education and increases maximum value of tuition credit. | Through the Volunteer Tuition Credit Program, an active member of a volunteer fire company or volunteer first aid or rescue squad, and the dependent children and spouse of a volunteer, may enroll in a postsecondary program on a tuition-free basis in a county college, county vocational school, or county technical institute and be eligible to receive tuition credit in an amount not to exceed $600 per year, provided that available classroom space permits and that tuition paying students constitute the minimum number required for the course. The maximum value of the tuition credit available through the program is currently set at $2,400 over a four-year period of eligibility. This bill expands the program to volunteers, and their dependent children and spouses, who enroll in a four-year public institution of higher education. This bill also increases the maximum value of the tuition credit available through the program to $1,000 per year, for a maximum total tuition credit of $4,000 over four years of eligibility. | In Committee |
| S906 | Requires MVC to allow person to indicate special needs with motor vehicle registration. | This bill requires the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to permit a person to voluntarily designate as part of the person's motor vehicle registration that the person has special needs or that an immediate family member of the person who regularly operates the motor vehicle has special needs. The bill defines "special needs" to mean a physical, mental, or developmental disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities. The bill requires the commission to permit a person to make the designation upon an application for a motor vehicle registration, upon renewal of a motor vehicle registration, or at any time through the commission's Internet website. A person may also submit any additional information that may assist law enforcement officials in communicating with the person with special needs. The commission is to allow a person to revise and update the designation and information or remove the designation and information at any time. The designation and information is to be available only to certain employees of the commission and law enforcement officials when accessing the person's motor vehicle records. The designation and information is to be used only during a motor vehicle stop to assist law enforcement officials in identifying and effectively communicating with a person who has special needs and is not to be used for any other purpose. The designation and information submitted to the commission is not to be considered a government record and is not to be discoverable as a government record except upon a subpoena issued by a grand jury or a court order in a criminal matter. | 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 |
| 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 |
| S344 | Establishes School Safety and Security Task Force. | This bill establishes the School Safety and Security Task Force. The purpose of the task force is to study and develop recommendations to improve school safety and security, and to ensure a safe learning environment for students and employees. The task force consists of 15 members as follows: the Commissioner of Education, or a designee; the Director of the Office of Homeland Security, or a designee; the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, or a designee; seven members appointed by the Governor including one each from the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials, the New Jersey Education Association, the New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities, the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association, the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, and the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; and five members of the public, three of which have demonstrated expertise in the development or implementation of school security standards or technology, one of which is an active or retired law enforcement officer, and one of which is an active or retired mental health professional. The members of the public will be appointed by the Governor, upon consideration of the recommendations of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly. It is the duty of the task force to identify potential breaches of security in the public schools, and make recommendations to improve school safety and security. The issues studied by the task force include: (1) placing screening systems at school entrances; (2) stationing school resource officers in each school building; (3) improving response times to emergency situations, including lockdowns, active shooter, and bomb threats; (4) requiring advanced student and visitor identification cards; (5) using biometric, retina, or other advanced recognition systems for authorized entrance into school buildings; (6) the effectiveness of installing panic alarms in school buildings to alert local law enforcement authorities to emergency situations, required under "Alyssa's Law"; (7) scheduling periodic patrols of school buildings and grounds by local law enforcement officers; (8) hardening the school perimeter and building entryways; and (9) considering strategies to ensure the needs of students with disabilities are reflected in all areas of emergency planning and response measures. Also under the bill, the task force is required to review and develop recommendations on building security and assessment standards for existing school facilities and new construction, including, but not limited to, standards for: (1) architectural design for new construction; (2) assessing and abating security risks in existing school facilities; (3) emergency communication plans; (4) staff training; and (5) addressing elevated risk factors, such as proximity to a chemical facility or nuclear power plant. The task force is required to issue a final report of its findings and recommendations, including any recommended legislation, to the Governor and the Legislature no later than six months after its organizational meeting. The task force will expire upon the issuance of the final report. | Dead |
| S235 | Establishes tax credits and financial grant related to construction and operation of advanced nuclear energy facilities. | This bill establishes two tax credits and a financial grant related to the construction and operation of advanced nuclear energy facilities. The bill allows a taxpayer that is a manufacturer of equipment and components for advanced nuclear facilities licensed by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission to apply for a corporation business tax credit equal to 15 percent of the amount paid during the privilege period for: (1) new manufacturing equipment installed at a new or existing manufacturing facility located within the State; and (2) the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, installation, or erection of improvements or additions that result in the renovation, modernization, or expansion of a manufacturing facility located within the State. The bill also creates the "New Jersey Advanced Nuclear Energy Development Program" within the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to encourage the construction of advanced nuclear energy facilities in the State through the provision of incentive tax credits to a developer for the construction and production of energy at the facility. The program would be administered by the authority in consultation with the Board of Public Utilities. In order to qualify for the incentive tax credit established pursuant to this bill, a developer would be required to demonstrate that: · there is a need for project financing; · the project is located at a current or decommissioned commercial nuclear generating facility in the State with a license that is or was previously issued by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission;· the developer intends to initiate the process for acquisition of a license for the construction of an advanced nuclear reactor with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the end of calendar year 2023 and be issued an operator license for the facility by 2030;· the project will comply with various environmental, affirmative action, and wage standards; and· the developer will commit at least 20 percent of the total project cost.In addition to assisting with financing construction of an advanced nuclear energy facility, an incentive tax credit provided under the program would provide $1 million for each megawatt of energy produced by the facility upon completion. Finally, this bill establishes a financial grant to facilitate the construction and operation of the first advanced nuclear energy facility in the State. The bill provides that commencing on January 1 next following the bill's enactment, and on January 1 of each year thereafter, the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) will be required to provide a financial grant (known as an advanced nuclear energy grant) to the first advanced nuclear energy facility operating in the State. The grant is to equal $50 per megawatt-hour of electricity generated by the advanced nuclear energy facility in the preceding calendar year. The first advanced nuclear energy facility in the State would be entitled to receive such a grant in each of the first 25 years of the facility's operations. | In Committee |
| S1990 | Requires transportation network company drivers to complete anti-human trafficking training course. | This bill requires transportation network company (TNC) drivers and applicants to complete an anti-human trafficking training course, which is to be approved by the Attorney General. A TNC is required to provide the anti-human trafficking course prior to the approval of an applicant and to current TNC drivers within 90 days of the bill's effective date. The anti-human trafficking training course may be provided via web based video or digital format and is required to include: (1) an overview of human trafficking, including how human trafficking is defined; (2) guidance on the role TNC drivers play in reporting and responding to human trafficking; and (3) information on how to report suspected human trafficking. Upon completion of the anti-human trafficking training course, a TNC driver is required to certify to any TNC whose digital network the driver uses that the driver completed an anti-human trafficking training course. If a driver fails to provide a TNC with the required certification, the TNC is required to prohibit the driver from utilizing the TNC's digital network to provide rides until the driver submits the required certification. The bill also requires each TNC to create a list of drivers who did not provide the required certification. Completion or failure to complete the anti-human trafficking training course will be noted in the individual record of each TNC driver and maintained by the TNC. | In Committee |
| S241 | Establishes "Electric Vehicle Battery Repurposing Fund" to support repurposing, remanufacturing, and recycling of electric vehicle batteries; dedicates amounts based on certain sales of electric vehicles. | This bill establishes in the General Fund a dedicated account entitled the "Electric Vehicle Battery Repurposing Fund" that will be credited each State fiscal year with an amount equal to $500 for each retail sale of an electronic vehicle in this State during the prior fiscal year. The amounts credited to the fund shall be appropriated exclusively to support repurposing, remanufacturing, and recycling of electric vehicle batteries in an environmentally sound manner. There are approximately 100,000 electric vehicles on the road in New Jersey, and that number may increase dramatically in the near future. Eventually, the electric vehicle batteries in these vehicles will come to the end of their useful life for powering the electric motors in electric vehicles. However, reused or "second-life" electric vehicle batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, still have a lot of energy storage capacity left in them, and may be reused in limited stationary applications such as for home energy projects, off the grid energy storage and to power street lighting. The reuse of electric vehicle batteries under environmentally safe conditions will prevent the contamination of landfills with the toxic chemicals such as lithium, cobalt, and graphite found in these used batteries. The "Electric Vehicle Battery Repurposing Fund" will support efforts to repurpose, remanufacture, and recycle electric vehicle batteries in an environmentally sound manner. | In Committee |
| S339 | Requires State Board of Education to permit candidates awaiting teacher certification to submit affidavit to hiring school district affirming certification requirements have been met. | This bill requires the State Board of Education to authorize an alternative means for teaching candidates to secure employment as a teacher with a school district while awaiting the issuance of a certificate of eligibility or certificate of eligibility with advanced standing from the Department of Education. The board would be required to allow a candidate for a certificate to submit to a hiring district a signed affidavit affirming that applicable certification requirements have been met as part of the candidate's application for employment with the hiring district. A candidate who submits an affidavit pursuant to this bill would be required to provide accompanying documentation demonstrating that the candidate has applied for a certificate with the department. In the event that a candidate submits a signed affidavit in good faith and subsequently learned that the certification process is incomplete, the candidate will not be liable to reimburse the district for salary or benefits received. Within 90 days from the date an affidavit has been submitted to a hiring district, a candidate would be required to provide confirmation to the hiring district that a certificate has been issued by the department. A hiring district would be required to terminate a candidate who does not provide confirmation to the district that a certificate has been issued or has been found to have misrepresented information provided on the affidavit. | In Committee |
| S1748 | Increases certain penalties for violations of wage and hour law. | This bill increases certain penalties for violations of the "New Jersey State Wage and Hour Law," P.L.1966, c.113 (C.34:11-56a et seq.). Current law states that for a first violation of that law, an employer is guilty of a disorderly persons offense and may be punished by a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000, by imprisonment for not less than 10 and not more than 90 days, or both. The bill increases the fines for a first violation to an amount not less than $500, but maintains the maximum fine of not more than $1,000. Current law also states that for a second or subsequent violation, an employer is guilty of a disorderly persons offense and may be punished by a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $1,000, by imprisonment for not less than 10 and not more than 100 days, or both. The bill increases the fines for a second violation to an amount not less than $1,000 and not more than $2,000. Finally, the bill adds to the law that a third or subsequent violation constitutes a crime of the fourth degree, punishable by a fine of not less than $2,000 and not more than $10,000, by imprisonment for up to 18 months, or both. | In Committee |
| S1643 | Makes $250,000 supplemental appropriation to New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders for pediatric clinical services at Tourette Syndrome Clinic of Rutgers University. | This FY 2024 supplemental appropriation provides $250,000 to the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders (NJCTS) to support diagnostic assessments and counseling services for children at the Tourette Syndrome Clinic of Rutgers University, New Brunswick. The clinic, established jointly by the NJCTS and the Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP), provides psychological assessments, social-emotional skills groups, and individual and family therapy for children, adolescents, and adults with Tourette Syndrome. The clinic offers sliding scale rates for services delivered to individuals and families with demonstrated financial need. According to a 2022 data from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every 50 children between the ages of five and 14 years have a persistent tic disorder, including Tourette Syndrome. | In Committee |
| S186 | Requires institutions of higher education to maintain supply of opioid antidotes and permits emergency administration of opioid antidote by campus medical professional or trained employee. | This bill requires public and independent institutions of higher education in New Jersey to obtain a supply of opioid antidotes to be maintained in one or more secure and easily accessible locations at the institution. The bill requires the institutions to develop a policy for the emergency administration of an opioid antidote to a student, staff member, or other person who is experiencing an opioid overdose. The policies must: (1) designate a licensed campus medical professional to oversee the institution's program for the maintenance and emergency administration of opioid antidotes; (2) permit a licensed campus medical professional and other designated trained employees of the institution to administer an opioid antidote to any person whom the licensed campus medical professional or trained employee in good faith believes is experiencing an opioid overdose; and (3) require the transportation of an overdose victim to a hospital emergency room by emergency services personnel after the administration of an opioid antidote. Under an institution's policy, a licensed campus medical professional will have the primary responsibility for the emergency administration of an opioid antidote. The governing board of an institution of higher education will designate additional employees of the institution who volunteer to administer an opioid antidote in the event that a person experiences an opioid overdose when a licensed campus medical professional is not physically present at the scene. The licensed campus medical professionals and designated employees are required to receive training on standardized protocols for the administration of an opioid antidote to a person who experiences an opioid overdose. The training will include the overdose prevention information set forth in the State's "Overdose Prevention Act." The bill directs the Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the Department of Human Services and appropriate medical experts, to establish guidelines for institutions of higher education in developing their policies for the administration of opioid antidotes, including guidelines concerning the training requirements for licensed campus medical professionals and designated employees. Institutions of higher education will be required to implement the guidelines in developing their policies. The bill provides immunity from liability for licensed campus medical professionals, trained designees, and other employees or agents of an institution of higher education, and for pharmacists and prescribers of opioid antidotes for an institution of higher education, for good faith acts or omissions consistent with the bill's provisions. | In Committee |
| S334 | Permits title of Attorney General for person who served as Acting Attorney General for 180 days. | This bill permits the use of the title Attorney General for a person who served as the Acting Attorney General for 180 days. Under the bill, after termination of service as Acting Attorney General, the official title of a person who served as Acting Attorney General for a continuous period of at least 180 days is to be for all historical purposes "Attorney General of the State of New Jersey." The bill provides that a discontinuance of service as Acting Attorney General due to travel outside of the State or inability to discharge the duties of the office because of illness will not render a period of service non-continuous. | In Committee |
| S329 | Establishes "Food Innovation District Pilot Program." | This bill would establish a three-year "Food Innovation District Pilot Program" within the Division of Marketing and Development in the Department of Agriculture. The purpose of the program is to encourage the development of food innovation districts within New Jersey. A food innovation district is a geographic concentration of food-oriented businesses, services, and community activities that are supported through planning and economic development initiatives in order to promote a positive business environment, spur regional food system development, increase access to local food, and support the transition to healthy and environmentally-friendly alternatives to single-use plastic packaging. The division, in consultation with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Department of Community Affairs, and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, would identify criteria for the designation of food innovation districts. The bill specifies the criteria for a food innovation district designation to include, but not be limited to:· accessibility to mass transportation facilities and services;· zoning or a redevelopment plan that permits mixed-use development; and· a cluster of interconnected food businesses, suppliers, and associated institutions. The bill directs the division to establish an application form and procedure for municipalities to apply for designation of an area as a food innovation district. The bill would require an application to include, but would not be limited to: (1) the boundaries of the proposed food innovation district; (2) an inventory of existing and proposed food-oriented businesses; regional food hubs; community kitchens and ghost kitchens; farmers markets; warehousing, processing, distribution, and related facilities; and other food system infrastructure; and (3) a plan for the development or redevelopment of the proposed food innovation district, which would be limited to plans for community kitchens and ghost kitchens; warehousing, processing, distribution, and related facilities; and supporting the food industry in its transition to the use of healthy and environmentally-friendly alternatives to single-use plastic packaging. The bill directs the division to publicize the Food Innovation District Program, and provide links to the application form and procedure on its Internet website. Under the bill, a municipality may apply to the division for designation of all or part of the municipality as a food innovation district. Two or more municipalities may jointly apply for designation of an area as a food innovation district. Within 60 calendar days of its receipt of a complete application for designation of an area as a food innovation district, the bill directs the division to approve, conditionally approve, or deny the application. The bill directs the division, in consultation with the Department of Community Affairs and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, to adopt guidance and standards for municipalities to promote food innovation districts as places for businesses to locate. A municipality may advertise or otherwise use the food innovation district designation in accordance with the adopted guidance or standards. The division, in conjunction with the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, would provide resources and technical assistance to at least one food innovation district in the central region of the State and to at least one food innovation district in the southern region of the State to enhance the efficacy of the program. When measuring the efficacy of the program, the report would include, but is not limited to, the following metrics for each food innovation district: (1) the rate of change in the number of businesses; (2) the rate of change in the number of businesses developing new products or services; (3) the rate of change in the number of new partnerships with industry specific businesses, companies, or institutions; (4) the rate of change in entrepreneurship; (5) the amount of venture capital or generalized funding received from private investors; (6) the amount of access to qualified personnel and the number of job candidates with relevant skills, education, and training; and (7) the amount of local sourcing of personnel. Within six months prior to the expiration of the three-year pilot program, the division would be required to submit a report to the Governor, and to the Legislature on the effectiveness of the program, including an assessment concerning the continuation of the program. | In Committee |
| S1672 | Allows credit against corporation business tax and gross income tax liability for employing persons with a developmental disability. | This bill allows taxpayers to claim a credit against their corporation business tax liability or gross income tax liability in the amount of 10 percent of salary and wages paid to an employee with a developmental disability. The credit is capped at $3,000 per employee, and the total credit is capped at $60,000 per taxpayer per year. The bill defines "employee with a developmental disability" as an employee of the taxpayer who has a developmental disability as defined in N.J.S.A.30:6D-25 and for who the Division of Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Human Services has declared eligible for its services. New Jersey already allows taxpayers to claim a credit for the employment of certain persons with disabilities at an occupational training center or sheltered workshop. This bill allows a credit for any type of employment, but taxpayers will be prohibited from claiming the credit allowed by this bill if in the same year they claim a credit for employment of the same employee at an occupational training center or sheltered workshop. | In Committee |
| S1985 | Legalizes growing or possessing up to six marijuana plants for personal recreational use, and up to 10 plants for personal medical use, by persons aged 21 or older. | This bill would make it legal for a person aged 21 or over to grow and possess certain amounts of marijuana for personal use. P.L.2021, c.16, which legalized the personal use of cannabis, provides that possession of six ounces or less of marijuana, including any adulterants or dilutants, is not subject to any punishment, as this possession is not a crime, offense, act of delinquency, or civil violation of law. Under the enactment, possession of more than six ounces of marijuana, including any adulterants or dilutants, constitutes a crime of the fourth degree. A crime of the fourth degree is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 18 months or a fine of up to $10,000 or both. P.L.2021, c.16 does not make it legal for a person to grow their own marijuana for personal use. Under the bill, growing or possessing marijuana plants for personal recreational use or personal medical use by a person aged 21 or older would also not be a crime, offense, act of delinquency, or civil violation of law. The bill would apply under the following circumstances: (1) A person aged 21 or older may grow or possess up to six marijuana plants for personal recreational use, with a maximum of 12 plants per household; and (2) A qualifying patient as defined in section 3 of P.L.2009, c.307 (C.24:6I-3), aged 21 or older, or a designated caregiver, as defined in section 3 of P.L.2009, c.307 (C.24:6I-3), aged 21 or older, on behalf of the qualifying patient, may grow or possess up to 10 marijuana plants for personal medical use, with a maximum of 12 plants per household. | In Committee |
| S228 | Allows public bodies to conduct meetings by electronic means. | This bill permits a public body to conduct a meeting and public business, cause a meeting to be open to the public, vote, and receive public comment by means of communication or other electronic equipment. Under current law, remote meetings, voting, and public comment are only permitted during a state of emergency, public health emergency, or state of local disaster emergency. This bill removes that restriction. Under the bill, any meeting conducted by means of communication or other electronic equipment must be open to the public in a manner consistent with N.J.S.A.10:4-12. "Public body" is defined under the "Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act" to be a commission, authority, board, council, committee, or any other group of two or more persons organized under the laws of this State, and collectively empowered as a voting body to perform a public governmental function affecting the rights, duties, obligations, privileges, benefits, or other legal relations of any person, or collectively authorized to spend public funds including the Legislature, but does not mean or include the judicial branch of the government, any grand or petit jury, any parole board or any agency or body acting in a parole capacity, the State Commission of Investigation, the Apportionment Commission established under Article IV, Section III, of the Constitution, or any political party committee organized under Title 19 of the Revised Statutes. | In Committee |
| S321 | Permits voter registration at age 16, under certain conditions. | This bill provides that a person who is at least 16 years of age would be entitled to register to vote if that person is: a) a citizen of the United States; and b) a resident of this State who has met all the requirements as to length of residence to qualify as a legal voter. Each such registrant would be permitted to vote in an election held on or after his or her 18th birthday, provided that the registrant has not otherwise been disqualified from voting. Each registrant who has not attained 18 years of age would be designated in the Statewide voter registration system as temporarily ineligible to vote until the registrant's 18th birthday. | In Committee |
| S1461 | Requires new flooring for schools and child care centers to be certified mercury free. | This bill provides that no construction permit may be issued for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, conversion, repair, or upgrade to any flooring in a school or child care center unless the applicant presents a certification issued by the manufacturer of the flooring materials to be used in the construction, reconstruction, alteration, conversion, repair, or upgrade of the school or child care center that the materials are free of mercury and compounds containing mercury. A flooring manufacturer that issues a certificate for the purposes of the bill that falsely states that a flooring product is free of mercury and compounds containing mercury will be liable to a civil penalty of $10,000 for a first offense and $25,000 for a second or subsequent offense The bill will take effect 90 days after the date of enactment. | In Committee |
| S149 | Eliminates shellfish license fee for veterans and active duty service members. | This bill exempts honorably discharged veterans and active duty members of the U.S. military from the resident's recreational shellfish license fee. Currently, New Jersey residents under the age of 62 are required to pay a $10 license fee for the license, which allows them to harvest shellfish such as hard and soft clams, surf clams, oysters, bay scallops, and mussels during the summer months. Licensees may harvest up to 150 shellfish per day for non-commercial use. | In Committee |
| SCR37 | Commemorates 127th anniversary of Jewish War Veterans of United States of America. | Commemorates 127th anniversary of Jewish War Veterans of United States of America. | In Committee |
| S242 | Requires BPU to allow low- and moderate-income residential customers to self-attest to income for participation in community solar programs. | This bill would require the Board of Public Utilities to promulgate rules and regulations to allow low- and moderate-income residential customers to self-attest to the residential customer's income for participation in a community solar program established pursuant to P.L.2018, c.17 (C.48:3-87.8 et al.). | In Committee |
| S1944 | Allows costs of medical cannabis to be reimbursed by Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund, PAAD, Senior Gold and VCCO. | This bill requires the Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund, the "Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled" (PAAD) program, the "Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program," and the Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) to cover the cost of medical cannabis dispensed to or on behalf of registered qualifying patients eligible for or receiving benefits under those programs. Specifically, the bill will require the Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund to assist with the cost of medical cannabis for a child who is eligible for assistance from the program who is a registered qualifying medical cannabis patient, subject to rules and regulations promulgated by the Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund Commission and the availability of monies in the fund. Under the PAAD and Senior Gold programs, at the time of each purchase of medical cannabis, the eligible person or the eligible person's caregiver will be required to pay a copayment that may not be waived, discounted, or rebated in whole or in part. The State will then reimburse the medical cannabis dispensary or clinical registrant for the balance of the purchase price of the medical cannabis, which purchase price will be the price listed on the medical cannabis dispensary's or clinical registrant's website as required pursuant to subsection h. of section 7 of P.L.2009, c.307 (C.24:6I-7) less any applicable discounts or price reductions. Under the PAAD program, the copayment will be $7. Under the Senior Gold program, the copayment will be equal to: 1) $15 plus 50 percent of the remaining amount of the cost of the medical cannabis, or the cost of the medical cannabis, whichever is less; or 2) $15, or the cost of the medical cannabis, whichever is less, in the case of an eligible person who has incurred out-of-pocket expenditures, including copayments and deductibles, for the purchase of prescription drugs and medical cannabis, which are not reimbursable by any other plan of assistance or insurance and are credited to that person's account for each 12-month period of eligibility in accordance with procedures established by the Commissioner of Human Services, in the following amounts: $2,000 for a single person and $3,000 for a married couple. These out-of-pocket expense amounts will include only expenses incurred on or after the date that the person received proof of eligibility for the program. An eligible person whose medical cannabis costs are covered in part by any other program or plan of assistance or insurance may be required to receive reduced assistance under the PAAD and Senior Gold programs. Under the PAAD program, if an eligible person's medical cannabis costs are covered in whole by any other program or plan of assistance or insurance, the person will be ineligible for PAAD assistance; under the Senior Gold program, if an eligible person's medical cannabis costs are covered in whole or in part by another plan of assistance or insurance, the Senior Gold program will be the payer of last resort. The Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, may establish limits on the maximum quantity of medical cannabis that may be purchased by or on behalf of an eligible person in a 30-day period under the PAAD and Senior Gold programs, which limits may be in an amount lower than the maximum quantities of medical cannabis that may be dispensed to or on behalf of a registered qualifying patient pursuant to subsection f. of section 10 of P.L.2009, c.307 (C.24:6I-10). The bill provides that eligible persons under the PAAD and Senior Gold programs may be reimbursed for 50 percent of the cost of medical cannabis purchased by or on behalf of that person in an amount that exceeds the required copayment, during the period commencing 30 days after the person's properly completed application was received by the department and ending on the date on which the person received proof of eligibility from the department; except that no reimbursement may be made for medical cannabis purchased prior to the effective date of the bill. This bill requires the Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) to include the costs associated with the medical use of cannabis as an expense for which a victim may receive compensation, an emergency award, or a supplemental award. Under current law, victims of certain crimes are eligible to receive compensation from the VCCO for certain expenses, including unreimbursed and unreimbursable expenses reasonably incurred for medical care or other services necessary as a result of the victim's injury. This bill provides that the expenses that are eligible for compensation from the VCCO will include the cost of medical cannabis dispensed to or on behalf of a victim who is an eligible medical cannabis patient. Current law also provides that the VCCO may make an emergency award to an applicant pending final determination of a case when the office determines that compensation is likely to be provided and that the applicant will suffer undue hardship if funds are not made immediately available. Under current law, the funds are only permitted to be used to cover immediate costs of essential shelter, food, or medical expenses. The bill provides that medical expenses are to include the cost of medical cannabis dispensed to or on behalf of an applicant who is an eligible medical cannabis patient. In addition, current law provides that certain crime victims who are catastrophically injured are eligible to receive an additional, supplemental award to be used for certain rehabilitative services, including prescription drugs and medical supplies. This bill provides that the cost of medical cannabis dispensed to or on behalf of a catastrophically-injured crime victim who is an eligible medical cannabis patient will be included as a rehabilitative service for which the victim may receive a supplemental award. The bill specifies that the VCCO, in consultation with the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, may establish limits on the maximum quantity of medical cannabis that will be eligible for coverage, payment, or reimbursement from the VCCO under these various programs for an individual in a 30-day period. These limits may be in an amount lower than the maximum quantities of medical cannabis that may be dispensed to or on behalf of a registered qualifying patient pursuant to subsection f. of section 10 of P.L.2009, c.307 (C.24:6I-10). | In Committee |
| S648 | Requires under certain circumstances development by certified school nurse of individualized health care plan and individualized emergency health care plan for student with life-threatening allergies or anaphylaxis. | This bill provides that if the parent or guardian of a student with a life-threatening allergy or anaphylaxis seeks care for that student while at school, the parent or guardian must inform the certified school nurse who will develop an individualized health care plan and an individualized emergency health care plan for the student. This bill provides that the individualized plans will be updated by the school nurse at least annually in accordance with the annually submitted order of a student's health care provider and as necessary in the event of a change in the student's health status. Each individualized health care plan is required to include, and each individualized emergency health care plan may include, the following information:· the symptoms of an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis and the recommended treatment;· accommodations for school trips, after-school activities, class parties, and other school-related activities;· education of all school personnel who may come in contact with the student about allergies, how to recognize and treat allergic reactions or anaphylaxis, how to recognize allergic reactions or anaphylaxis, and when to call for assistance; and · how to maintain communications with the student, the student's parent or guardian and health care team, the school nurse, and the educational staff. Under the provisions of the bill, in addition to coordinating the care at school for a particular student with life-threatening allergies or anaphylaxis, the certified school nurse will also be responsible for ensuring that appropriate staff are trained in the care of students with life-threatening allergies or anaphylaxis, including staff working with school-sponsored programs outside of the regular school day, as provided in the individualized plans. | In Committee |
| S1203 | Permits county board of elections to open inner envelopes containing mail-in ballots up to five days prior to election day. | Under current law, the county board of elections process mail-in ballots promptly after receiving each mail-in ballot by removing the inner envelope containing the ballot from the outer envelope and comparing the signature and the information contained on the flap of the inner envelope with the signature and information contained in the respective requests for mail-in ballots. During the processing of mail-in ballots, the ballots are not removed from the inner envelopes until the canvassing of the ballots on election day. Under the bill, a county board of elections may begin opening the inner envelopes and removing each mail-in ballot from the inner envelopes no earlier than five days prior to the day of the election. If a county board of elections begins opening the inner envelopes and removing the mail-in ballots from the inner envelopes prior to the day of the election, the county board is required to implement the measures necessary to ensure the security and secrecy of the mail-in ballots. A county board of elections is prohibited from canvassing the mail-in ballots until the opening of the polls for that election. The contents of the mail-in ballots must remain confidential in compliance with current law and regulations concerning disclosure of election results. This bill seeks to enable county boards of elections to process mail-in ballots more quickly and to provide election results in a timelier manner. | 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 |
| S473 | Allows shore municipalities to provide spouse and dependent children of veterans free or reduced cost access to beaches. | This bill would permit shore municipalities, by ordinance, to provide free or reduced fee beach access to the spouse and dependent children, over the age of 12 years, of veterans who have served in any of the Armed Forces of the United States and who were discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable and who either served at least 90 days in active duty or were discharged or released from active duty by reason of a service-incurred injury or disability. Current law permits municipalities, by ordinance, to provide free or reduced fee beach access to the spouse or dependent children, over the age of 12 years, of persons who are in active military service in any of the Armed Forces of the United States or who are active members of the New Jersey National Guard and who have completed Initial Active Duty Training. This bill would authorize municipalities to provide the same benefit to the spouse and dependent children of qualifying veterans. | In Committee |
| S292 | Eliminates past conviction of indictable offense as disqualifier for jury service. | This bill permits persons with past convictions of indictable offenses to serve on juries. Under current law, past convictions, whether based on violations of New Jersey law, another state's law, or federal law, are automatic disqualifiers for jury service. This bill eliminates this disqualifier, making persons with past convictions eligible for jury service. Eliminates past conviction of indictable offense as disqualifier for jury service. | In Committee |
| S1685 | Permits use of tents and other fixtures for outdoor dining on certain property. | This bill would permit the use of tents and other fixtures for outdoor dining on certain property. The bill would allow the owners and operators of restaurants, bars, distilleries, or breweries to use outdoor spaces which they own or lease and which are located on, or adjacent to, their business premises, as an extension of their business premises for the purpose of conducting sales of food and beverages, including alcoholic beverages if so licensed. The bill defines outdoor spaces as including patios and decks, both covered and uncovered, yards, walkways, and parking lots, or a portion thereof. The bill would also allow the owners and operators of those establishments to use public sidewalks, as defined in the bill, as an extension of their business premises for that purpose, as well. The bill requires owners and operators of those establishments seeking to utilize outdoor spaces or public sidewalks as extensions of their business premises pursuant to the provisions of the bill to file an application with the municipal zoning officer, including information concerning the use of the outdoor spaces or public sidewalks, as appropriate, pursuant to the requirements set forth in the bill. The bill allows the use of tents, canopies, umbrellas, tables, chairs, and other fixtures on these premises as long as the tent, canopy, umbrella, table, chairs, or other fixture conforms to all applicable fire safety and construction code provisions. The bill specifies that these tents, canopies, umbrellas, tables, chairs, and other fixtures would be deemed a permitted use for the time period encompassing the first day of April through the first day of December of each year. The bill, further clarifies that any administrative rule or regulation which governs the use of tents, canopies, umbrellas, tables, chairs, and other fixtures during the winter, specifically the time period encompassing the second day of December through the last day of March, would not be impacted by the provisions of the bill. The bill is to take effect immediately or upon the expiration of sections 1 through 8 of P.L.2021, c.15, whichever is later. P.L.2021, c.15 was enacted on February 5, 2021, in part, to temporarily expand opportunities for restaurants, bars, distilleries, and breweries to provide outdoor dining in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, and is to expire by its own terms. This bill would make several provisions of that law permanent | In Committee |
| S894 | Requires school buses that transport students with special needs to be equipped with certain safety features. | This bill requires school buses that transport students with special needs to be equipped with: a video camera on the interior of the school bus to monitor student safety; a global positioning system that provides information about the location and speed of each school bus in real time; and two-way communications equipment. The bill requires a school bus driver to comply with the provisions of law that prohibit a school bus driver from using a cellular or other wireless telephone while operating a school bus. The bill provides that video footage and global positioning system data collected from a school bus video camera and global positioning system are not to be considered government records. Under the bill, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, is to promulgate rules concerning the installation and use of the video cameras, global positioning systems, and two-way communications equipment; the use of data collected from the global positioning systems; and the retention of video footage, including, but not limited to, the minimum and maximum amount of time that the footage may be retained. The bill is inspired by Emma, a non-verbal, special needs student who experienced a stressful and upsetting event when her bus driver became lost for several hours while transporting her, and fellow students, to school. The experience was traumatic for Emma, who was unaware of where the school bus was going and was unable to communicate with the school bus driver. The bill seeks to prevent similar traumatic events from occurring in the future. | In Committee |
| S2011 | Increases amount annually credited to Shore Protection Fund to $50 million. | This bill increases from $25 million to $50 million the amount that is annually credited to the Shore Protection Fund from the collection of realty transfer fees. The realty transfer fee is imposed on the recording of deeds transferring real property and is calculated on the basis of the amount paid in the deed. The basic rate is $1.75 for each $500 of consideration, of which $0.50 is retained by the county and $1.25 is the State share. Currently, the first $25 million of the State share collected annually is credited to the Shore Protection Fund. | In Committee |
| S1247 | Requires DOT to develop common design for signs that indicate historic district or site. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Transportation, in consultation with the Division of Parks and Forestry in the Department of Environmental Protection, the Historic Sites Council in the Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Historic Trust in the Department of Community Affairs, and the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State, to develop a common design for roadway signs that indicate a historic site or historic district, which is to include, but not be limited to, an identifiable historic symbol to indicate a historic time period, event, or war that relates to the historic site or historic district. The signs are to be designed, fabricated, located, and installed in accordance with the standards and guidance of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways issued by the Federal Highway Administration. The bill further provides that whenever a State entity replaces an existing roadway sign that indicates a historic district or historic site, the new sign must conform to the common design, fabrication, and location elements required by the bill. | In Committee |
| S953 | Allows gross income tax deduction for up to $1,200 of unreimbursed expenses incurred by eligible educators for purchase of classroom supplies. | This bill allows a gross income tax deduction for up to $1,200 of unreimbursed expenses incurred by eligible educators for the purchase of classroom supplies. Under the bill, an "eligible educator" is a teacher who is employed in a public or nonpublic school in the State. The bill defines "classroom supplies" as books, pencils and other drawing supplies, computers and related equipment, laboratory equipment, and any other equipment and supplementary materials needed for day-to-day classroom activities. | In Committee |
| S996 | Provides super conciliation for certain emergency responder service employees, and requires continuation of contract provisions during negotiations. | This bill provides, in certain cases, super conciliation for emergency responder service employees, which the bill defines emergency medical technicians, paramedics, public safety dispatchers, 9-1-1 operators, and other public safety telecommunicators. The bill also requires the continuation of existing provisions of collective negotiation agreements during negotiations. In any case in which collective negotiations between an employer and a majority representative of the employees have failed to result in the parties reaching agreement, and mediation and factfinding procedures of the Public Employment Relations Commission have been exhausted without an final agreement, the parties shall be required to utilize a super conciliator which shall promptly schedule proceedings to: 1. Investigate and acquire all relevant information regarding the failure to reach agreement; 2. Discuss with the parties their differences, and utilize means and mechanisms, including but not limited to requiring 24-hour per day negotiations, until a voluntary settlement is reached, and provide recommendations to resolve the parties' differences; and 3. Institute any other non-binding procedures deemed appropriate by the super conciliator. The super conciliator is required to complete the proceedings not later than 90 day after the super conciliator is selected. If the actions taken by the super conciliator fail to resolve the dispute, the super conciliator is required to issue a final report not more than 30 days after the completion of the investigatory proceedings, to be provided to the parties promptly and made available to the public within 10 days after it issued. | In Committee |
| S316 | Revises law concerning partnerships, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies. | This bill makes various revisions to the laws governing partnerships, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies. The revisions permit partnerships and limited partnerships to convert to and from other business entities and clarify indemnification standards, address notice issues, and make certain other changes to the "Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act." The bill provides that, pursuant to a plan of conversion, a partnership or limited partnership may convert into another business entity formed or organized under the laws of this State or any other state of the United States or any foreign country or other foreign jurisdiction, as provided in the plan of conversion. The bill also provides that, pursuant to a plan of conversion, another business entity formed or organized under the laws of this State or any other state of the United States or any foreign country or other foreign jurisdiction may convert into a domestic partnership or limited partnership, as provided in the plan of conversion. Under the bill, "other business entity" means a business corporation, partnership, limited partnership, or a limited liability company. The bill provides that, in order for a limited liability company to use a name that is similar to that of another entity, a limited liability company must submit to the filing office a signed record of consent from the entity currently using the name in a form satisfactory to the filing office. The bill eliminates the requirement that a limited liability company must have a member before it may be formed. Instead, a limited liability company is formed when the filing office has filed the certificate of formation, unless the certificate states a delayed effective date. Under the bill, a limited liability company shall indemnify a company agent against any debt, obligation, expense or other liability incurred by that company agent in the course of the company agent's activities on behalf of the limited liability company or another enterprise at the request of the limited liability company, if, in making the payment or incurring the debt, obligation, expense or other liability, the company agent: (1) is a member of a member-managed limited liability company or a manager of a manager-managed limited liability company and complied with certain duties or (2) is other than a member of a member-managed limited liability company or a manager of a manager-managed limited liability company and acted in good faith and in a manner the company agent reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the limited liability company. The bill provides that a member of a member-managed limited liability company and a manager of a manager-managed limited liability company shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon certain information and records of the limited liability company. This protection extends to claims that the applicable member or manager breached duty of care required of that member or manager. The bill shortens the time following the newspaper publication of notice of the dissolution of a limited liability company in which a claim against the limited liability company must be brought before the claim is barred, currently five years. Under the bill, the claim must be received not less than six months following newspaper publication of notice. | In Committee |
| S694 | Establishes one-year pilot program for certain persons with disabilities; appropriates up to $85,000. | This bill establishes a one-year pilot program for certain persons with disabilities in the Department of Human Services. Under the bill, the purpose of the pilot program is to: (1) create a vocational program for individuals with disabilities; (2) provide individuals with disabilities opportunities to learn recreational, social, and vocational skills; (3) provide individuals with disabilities the ability to engage in recreational, social, and vocational activities in order to develop relationships within the community; and (4) provide individuals with disabilities the opportunity to explore their interests and build confidence in their abilities. The bill provides that the pilot program is to: (1) select one or more direct support professionals, as this term is defined in the bill, who possess training tailored to the specific needs of program participants, to assist these individuals with social, vocational, and recreational activities and skills; (2) select at least three individuals who meet certain qualification criteria to participate in the program; (3) provide program participants a minimum of six hours of weekly recreational, social, and vocational development activities as provided for in the bill; (4) collect data on a regular basis regarding the development of the program participants; and (5) provide quarterly progress reports, as well as a final, year-end report to participants' parents or guardians, as appropriate. Under the bill, no later than three months following the completion of the pilot program, the Commissioner of Human Services is to prepare and submit a report to the Governor and Legislature containing information necessary to assess the success and budgetary needs of the pilot program. Any information included in the report concerning program participants will be de-identified. In order to effectuate the purposes of the pilot program, the bill appropriates up to, but not more than, $85,000, to be determined by the Commissioner of Human Services and subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury. | In Committee |
| S919 | Establishes "New Jersey Transit ADA Task Force." | This bill establishes a nine member "New Jersey Transit ADA Task Force" (task force) to study all terminals, stations, stops, and equipment owned or operated by the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) and all terminals, stations, stops, and equipment owned or operated by an entity under contract with NJ Transit for compliance with the federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the bill, the task force is required to utilize the assistance of professional staff as needed to study and compile a list of all upgrades that need to be completed in order to ensure that the terminals, stations, stops, and equipment owned or operated by NJ Transit or an entity under contract with NJ Transit are in full compliance with the ADA. The task force is also required to study and determine the cost to complete each upgrade and study and determine whether ramps may be installed at certain terminals, stations, and stops. The task force is to prepare and submit a report of its findings and recommendations no later than two years after the bill's effective date. The task force expires upon submission of the report. | In Committee |
| S59 | Provides corporation business tax credit and gross income tax credits for purchase and installation of certain electric vehicle charging stations. | This bill provides corporation business tax credit and gross income tax credits for the purchase and installation of certain electric vehicle charging stations. The credits are available for the taxpayer tax periods beginning in calendar years 2023, 2024, and 2025. The bill provides credits under the corporation business tax and the gross income tax for electric vehicle charging stations used directly and exclusively by the taxpayer in the taxpayer's business, trade, or occupation. For charging stations purchased and installed in 2023 tax periods a taxpayer will be allowed a credit in an amount of 25 percent of the cost, up to $500 per electric vehicle charging station; for a charging station purchased and installed in 2024 tax periods the credit is 15 percent of the cost, up to $300 per charging station; and for a charging station purchased and installed in 2025 tax periods the credit is eight percent of the cost, up to $150 per station. The bill also provides a gross income tax credit for a charging station purchase that is not required to be for business use. The credit for 2023 is 25 percent of cost, up to $500, for 2024 15 percent of cost, up to $300, and for 2025 eight percent of cost, up to $150, for the purchase and installation of a charging station. Married taxpayers filing separately are allowed up to half of those amounts. To qualify for the bill's tax credits, the bill requires the taxpayer to file an application for a certification with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection that the charging station purchased and installed by the taxpayer is a qualified electric vehicle charging station. | In Committee |
| S340 | Requires MVC to establish system for salvage processors to electronically process salvage certificates of title. | This bill requires the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to allow salvage processors to electronically submit applications for the issuance of salvage certificates of title and certificates of ownership, documentation supporting those applications, and any required fees. The bill also requires the chief administrator to allow salvage processors to print salvage certificates of title and certificates of ownership at the facility of the salvage processor. | In Committee |
| S238 | Establishes uptime requirement for electric vehicle charging station incentive programs. | This bill would direct the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, and any other State agency that offers an incentive for the installation of electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE), pursuant to P.L.2019, c.362 (C.48:25-1 et seq.) or any other State law, to require compliance with a minimum EVSE uptime requirement as a condition of granting such incentive. EVSE is the equipment, including the cables, cords, conductors, connectors, couplers, enclosures, attachment plugs, power outlets, switches and controls, network interfaces, and point of sale equipment and associated apparatus, that is designed and used for the purpose of transferring energy from the electric supply system to a plug-in electric vehicle. Specifically, the bill would require the BPU or any other State agency, as a condition of issuing a State-level EVSE incentive payment, to require the EVSE for which the incentive is granted, together with all other incentivized EVSE installed at the same site, to remain operational at least 97 percent of the time, not including any period of exempted downtime, and except as otherwise provided by the bill, as measured on an annual and site-wide basis. "Site-wide basis" is defined to mean the average site-wide uptime status of all incentivized EVSE that has been installed, at the same site of operations, on or after the bill's effective date. The bill would not require the site-wide uptime calculation to consider the uptime status of EVSE that has been installed, at the site, prior to the bill's effective date, even if such EVSE was installed pursuant to a State-level incentive. "Exempted downtime" is further defined to mean any EVSE downtime that results from factors outside the EVSE operator's control, including, but not limited to, any period of EVSE downtime resulting from an electricity utility or Internet service interruption or from a service outage or interruption caused by a vehicle. The bill would require State agencies to regularly review the site-wide uptime requirement being established by the bill, on at least a biennial basis, in order to ensure that it is consistent with the minimum uptime requirement that is applicable to recipients of federal funds under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, established pursuant to the federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act," Pub.L.117-58. Whenever a State agency determines that the minimum uptime requirement established for recipients of State funding is inconsistent with the minimum uptime requirement being applied to recipients of federal funding, under the NEVI Formula Program, the agency would be required to take appropriate action to revise the State-level uptime requirement, established pursuant to the bill, as necessary to ensure that it comports with the comparable federal NEVI Formula Program requirement. Each State agency, which is subject to the bill, would be directed to develop and implement a process to monitor compliance with, and to enforce, the site-wide uptime requirement established and modified under the bill. The bill would further require each State agency, when reviewing or modifying the site-wide uptime requirement, or when developing and implementing the compliance monitoring and enforcement system required by the bill, to engage in a comprehensive and public stakeholder engagement process and to review and consider the most recent standards, guidelines, and requirements related to EVSE uptime, downtime, and exempted downtime, which are applicable to federal funding recipients under the NEVI Formula Program. | Dead |
| S459 | Permits any member of PERS to receive accidental disability retirement allowance for disability resulting from participation in 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup options. | A law recently enacted, P.L.2019, 157, provided that a member or retiree of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS), the State Police Retirement System (SPRS), and the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) is eligible to receive an accidental disability retirement allowance for a permanent and total disability resulting from participation in 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations. The law provides that permanent and total disability resulting from a qualifying condition or impairment of health will be presumed to have occurred during and as a result of the performance of a member's regular or assigned duties if the member participated in World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations for a minimum of eight hours. The law permits a member who did not participate in those operations for a minimum of eight hours to be eligible for the presumption under certain circumstances. The law also provides for a reclassification of a retiree's retirement from a service retirement or an ordinary disability retirement to an accidental disability retirement under certain circumstances. The law applies regardless of whether the PERS member or retiree was enrolled in the PERS at the time of the participation in the rescue, recovery and cleanup operations. Currently, the PERS portion of the bill applies only to: any member or retiree who is or was enrolled in the PERS because the member or retiree did not meet the age or medical requirements for enrollment in the Police and Firemen's Retirement System on the basis of the position held; and to any emergency medical technician who is a member or retiree of the Public Employees' Retirement System. The bill amends the relevant provisions of the PERS to provide this benefit to any member of the PERS. | 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 |
| S565 | Creates new motor vehicle offense of engaging in a pattern of aggressive driving. | This bill creates a new motor vehicle offense to be known as "engaging in a pattern of aggressive driving" or "aggressive driving." It is a unique and distinct offense that targets certain violations as part of a single continuous sequence of driving acts. It would recognize the seriousness of aggressive driving by reinforcing the notion that it is a behavioral problem requiring education and more stringent law enforcement and raise its priority among law enforcement, prosecutors and judges. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, by self-reports in polls, one-half of the drivers in New Jersey are angry behind the wheel and/or trying to punish others. Therefore, it is not surprising that across the nation, more than 60 percent of drivers recently surveyed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that aggressive driving is a threat to them or their families. The new offense of committing a pattern of aggressive driving refers to either:· Two or more forms of aggressive driving engaged in simultaneously or in succession; or· Three or more successive acts of any one form of aggressive driving. To qualify as such an offense, the acts must be committed in close proximity to another vehicle during a single, continuous period of driving over the course of up to five miles. The bill includes, as acts of aggressive driving:· Driving 25 miles per hour or more over the speed limit· Tailgating· Improper or erratic lane changes· Unsafe passing off the roadway· Failing to yield the right of way· Violating traffic control devices such as lights and signs Audible verbal threats or insults, flashing of headlights and use of demeaning gestures at persons driving lawfully when designed to show anger, or to intimidate or threaten. The penalties in the bill are based conceptually on recommendations from a 1999 national symposium organized by the National Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Highway Administration. The symposium's "break-out group" recommended that states consider, among other things, that:· a conviction for an aggressive driving violation involve a significant number of points and/or minimum license suspension; and· enhanced penalties should accompany repeat violations or those that cause injury or death.Penalties in the bill range from a 15 to 30 day suspension and/or attendance in an aggressive driving and/or anger management class for a first offense to 60 to 90 day suspension and/or $1000 to $3000 fine for a second or subsequent offense within 24 months or one that causes significant injury or death to another person. There would be no plea bargaining. The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Highway Traffic Safety, is required to conduct public education campaigns about the danger of aggressive driving and the content of the new law and promote the reporting of aggressive drivers on the State's toll-free telephone line. It would periodically report citations for aggressive driving to the legislative leadership and make recommendations for legislative amendments to the relevant standing committees. The bill also amends R.S.39:4-85 by modifying an antiquated half-century old requirement that prohibits all passing on the right when off the pavement or "main-traveled portion" of a highway. Passing a vehicle safely on the right on a two-lane road when another vehicle directly in front is making a left would not be considered a form of aggressive driving under the bill. | In Committee |
| S219 | Establishes limits on zoning restrictions for certain electric battery storage equipment installation. | This bill would amend and supplement the "Municipal Land Use Law," ("MLUL") P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-1 et seq.) to establish limits on how local zoning codes may restrict the installation of small electric battery storage equipment. The bill defines "small electric battery storage equipment" as the equipment, of up to 25 kilowatts in capacity, including the cables, cords, conductors, connectors, couplers, enclosures, attachment plugs, power outlets, power electronics, transformer, switchgear, switches and controls, network interfaces, and point of sale equipment and associated apparatus designed and used for the purpose of transferring energy from the grid or wind, solar or photovoltaic energy facility or structure to the residential, commercial, or industrial end use. At a residential property, the bill would require small electric battery storage equipment to be considered a permitted accessory use and permitted accessory structure in all zoning or use districts of a municipality. Under the bill, the small electric battery storage equipment installation component of an application for development at a residential property would not require a use variance, also known as a "d." variance. Additionally, the bill adjusts the "inherently beneficial use" definition in the MLUL to include small electric battery storage equipment, thereby enhancing the ease of obtaining a variance when needed for certain development. The bill defines "residential property" as any building being used, or to be used or held for use, entirely or partially as a home or residence, together with the land upon which it is situated, including, but not limited to, a single family dwelling, or a multiple dwelling as defined under subsection (k) of section 3 of the "Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law," P.L.1967, c.76 (C.55:13A-3). Under the bill, an application for development submitted solely for the installation of small electric battery storage equipment at a commercial or industrial property would not be subject to site plan or other land use board review, and would not require variance relief. These development applications would be approved through the issuance of a zoning permit, provided: (1) the proposed installation would not violate bulk requirements of the property, or conditions of the original final approval of the site plan or subsequent approvals for the property; (2) all other conditions of prior approvals for the property continue to be met; and (3) the proposed installation complies with the "State Uniform Construction Code Act," P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-119 et seq.), any safety standards concerning the installation, and any State rule or regulation concerning small electric battery storage equipment. The bill also expressly establishes standards for when an application for development solely for the installation of small electric battery storage equipment at a commercial or industrial property would be deemed complete. Specifically, the application would be deemed complete if: (1) the application, including the permit fee and all necessary documentation, is determined to be complete; (2) a notice of incompleteness is not provided within 20 days after the filing of the application; or (3) a one-time written correction notice is not issued by the jurisdiction within 20 days after filing of the application detailing all deficiencies and identifying any additional information necessary. The bill also directs a power company when connecting certain small electric battery storage equipment, to collaborate with developers and owners, with consultation from the Board of Public Utilities, in implementing the requirements of the bill. The bill directs the Commissioner of Community Affairs, within 30 days of the bill's enactment, to publish a model land use ordinance to address installation, sightline, and setback requirements and other health- and safety-related specifications for small electric battery storage equipment. The model land use ordinance would not require the rulemaking process pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act." The bill authorizes the commissioner to periodically update the model land use ordinance through the "Administrative Procedure Act" process. The model land use ordinance would be effective in all municipalities., however, the bill authorizes By ordinance, a municipality would be authorized to adopt an ordinance deviating from the model land use ordinance through adoption of if it sets forth reasonable standards to address installation, sightline, and setback requirements or other health- and safety-related specifications for small electric battery storage equipment. However, the bill would not authorize a municipality to require site plan review by a municipal agency solely for the installation of small electric battery storage equipment. The bill would take effect on the first day of the fifth month next following enactment, except that the Commissioner of Community Affairs is directed may to take any necessary anticipatory actions necessary prior to that date for implementation. | In Committee |
| S634 | Enters New Jersey into Counseling Compact. | This bill enters New Jersey into the Counseling Compact. The Counseling Compact (compact) is an interstate compact, or a contract among states, allowing professional counselors licensed and residing in a compact member state to practice in other compact member states without need for multiple licenses. The purpose of this compact is to facilitate interstate practice of licensed professional counselors with the goal of improving public access to professional counseling services. The practice of professional counseling occurs in the state where the client is located at the time of the counseling services. The compact preserves the regulatory authority of states to protect public health and safety through the current system of state licensure. In addition, the compact is designed to achieve the following objectives: 1) increase public access to professional counseling services by providing for the mutual recognition of other member state licenses; 2) enhance the states' ability to protect the public's health and safety; 3) encourage the cooperation of member states in regulating multistate practice for licensed professional counselors; 4) support spouses of relocating active duty military personnel; 5) enhance the exchange of licensure, investigative, and disciplinary information among member states; 6) allow for the use of telehealth technology to facilitate increased access to professional counseling services; 7) support the uniformity of professional counseling licensure requirements throughout the states to promote public safety and public health benefits; 8) invest all member states with the authority to hold a licensed professional counselor accountable for meeting all state practice laws in the state in which the client is located at the time care is rendered through the mutual recognition of member state licenses; 9) eliminate the necessity for licenses in multiple states; and 10) provide opportunities for interstate practice by licensed professional counselors who meet uniform licensure requirements. The compact is administered by a commission comprising representatives of each of the member states. The commission has certain powers to promulgate rules and bylaws, create a budget, conduct investigations, assess member fees, and to generally enforce the provisions of the compact. The compact sets forth procedures for investigating and disciplining professional counselors for misconduct, as well as for communicating to member states information concerning a professional counselor who is under investigation, has lost the right to practice under the compact, or who has regained the right to practice under the compact. The compact provides that it takes effect when it has been adopted in 10 states. Currently, 16 states have joined the compact: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. | Dead |
| S350 | Establishes Anti-Bullying Youth Council to assist Anti-Bullying Task Force. | This bill establishes an Anti-Bullying Youth Council for the purpose of providing a forum for the youth of this State to advise the Anti-Bullying Task Force on the unique perspectives, experiences, and needs of youth related to bullying in the public and nonpublic schools. The council is to research, analyze, discuss, and make specific recommendations to the task force on ways to prevent and respond to bulling in the schools. The bill provides that the council will consist of 25 members, including: (1) four members of the New Jersey Legislature, who will serve as nonvoting members, and who will include one member appointed by the President of the Senate, one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, one member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly; and (2) 21 public members, of whom one is to be appointed by each executive county superintendent of schools. The public members are to be students enrolled in public and nonpublic middle and high schools in the State. The bill provides that legislative members will serve on the council in an advisory capacity and will be appointed solely for the purpose of assisting the public members of the council in coordinating its meeting and activities, and in fulfilling the council's purpose. All appointments to the council are to be made within 30 days of the bill's effective date. Under the bill, the council is required to organize as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following the appointment of its members. The bill directs the council to submit, in writing, a series of policy recommendations to the Anti-Bullying Task Force. The council may present the recommendations to the task force at a public hearing of the task force. The series of policy recommendations are to made available online to the public. Finally, the bill requires the council to prepare and submit an annual report containing its findings, activities, and recommendations, including any recommendations for administrative and legislative action that it deems appropriate, to the Governor and the Legislature. The council will expire upon the expiration of the Anti-Bullying Task Force. | In Committee |
| S1073 | Establishes programs to address needs of toddlers and certain children who are deaf or hard of hearing. | This bill establishes requirements to provide certain services to children who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as their parents or guardians, to help the child achieve certain benchmarks in the development of the child's sign or spoken language. Specifically, the bill provides for children and their parents or guardians participating in the program to participate in certain including, but not be limited to: (1) holding two meetings per year between the child, the child's parent or guardian, and a language team until the child's sign or spoken language development meets the objective criteria and developmental benchmarks set forth by the early intervention program; and (2) pairing the child's parent or guardian with a mentor. The mentor will be required to: provide guidance to, and share personal insights with, the parent or guardian about living day to day as a person who is deaf or hard of hearing; be a member of the child's language team and play an active role in the child's language development; and be trained as a SKI-HI deaf mentor in accordance with the SKI-HI Deaf Mentor Manual training program. In the case of a toddler who is under the age of three, these activities will be provided by through the Department of Health's (DOH) early intervention program. In the case of a child between the ages of three and five, the activities will be provided through the Department of Education (DOE). The DOE program will be limited to children who previously received services through the early intervention program. A child receiving services under the DOE may continue in the program until the child enters kindergarten or elementary school. A toddler aging out of the DOH program may be eligible for the DOE program. A child who is deaf or hard of hearing and is eligible to receive the services outlined in the bill is to be automatically enrolled to receive the services provided by a language team unless the child's parent or guardian declines the services. As defined in the bill: "language team" means a team consisting of a pediatric audiologist, a teacher of the deaf or hard of hearing, a deaf mentor, and a speech and language pathologist; "pediatric audiologist" means a licensed professional trained to test, diagnose, evaluate, and manage the presence, extent, and reason for hearing loss and other hearing-related issues in infants and children, and to provide recommendations for interventions or rehabilitation, including, but not limited to, prescribing hearing aids or other assistive devices; and "speech and language pathologist" means a licensed professional trained to identify, assess, and rehabilitate persons with speech, voice, or language disorders. | In Committee |
| S474 | Permits short-term tax exemption for certain improvements to dwellings damaged by natural disasters. | This bill would permit a municipality to adopt an ordinance declaring an area to be in need of rehabilitation if dwellings within the area were damaged by a natural disaster for which a state of emergency has been declared by the President of the United States or the Governor. Under current law, municipalities may provide property taxpayers a short-term property tax exemption or abatement on dwellings in areas in need of rehabilitation for a period of five years. An ordinance adopted under the bill would have to require that, in determining the value of an exemption, the assessor consider the additional value to those dwellings that is directly attributable to the additional space under those dwellings created by the elevation of those dwellings as not increasing the taxable value of those properties for a period of five years, notwithstanding that the market value of the real property to which the improvements are made is increased thereby. The ordinance may provide for a reduction of the exemption for each year of the exemption period. The bill also clarifies that during the exemption period, increases in value to dwellings that are not directly attributable to the additional space under dwellings created by the elevation of those dwellings, and which increase the value of those dwellings, must be reflected in the assessed value of those dwellings. The bill also requires that certain property tax notices include the value of an exemption granted under an ordinance adopted pursuant to the bill. | In Committee |
| S319 | Establishes Office of Alcohol and Drug Use Disorders Policy to oversee, direct, and coordinate resources, funding, and data tracking concerning treatment of substance use disorders. | This bill establishes the Office of Alcohol and Drug Use Disorders Policy (Office). The Office will be responsible for reviewing and coordinating all State departments' efforts with regard to the planning and provision of treatment, prevention, research, evaluation, and education services for, and public awareness of, alcohol use disorders and drug use disorders. The Office will serve strategic planning, advisory, coordination, communication, and development functions in order to coordinate Statewide efforts and drive improvements in the prevention of, and provision of treatment for, alcohol use disorders and drug use disorders. The Office will be allocated within the Department of the Treasury but will be independent of the department and will report directly to the Governor. The duties of the Office will include developing a Comprehensive Statewide Alcohol Use Disorders and Drug Use Disorders Master Plan, to be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature by July 1 of each year, for the treatment, prevention, research, evaluation, education, and public awareness of alcohol use disorders and drug use disorders. The plan is to: incorporate and unify all State, county, local, and private alcohol use disorders and drug use disorders initiatives; include an emphasis on prevention, community awareness, and family and youth services; and include recommendations for funding allocations. The Office will be required to review County Annual Alliance Plans and propose recommendations for awarding Alliance grants, and will additionally be responsible for distributing certain grants to counties and municipalities for alcohol use disorders and drug use disorders programs and evaluating the existing funding mechanisms for treatment services for alcohol use disorders and drug use disorders. The Office will be required to encourage the development or expansion of employee assistance programs for both government and private sector employees. The Office will be authorized to call upon any department, office, division, agency, or independent authority of State government to provide such information, resources, or other assistance as may be necessary to discharge the duties and functions of the Office and fulfill its responsibilities. The Office may collect from any State, county, local governmental entity, or any other appropriate source data, reports, statistics, or other materials which are necessary to carry out the functions of the Office. The executive director of the Office will be required to convene a meeting, on at least an annual basis and at such additional intervals as the executive director of the office deems necessary, to be attended by the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Health, the Commissioner of Human Services, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Corrections, the Commissioner of Children and Families, the Commissioner of Community Affairs, the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, the Assistant Commissioner for the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Assistant Commissioner for the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services, the Assistant Commissioner for the Children's System of Care, and other appropriate agencies, officers, and entities, in order to plan, develop, and coordinate State and local efforts to improve the prevention of, and the provision of treatment for, alcohol and drug use disorders. The Office will be administered by an executive director, who will be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The executive director is to be a person qualified by education, training, and experience to perform the duties of the office. The executive director will serve at the pleasure of the Governor during the Governor's term of office and until the appointment and qualification of the executive director's successor. The executive director will have the power to employ staff within the limits of funds appropriated or made available for that purpose, and will have broad authority to coordinate communication between, and request and receive information from, any department, division, or agency of the State. The executive director will be required to devote full time to the duties and responsibilities of the office, and will receive a salary as provided by law. The Office will be required to develop and maintain a centralized Alcohol and Drug Use Disorders Treatment Resource Database that can be used to track Statewide treatment data, direct resources, develop recommendations regarding the allocation of funding and resources, facilitate referrals to available treatment resources, and evaluate provider performance. Specifically, treatment providers will be required to report certain data concerning patient wait times, the levels and duration of treatment provided to patients, the number of patients referred to other treatment providers and the reasons for those referrals, treatment completion rates, relapse and long-term recovery rates, and any other data or metrics the Office deems necessary and appropriate. The Office will use this data to evaluate provider performance as well as to develop best practices guidelines and performance benchmarks. Additionally, treatment providers will be required update the database to indicate the availability of treatment spots at the provider, including the level of treatment available in each spot, the number of patients awaiting treatment, and the provider's anticipated treatment availability in the next 24 hours. Providers will be required to update this information at least once every 12 hours, and at more frequent intervals if the Office determines that more frequent or real-time reporting is feasible and appropriate. Treatment providers and agencies, offices, and other entities that serve as a contact point for patients seeking treatment will have access to the treatment availability information in the database for the purpose of referring patients to treatment. The Office will be required to collaborate with the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Health to include in the centralized database data concerning the number, location, and types of interventions performed throughout the State to treat drug overdoses, and in particular overdoses involving opioid drugs, in order to identify patterns in overdose incidents, coordinate outreach efforts in the affected communities, and determine and direct the Statewide allocation of funding and resources for the treatment of drug use disorders. The Office will be authorized to establish programs providing financial and other incentives to treatment providers who achieve certain performance benchmarks established by the Office to drive improvements in the treatment of alcohol and drug use disorders. Benchmark goals may address patient wait times, patient retention, patient progression through a course of treatment, and the number and rate of patients who complete treatment. The Office will be required to periodically review and revise any incentive programs it establishes in order to maintain the integrity of the program, ensure the program is realizing improvements in patient care, modify benchmarks as needed, and revise or eliminate any aspects of a program that may result in adverse unintended consequences. The Office is to utilize the database and consult with treatment providers and appropriate State, county, and local agencies to identify barriers that reduce the ability of patients to access appropriate treatment services. The Office is to develop appropriate responses to address or remove barriers to access, which may include: developing programs to provide transportation assistance, child care assistance, or home visits; working with health benefits carriers to secure coverage for all appropriate treatment modalities and services related to treatment; and working with treatment providers to promote flexible scheduling and expanded hours, and encourage and support providers to become authorized to prescribe and administer medication-assisted treatment. For the purposes of establishing and maintaining a centralized database, the Office will be permitted to utilize, modify, or adapt any existing systems that provide functions related to, or that would supplement, the functions and purpose of the centralized database. The Office will also be authorized to contract with an independent third party to establish and maintain the database. The bill provides that, to the extent that the centralized database includes any personal identifying information or any confidential health information concerning any patient, such information may not be disclosed to any entity except as may be required pursuant to State or federal law. The Office is to seek to avoid requiring any personal identifying information or confidential health information to be reported to, or included in, the database. The Office will be required to make available to the public, through its Internet website, certain data concerning the provision of treatment for alcohol and drug use disorders, including: patient wait times; treatment program completion rates; reasons for non-completion of treatment; the level and nature of treatment modalities provided and the average duration of each phase of treatment; long-term recovery rates; remission and overdose rates; patient referrals made by treatment providers to other providers; and any other information the office deems appropriate. The Office will be required to develop standards, policies, and procedures to support the various departments, divisions, agencies, offices, and other entities that enter into contracts with treatment providers to ensure compliance with the terms of the contract and any applicable State or federal laws, regulations, and requirements, including: ensuring that any requirements for payment under the contract are met; ensuring providers are complying with all applicable criminal history record background check and drug testing requirements for provider staff; and ensuring prompt reconciliation of any claims for payment, including promptly closing out contracts, processing claims, and collecting receivables and other amounts owed. For this purpose, the Office will be authorized to designate a compliance officer, who may retain appropriate staff to provide support services to the various departments, divisions, agencies, offices, and other entities. The bill revises various provisions of the current statutory law to update references to include the Office and to transfer certain functions of the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse to the Office. | In Committee |
| S2229 | Increases benefit amounts and expands eligibility under New Jersey earned income tax credit program. | This bill increases the benefit amounts under the New Jersey earned income tax credit (NJEITC) program and expands eligibility for taxpayers with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN) and those taxpayers who have been victims of domestic abuse Currently, the program provides a tax credit equal to 40 percent of the federal earned income tax credit. The bill increases this amount from 40 percent to 45 percent over a five-year period. This bill allows taxpayers with ITINs to qualify for the NJEITC program. Under the federal earned income tax credit program, a taxpayer, including a spouse if filing a joint return, is required to have a Social Security number issued by the federal Social Security Administration in order to qualify. Eligibility for the NJEITC program is generally linked to the federal earned income tax credit program; thus, an individual taxpayer who has an ITIN does not qualify for either the federal or State programs. The bill modifies the eligibility criteria under the NJEITC program to allow taxpayers with ITINs to qualify for the tax credit. The bill also expands eligibility under the NJEITC program for taxpayers who are victims of domestic abuse. Under the federal program, if a taxpayer is married, the taxpayer is required to file a joint return with their spouse to be eligible for the federal earned income credit. However, victims of domestic abuse typically file as married filing separately, losing their federal earned income credit and NJEITC program eligibility in the process. The bill exempts a married taxpayer from the joint filing requirement if the taxpayer files as married filing separately and the taxpayer: (i) was living apart from the taxpayer's spouse on the last day of the taxable year for which the credit is claimed; (ii) was a victim of domestic abuse, as defined by the bill, within the past three years; and (iii) indicates on the taxpayer's gross income tax return that the taxpayer meets the criteria set forth in the bill. | In Committee |
| S1035 | Increases qualified research expenses tax credit for corporation business taxpayers engaged in targeted industries; increases basic research payment tax credit; allows research tax credit to be refundable. | This bill makes several changes to the research tax credit provided under the corporation business tax, including increasing the qualified research expenses credit for taxpayers engaged in targeted industries, increasing the basic research payments tax credit for all taxpayers, and allowing the total credit to be refundable. Under current law, a corporation business taxpayer may receive a research tax credit in an amount equal to (1) 10 percent of the excess of qualified research expenses for the privilege period over the base amount; and (2) 10 percent of the basic research payments for the privilege period. This bill increases the qualified research expenses tax credit from 10 percent to 15 percent for taxpayers who are primarily engaged in business in one or more targeted industries. For the purpose of calculating the qualified research expenses tax credit, the base amount is determined based on a fixed percentage of the taxpayer's average annual gross receipts. Qualified research expenses are also defined to include the sum of in-house research expenses and contract research expenses that are paid or incurred during the privilege period. Under the bill, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority would be responsible for periodically identifying a list of targeted industries. However, the bill requires the initial list of targeted industries to include advanced transportation and logistics, manufacturing, aviation, autonomous vehicle and zero-emission vehicle research or development, clean energy, life sciences, hemp processing, information and high technology, finance and insurance, professional services, film and digital media, non-retail food and beverage businesses including food innovation, and other innovative industries that disrupt current technologies or business models. Additionally, the bill increases the basic research payments tax credit from 10 percent to 15 percent for all taxpayers. State regulations define basic research payments to include cash payments provided by a corporation to qualified organizations (e.g., institutions of higher education, certain scientific research organizations, and certain scientific tax-exempt organization) for the performance of basic research. Under state regulations, the credit is calculated based on the provisions of section 41 of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. s.41), as in effect on June 30, 1992. The bill also allows the research tax credit to be refundable for privilege periods beginning on or after the date of enactment. Under current law, the research tax credit cannot be refunded, and taxpayers are permitted to carry forward the unused portion of the credit for seven privilege periods. Under the bill, a taxpayer may instead elect to receive the unused portion of the credit as a tax refund, or carry forward the unused credit. When a tax credit is refundable, the State is required to provide the taxpayer with a cash payment in the amount of the unused credit, which represents an overpayment of tax. | In Committee |
| S337 | Establishes pilot program for 24-hour urgent care for behavioral health. | This bill seeks to expand access to behavioral health care services by requiring the Department of Human Services (DHS) to establish a two-year Urgent Care Facility Behavioral Health Pilot Program. The goal of the program will be to provide behavioral health care at hospital urgent care facilities to stabilize individuals experiencing behavioral health crises in a way that reduces unnecessary emergency department and inpatient admissions. In doing so, it is the sponsor's goal to provide quality, timely behavioral health care in a setting that offers positive patient outcomes, addresses the stigma associated with behavioral health issues, reduces the burden on hospital emergency room departments, and minimizes costs. Under the bill, "behavioral health" or "behavioral health care" means procedures or services rendered by a health care or mental health care provider for the treatment of a mental illness, a mental health or emotional disorder, or a substance use disorder. Within 180 days after the effective date of the bill or, if the DHS submits State plan amendments or waivers to receive federal reimbursement under Medicaid for services provided under the bill, within 30 days of the receipt of any necessary federal approvals, the DHS is required to issue a request for proposals and select one or more Medicaid managed care organizations to participate in the pilot program. Under the bill, the two-year pilot program is to commence upon the selection of the managed care organizations. The managed care organizations selected are to demonstrate the ability to meet the requirements of the pilot program and are required to operate in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State. The selected managed care organizations are required to contract with six hospitals, with two in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State, to provide integrated behavioral health care within one of the hospital's urgent care facilities. In determining which hospitals to contract with, the selected managed care organizations are to prioritize hospitals that specialize in pediatric care if feasible. Under the bill, a participating urgent care facility is required to provide services 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Furthermore, to be eligible, a hospital is to demonstrate the ability to coordinate a patient's care with primary care providers, outpatient behavioral health and substance abuse providers, community health centers, and social service providers, and may not receive funding from the DHS to provide Early Intervention Support Services. Each participating urgent care facility is required to integrate behavioral health care with the facility's existing physical health services, which will, at a minimum, include: employing a behavioral health team of at least one licensed behavioral clinician and one licensed clinical social worker; partnering with one or more licensed psychiatrists to provided services, as needed, via telemedicine and telehealth; providing behavioral health awareness and intervention training to staff; and using warm hand-offs, rapid referrals, supportive contacts, and other efficient and supportive care transition methods. The pilot program is to be funded in part through the Medicaid program using a value-based payment system. The value-based payment system is to be modeled on, and be consistent with, the population-based payment methodology that is described under Category 4 of the alternative payment methodologies (APM) framework developed by the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network. Specifically, the value-based payment system is required to provide for a quarterly advanced bundled payment to be provided to the managed care organization for the purposes of financing the total cost of behavioral health care that is provided by participating urgent care facilities. The quarterly bundled payment rate is to be established by the Commissioner of Human Services and is required to be based on the commissioner's evaluation of the following factors: (1) an assessment of claims data indicating the cost to provide behavioral health care in hospital emergency departments and inpatient settings, absent the pilot program; (2) the number of patients who are expected to be served by the pilot program; (3) the average anticipated per-patient cost of care under the pilot program; (4) the anticipated costs to participating urgent care facilities of complying with the provisions of the bill; and (5) any other factors that may affect the cost of care. Once established, the quarterly bundled payment may not be increased, regardless of whether the actual costs of care received by patients under the pilot program exceed the bundled payment rate provided. If the managed care organization, in cooperation with participating urgent care facilities, is able to reduce the per-patient costs of care for patients receiving care and services under the pilot program, the managed care organization may retain, and will not be required to repay, any remaining unexpended bundled payment funds. The managed care organization will be required to share any savings achieved with participating urgent care facilities at a rate that is proportional to the rate of per-patient cost reduction savings achieved by each such facility. If the actual per-patient costs of care for patients receiving care and services under the pilot program exceed the advanced bundled payment rate established by the commissioner, the managed care organization is to ensure that all patients continue to receive appropriate services and care from participating urgent care facilities without being subject to an increase in out-of-pocket costs. Any financial loss incurred by the managed care organization as a result of an increase in the per-patient cost of care for patients in the pilot program is to be shared by the managed care organization with participating urgent care facilities at a rate that is proportional to the rate of per-patient cost increase attributed to each facility. The bill requires the DHS, within 90 days after the two-year pilot program is terminated, to prepare and submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature. The Commissioner of Human Services will be required to apply for any State plan amendments or waivers as may be necessary to implement the bill's provisions and secure federal financial participation for State Medicaid expenditures under the federal Medicaid program. | In Committee |
| S313 | Makes total property tax exemption for 100% disabled veterans retroactive to effective date of determination of total disability; requires State to reimburse municipalities for reimbursement of property taxes paid to veteran. | This bill provides that the total property tax exemption extended to totally disabled veterans is to be retroactive to the effective date of the determination of the veteran's total disability by the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs. The bill also requires that the governing body of each municipality return all taxes collected on the veteran's property after the effective date of the determination of total disability by the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs, and requires the State to reimburse municipalities for the amount of such property taxes returned to a totally disabled veteran pursuant to the requirements of the bill. | In Committee |
| S167 | Creates offenses related to election officials; permits election workers to shield personal information from public. | This bill establishes four disorderly persons offenses concerning offenses against election officials. First, the bill establishes a disorderly persons offense for any person to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce an election official or election worker in the discharge of their official duties. Second, this bill establishes a disorderly persons offense for any person who attempts to induce an election official to violate or refuse to comply with the election official's duty or any law regulating the same. Third, this bill establishes a disorderly persons offense for a person to knowingly and willfully prevent an election official or election worker from performing their official duties. Fourth, this bill establishes a disorderly persons offense for a person who knowingly makes available on the Internet personal information about an election official or an election official's immediate family if the dissemination of the personal information poses an imminent and serious threat to the safety of the election official or the election official's immediate family and the person making the information available on the Internet knows or reasonably should know of the imminent and serious threat. Finally, the bill requires the Divisions of Elections in the New Jersey Department of State to remove an election worker's personal information from records that are available on the Internet at the worker's written request. The request is to provide evidence that the person submitting the request is an election worker and evidence as to why the person believes the dissemination of personal information in the records poses an imminent and serious threat to the safety of the worker. | In Committee |
| S591 | Permits retired judges to practice law while receiving pension or retirement allowance. | This bill removes the statutory prohibition on retired judges from engaging in the practice of law before State courts while receiving a pension or retirement allowance from the Judicial Retirement System. | In Committee |
| S1491 | Reinstates automatic COLA for retirement benefits of members of the State-administered retirement systems. | This bill reinstates automatic cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirement benefits under the "Pension Adjustment Act," P.L.1958, c.143 (C.43:3B-1 et seq.), for members of the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund, the Judicial Retirement System, the Public Employees' Retirement System, the Police and Firemen's Retirement System, and the State Police Retirement System. Provisions contained in P.L.2011, c.78 (C.43:3C-16 et al), signed into law on June 28, 2011, cancelled the automatic, annual adjustment for current and future retirees and beneficiaries of these State-administered retirement systems. COLAs protect retirement benefits against erosion by inflation, the ills of which were addressed by the Legislature, both for the individual and the State, with the enactment of the "Pension Adjustment Act" in 1958. Without the annual adjustment, retirees and beneficiaries will gradually see significant reductions in their purchasing power. The loss of COLAs will impact their everyday lives, and, over time, make it harder to afford more necessary elements of living, such as out-of-pocket medical costs, groceries, and utility bills. Retirees and beneficiaries will find it more prudent, or perhaps necessary, to leave this State for other states with a comparably lower cost of living. For the State, such outbound migration will result in the loss of the economic activity of those retirees and beneficiaries, and any tax revenues concomitant with such activity. In addition, New Jersey's fiscal outlook may be further strained by the retirees and beneficiaries who remain. These persons will continue to slip further downward on the socioeconomic scale. In some cases, they will require, or at the least become eligible and utilize, greater levels of public assistance under the many taxpayer funded social programs administered by the State, counties, and municipalities, requiring more revenues to meet this increased demand. In the interests of the retirees and beneficiaries of the State-administered retirement systems, and the State, this bill reinstates the automatic COLAs for retirement benefits under the "Pension Adjustment Act." | In Committee |
| SJR15 | Recognizes 75th anniversary of establishment of State of Israel. | April 25, 2023 marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel. New Jersey commends the people of Israel for their remarkable achievements in building a new state and a pluralistic democratic society in the Middle East and reaffirms the bonds of friendship and cooperation which have existed between New Jersey and Israel for more than seven decades. New Jersey recommits to working with Israel in its quest for peace with its neighbors and the countries in the region. | Dead |
| S1393 | Authorizes home cultivation of medical cannabis. | This bill authorizes the home cultivation of medical cannabis for a registered qualifying patient's personal medical use. Specifically, the bill provides that a registered qualifying patient who is 21 years of age or older who provides notice to the Cannabis Regulatory Commission of the intent to home cultivate medical cannabis will be allowed to either home cultivate medical cannabis himself or herself, or authorize a designated caregiver to home cultivate medical cannabis on the patient's behalf. A home cultivator will be allowed to cultivate and possess up to four mature cannabis plants and up to four immature cannabis plants. Medical cannabis may only be home cultivated at the residence of the authorized home cultivator that is on file with the commission. The notice of intent to home cultivate medical cannabis provided to the commission is to specify which individual will home cultivate the medical cannabis. In no case may more than one individual home cultivate medical cannabis for a registered qualifying patient at one time. A patient may change the designated home cultivator upon providing 10 days' notice to the commission. At least 10 days after providing the notice of change, but no more than 30 days after providing notice, any medical cannabis plants in the former home cultivator's possession may be transferred to the new designated home cultivator. Any plants that are not transferred to the new home cultivator are to be promptly surrendered to law enforcement for destruction. The failure to provide notice of a change in designated home cultivator will result in the patient's registration with the commission being deemed null and void. The commission will be required to promptly update the registry information for the patient and any affected designated caregiver upon receiving notice of the patient's intent to home cultivate medical cannabis or of a change in who is authorized to home cultivate medical cannabis for the patient. Any designated caregiver of a patient who elects to home cultivate medical cannabis will be authorized to possess, transport, and assist the patient with the administration of home-cultivated medical cannabis in dried form or in any other consumable form, regardless of whether the designated caregiver is designated as the patient's home cultivator. In addition to any other civil or criminal penalties as may apply, any individual in possession of home-cultivated medical cannabis in the form of a mature or immature plant or in any consumable form, who sells, donates, or furnishes the home-cultivated medical cannabis to any individual who is not authorized to be in possession of the home-cultivated medical cannabis under the bill, will be liable to a civil penalty of up to $1,000. In addition, the individual's registration with the commission will be deemed null and void, and the individual will be permanently ineligible for re-registration with the commission as a qualifying patient, a designated caregiver, or an institutional caregiver. It is the sponsor's intent to expand access to medical cannabis for registered qualifying patients who may find the medical cannabis that is available through a medical cannabis dispensary unaffordable, or who may otherwise benefit from the convenience of home cultivation or the ability to readily access medical cannabis in the strain and form appropriate to the patient's individual treatment needs. Of the 36 states that have approved a comprehensive medical cannabis program, 17, or nearly half, currently allow for home cultivation of medical cannabis: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. | In Committee |
| S356 | Requires NJT and county transit agencies to offer transit pass for individuals seeking access to One Stop Career Centers. | This bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation and county transit agencies to offer a one-time transit pass to an individual seeking to access a One Stop Career Center. Under the bill, an individual could use the transit pass to receive up to three round-trips, free of charge, from the New Jersey Transit Corporation or county transit agency to access a One Stop Career Center. | In Committee |
| S1534 | Increases annual property tax deduction for senior citizens and disabled persons from $250 to $500. | This bill would increase the amount of the annual property tax deduction provided to eligible senior citizens and disabled persons from the current $250 to $300.00 in tax year 2023, $350.00 in tax year 2024, $400.00 in tax year 2025, $450.00 in tax year 2026, and $500.00 in tax year 2027 and in each tax year thereafter. The amount of this annual property tax deduction has not been increased since 1983. The provisions of the bill will remain inoperative until the approval by the voters of the State of a constitutional amendment authorizing this increased property tax deduction for senior citizens and disabled persons. | 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 |
| S889 | Establishes grant program for homeless veterans shelters. | The bill would require the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs to award grants, subject to the availability of funds, to certain southern New Jersey counties to provide veterans with improved access to homeless shelters. Under the bill, Atlantic County, Cape May County, and Cumberland County may submit applications to the Adjutant General proposing locations for homeless veterans shelters and identifying property the county would provide to the State for the development of a shelter. New Jersey's southern counties are in particular need of shelters for homeless veterans. Because of mobility issues, homeless veterans' access to resources is often limited by geographic location. Various factors may have caused homeless veterans to locate within southern New Jersey counties. However, when conditions, such as extreme cold, require them to seek out temporary shelter, they find themselves isolated from shelters and other facilities that provide resources for veterans. This bill would result in the development of shelters in locations appropriate to meet this need. | In Committee |
| S324 | Requires NJT to expand or modify routes and hours of certain transportation services and to solicit input from individuals diagnosed with autism. | This bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation (corporation) to expand or modify the routes and hours of motorbus regular route service, paratransit service, and rail passenger service, including light rail service, to accommodate the mobility needs of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder within one year of the effective date of the bill. The corporation is required to solicit and receive advice, input, and guidance from individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and their advocates before the corporation expands or modifies the routes and hours of service. The bill also requires the corporation to solicit and receive, on an annual basis, advice, input, and guidance from individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and their advocates. The advice, input, and guidance is to help the corporation determine whether the routes and hours of motorbus regular route service, paratransit service, and rail passenger service, including light rail service, adequately accommodates the mobility needs of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and whether further expansion or modification of the routes and hours of these services are necessary. | In Committee |
| S342 | Adds two student representatives to board of governors of Rutgers University. | This bill adds two student representatives to the board of governors of Rutgers University. Membership of the board currently consists of the president of the university, serving as an ex officio non-voting member, and 15 voting members, eight of whom are appointed by the Governor, and seven of whom are members of the board of trustees of the university. Under the bill, two full-time, regularly matriculated student representatives in good academic standing, who are 18 years of age or older and citizens of the United States, are to be elected by the students of the university to serve on the board of governors for terms of two years. The bill requires the board of governors to schedule a public hearing on the question of the method of election of student representatives to the board within 90 days of the bill's effective date. At its next regularly scheduled meeting following the public hearing, the board of governors will determine whether the students are to be elected by the student body at large or by the members of the student government association. The method of the selection and the designation of eligible academic status of the student representatives will be determined by the board of governors. Under the bill, for the first election held for student representatives, one student will be elected for a one-year term as a full voting member, and one student will be elected for two years, but will serve as an alternate member during the first year and as a voting member during the second year. At each subsequent election, one student is to be elected for two years, but will serve during the first year as an alternate member, and as a voting member during the second year. | In Committee |
| S1399 | Allows canvassing of early votes and mail-in ballots before election day under certain conditions. | This bill allows county clerks to begin canvassing early votes cast during the early voting period, and county boards of elections to begin canvassing mail-in ballots, before election day under certain conditions. However, the bill excludes provisional and emergency ballots from being counted during the early canvassing process for early votes and mail-in ballots: Under current law, early votes cast during the early voting period may not be canvassed or counted until the polls close on election day. Similarly, mail-in ballots may begin to be canvassed or counted on election day. Under this bill, county clerks are permitted to begin canvassing each early vote no earlier than 24 hours after the conclusion of the early voting period. The bill also allows county boards of elections to open the inner envelopes of mail-in ballots no earlier than five days prior to election day and may begin canvassing each mail in ballot from the inner envelopes no earlier than three days prior to election day. The bill provides that the Secretary of State can establish guidelines concerning the canvassing process to ensure the security and secrecy of the votes cast. The canvassing results would remain confidential and be disclosed only in accordance current law, regulations, and guidelines concerning the disclosure of election results. The bill prohibits the disclosure of the canvassing results prior to the close of polls on the day of the election. Under current law for mail-in ballots, any person who is authorized to receive and canvass completed mail-in-ballots who knowingly discloses to the public the contents of a mail-in ballot prior to the time designated by law for the closing of the polls for each election is guilty of a crime of the third degree. This bill extends the same penalties to the disclosure of early voting results. The bill also requires the board of elections to transmit the media for the early vote canvass to the county clerk no later than the opening of the polls on election day. The bill further requires the county board of elections to transmit the media containing the canvass of mail-in results to the county clerk no later than one hour following the close of the polls. The bill also provides, to the extent capable, the scanning and tabulation system for mail-in ballots to restrict the generation of any tabulation or results report to system administrators only and prohibits administrator passwords from being shared. The bill further prohibits tabulation and results reports from being generated before 8:00 p.m. on the day of the election, and, to the extent such system is capable, requires each county board of elections to submit to the Division of Elections no later than 24 hours following the close of the polls on the day of the election a complete copy of the scanning and tabulation system's audit log. The bill provides that the results from the early canvassing process for mail-in ballots be reported as a separate columns alongside the columns for election day results and early voting results: The bill also requires that the county clerks rather than the board of elections certify the results of the votes cast for members of the county committees to the respective municipal clerks following the canvass of mail-in ballots. | In Committee |
| S1987 | Permits victims and witnesses of human trafficking to testify in criminal proceedings via closed circuit television; permits judge to make motion to seek closed circuit testimony. | This bill would permit all victims and witnesses of human trafficking to testify in criminal proceedings via closed circuit television. Under current law, victims and witnesses of human trafficking involving sexual activity, among others, are permitted to testify via closed circuit television. Also under current law, the victim or witness, the prosecutor, or the defendant or their counsel may make a motion seeking closed circuit testimony. The bill would also permit a trial judge to make a motion. | In Committee |
| S1947 | Prohibits sale of flavored cigarettes, non-premium cigars, and oral nicotine pouches. | This bill extends the current State statutory ban on the sale of flavored cigarettes to include menthol and clove cigarettes. New Jersey generally banned flavored cigarettes in 2008, but included in that law exceptions for menthol and clove cigarettes. In 2009, the federal government adopted a law banning all flavored cigarettes, including clove, but also provided an exception for menthol cigarettes. Under the bill, the existing penalties for prohibited sales of flavored cigarettes will apply to sales of menthol and clove cigarettes. The substitute makes the prohibitions and penalties under the flavored cigarette ban applicable to retailers, rather than individuals. The revision to the flavor ban means that a retailer is not to, either directly or indirectly by an agent or employee, or by a vending machine owned by the retailer or located in the retailer's establishment, sell, offer for sale, distribute for commercial purpose at no cost or minimal cost or with coupons or rebate offers, give or furnish, to a person a cigarette, or any component part thereof, which contains a natural or artificial constituent or additive that causes the cigarette product or any smoke emanating from the cigarette or product to have a characterizing flavor other than tobacco. In no event is a cigarette or any component part thereof to be construed to have a characterizing flavor based solely on the use of additives or flavorings, or the provision of an ingredient list made available by any means. The existing penalties under the current law concerning flavored cigarettes will continue to apply, such that a retailer who makes a prohibited sale will be liable to a civil penalty of not less than $250 for the first violation, not less than $500 for the second violation, and $1,000 for the third and each subsequent violation. In addition, the retailer's tobacco retailer license may be suspended or revoked upon a second or subsequent violation, under certain circumstances. The licensee will also be subject to administrative charges, based on a schedule issued by the Director of the Division of Taxation, which may provide for a monetary penalty in lieu of a suspension. | In Committee |
| S1012 | Authorizes proportional property tax exemption for honorably discharged veterans having service-connected permanent disability; extends eligibility to veterans suffering from mental illness; establishes eligibility of property owned by disabled veteran with surviving partner for exemption. | This bill revises current law regarding the property tax exemption provided to totally disabled, honorably-discharged veterans who incur a 100 percent service-related disability during their service in the United States Armed Forces. Proportional Property Tax Exemption Under current law, veterans who are not 100 percent totally and permanently disabled are not eligible to receive a proportional property tax exemption. This bill allows all honorably-discharged veterans who have a service-related disability rating resulting from their service in the United States Armed Forces, including those who receive a 100 percent disability determination, to receive a proportional property tax exemption in an amount equal to the degree of their service-connected, permanent disability, as determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). A veteran who was determined by the VA to be 100 percent totally and permanently disabled due to a service-related disability would continue to receive the full property tax exemption under the current exemption statute. Broadening of Eligibility The bill extends eligibility for the property tax exemption to veterans granted a disability rating due to mental illness. The bill broadens the eligibility criteria for the property tax exemption granted to surviving civil union partners and domestic partners of disabled veterans. The bill extends the property tax exemption to the surviving civil union partner or domestic partner of a disabled veteran until such time as the surviving partner enters into a new civil union, establishes a new domestic partnership, or remarries. The bill also allows the surviving civil union partner or domestic partner to receive the property tax exemption when a disability declaration is granted after the veteran's death. Under current law, only the surviving spouse of a veteran who at the time of death was entitled to the exemption is entitled to receive the same exemption. This bill provides that an eligible surviving spouse, surviving civil union partner, or surviving domestic partner of a deceased disabled veteran, after filing a proper claim with the municipal tax collector, shall be exempt from all property taxation in the succeeding year. | In Committee |
| S1233 | "Holocaust Reparations Tax Exemption Act"; exempts value of certain payments to Holocaust survivors and their eligible descendants from transfer inheritance tax. | This bill, designated as the Holocaust Reparations Tax Exemption Act, provides an exemption from the transfer inheritance tax for an amount equal to the value of certain payments and distributions received by Holocaust survivors and their eligible descendants. The purpose of the bill is to alleviate the tax burden on the value of restitution payments and distributions received by Holocaust survivors and eligible descendants during their lifetime and passed along at death for the benefit of future generations. Under the bill, the restitution payments and distributions that are eligible for the exemption are broadly defined to include any payment or distribution that: (1) is paid to the decedent during the life of the decedent by reason of the decedent's status as an individual who was persecuted by the Nazi regime or by reason of the decedent's status as an eligible descendant of an individual persecuted by the Nazi regime, including any amount paid by a foreign country, the United States of America, or any other foreign or domestic entity, or a fund established by any country or entity, any amount paid as a result of a final resolution of a legal action, and any amount paid under a law providing for payments or restitution of property; (2) constitutes the direct or indirect return to the decedent of, or compensation or reparation paid to the decedent for, assets stolen, hidden, or otherwise lost to an individual who was persecuted by the Nazi regime before, during, or immediately after World War II by reason of the decedent's status as a persecuted individual or by reason of the decedent's status as an eligible descendant of a persecuted individual, including any proceeds of insurance under policies issued on persecuted individuals by European insurance companies immediately before and during World War II; or (3) consists of interest that is paid as part of any payment or distribution described by (1) or (2) above. Under the bill, the value of the eligible restitution payments or distributions is determined based on the value when received. The bill provides that the value of each eligible payment or distribution is determined for purposes of the exemption based upon the clear market value of the payment or distribution on the date the payment or distribution is received by the decedent. The bill defines an eligible descendant of an individual persecuted by the Nazi regime as an individual who is lineally related to a persecuted individual, by blood, affinity, or adoption, and who is not more than two generations removed in descent from the individual who was persecuted. The bill takes effect immediately and provides for the exemption to apply to transfers associated with deaths occurring on or after the 90th day next following the date of enactment. | In Committee |
| S352 | Requires certain wholesale pricing of motor fuels be set using formula. | This bill prohibits a distributor, refiner, wholesaler, or supplier from charging a tank wagon price to a retail dealer unless that price is set using a negotiated and agreed-upon formula. The negotiated price shall not be more than five cents per gallon above the listed price for that product at the distribution terminal at the time it was purchased. "Tank wagon price" is defined under the "Unfair Motor Fuels Practices Act" as the invoice cost of motor fuel to the retailer. The provisions of this bill do not apply if the retail dealer owns the property the station is located on or if the property is leased directly to the retail dealer by a third party who is not a distributor, refiner, wholesaler, or supplier. Additionally, this bill does not apply to consignment sales of motor fuels or contracts existing before its effective date. Contracts negotiated and entered into after the effective date must comply with the requirements of the bill. An entity that prohibits a provision of the bill is subject to a fine of $5,000 per delivery of motor fuel priced in violation of the bill. | In Committee |
| S1518 | Establishes procedures and standards regarding public services privatization contracts. | The purpose of this bill is to ensure that no public services are privatized unless there are cost savings without increased charges or reduced services to the public, or lowered workforce standards. Each prospective private contractor would be required to demonstrate cost reductions based on improvements such as management efficiencies or technical innovation, not based on added burdens imposed on the members of the public using the services or the employees producing them. The bill requires that a contract for the privatization of public services not be entered into without cost analyses demonstrating that there will be actual cost savings for the public agency and the taxpayers without increased fees, fares, or other charges to the public, reduced quantity or quality of services, or lowered workforce standards, including reduced staff qualifications and remuneration. The bill further requires sustained oversight and public disclosure regarding those contracts to provide accountability to taxpayers, public users of the services, and employees producing the services, that the cost savings actually occur without increased charges, or reduced services or workforce standards, and provides penalties and sanctions for any noncompliance involving agency or contractor misrepresentation, fraud or other malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance. The bill prohibits any agency of the State or political subdivision from entering into a contract of $500,000 or more, if the agency is a political subdivision, or $1 million or more if it is not a political subdivision, to purchase from private entities services previously performed by agency employees, other than legal, management consulting, planning, engineering or design services, prevailing wage construction work, or certain services provided by disabled individuals employed by rehabilitation facilities, unless: 1. The agency solicits competitive sealed bids for the contracts based on a comprehensive statement of requirements by the agency; 2. The contract requires that the public not be charged fares, fees or other charges greater than those currently charged, that the quantity and quality of the services provided equal or exceed the quantity and quality of services currently provided, that the contractor is qualified, and that contractor employees have qualifications and wage and benefit rates at least equal to the agency employees currently performing the services. Contractors are required to submit payroll records to the agency and, upon any failure to pay the agreed upon wage and benefit rates, are subject to the remedies and penalties provided by the "New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act," P.L.1963, c.150 (C.34:11-56.25 et seq.) for failure to pay the prevailing wage; 3. The agency permits the union of the affected agency employees to review the agency's estimate of current costs and submit an alternative cost estimate and propose cost saving measures compliant with requirements of the bill and the agency reviews the union estimate and proposal and makes a determination whether to reduce the agency's estimate of current costs; 4. The contract requires compliance with antidiscrimination standards, requires available positions to be offered to qualified displaced agency employees, and requires the agency to prepare a plan of training and assistance for displaced employees; 5. The contractor and specified associates have no adjudicated record of substantial or repeated noncompliance with any federal or State law pertaining to the operation of a business, including laws regarding contracting and conflict of interest; 6. After receiving bids, the agency publicly designates the bidder to which it proposes to award the contract and issues a comprehensive written analysis of the total contract cost of the designated bid; and 7. The agency provides written certification that the agency and the proposed contract are in compliance with all provisions of the bill and the total estimated contract cost is less than the cost of agency employees performing the services, with a statement of the amount of the savings. The Office of the State Comptroller would be required to review the certification and prohibit the agency from entering into the privatization contract if the office provides a written determination that the bid does not provide cost savings or that the agency has otherwise failed to comply with any requirement of the bill. The State Auditor would be required to conduct post-audits of contracts subject to the bill, evaluating whether the projected cost savings were obtained without raising charges, cutting services, or lowering workforce standards. If the noncompliance was related to agency or contractor misrepresentation, fraud or other malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance, the agency or contractor would be subject to penalties and sanctions including, where appropriate, debarment or rescission of contracts, or reimbursement of excess charges to the public and underpayments of employees. The requirements of the bill do not apply to any privatization contract first entered into before the effective date of the bill or to the renewal, extension, or transfer of any privatization contract first entered into prior to that effective date, but do apply to the renewal, extension, or transfer of any contract entered into after the effective date. | In Committee |
| S335 | Permits purchase of service credit in PERS for period of time after termination of public employment due to COVID-19 pandemic if member returned to PERS employment within 12 months. | This bill would permit the purchase of service credit by a member of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) for time that the member was not working because the member's public employment was terminated, without personal fault, due directly to the COVID-19 pandemic. This purchase would be allowed if the member returned to service in a PERS-eligible position within 12 months from the date of discontinuance from service due to COVID-19 and returned all of the accumulated member's contributions withdrawn from the retirement system. | 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 |
| S312 | Requires certain employers with State contracts to pay their employees their usual compensation for each day of jury service. | This bill would enhance the current law which provides employment protection for jury service. Currently, N.J.S.2B:20-17 prohibits an employer from penalizing an employee who is called for jury service. This bill would require an employer, who contracts with the State to continue to pay his employee his usual compensation for each day of jury service, less the amount of per diem fee for each day of jury service. The bill defines "State contract" as any purchase, contract or agreement the cost or contract price of which is to be paid, in whole or in part, with or out of State funds. The bill would apply to employers who have a State contract and have at least 50 employees for 20 or more weeks. Under the bill, an employee means a person who is employed for at least 12 months by an employer for not less than 1,000 base hours during the immediately preceding 12-month period prior to jury service. | In Committee |
| S2191 | Requires DOH to encourage health care facilities and licensed health care professionals to develop a "Reach Out and Read Program." | This bill requires the Department of Health (DOH) to encourage health care facilities, pediatricians, family practice physicians, and other health care professionals in private practice licensed pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes to implement a "Reach Out and Read Program." The program would be based on the national Reach Out and Read Program that promotes early literacy anticipatory guidance from health care professionals to parents of children between six months and five years of age, as part of a well-child visit. The purpose of the program would be to: encourage parents to participate in developmentally appropriate shared-reading activities with their children; develop a child's language, social, and emotional skills; enhance parent-child relationships; offer pediatricians, family practice physicians, and other licensed health care professionals with tools to monitor a child's health and well-being; and facilitate the sharing of information between parents and pediatricians, family practice physicians, and other licensed health care professionals on topics relating to child rearing and early childhood development. Specifically, DOH would assist health care facilities, pediatricians, family practice physicians, and other licensed health care professionals in implementing a "Reach Out and Read Program" by: preparing and making available for distribution, both in print and in easily printable format on the department's Internet website, information on the national Reach Out and Read Program; and posting in a prominent location on its Internet website a link to the online application to become a Reach Out and Read program site. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatric providers promote early literary development for children beginning in infancy and continuing through kindergarten. The Reach Out and Read Program is an evidenced-based intervention that proves the integration of literacy promotion as part of a pediatric primary care practice can stimulate optimal patterns of brain development, strengthen parent-child relationships, and build a child's early language and literacy skills. This bill would require DOH to encourage health care facilities and licensed health care professionals in this State to implement a program that has been shown to improve children's language development and has led to increases in both receptive and expressive language scores. | In Committee |
| S577 | Allows military member to qualify for resident tuition rate at county college. | This bill provides that a member of the United States military or his dependent who lives in New Jersey and is attending a county college established by the county in which the member resides or is stationed must be charged the county resident tuition rate. Currently, many military members and their dependents maintain out-of-county or out-of-State addresses. As a result, these military members and their dependents do not qualify for the resident tuition rate at their local county college. In most county colleges in the State, the county resident tuition rate is significantly lower than the nonresident tuition rate. Current law at N.J.S.A.18A:62-4.1 provides that those members of the military who are enrolled in public institutions of higher education are considered State residents for the purposes of qualifying for in-State tuition. This benefit is also extended to the dependents of military members. This bill will ensure that military personnel and their dependents receive a similar in-county tuition benefit. | In Committee |
| S332 | Authorizes creation of "New Jersey Council on Access and Mobility." | This bill establishes the New Jersey Council on Access and Mobility (council). The council is to consist of 17 members: the Commissioner of Transportation; the Commissioner of Human Services; the Commissioner of Education; the Commissioner of Community Affairs; the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development; the Executive Director of the New Jersey Transit Corporation; the Director of the Office of Disability Services; the Director of the Division of Aging Services; and the Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities; the State Treasurer; Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and their Families; and six public members, with three to be appointed by the President of the Senate and three to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly. The public members are also required to have a demonstrated expertise in the coordination of transportation services or independent living services for persons with disabilities or senior citizens and be representatives of the following: Disability Rights New Jersey; The Arc of New Jersey; the New Jersey Statewide Independent Living Council; the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities; the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers, the State University; and the New Jersey Council on Special Transportation. The purpose and duties of the council is required to meet, no less than annually, to: study the transportation services provided to persons with disabilities and senior citizens by the New Jersey Transit Corporation, State agencies, counties, or municipalities; analyze all available federal funding programs that may be used for mobility management of and to provide transportation services to persons with disabilities and senior citizens, and the ability of the State to qualify for those funds the ability of the State to qualify for those funds; coordinate the provision of transportation services across all agencies that have an interest in the mobility of persons with disabilities and senior citizens; and make recommendations for legislative or executive action to maximize the State's acquisition of federal funding and the coordination of transportation services for persons with disabilities and senior citizens. | In Committee |
| S669 | Extends COVID-19 Medicaid per diem rate, and requires Medicaid coverage without prior authorization, for certain partial care behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment services. | This bill requires the extension of certain policies established by the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services in the Department of Human Services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the reimbursement and coverage of partial care behavioral health services provided to Medicaid beneficiaries. Under the bill, "partial care services" means comprehensive, individualized, structured, non-residential behavioral health care and support services for an adult with severe mental illness or substance use disorder in order to facilitate community integration and prevent hospitalization and relapse. Partial care services may include, but are not limited to: psychiatric care, individual and group counseling, case management, and prevocational services. First, the bill requires the division to reimburse partial care services providers under Medicaid at the per diem rate, established by the division for partial care services provided by telehealth during the COVID-19 emergency period, for 180 days following the expiration of the federal Medicaid waiver authorizing the per diem rate. Telehealth services reimbursed under the bill are required to be provided without the imposition of any prior authorization or other utilization management requirements and in accordance with the policy guidance issued by the division regarding the qualifications for the per diem rate, provided that a partial care services provider: is open for onsite services; and submits a status report to the division following day 90, day 150, and day 180 of the 180-day period. The status report is required to include data on the total number of patients served, the number of patients receiving in-person services, and the nature of the in-person services rendered as a means to demonstrate the provider's best efforts to expand in-person services over the course of the 180-day period. Furthermore, the bill directs the division to use the status reports to assess the need to continue the per diem rate beyond the 180-day period. The division is required to make a determination to extend the per diem rate no later than 20 days prior to the end of the 180-day period. During an extension of the 180-day period, partial care services providers are required to comply with the provisions set forth in the bill, except that providers are tosubmit a status report to the division every 60 days. The per diem rate was established at the onset of the pandemic to allow partial care providers to continue to support patients via telehealth, while the basis of most programs - in-person, group services intended to promote socialization - was contraindicated because of the virus. Currently, the per diem rate will remain in effect until the end of the federal waiver authorizing the rate, and is equal to $89.60 per diem for partial care behavioral health services provided via telemedicine, and $78.31 per diem for partial care substance use disorder services provided via telemedicine. By extending the per diem rate 180 days beyond the expiration of the federal waiver, this bill affords providers the necessary time to stabilize their operations and cash flow as they gradually transition their staff and patients from primarily telehealth services back to in-person services. Second, the bill permanently extends the division's policy to not require prior authorization requirements for partial care services under Medicaid during the COVID-19 emergency. Under the bill, the division is required to provide coverage of such services to an eligible individual on an hourly basis for up to five hours a day, five days a week, without the imposition of any prior authorization or other utilization management requirements. In doing so, this bill reduces the burden on providers to secure approval for services and allows them to focus, instead, on making the appropriate clinical decisions based on each patient's needs. | In Committee |
| S578 | Mandates additional requirements for anti-bullying policies of public schools, expands information provided in DOE guidance document on bullying, and requires parents be provided clear explanation of student rights in school bullying investigations. | Current law requires each school district to adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying. The law also specifies the various provisions which the policy must, at a minimum, contain. This bill requires certain additional provisions be included in the anti-bullying policy. Pursuant to the bill, the policy must include a provision stating that students involved in an alleged incident of harassment, intimidation, or bullying will not be interviewed by any school personnel without the parent or guardian having been provided an opportunity to be present. The policy must also provide that after having been informed of the bullying incident and having notified the parents or guardians, the principal must use conflict resolution techniques with the students involved in the incident in order to resolve the matter. If the conflict resolution techniques are unsuccessful, the next step in the process requires the principal to make a preliminary determination as to whether a reported incident or complaint is a report of an act of harassment, intimidation, or bullying as those terms are defined by law, prior to initiating an investigation. The bill provides that the investigation of the alleged harassment, intimidation, or bullying incident must be completed no later than 30 days from the date the written report of the incident is provided to the principal. Current law requires the investigation to be completed no later than 10 days from the date the written report is provided. This bill extends the time frame to allow a sufficient time period for the principal to implement conflict resolution techniques and make a preliminary determination regarding the alleged incident. Under current law, once the investigation is completed, parents or guardians are provided information in writing regarding the investigation, including the nature of the investigation, whether the district found evidence of harassment, intimidation, or bullying, or whether discipline was imposed or services provided to address the incident of harassment, intimidation, or bullying. The bill requires that the information provided to the parents or guardians must also include copies of all written records produced in regard to the investigation, including emails, letters, and text messages. The Department of Education, in consultation with the Division on Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety, is required by law to develop a guidance document for use by parents or guardians, students, and school districts to assist in resolving complaints concerning harassment, intimidation, or bullying. This bill requires additional items to be included in the guidance document: a clarification of the ways in which harassment, intimidation, or bullying may be deemed to have substantially disrupted or interfered with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other students; and a clear explanation of the rights of the students who are the alleged victims or the alleged perpetrators of incidents of harassment, intimidation, or bullying. A copy of the explanation of the students' rights is required to be provided by the district to the parents and guardians of students enrolled in the district. | In Committee |
| S1420 | Establishes "VETeach Pilot Program" in DOE to facilitate teacher certification of veterans. | This bill establishes the "VETeach Pilot Program" in the Department of Education. The purpose of the pilot program is to address the shortage of certified public school teachers by taking advantage of the qualified workforce represented by the State's veterans. Under the pilot program, a participating four-year public institution of higher education will enroll, in a 36-month teacher preparation program, veterans who served in the armed forces on or after September 11, 2001. The program will lead to a baccalaureate degree and completion of the requirements necessary to apply to the State Board of Examiners for a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing, which will authorize the veteran to seek employment as a teacher in grades kindergarten through eight, and in certain secondary education fields. Under the bill, a four-year public institution of higher education that wishes to participate in the pilot program is to submit an application to the Commissioner of Education in a form prescribed by the commissioner. The commissioner is to select up to four institutions to participate in the pilot program. | Dead |
| S347 | Revises provisions related to selling and reselling of tickets. | This bill revises current law addressing the selling and reselling of tickets to places of entertainment. Under the bill, additional disclosures are required of ticket brokers who operate a website to resell tickets. Brokers will be required to clearly and conspicuously provide notice: (1) that the website is for the secondary sale of tickets; (2) that the price of a ticket offered for sale may exceed the price set by the place of entertainment; and (3) of any refund policy of the ticket broker that is in place with regard to the postponement or cancellation of an event. The broker is to require a purchaser to confirm having read the information on these notices prior to completing a transaction. A ticket broker is to also clearly and conspicuously disclose the price charged by the place of entertainment that is printed or endorsed on the face of each ticket prior to the purchaser completing any transaction. The same disclosures and requirements of a ticket broker are also made applicable to ticket resale websites in the bill. Additionally, the bill requires, as defined in current law, a person, reseller, ticket broker, ticket issuer, and ticket resale website to disclose the total cost of a ticket, including all ancillary fees, including any service charge, to be paid in order to complete the purchase of a ticket. This is to be disclosed in a clear and conspicuous manner, in dollars, to the ticket purchaser. If a ticket is sold through a website, the information required to be disclosed is to be displayed prior to the ticket being selected for purchase. The information disclosed is not to be false or misleading, and is not to be presented more prominently or in the same or larger size as the total price. Moreover, the price of a ticket sold through a website is not to increase during the purchase process, excluding reasonable fees for delivery of non-electronic tickets based on the delivery method selected by the purchaser prior to payment for the ticket. Lastly, under the bill, if a price is charged for admission to a venue, a place of entertainment, or their agent, representative, employee or licensee, cannot, exact, demand, accept, or receive, directly or indirectly, any premium or price in excess of the set price plus lawful taxes whether designated as price, gratuity, or otherwise. However, nothing is to be construed to prohibit: (1) a reasonable service charge by the place of entertainment or an agent in charge of special services for the place of entertainment, including, but not limited to, sales away from the box office, credit card sales, or delivery; or (2) a place of entertainment or its agent from offering initial sale tickets by means of an auction. A reasonable and actual cost for the physical delivery of tickets may be charged by a seller or reseller based on the method of delivery selected by the buyer, provided, however, that no delivery fee shall be charged by a seller or reseller for tickets delivered electronically or tickets that may be printed independently by the buyer. | In Committee |
| S642 | Authorizes NJ Historical Commission to establish program to promote developing historic projects on website and collect donations for projects on behalf of historic site or organization. | This bill would authorize the New Jersey Historical Commission ("commission") to establish a program to support New Jersey historic sites and organizations and collect donations for projects on their behalf. Specifically, the commission would establish a program to help historic sites and organizations by announcing and promoting an historic project on the commission's website. "Historic sites and organizations" include historic sites, historical societies, historical libraries, history museums, historical agencies of local or county government, and related not-for-profit agencies and organizations. This program would be a creative platform to enable historic sites and organizations to gain exposure, generate funding, and leverage donations for their historic projects, through the commission, while retaining independence and ownership of the project. No offer of financial returns or equity, or solicitation of loans, would be made in connection with any historic project. The program website would provide the means for any visitor to the website to donate to a specific historic site or organization, or specific historic project. A gift or grant donated for these purposes would only be accepted by the commission on behalf of an historic site or organization. Any donation to an historic site or organization would be used at the discretion of the historic site or organization accepting it and any donation to a specific historic project would be used by the historic site or organization for the designated historic project. The commission would be authorized to accept and administer gifts or grants to be used only in accordance with the purposes set forth in this bill, or they would be returned to the donor or refused. The Department of the Treasury would provide the means by which donations may be made to the commission. Under the bill, the commission may request to monitor or oversee the progress of an historic project, as appropriate, and may require an historic site or organization to report progress on occasion; however, the commission would not be responsible for ensuring the completion of a project, nor would it investigate an historic site or organizations' ability to complete a project. An historic site or organization would be required to notify the commission, in writing, upon completion of a project. Additionally, this bill would allow the commission to collaborate, consult, or partner with an organization, including an Internet-based organization (for example, a crowdsourcing or advocacy organization such as Kickstarter, Inc.), whose mission is to support creative projects by fundraising and engaging the public at-large. The commission may also partner with or contract for such an organization to specifically announce or promote New Jersey historic sites or organizations and accept gifts or grants towards a developing project on behalf of an historic site or organization in furtherance of the goals of this bill. | In Committee |
| S875 | Indexes amount of veterans' income tax exemption for inflation. | This bill would index the amount of the veterans' gross income tax exemption, which is currently $6,000, for inflation. The bill would require that, beginning in tax year 2023, the amount of the exemption would be adjusted annually based on the percentage change in the Chained Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U) for the 12-month period ending August 31 of the previous tax year. The C-CPI-U is the index currently used by the federal government to adjust federal income tax brackets for inflation. If there is no increase in that index, the amount of the exemption would remain unchanged for the applicable tax year. | In Committee |
| S311 | Requires all students enrolled in grades six through 12 to have certain physical examination that includes cardiac component. | This bill requires that every student enrolled in grades six through 12 in a public or nonpublic school undergo a physical examination using the "Preparticipation Physical Evaluation" form. The licensed physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant who performs the physical examination will sign the form's certification statement attesting to the completion of the Student-Athlete Cardiac Screening professional development module developed pursuant to current law. The school will retain the original signed statement to attest to the qualifications of the health care practitioner to perform the physical examination. Under current law, a student enrolled in grades six through 12, who is on a school-sponsored interscholastic or intramural athletic team or squad, is required to have a physical examination using the "Preparticipation Physical Evaluation" form. Current law also specifies that the physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant who conducts the physical is required to complete a Student-Athlete Cardiac Screening professional development module to increase the assessment skills of those health care practitioners. That training module emphasizes the ability to recognize and identify symptoms of cardiac disease and cardiac abnormalities among students. | In Committee |
| S722 | Requires MVC to issue blue envelopes that hold documents required to operate motor vehicle to persons diagnosed with autism. | This bill requires the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services, the Superintendent of State Police, and at least one organization that advocates on behalf of persons who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, to design and make available blue envelopes that may be utilized by a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder to hold documents required for the operation of a motor vehicle. Under the bill, the blue envelopes are required to: (1) be of a color shade easily recognizable to law enforcement officers; (2) be capable of holding a person's driver's license, motor vehicle registration certificate, and insurance identification card; (3) provide written information on the outside of the envelope identifying the envelope holder as a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder; and (4) provide written guidance to assist law enforcement officers in effectively communicating with a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The bill also requires that the chief administrator, in consultation with the commissioner, establish the documentation required to be produced by a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, or by the parent, guardian, or caregiver of the person, in order to obtain a blue envelope. The bill is based on a 2020 Connecticut statute. | In Committee |
| S2159 | Prohibits internet sale of lottery tickets by State Lottery Commission. | On September 19, 2022, a rule proposal was published by the State Lottery Commission to allow the Division of State Lottery to directly sell tickets to consumers in New Jersey through its Internet website and mobile applications. This proposal has been adopted and internet sales by the State Lottery Commission are scheduled to begin in the fall of 2024. This bill prohibits the State Lottery Commission, any entity of the State Lottery Commission, or any entity contracted by the State Lottery Commission from directly selling lottery tickets via the Internet. This bill does not affect the rights of registered courier services from selling lottery tickets via the internet. | In Committee |
| S328 | Establishes early childhood pay-for-success programs; appropriates up to $25 million. | This bill authorizes the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, on behalf of certain State agencies, to enter into a pay-for-success contracts with private sector, non-profit, and community-based organizations to establish and administer early childhood programs providing preschool education, child nutrition, health, early intervention, home visitation, and other services to improve short-term and long-term outcomes for at-risk children and their families and to generate public sector cost savings. The State agencies participating in the program would include the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Education, the Department of Health, and the Department of Human Services. The bill provides that a pay-for-success contract is a written agreement establishing a legally binding relationship between a State agency and a private sector, non-profit, or community-based organization under which the organization will administer a program or provide a service for or on behalf of the State. A pay-for-success contract would set forth the amount that will be paid by the State to the contracted organization if certain performance measures and outcomes and public sector cost-savings, as outlined in the contract, are met. The bill stipulates that, prior to entering into a pay-for-success contract, the head of the State agency entering into the pay-for-success contract is to provide the authority with a written explanation of how the contract will produce a quantifiable public benefit or financial savings for the State by achieving short-term and long-term outcomes that will improve opportunities for at-risk children and their families and reduce long-term costs. Each pay-for-success contract is to contain the following: 1) a description of the objectives of the contract; 2) a description of the early childhood program, the services that will be provided by the program, and the specific responsibilities of the contracting organization in administering the program; 3) a statement outlining the short-term and long-term outcomes the early childhood program seeks to achieve, the anticipated cost savings to be generated by the program, and the time frame under which the outcomes and cost savings are to be achieved; 4) an agreement to use an independent evaluator to monitor the effectiveness of the early childhood program and the success of the program in achieving the short-term and long-term outcomes and cost savings outlined in the contract, the name of the evaluator selected, and a statement describing the performance measures and outcomes to be utilized by the evaluator; 5) an outline of the requirements that will be used by the contracted organization to report to the State agency on its progress in meeting the performance measures, outcomes, and cost savings outlined in the contract; 6) a requirement that the receipt of a success payment by the contracted organization will be contingent upon the organization achieving the performance measures, outcomes, and cost savings outlined in the contract; 7) a requirement that the State agency hold funds in reserve in the "New Jersey Early Childhood Pay-for-Success Program Trust Fund" established under the bill to cover success payments under the contract; 8) a description of the methodology used to calculate the amount of success payments and the distribution schedule of such payments to the contracted organization under the contract; and 9) the terms under which a pay-for-success contract may be terminated. The bill establishes in the State Treasury a separate, non-lapsing fund to be known as the "New Jersey Early Childhood Pay-for-Success Program Trust Fund." The fund is to be the repository for monies: 1) appropriated by the State for the purpose of funding success payments; 2) received by the authority from any State agency to fund success payments; 3) made available to the authority from public or private donations, grants, or other forms of assistance established to support early childhood programs by the federal government or by any State department or agency; and 4) otherwise appropriated or directed to be remitted to the fund. All monies expended in the administration of pay-for-success contracts are to be paid from the fund, and all interest earned on the monies that have been deposited into the fund is to be retained in the fund and used for purposes consistent with the requirements of the bill. The bill requires each organization that enters into a pay-for-success contract with a State agency to provide the State agency with an annual report outlining the status of the contract, including the organization's progress in meeting the performance measures, outcomes, and cost savings outlined in the contract. The annual reports are to be transmitted by the State agency to the authority and made available on the State agency's Internet website. Additionally, commencing 18 months after the effective date of the bill, the authority will be required to issue an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature that is to include, at a minimum: 1) a summary of the annual reports provided to the authority by State agencies concerning the progress of contracted organizations in meeting the performance measures, outcomes, and cost savings outlined in pay-for-success contracts; 2) information on the effectiveness of the early childhood services performed, the short-term and long-term outcomes achieved, and the cost-savings realized by early childhood programs as outlined in pay-for-success contracts; 3) the sources of public or private donations, grant monies, or other monies deposited into the fund; 4) the number of success payments made to contracted organizations and the amount of such payments; and 5) the number of pay-for-success contracts that were terminated by each State agency and the reasons for the termination. The authority's annual reports are to be made available on the Internet websites of the authority, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Education, the Department of Health, and the Department of Human Services. The bill requires the authority to determine the amount necessary to implement the provisions of the bill and fund success payments made by State agencies to private sector, non-profit, and community-based organizations under the terms of pay-for-success contracts, which amount will be subject to approval and certification by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting. The bill appropriates to the authority from the General Fund such amounts as are necessary to implement the pay-for-service contract program, as certified by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting, less any amounts otherwise deposited in the fund. In no case will more than $25 million be appropriated under the bill. | In Committee |
| S1608 | Broadens eligibility for certain civil service and pension benefits for veterans by eliminating requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations. | This bill broadens the eligibility for certain veterans' benefits by eliminating the requirement that a veteran serve during specific wars or other periods of emergency, and, in certain instances, that a veteran serve in a war zone. Instead of service during specific dates or in specific locations, the bill requires federal active service in any branch of the United States Armed Forces or a Reserve component thereof. The benefits in the bill are (1) a civil service preference under Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes; (2) a veteran's retirement allowance under the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) or the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS); and (3) the purchase of additional military service credit in the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS), TPAF, PERS, and the State Police Retirement System (SPRS). Eligibility for the civil service benefits for all veterans is contingent upon voter approval of an authorizing amendment to the State Constitution. | In Committee |
| SJR43 | Designates February 4th of each year as "Women and Girls in Sports Day" in New Jersey. | This joint resolution designates February 4th of each year as "Women and Girls in Sports Day". Opportunities in sports were traditionally open to only men and women were discouraged from participating in and taking an interest in sports. The 20th and 21st centuries saw women strive to increasingly participate in sports, however gender disparities continue to exist as less support and resources are provided to women's sports in comparison to men's sports. This lack of investment has led to issues such as pay disparities and the unequal allocation of facilities and equipment for women's sports. In spite of these inequalities, women have contributed significantly to sports and inspiring athletes such as New Jersey natives Carli Lloyd and Laurie Hernandez make excellent role models to fans of all ages and genders. Women and girls deserve recognition for their contributions to sports and an awareness of their fight for gender equality. It should be further acknowledged that sports are essential in the lives of girls because participation in sports teach important life skills, which later empower them as women to stand up against gender inequalities both in sports and in their daily lives. Physical activity is necessary for good overall health and sports are important because they encourage women and girls to become and remain physically active. | In Committee |
| S1064 | Requires State Board of Education to authorize alternate route to expedite teacher certification of persons employed as paraprofessionals in school districts. | This bill requires the State Board of Education to authorize an alternate route to expedite the teacher certification of persons who are employed or have been employed by a school district as a paraprofessional or an instructional assistant. The bill requires the Commissioner of Education to develop recommendations for the alternate route and those recommendations are required to be submitted to the State board. Under the provisions of the bill, in developing the recommendations, the commissioner is to consult with representatives of the education community, including the New Jersey Education Association, the New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association, and the State Professional Learning Committee. Also, the bill provides that in addition to any other requirements established by the State Board of Education, the alternate route program is required to include: (1) a formula for applying a candidate's direct classroom service to any student teaching requirements, provided that the candidate is currently employed by a school district and is providing direct classroom service, including tutoring. Under the formula, the direct classroom service is to earn the candidate full credit, if appropriate; (2) a requirement that the school district in which the candidate is currently employed make every reasonable effort to permit the candidate to perform any required student teaching in the school district while, if possible, continuing employment as a paraprofessional or an instructional assistant; and (3) a formula to allow a grade point average waiver for candidates who otherwise demonstrate qualification for the expedited teacher certification. | Dead |
| S1193 | Allows voter registration at polling place on election day or at early voting site during early voting period. | This bill allows for voter registration at polling places on election day or at early voting sites during the early voting period. Under current law, a person must register to vote at least 21 days before the election. This bill allows a person who has not registered to vote by that deadline to register at a polling place on the day of the election or at an early voting site during the early voting period. This bill also allows a person to cast a provisional ballot if the person has registered to vote within the period of 21 days before the election if the person can affirm that the person has not previously voted in that election. If the county commissioner of registration is not able to verify the person's Motor Vehicle Commission New Jersey driver's license number or non-driver identification number, or the last four digits of the person's Social Security Number, the county commissioner of registration will notify the person by mail, e-mail, or telephone within 24 hours that they must provide valid identification no later than 48 hours prior to the final certification of the results of the election in order for their ballot to be counted. | In Committee |
| S921 | Permits dismissal of certain motor vehicle violations if defendant corrects issue within allotted time frame and provides acceptable documentation. | This bill allows for the dismissal of certain motor vehicle violations contained in chapter 3 of Title 39. The fineable violations set forth in chapter 3 of Title 39 typically address correctable issues such as equipment failures, expired registrations and licenses, and failure to exhibit the documents required to operate a motor vehicle in the State. All moving violations are contained in chapter 4 of Title 39. When an officer, in the course of the officer's regular enforcement duties, observes a correctable violation and none of the extenuating circumstances specified in the bill exist, the officer is required to issue a ticket that contains the correctable violation and immediately inform the person cited that the person has the opportunity to fix the issue and have the violation dismissed. Under the bill, dismissal of an alleged violation requires a defendant to submit acceptable proof of correction to the court on or before the person's scheduled appearance date. If the defendant makes the required correction and provides acceptable verification to the court having jurisdiction over the violation, the original charge is required to be dismissed. If the defendant fails to provide acceptable verification that the issue was corrected to the court, the fine for the violation is required to be collected in full. Regardless of dismissal, court costs may be collected at the discretion of the court for each violation. | In Committee |
| S2256 | Establishes "New Jersey STEM Scholars Grant Pilot Program" in Department of Education. | This bill would establish the four-year "New Jersey STEM Scholars Grant Pilot Program," which would provide grants to assist school districts in enhancing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education programs for students and increasing access to STEM education programs. Applications for grant awards under this pilot program would be submitted to the Commissioner of Education, who would allocate the awards on a competitive basis. The grant awards would be distributed so that school districts can build upon existing STEM education programs or create new education programs along three distinct areas of concentration, namely project-based learning, afterschool STEM, and out-of-school STEM. This bill also establishes within the Department of Education a fund to be known as the "STEM Scholars Grant Fund," which would be used to provide grants to school districts under the pilot program. The fund would be annually credited with money appropriated by the Legislature, any moneys received by the State from corporate donors or other private sector support, and any federal funds which may become available for STEM-related activities. No State funds would be used to support a grant under the pilot program unless there is an appropriation for the pilot program in the annual appropriations act for that fiscal year. | In Committee |
| S827 | Permits person diagnosed with autism or communication disability to voluntarily make notation on driver's license, identification card, and in MVC registry; establishes program to train law enforcement officers in interactions with persons with autism or communication disabilities. | This bill concerns the licenses, identification cards, and law enforcement officer interactions with persons who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or a communication disability. The bill defines "communication disability" as a condition involving an impairment in the person's ability to receive, send, process, or comprehend concepts or verbal, nonverbal, or graphic symbol systems, that may result in a primary disability or may be secondary to other disabilities. The bill permits the holder of a license or identification card to voluntarily indicate on the license or identification card that the holder has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or a communication disability. The designation is to be used by law enforcement officers or emergency medical professionals to identify and effectively communicate with a person diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or communication disability. The designation indicating that a person has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or a communication disability is to be given a restriction code that is required to be displayed on the person's driver's license or non-driver identification in accordance with procedures prescribed by the chief administrator. However, the holder of a basic driver's license or non-driver identification card who makes the voluntary designation is required to have the opportunity to remove the designation at any time. The bill also requires the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to establish and maintain an automated Statewide registry accessible by law enforcement officials for the purposes of identifying and effectively communicating with a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or communication disability by a physician, psychologist, or any other health care professional. The registry is to be capable of storing information, which is to include, but not limited to: the license plate and registration information of any motor vehicle that the person intends to regularly operate; the emergency contact information of a person who can communicate on behalf of the person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or communication disability; and any other information that may assist a law enforcement officer when communicating with the person. Under the bill, a person may submit information to the registry through the MVC's website, by mail, or when completing an application for a driver's license, motor vehicle registration, or non-driver identification card. The information provided to the MVC for the registry is to only be accessible to employees of the commission who are designated by the chief administrator to collect and maintain the information and law enforcement officers during a motor vehicle stop or other law enforcement action. Information submitted to the MVC is not to be subject to public disclosure under the "Open Public Records Act" or the common law concerning access to public records or be discoverable as a government record by any person, entity, or governmental agency except in certain circumstances. The bill provides for certain limitations on civil liabilities and on criminal prosecution for the chief administrator and MVC employees designated by the chief administrator. The limitations on civil liabilities and on criminal prosecution are inapplicable if such failure resulted from a malicious purpose or a wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons or property. Lastly, the bill establishes a program that is to be developed by the Superintendent of the Division of State Police, in conjunction with the chief administrator and the Commissioner of Human Services, to assist and train law enforcement officers to identify and effectively communicate with a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or a communication disability. The program is to also include training in de-escalation methods when interacting with a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or a communication disability, proper utilization of the registry established pursuant this bill, and any other information, as recommended by the Commissioner of Human Services, that may be useful to law enforcement officers when interacting with a person who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or a communication disability. The program is to be made available annually to every county and municipal law enforcement agency in the State. | In Committee |
| S1283 | Establishes Office of Ombudsman for Mental Health and Addiction Services. | This bill establishes the Office of the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Addiction Services, in but not of the Department of the Treasury, to support individuals with mental illness and addiction. Under the bill, the Governor is to appoint an Ombudsman for Mental Health and Addiction Services, who is to be qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office. The ombudsman is to be a person of recognized judgment, integrity, and objectivity, and is to be skilled in communication, conflict resolution, and professionalism. The duties of the Ombudsman Mental Health and Addiction Services are to include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) helping individuals with mental illness and addiction find effective treatment facilities and programs, including substance use disorder recovery services, health care services, mental health services, medication-assisted drug treatment services, and other substance use disorder treatment services; (2) ensuring that individuals with mental illness and addiction, including patients and residents within mental health facilities and programs, are receiving proper care and treatment; (3) providing educational programs; confidential drug counseling; and vocational guidance and job placement for individuals with mental illness and addiction; (4) educating individuals about the harm caused by substance use disorder with respect to individuals, families, and society; and (5) creating public information programs to educate individuals with mental illness and addiction of the duties of and resources provided by the ombudsman. The bill provides that the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Addiction Services is to annually issue a written report to the Commissioner of Human Services, the Governor, and the Legislature. The report is to include a summary of the services the ombudsman provided during the year, and any specific recommendations the ombudsman deems appropriate and necessary concerning the State's provision of services and support to | In Committee |
| S346 | Requires publication online of Senate Journals, Assembly Minutes, and their indexes. | Under current law, the Senate Journals, Assembly Minutes, minutes of the joint meetings of both Houses of the Legislature, and their indexes, are printed and bound as a volume for each annual legislative session of each House. Under this bill, the journals, minutes, and indexes would be published online by the Office of Legislative Services, and not as bound volumes. However, the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the General Assembly may have the Office of Legislative Services print not more than 10 copies of a bound volume for an entire annual session of the Senate or General Assembly. | In Committee |
| S795 | Revises State marriage license application form to permit certain changes in middle name and surname. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Health to issue a State marriage license application form that enables each of the applicants to enter changes in middle name and surname resulting from the marriage. The application form is to include two parallel sections permitting each of the applicants to enter one of the following options as the applicant's surname: (1) the surname of the other spouse; (2) any former surname of either spouse; (3) a name combining all or a segment of the premarriage surname or any former surname of one or both of the spouses into a single surname; (4) a combination name separated by a hyphen, provided that each part of such combination surname is the premarriage surname, or any former surname, of one or both of the spouses; or (5) the premarriage surname of a spouse as that spouse's middle name, followed by the surname of the other spouse as the new surname. The application form is to include language instructing the applicants that neither party to the marriage is required to change his or her surname, and that an applicant who changes the applicant's middle name or surname should contact the applicant's local Social Security Administration Office, so that its records and the applicant's Social Security identification card can be updated to reflect the name change. The application form will also be required to advise applicants as to what additional steps may be needed on the part of the applicant to effectuate a name change with State or local departments, divisions, offices, and agencies. The bill requires the Commissioner of Health to coordinate with other State departments, divisions, offices, and agencies as necessary to establish processes under which a marriage license application that includes a name change may be used to effectuate the name change as expeditiously as possible without the need for further action on the part of the applicant, including, but not limited to, updating records maintained by those departments, divisions, offices, and agencies, and issuing to the applicant a new State driver's license, non-driver identification card, or other government-issued identification card that reflects the name change. | In Committee |
| S856 | Indexes various thresholds and qualifications under New Jersey gross income tax for inflation. | This bill indexes for inflation various gross income thresholds and qualifications under the New Jersey gross income tax. Under the gross income tax, many provisions are structured so that the provisions apply only to those with particular amounts of income. This bill adjusts those provisions so that income levels are annually adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In particular, the bill adjusts for inflation: - the minimum taxable income threshold to be subject to the gross income tax, and the minimum taxable income threshold to file a gross income tax return. The minimum taxable income threshold for both is currently $10,000 for individuals who are single or married filing separately and $20,000 for married filing jointly. Those amounts will be adjusted annually for inflation beginning with tax year 2022. - the income limitation on the three deductions allowed pursuant to the "New Jersey College Affordability Act." Each deduction is currently limited to those with gross income of $200,000 or less. That amount will be adjusted annually for inflation beginning with tax year 2022. - the income limitation on the credit allowed pursuant to the "Wounded Warrior Caregivers Relief Act." That credit is currently limited to those with gross income not exceeding $50,000 or $100,000 if filing jointly. Those amounts will be adjusted annually for inflation beginning with tax year 2022. - the income limitation on the credit for expenses for household and dependent care services. That credit is equal to a percentage that the taxpayer is allowed under the federal income tax, but is reduced and phased out as the taxpayer's income increases to $150,000. The phase out will be adjusted annually for inflation beginning with tax year 2022. - the income limitations on the pension exclusion and other retirement income exclusion. Those exclusions are reduced and phased out as the taxpayer's income increases to $150,000. The phase out for each deduction will be adjusted annually for inflation beginning with tax year 2022. - for those required to make estimated income tax payments, the income threshold for additional estimated payments to avoid incurring underpayment penalties. Because of the complexity of exactly estimating tax payments, an alternative amount of payment is allowed to be paid without incurring penalties for underpayment of estimated tax. If a taxpayer makes payments equal to 100 percent of the taxpayer's tax liability for the previous year, or 110 percent for taxpayers with taxable income for the preceding taxable year exceeding $75,000 or $150,000 for those filing jointly, then the taxpayer will not incur penalties for underpayment of estimated tax. The income criteria for the 110 percent payment requirement will be adjusted annually for inflation beginning with tax year 2022. - the income limitation on the rebate allowed for those with a dependent child. That rebate is currently limited to those with gross income not exceeding $75,000 or $150,000 if filing jointly. Those amounts will be adjusted annually for inflation beginning with tax year 2022. - the income tax brackets and tax amounts per bracket under the optional pass-through business alternative income tax. These income tax brackets and tax amounts per bracket are currently structured to approximate tax liability under the gross income tax. The income tax brackets and tax amounts per bracket will be adjusted annually for inflation beginning with tax year 2022 to conform with the changes to the gross income tax brackets and tax amounts per bracket proposed in Senate Bill No. 676 of the 2022-2023 session. | In Committee |
| S164 | Requires health benefits coverage of hearing aids and cochlear implants for insureds aged 21 or younger. | This bill, which amends P.L.2008, c.126, "Grace's Law," removes the specification that 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 NJ FamilyCare Program) provide coverage for expenses incurred in the purchase of a hearing aid only for covered persons who are 15 years old or younger, and providing instead that they provide coverage for those expenses for covered persons who are 21 year old or younger. The bill allows a health insurer to limit the coverage of a hearing aid to one hearing aid for each hearing-impaired ear every 24 months. The bill also requires that benefits provide coverage of the cost of treatment related to cochlear implants, including procedures for the implantation of cochlear devices and costs for any parts, attachments, or accessories of the device. In addition, the bill supplements P.L.2007, c.103 (C.52:14-17.46.1 et seq.) to require the School Employees' Health Benefits Commission to ensure that every contract purchased by the commission meets the same requirements for hearing aid and cochlear implant coverage as "Grace's Law." | Dead |
| S845 | Requires health insurers to provide coverage for hearing aids. | This bill would require hospital, medical and health service corporations, commercial insurers, health maintenance organizations, health benefits plans issued pursuant to the New Jersey Individual Health Coverage and Small Employer Health Benefits Programs, and plans provided by the State Health Benefits Commission and the School Employees' Health Benefits Commission to provide coverage for medically necessary expenses incurred in the purchase of a hearing aid. The coverage shall include the purchase of one analog or digital hearing aid for each ear at least every 48 months, as prescribed or recommended by a State licensed audiologist or State licensed hearing aid dispenser. The total cost sharing responsibility of the covered person for the hearing aid, including any copayments or deductibles, shall not exceed 15 percent of the cost of the hearing aid. | In Committee |
| S672 | Establishes State definition of anti-Semitism. | This bill establishes a State definition of anti-Semitism. Under the bill, the term "definition of anti-Semitism" refers to the definition adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance on May 26, 2016, including the "contemporary examples of antisemitism," while noting that criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country is not antisemitic. The bill provides that in reviewing, investigating, or deciding whether there has been a violation of any policy, law, or regulation prohibiting discriminatory acts, the State must take into consideration this definition of anti-Semitism for purposes of determining whether the alleged act was motivated by anti-Semitic intent. Under the bill, nothing contained in the bill would be construed to diminish or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, or paragraph 6 of Article I of the New Jersey State Constitution. The bill also provides that nothing in the bill would be construed to conflict with local, State, or federal anti-discrimination laws or regulations. | In Committee |
| S695 | Permits eligible high school students to take certain courses at county college. | This bill permits eligible high school students to take certain courses at a county college. Under the bill, a county college is required to permit a high school student to enroll in courses through a career certificate program if there is available space and the student is 16 years of age or older and enrolled in grade 12, maintains good academic standing, and obtains written permission from the principal of the student's high school. Additionally, the bill specifies that a high school student enrolling in credit courses towards a career certification or license is not required to have a State-endorsed diploma or have completed the General Educational Development Test prior to enrolling in the courses. Finally, the bill stipulates that the provisions of the bill do not require a county college to waive its prerequisite course requirements or application procedures. | In Committee |
| S556 | Exempts transfers of residential real property between family members from inheritance tax. | This bill amends the New Jersey transfer inheritance tax to eliminate the tax on transfers of residential real property between family members who co-own residential real property. Currently, transfers of property between family members are only exempt from taxation if the family members are spouses, civil union partners, domestic partners, children, legally adopted children, mutually-acknowledged children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, parents, grandparents, and stepchildren. This bill amends the New Jersey transfer inheritance tax to exempt property transfers between certain family members who co-own the residential real property. This bill will take effect immediately and apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1 of the year next following enactment. | In Committee |
| S2032 | Modifies eligibility for electric vehicle incentive program; appropriates $30 million to Plug-In Electric Vehicle Incentive Fund. | This bill would allow for the payment of the one-time incentive for the purchase of a light duty plug-in electric vehicle for vehicles that were purchased between June 1, 2022 and July 25, 2022. Under the existing incentive program, $30 million per year is made available. However, demand for the incentives has outstripped the available funding and purchasers of otherwise eligible vehicles who purchased between June 1, 2022 and July 25, 2022 were not able to receive the incentive due to lack of funding. This bill would expand eligibility retroactively to eligible electric vehicles purchased or leased between June 1, 2022 through July 25, 2022. Current law offers the incentives to new light duty plug-in electric vehicle, with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of below $55,000, purchased or leased after the effective date of P.L.2019, c.362 (C.48:25-1 et al.) and registered in New Jersey. The bill also provides a one-time supplemental appropriation of $30 million to the Plug-in Electric Vehicle Incentive Fund established pursuant to section 7 of P.L.2019, c.362 (C.48:25-7). | In Committee |
| S495 | Establishes immunity for businesses against damage claims for COVID-19 exposure; excludes reckless or intentional conduct. | This bill provides immunity to businesses against claims for damage to individuals arising out of exposure to the COVID-19 at premises owned or operated by the employer, or during activity managed by the employer. The immunity provided in the bill is in addition to any other immunity protections under state or federal law. The immunity provided in this bill shall not apply to willful misconduct, reckless infliction of harm or the intentional infliction of harm. Under the bill "employer" includes any individual, partnership, association, corporation, business trust, legal representative or any organized group of persons acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer in its relations to employees. It is the sponsor's view that establishing immunity for businesses against claims for damage to individuals arising out of exposure to COVID-19 will aid in restoring strength and vitality to the economy, a key objective, by removing the risk of costly actions for damage arising from exposure to the virus. With that view in mind, the immunity of the bill extends to include employees and patrons of businesses, except where reckless or intentional conduct is involved. | In Committee |
| S960 | Requires State to reimburse licensing costs for certain school bus drivers. | This bill would permit individuals to apply for employment as school bus drivers in eligible districts and would require the Department of Education to reimburse the individual for the cost of obtaining a commercial driver license (CDL) and all required endorsements, provided that:· the individual maintains a CDL with all required endorsements during the period of employment with the eligible district;· the individual completes all training required for school bus drivers; and · the individual commits to five years of employment as a school bus driver in the eligible district. The bill defines "eligible district" as any public school district that owns and operates its own school buses and does not use a school bus contractor for the provision of student transportation services. The bill provides that an individual that receives funding from the department and who does not complete five years of employment as a school bus driver with an eligible district would be required to repay to the department the cost of obtaining a CDL and all required endorsements, prorated against the duration of employment as a school bus driver in an eligible district as follows:· an individual who completes three full years of employment or less would repay 100 percent of the cost of obtaining a CDL and all required endorsements; and· an individual who completes four full years of employment would repay 50 percent of the cost of obtaining a CDL and all required endorsements. | In Committee |
| S992 | Requires induction loop listening system installation in certain buildings open to public upon new construction or substantial renovation. | This bill would require the installation of induction loop listening systems in certain public spaces upon new construction or substantial renovation. An "induction loop listening system" refers to a hardwired assistive listening system in which a loop of wire around an area of a building, or hardwired countertop version, produces a signal received directly by hearing aids and cochlear implants used by persons with hearing loss. Induction loop listening systems magnetically transmit sound to hearing aids and cochlear implants that are equipped with telecoil features, and have an effect of filtering out background noise. Under the bill, induction loop listening system installations would be required in a newly constructed area of public assembly or service, unless the associated building permit application was initially submitted on or before the effective date of the bill. The bill would also require any area of public assembly or service to install induction loop listening systems during renovations that cost $40,000 or more. Additionally, the bill would require the posting of prominently-visible permanently-mounted signage to indicate to visitors that the induction loop listening system is available in an area of public assembly or service. Following initial installation, the bill would require the owner, on a biennial basis, to complete a self-certification form, attesting that the induction loop listening system continues to function. Under the bill, an "area of public assembly or service" means a building or structure, or space within a building or structure, that is regularly open for public gatherings, consisting of an auditorium, theater, meeting room, courtroom, community center, library, pharmacy counter, information desk at a medical facility, a waiting area for a medical office, bank teller area, car rental business, restaurant, bar, or other food or beverage counter service location, coat check area, grocery store check-out area, ticket payment location, or other category of space designated by the Department of Community Affairs ("DCA") as an area of public assembly or service. Under the bill, the owner of an area of public assembly or service would not be required to install and maintain an induction loop listening system if a code enforcing agency determines that the installation of the system would be impractical, following an assertion of the impracticality of the installation by the building permit applicant. The bill directs DCA to adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of the bill, including the establishment of standards for: (1) the installation of an induction loop listening system; (2) the conditions that would render installation impractical; (3) the placement and appearance of the required signage; and (4) the frequency and criteria of public access that would cause a space to be designated as open to the public, in relation to the definition of an area of public assembly or service. The provisions of the bill would be enforced as part of the "State Uniform Construction Code Act," ("UCC") P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-119 et seq.). The owner of an area of public assembly or service who violates the provisions of the bill would therefore be liable for any penalty imposed by an enforcing agency pursuant to section 20 of P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-138), or any other applicable penalty under the UCC. In order to provide DCA with time to prepare for the enforcement of the bill, the bill would take effect on the first day of the seventh month following enactment. | In Committee |
| S826 | Permits certain drivers' schools to conduct road tests. | This bill permits the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to designate and appoint examiners that are licensed to operate drivers' schools to conduct the road test required to obtain a driver's license. The bill requires the examiner, upon the completion of a road test, to provide the applicant sitting for the road test with documentation, in accordance with procedures prescribed by the MVC, certifying successful or unsuccessful completion of the road test. Any applicant, who has successfully completed a road test conducted by an examiner licensed to operate a driver's school, is to provide the document certifying successful completion of the road test, in addition to all other documents required pursuant to law, to an MVC agency or regional service center to obtain a probationary driver's license. Any applicant, who has unsuccessfully completed a road test conducted by an examiner licensed to operate a driving school, is required to wait a period of 14 days prior to retaking the road test. Under the bill, the Chief Administrator of the MVC is required to promulgate rules for the conduct of drivers' schools, including the standards for the provision of the road tests that are conducted by an examiner licensed to operate a driver's school within 30 days of the implementation of the bill. The temporary rules and regulations adopted under the bill are to be in effect for a period not to exceed one year after the date of the filing with Office of Administrative Law. Any rules and regulations adopted, amended, or readopted thereafter by the MVC are to be in accordance with the requirements of the "Administrative Procedure Act." | In Committee |
| S333 | Requires DHS to establish two-year Regional Community Behavioral Health Pilot Program. | This bill would require the Department of Human Services to establish a two-year Regional Community Behavioral Health Pilot Program. Within 180 days after the bill's effective date, the DHS is to issue a request for proposals (RFP) and select one or more managed care organization or organizations to administer the pilot program in the northern, central, and southern regions of the State. The managed care organization or organizations selected to administer the pilot program will be required to: 1) review Medicaid claims data, and work with primary care practitioners in the managed care network, to identify patients in the network who have severe behavioral health disorders. Such patients will be deemed to be eligible to participate in the pilot program; 2) contract with three community behavioral health providers, one in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State, and require each participating provider to promptly perform a behavioral health needs assessment for each eligible patient in the pilot program who resides in the provider's region of operations. The needs assessment is to be performed using a standardized tool or methodology and is to be used by the provider to identify each eligible patient's behavioral health and social service needs, including, but not limited to, the need for medication-assisted treatment and other substance use disorder treatment, the need for mental health treatment, including voluntary or involuntary commitment, and the need for food, housing, financial, or other social assistance; 3) work with each participating provider, as well as with primary care providers, substance use disorder treatment providers, and social service providers in the State, to ensure that eligible patients in the provider's region of operations have access to an intensive, coordinated support system to help them navigate the State's behavioral health care service system and timely identify and access necessary and appropriate behavioral health care services in the State and region. The coordinated support system utilized in each region will be required to incorporate: a) the use, by participating providers, of warm hand-offs, rapid referrals, supportive contacts, and other efficient and supportive care transition methods; b) the hiring, by participating providers, of service navigation specialists and advisors to guide eligible patients through the behavioral health care system and to direct, monitor, and keep a record of, the services received by each eligible patient; and c) the use, by participating providers or the administering managed care organization or organizations, of any other means or methods deemed appropriate or necessary to facilitate behavioral health care coordination or care transitions in the State. In selecting one or more managed care organizations to administer the pilot program, the DHS will be required to give priority to those managed care organizations that have the ability to link to, and exchange relevant information and data through, a Statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE) or other health information platform. The DHS will further be required to encourage the administering managed care organization or organizations to engage in the active and ongoing use of the HIE or other platform, as may be necessary to efficiently and effectively administer the pilot program. A portion of the funding that is provided to the administering organization for the purposes of the pilot program may be used to finance the costs associated with use of the HIE or other platform. The bill provides for the pilot program to be funded through the Medicaid program using a value-based payment system. The value-based payment system is to be modeled on, and consistent with, the population-based payment methodology that is described under Category 4 of the alternative payment methodologies (APM) framework developed by the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network. Specifically, the value-based payment system is to provide for a quarterly advanced bundled payment to be provided to the administering managed care organization or organizations for the purposes of financing the total cost of behavioral health care that is provided, by participating providers and other appropriate service providers, to eligible patients in the State, including, but not limited to, the costs associated with needs assessments performed and support and navigation services provided pursuant to the bill and the costs associated with the managed care organization's linkage to, use of, and exchange of information and data through, a Statewide HIE or other health information platform. The quarterly bundled payment rate is to be established by the Commissioner of Human Services, based on the commissioner's evaluation of the following factors: 1) the number of eligible patients who are expected to be served by the pilot program; 2) the average anticipated per-patient cost of care for eligible patients; 3) the anticipated costs to participating providers of hiring and training staff to provide eligible patients with assistance and support in service navigation; 4) the anticipated costs associated with ensuring the linkage to, and exchange of relevant health information through, the HIE or other Statewide health information platform; and 5) any other factors that may affect the cost of care for eligible patients. The quarterly bundled payment is to be limited to the bundled rate established by the commissioner under the bill, and may not be increased, regardless of whether the actual costs of care received by patients in the pilot program exceed the bundled payment rate provided under the bill. If the administering managed care organization or organizations, in cooperation with participating providers in each region, are able to reduce the per-patient costs of care for patients engaged in the pilot program through the effective use of care coordination methodologies, including, but not limited to, the use of the service navigation and support systems described under the bill, the administering managed care organization or organizations may retain, and will not be required to repay, any bundled payment funds that remain unexpended thereby. The managed care organization or organizations will be required to share any such savings with the providers participating in the pilot program at a rate that is proportional to the rate of per-patient cost reduction savings that was achieved by each such provider. If the actual per-patient costs of care for patients engaged in the pilot program exceed the advanced bundled payment rate established by the commissioner under bill, the administering managed care organization or organizations will be required to ensure that all eligible patients continue to receive appropriate services and care from participating providers and other appropriate providers without being subject to an increase in out-of-pocket costs. Any financial loss suffered by the managed care organization or organizations as a result of an increase in the per-patient cost of care for patients in the pilot program is to be shared by the managed care organization or organizations with the participating providers at a rate that is proportional to the rate of per-patient cost increase attributed to each provider. The bill requires the DHS, within 90 days after the two-year pilot program is terminated, to prepare and submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature. The Commissioner of Human Services will be required to apply for any State plan amendments or waivers as may be necessary to implement the bill's provisions and secure federal financial participation for State Medicaid expenditures under the federal Medicaid program. | In Committee |
| S234 | Establishes Capital Project Development Loan Program to support certain large-scale redevelopment projects; appropriates $300 million. | This bill establishes the "Capital Project Development Loan Program" (loan program) within the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) to provide low-interest loans to support the completion of transformative capital projects. The bill appropriates $300 million from the General Fund to support the loan program. To qualify for the loan program, an applicant would be required to: (1) be a public institution of higher education, a State-owned hospital, a public agency, or a non-profit organization; (2) undertake a transformative capital project, which is defined to include large-scale redevelopment projects that support research and development, health care infrastructure, green infrastructure, or transformational real estate and infrastructure; and (3) meet any other eligibility requirements that the EDA deems appropriate. However, if the applicant is a non-public entity, the applicant would also be required to demonstrate that the project would be operated under a public-private partnership agreement, as approved by the EDA. Under the loan program, the EDA may approve applications on a rolling basis, subject to the availability of funds. When reviewing applications, the bill permits the EDA to prioritize applications based on any considerations that the EDA deems appropriate, including the intent of the project, the economic feasibility of the project, and the degree to which the project advances Statewide and regional planning goals. Upon approval of an application, the EDA would provide low-interest loans to each selected applicant. Under the bill, each loan may mature no later than 30 years after the date of issuance. The bill also provides that if a borrower fails to repay all or part of a program loan, the EDA may disqualify the borrower from future program loans. The bill also requires the EDA to establish and maintain a non-lapsing revolving fund, which would be known as the "Capital Project Development Loan Fund." The revolving fund would serve as the repository of all monies used to support the loan program. Specifically, the $300 million that is appropriated from General Fund under the bill would be deposited into the revolving loan fund. | In Committee |
| S205 | Directs New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, Office of Information Technology, and New Jersey Big Data Alliance to develop advanced cyberinfrastructure strategic plan. | This bill directs the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, the Office of Information Technology, and the New Jersey Big Data Alliance to coordinate and establish an advanced cyberinfrastructure strategic plan. The advanced cyberinfrastructure strategic plan is to include, but is not to be limited to: 1) assessing the State's cyberinfrastructure, public and privately-owned, including, high performance computing, data storage systems, advanced instrumentation, data center facilities, visualization environments, the human expertise necessary to operate the cyberinfrastructure, and the software and advanced networks that link these resources together; 2) creating a roadmap for implementing advanced cyberinfrastructure improvements throughout the State, which shall include, but not be limited to the development of a shared data cloud that integrates data infrastructure, hosted data, and data analytics, and the development of a high speed network infrastructure. The shared data cloud is to host an open data repository to address big data challenges and catalyze collaborations between academia, industry, and government; 3) recommending implementation strategies and policies for improving the State's cyberinfrastructure; 4) identifying the benefits and the essential applications of cyberinfrastructure; 5) recommending workforce development strategies to ensure that the necessary human expertise is in place; 6) identifying the means of using advanced cyberinfrastructure to drive economic development and facilitate the creation of public private partnerships; and 7) identifying cybersecurity risk mitigation strategies to help ensure public safety and privacy controls are comprehensively integrated into the State's cyberinfrastructure. Under the bill, "big data" is defined to mean high volume information assets, high velocity information assets, high variety information assets, or all three, that require new forms of processing to enable enhanced decision making, insight discovery, and process optimization. The term "cyberinfrastructure" includes, but is not limited to, data networks, computational facilities, computing resources, large data sets, specialized software applications, information technology usage improvements, and the human expertise necessary to develop and manage such resources. The bill defines "New Jersey Big Data Alliance" to mean the consortium designated as the State's advanced cyberinfrastructure consortium, consisting of the following institutions and academically oriented organizations: Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; Princeton University; New Jersey Institute of Technology; Rowan University; The College of New Jersey; Felician University; New Jersey City University; Ramapo College of New Jersey; Rider University; Saint Peter's University; Seton Hall University; Stockton University; Kean University; Montclair State University; the Stevens Institute of Technology; William Paterson University of New Jersey; and the nonprofit organization and technology services provider NJEdge. | In Committee |
| S348 | Prohibits public disclosure of names and addresses in certain unemployment, temporary disability, and family leave claim appeals documents. | This bill prohibits the public disclosure of names and addresses in certain unemployment, temporary disability, and family leave claim appeals documents. Currently, when a worker appeals a claim with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the information about their case is made available to the public in the form of meeting minutes when the Board of Review hears the appeal. This information includes the worker's name, the nature of their dispute, and the decision that the Board of Review made on their appeal. This bill excludes from disclosure that portion of any agenda or meeting minutes of the Board of Review or any final administrative decision of the Appeals Tribunal or the Board of Review that discloses the name or address of any claimant for unemployment compensation, temporary disability insurance benefits, or family leave insurance benefits who is party to an appeal before the Appeals Tribunal or the Board of Review within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. This bill also allows the Appeals Tribunal and the Board of Review to replace names on agendas, meeting minutes, or final administrative decisions with initials or a fictitious name. The bill provides for a delayed effective date for section 1 of the bill and allows the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Appeals Tribunal, and the Board of Review to take anticipatory administrative action in advance of the effective date of this bill. | In Committee |
| S878 | Permits conduct of Queen of Hearts raffle games. | This bill permits raffle licensees to conduct of Queen of Hearts raffle games. Under current law, municipalities where voters have approved a referendum to allow raffle games may license eligible organizations to conduct these games. The Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission in the Department of Law and Public Safety regulates the conduct of these games. Under Article IV, Section VII, paragraph 2, subparagraph B of the State Constitution, and under the Raffles Licensing Law, eligible organizations may apply for a license to conduct raffles. Bona fide organizations or associations of veterans; churches or religious congregations and religious organizations; charitable, educational, and fraternal organizations; civic and service clubs; senior citizen associations and clubs; officially recognized volunteer fire companies; and officially recognized volunteer first aid or rescue squads are eligible to apply for a license. This bill permits eligible organizations to conduct Queen of Hearts raffle games. A "Queen of Hearts raffle" means a raffle game utilizing a Queen of Hearts raffle board onto which 54 thoroughly shuffled playing cards are placed facedown, side-by-side. Raffle tickets are placed into a ticket drum or other receptacle and a winning ticket is drawn at random. The participant holding the winning raffle ticket is entitled to "Search for the Queen of Hearts" by selecting one of the facedown playing cards. When the playing card selected is not the Queen of Hearts, the card is placed out of play, and the person is awarded a cash prize valued according to a certain schedule. The raffle drawings are conducted weekly until a person selects the Queen of Hearts. When a person selects the Queen of Hearts, that person will be awarded 50 percent of the prize, and the remainder of the prize will be retained by the licensee as proceeds from conducting the raffle. The bill specifies that the licensee may use the net proceeds derived from the conduct of Queen of Hearts raffle games in any manner allowable by law and in accordance with State regulations. The bill directs the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission to adopt the necessary rules and regulations for the conduct of Queen of Hearts raffle games. | In Committee |
| S1275 | Exempts sales of reusable carryout bags from sales and use tax. | This bill provides a sales and use tax exemption for sales of reusable carryout bags. For purposes of the bill, a "reusable carryout bag" means a carryout bag that:· is made of polypropylene, PET nonwoven fabric, nylon, cloth, hemp product, or other machine washable fabric;· has stitched handles; and· is designed and manufactured for multiple reuse. | In Committee |
| S243 | Requires manufacturers of electric vehicles to establish and implement electric vehicle battery management plans. | The bill requires every manufacturer of electric vehicles sold within the State, either individually or as a part of a group of manufacturers, to develop, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection (department), and submit an electric vehicle battery management plan to the department for review and approval. The plan is to provide for manufacturers to be responsible the collection, transportation, reuse, and recycling or disposal of all used electric vehicle batteries using environmentally sound management practices. The plan is required to prioritize the reuse and recycling of used electric vehicle batteries prior to disposal. The bill requires the electric vehicle battery management plan to include: (1) information identifying the make, model, and year of electric vehicles that may contain an electric vehicle battery, and the estimated number of electric vehicle batteries for which the manufacturer is responsible; (2) methods that will be used to remove, collect, and store the used electric vehicle batteries, including proposed collection services; (3) methods that will be utilized to transport the used electric vehicle batteries to authorized recycling facilities, including the name and location of all authorized recyclers to be directly utilized pursuant to the plan; (4) the processes and methods that will be utilized to reuse used electric vehicle batteries for alternate second-life purposes, recycle used electric vehicle batteries that cannot be reused for alternate uses including a description of the recycling processes that will be used, and, if necessary, a plan for final disposal of used electric vehicle batteries; (5) a strategy for informing consumers and residents of this State about the requirements to properly manage electric vehicle batteries, the environmental impact of the improper handling or disposal of used electric vehicle batteries, and the mechanisms for the collection, transportation, reuse, and recycling or proper disposal of used electric vehicle batteries that are available to consumers; (6) a plan for the implementation and financing of the electric vehicle battery management plan; and (7) any other information, policies, or procedures as the department deems appropriate. Under the bill, the electric vehicle battery management plan would, to the extent practicable, utilize the existing recycling infrastructure. Where the existing recycling infrastructure is not utilized, the electric vehicle battery management plan is required to include the reasons for establishing a separate infrastructure. An electric vehicle battery management plan is required to provide for the financing of the collection, transportation, reuse, and recycling or disposal of used electric vehicle batteries. The costs of such financing is required to be borne by the manufacturers of electric vehicles sold in the State. The department and the manufacturers would be responsible for jointly developing a method that ensures the prompt payment to recycling facilities for costs associated with electric vehicle battery collection, transportation, reuse, and recycling or disposal. An electric vehicle battery management plan would be reviewed and updated, as necessary, at least once every two years. The bill requires a complete electric vehicle battery management plan to be submitted to the department for approval prior to its implementation by manufacturers. The department may approve, disapprove, or conditionally approve the electric vehicle battery management plan. If the department approves the electric vehicle battery management plan, the manufacturer is required to implement the plan within 90 days after receipt of approval from the department or as otherwise agreed to by the department. If the electric vehicle battery management plan is disapproved, the manufacturer would have 30 days to submit a revised electric vehicle battery management plan to the department. The department may approve part, in part, an electric vehicle battery management plan, and may disapprove a part of the plan that does not comply with the requirements of the bill and the rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto. In this case, the manufacturer is required to implement the approved components, within 90 days after receipt of approval by the department or as otherwise agreed to by the department, and submit a revised electric vehicle battery management plan within 30 days after receipt of notification of the disapproval of the department in order to bring the entire plan into compliance. The department will review and approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove a revised electric vehicle battery management plan within 30 days after receipt of the revised plan. If, at the conclusion of the time period ending 120 days after receipt by the department of a complete electric vehicle battery management plan, the department has neither approved nor disapproved the electric vehicle battery management plan, the electric vehicle battery management plan is to be considered conditionally approved. A manufacturer, subject to any modifications required by the department, is required to implement a conditionally approved electric vehicle battery management plan within 90 days after the plan has been deemed conditionally approved by the department. Within 90 days after the department's approval of an electric vehicle battery management plan, or any revisions thereto, the department is required to post, at a publicly accessible location on its Internet website, each electric vehicle battery management plan and a list identifying each of the manufacturers participating in an electric vehicle battery management plan. Manufacturers implementing electric vehicle battery management plans are required to provide consumers with educational materials related to the electric vehicle battery management plan and the electric vehicle battery collection services that are available. The bill prohibits a manufacturer or retailer of electric vehicles from selling, or offering to sell, electric vehicles to any person in the State unless the manufacturer of the electric vehicle is engaged in the implementation of, or has fully implemented, an electric vehicle battery management plan. A retailer would be deemed to be in compliance with this sales prohibition if, on the date the electric vehicle is ordered thereby, the manufacturer of the electric vehicle is identified on the list maintained on the department's Internet website. If a manufacturer fails to comply with the conditions and terms of an approved electric vehicle battery management plan, the manufacturer would be prohibited from selling or offering for sale electric vehicles in this State. The bill also establishes penalties for violations of the bill's provisions or any rules or regulations adopted pursuant thereto. The bill also requires manufacturers to submit an annual report to the department, which describes or includes, among other things: (1) a description of the methods used to remove, collect, store, transport, reuse, and recycle or dispose of the used electric vehicle batteries under the electric vehicle battery management plan; (2) the number of used electric vehicle batteries collected during the preceding year; (3) the number of used electric vehicle batteries that were reused for second-life, alternate purposes during the preceding year and a description of what the electric vehicle batteries were used for; (4) the number of used electric vehicle batteries that were recycled in the preceding year; (5) the number of used electric vehicle batteries that were disposed of in the preceding year; (6) a list of all manufacturers implementing the electric vehicle battery management plan; (7) the total cost of implementing the electric vehicle battery management plan, including separate figures for the cost of collection, transportation, reuse, recycling, disposal, communication, and any other categories that involved cost; (8) samples of the educational materials provided to consumers of electric vehicles, together with an evaluation of the methods used to disseminate those materials, and an assessment of the educational and outreach effectiveness of those materials; (9) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the electric vehicle battery management plan and any steps necessary to improve the effectiveness of the electric vehicle battery management plan; and (10) any other information the department may require. The bill requires the department to review these reports and issue an annual report on the progress of the electric vehicle battery management plans. Finally, the bill authorizes the department to adopt rules or regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| S928 | Provides free tuition at public institutions of higher education for surviving spouses and dependent children of military personnel killed in performance of duties. | This bill provides that any resident of New Jersey who is a dependent child or surviving spouse of a member of the United States Armed Forces who is killed in the performances of his duties, upon being accepted to pursue a course of undergraduate study in a State college or university created pursuant to chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgers, The State University, Rowan University, or a county college will, while enrolled as an undergraduate student in good standing at the institution, have his tuition paid by the State. The amount of the scholarship may not exceed an amount equal to the portion of tuition costs at the institution that is not otherwise covered by any other State scholarship, tuition aid grant, benefit or other assistance awarded to the recipient. The bill also provides that, in the case of a dependent child, eligibility for the scholarship will be limited to eight years following graduation from high school. A surviving spouse will be eligible for initial receipt of the scholarship for a period of eight years from the date of death of the person. | 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 |
| S1565 | Increases statutory mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court Justices, Superior Court Judges, Tax Court Judges, Administrative Law Judges, and Workers' Compensation Judges from 70 to 75. | This bill would amend various sections of the statutory law to reflect the new mandatory retirement age of 75 for Justices of the Supreme Court and Judges of the Superior Court, pending an amendment to the New Jersey Constitution. The bill would also increase the statutory mandatory retirement age for Judges of the Tax Court, Administrative Law Judges, and Judges of the Division of Workers' Compensation to 75. This bill has a bifurcated effective date since the retirement age for Justices of the Supreme Court and Judges of the Superior Court Judges are set forth in the New Jersey Constitution. In this regard, those sections which pertain to the justices and judges, as well as Judges of the Tax Court (whose statutory salary, pension, and benefits are the same as those for Superior Court judges) would only take effect if the voters of this State approve a constitutional amendment increasing the mandatory retirement age from 70 to 75 within one year of such a proposed amendment being submitted to the voters (see bill sections 1, 3, and 4). Those sections of the bill which increase the retirement age for Administrative Law Judges and Judges of the Division of Workers' Compensation from 70 to 75 would take effect immediately (see bill sections 2, 5, 6, and 7). It is not the intent of the sponsor to make any other substantive changes to existing law other than to increase the mandatory retirement age, and thus the bill would not affect the current service eligibility requirements for retirement at age 70. | In Committee |
| S358 | Concerns railroad safety. | This bill concerns various railroad safety provisions, including requiring: certain actions to be taken if a high hazard train experiences a discharge, limits on train length, and installation and review of wayside detector systems. Following a discharge that requires emergency response action, the owner or operator of a high hazard train is required to meet certain milestones at certain time periods. Under the bill, the owner or operator of a high hazard train is to require at least a two person crew on all high hazard trains. The owner or operator of a high hazard train is to further require that all high hazard trains clearly display the name of the rail company that owns the high hazard train. Whenever, on the basis of available information, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection (commissioner) finds that the owner or operator of a high hazard train is in violation of the provisions this bill, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, the commissioner may levy a civil administrative penalty or bring an action for a civil penalty. The commissioner is authorized to assess a civil administrative penalty of not more than $25,000 for each violation, and each day during which each violation continues will constitute an additional, separate, and distinct offense. The owner or operator of a high hazard train that experiences a discharge is also subject to penalty and injunctive relief provisions under the "Spill Compensation and Control Act." The bill also prohibits any railroad company, including a short line, from operating any train that exceeds 8,500 feet in length on any main line or branch line, within the State. Any person or railroad company found to be in violation will be liable for a civil penalty of at least $500 but not more than $1,000 per foot over the maximum train length allowed under the bill, though the penalty is increased in instances of gross negligence or repeat violations that cause an imminent hazard of death or injury or has caused death or injury. In accordance with federal regulations, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection is required to, at least annually, request from the United States Secretary of Transportation a copy of the most recent bridge inspection report for every bridge owned by a railroad or upon which a railroad is located. The commissioner is required to submit any bridge inspection report, acquired by the department, to the Governor and Legislature. Under the bill, the Board of Public Utilities (board), in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Transportation is required to work with each railroad company that operates in the State to ensure that wayside detector systems are installed and are operating along railroad tracks on which the railroad operates and to ensure that such systems meet certain standards. If a railroad company refuses to work or otherwise cooperate with the board and the Department of Transportation in good faith, the board and the Department of Transportation are required to investigate the railroad company's safety practices and standards to determine whether the company appears to be in compliance with federal railroad safety standards. If the railroad company does not appear to be in compliance, the board and the Department of Transportation are then required to make a report to the Federal Railroad Administration (administration) detailing the results of the investigation and recommending that the administration take enforcement action in accordance with its authority against the railroad company for the safety violations discovered through the investigation. The bill requires the board and the Department of Transportation to send a copy of the report to the Governor and Legislature. | In Committee |
| S1640 | Requires NJT to establish guidelines for on-demand micro transit pilot programs operating within State. | This bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJT), in consultation with the Commissioner of Transportation, to establish and issue guidelines for the operation of any on-demand micro transit pilot programs operating within the State. These guidelines would include recommendations to: incentivize the employment of union labor; ensure the affordability of on-demand micro transit services; and specify the classifications of motor vehicles that may be used for each pilot program, which vehicles may not be limited to those for which a driver is required to obtain a commercial drivers license. Additionally, the bill requires the NJT on-demand micro transit program to increase the range of services that the program will offer. Currently, the program will serve areas of Bergen and Monmouth counties, and this bill would require the next wave of program expansion to prioritize additional services in Bergen, Mercer, and Middlesex counties. Under the bill, "on-demand micro transit" is defined as publicly available, technology-enabled, shared transportation provided by means of a motor vehicle to individuals selecting a pick-up and drop-off location by telephone or through a mobile application, and which transportation is provided at a time selected by the individual or as soon as possible after the individual selects pick-up and drop-off locations for such transportation. | In Committee |
| S1261 | Requires Division of Travel and Tourism develop and maintain Internet website on historic sites, districts, and roadside markers. | This bill requires the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State to develop and maintain an Internet website for historic sites and historic districts, including, but not limited to, the New Jersey program on historical and cultural roadside markers. Under the bill, the division would develop and maintain an interactive website providing information on the historic sites or historic districts throughout the State. The bill requires the division to update the website whenever a site or district is added to the program or whenever a governmental entity establishes a new historic site or district. | In Committee |
| S2287 | Establishes NJ Non-Profit Loan Guarantee Pilot Program within EDA. | This bill requires the New Jersey Economic Development Authority ("EDA") to establish and maintain the New Jersey Non-Profit Loan Guarantee Pilot Program ("program") and the New Jersey Non-Profit Loan Guarantee Fund ("fund"). Under the bill, the authority is required, within six months of the effective date of the bill, to provide financial assistance in the form of loan guarantees to non-profit organizations to support the construction of new physical spaces that are capable of generating income sufficient to repay the loans. Application Criteria The bill requires the EDA to establish an application process. A non-profit organization that seeks a loan guarantee agreement under the 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 the non-profit organization to submit proof that the non-profit organization has: 1) been determined by the federal Internal Revenue Service to be a tax-exempt organization pursuant to federal law; 2) been in existence for 10 years prior to the effective date of the bill; and 3) received financial assistance from the State, including grants, loans, or any other form of assistance prior to the effective date of the bill. The EDA may only approve the application if the EDA determines: 1) that the loan for which the application for a loan guarantee has been submitted is expected to result in the creation of 10 or more full-time jobs upon completion of construction of a new physical space financed under the provisions of the bill; 2) based on the projections by the non-profit organization, including the data and assumptions forming the basis thereof, of the profitability and financial stability over the term of the loan guarantee, that the loan for which the application for a loan guarantee has been submitted will support the construction of new physical space that is capable of generating income sufficient to repay the loan through box office sales, private donations, sponsorships, or other sources of revenue; and 3) that the non-profit organization has a record of financial stability, good reputation, and credit worthiness. Loan Guarantee Agreements Under the bill, the EDA would enter into an agreement with a participating bank and a non-profit organization qualified pursuant to the bill to use the moneys from the fund to guarantee a direct loan or revolving line of credit provided by the participating bank to finance the construction of a new physical space by the qualified non-profit organization. Each loan guarantee agreement that the EDA enters into with a participating bank and non-profit organization will not exceed $15 million per qualified applicant or a period of more than 20 years. The agreements are also required to provide for any other terms or conditions that the EDA and the participating banks determine as being necessary or desirable to effectuate the purpose of the program. The EDA is also required to establish sufficient reserves and liquid reserves to provide a sufficient and actuarially sound basis for its pledges contained in any loan guarantee agreement entered into pursuant to the bill. Loan Fund The bill requires the fund to be credited with: 1) an amount from the Economic Recovery Fund that the EDA determines is necessary to effectively implement the program, within the limits of funding available from the Economic Recovery Fund; 2) any moneys received by the EDA from the repayment of the moneys in the guarantee fund used to provide loan guarantees pursuant to the bill and interest thereon; and 3) any other moneys of the EDA, including but not limited to, any moneys available from other business assistance programs administered by the EDA that are authorized and determined by the EDA to be deposited in the fund. Report Requirements Finally, within 24 months following the effective date of the bill, and on or before February 15 of each year thereafter in which a loan guarantee agreement entered into under the bill is in effect, the EDA is required to prepare a report on the program. The report may be issued separately, or in combination with any reports required by any law concerning financial assistance to non-profit organizations in New Jersey. The report is required to include, but need not be limited to, a description of the demand for the program from qualified non-profits and participating banks, the efforts made by the EDA to promote the program, the total amount of loan guarantees approved by the EDA under the program, and an assessment of the effectiveness of the program in meeting the goals of the bill. The EDA is required to submit its report to the Governor and the Legislature, including any recommendations for legislation to improve the effectiveness of the program. | In Committee |
| S318 | Establishes annual cost of living adjustment based on Consumer Price Index for certain children, youth, and family services organizations. | This bill stipulates that, on or after the effective date of the bill, the terms of a contract entered into between the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and a children, youth, and family organization are to include an annual increase in the cost of living adjustment received by the organization. The cost of living adjustment would be based on the Consumer Price Index for the previous 12-month period beginning October 1 and ending September 30, as published by the United States Department of Labor, and DCF would be required to announce the rate of the increase on October 1 of each year. As used in the bill, a "children, youth, and family organization" means an organization that provides programs and services to children, youth, and families through contracts entered into with DCF including, but not limited to, programs partially or fully funded by the State Medicaid program. DCF contracts with children, youth, and family organizations to provide child protective and treatment services through a competitive bidding process whereby a fixed rate is established for the provision of services. The fixed rate includes all the costs associated with the delivery of services including, but not limited to, salary, wages, and compensation for the staff of the organizations who provide the direct services to children, youth, and families. Such staff members continually face increases in their living expenses, but the rates provided to children, youth, and family organizations contracted with DCF are not automatically adjusted for cost of living increases. This bill would establish a statutory mechanism for providing annual cost of living adjustments to children, youth, and family organizations contracted with DCF. | In Committee |
| S1301 | Concerns discriminatory appraisals of property on basis of race, creed, color, national origin, or certain other characteristics. | This bill concerns discriminatory appraisals of property on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, or certain other characteristics. Under the bill, named the "Fair Appraisals Act," holders of an appraisal license, certificate, or appraisal management company registration, will be subject to fines or have their licenses, certificates, or registrations suspended or revoked, if the holder is found to have discriminated in the appraisal of real estate on the basis of the actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, affectional or sexual orientation, sex, gender identity or expression, disability, or other characteristic listed pursuant to New Jersey's "Law Against Discrimination" of the property buyer, property owner, agents of the property buyer or owner, or present owners or occupants of the properties within the neighborhood of the property subject to appraisal. Any appraisal of real estate found to be discriminatory shall be void and of no effect and the holder of the license, certificate, or registration shall be required to make restitution of the cost of the discriminatory appraisal. If the State Real Estate Appraiser Board suspends a holder of a license, certification or registration, then the board is required to notify the holder of the board's rationale in writing. The board must also provide opportunity for a hearing to be held in accordance with the State's Administrative Procedure Act. Additionally, prior to the initiation of a property appraisal, a holder of a license, certification or registration is to provide a property owner or agent of the property owner with a document, given free of charge and in a form and manner prescribed by the State Real Estate Appraiser Board, informing the property owner of the opportunity to report, through the Division on Civil Rights within the Department of Law and Public Safety Internet website or telephone number, any suspicion of a discriminatory appraisal by the holder of a license, certificate, or registration pursuant to the provisions of the bill. When receiving a report of an alleged discriminatory appraisal, the Division on Civil Rights shall ascertain the basis for the allegation and solicit from the complainant relevant demographic information, including but not limited to, the identity of the complainant within the characteristics listed under the bill. The complainant may provide the demographic information solicited by the division on a voluntary basis. Information concerning the prohibition of discriminatory appraisals of property, including the statutory basis for the prohibition, is to be published on the Division of Consumer Affairs website. The bill requires a licensed real estate broker, broker-salesperson, or salesperson to provide, upon first interaction with a property owner or agent of the property owner, a free document informing the property owner of the opportunity to report any suspicion of a discriminatory appraisal. The bill requires a property owner to provide, during a private sale of real estate and upon first interaction with a property buyer or agent of the property buyer, a free document informing the property buyer of the opportunity to report any suspicion of a discriminatory appraisal. The bill requires a licensed mortgage broker, real estate broker, broker-salesperson, or other mortgage salesperson to, within three days of receiving a mortgage loan application, provide a mortgage loan applicant with a document informing the applicant of the opportunity to report any suspicion of a discriminatory appraisal to the Division on Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety. | In Committee |
| S327 | Authorizes MVC to enter into contract with private vendor for marketing and sale of certain license plates. | This bill authorizes the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to enter into a contract with a private vendor for the marketing and sale of personalized, courtesy, or special license plates. The contract is to be for a period of not less than five years with the initial contract term commencing upon the public advertisement of the license plate program, but may be renewed for up to two additional contract terms for a period of not less than five years each in duration. The bill requires any contract that the MVC enters into with a private vendor to provide for the recovery of all costs incurred by the MVC in implementing the provisions of this bill but may also require that the private vendor reimburse the MVC in advance for: not more than one-half of the MVC's anticipated costs in connection with the contract; and the MVC's anticipated costs in connection with the introduction of a new personalized, courtesy, or specialty license plate. Under the bill, instead of the fees and the license plate year terms for the registration of motor vehicles established for personalized, courtesy, and special license plates authorized by statute, the MVC may, by rule, establish fees and license plate year terms for the registration of motor vehicles for the issuance or renewal of personalized, courtesy, or special license plates that are marketed and sold by the private vendor. The fees are to be reasonable and not less than the amounts necessary to allow the MVC to recover all reasonable costs associated with the implementation and enforcement of the contract, including direct, indirect, and administrative costs. License plate year terms for the registration of motor vehicles are to be offered at annual and various multi-year term lengths as approved by the MVC. The fee is to be in addition to the registration fee prescribed by law for the registration of a motor vehicle; and any renewal fee established for a special license plate by the provision of law that authorizes the issuance of the special license plate. The bill provides that any contract with a private vendor for the marketing and sale of personalized, courtesy, or special license plates is payable only from amounts derived from the collection of the fees established by the bill. Any fees collected in excess of the minimum fees established by the MVC are to be deposited as a credit to the General Fund. The bill also provides that the MVC may approve a new design and color combinations for personalized, courtesy, or special license plates that are marketed and sold by a private vendor under the contract entered into with the private vendor. Each approved license plate design and color combination remains the property of the MVC and is to be in accordance with the provisions of law and the regulations promulgated pursuant thereto concerning the style and form of license plates in this State. Nothing in the bill, however, is to be construed to authorize or permit: (1) the MVC to approve a design or color combination for a special license plate that is inconsistent with the design or color combination specified for the special license plate by the provision of law that authorizes the issuance of the special license plate; or (2) the private vendor to market and sell a special license plate with a design or color combination that is inconsistent with the design or color combination specified by the provision of law that authorizes the issuance of the special license plate. The bill permits the MVC to cancel a license plate or require the discontinuation of an approved license plate design or color combination that is marketed and sold by a private vendor under contract at any time if the MVC determines that the cancellation or discontinuation is in the best interest of this State or the motoring public. | In Committee |
| S1490 | Converts senior freeze reimbursement into credit applied directly to property tax bills. | This bill would transform the homestead property tax reimbursement program, commonly known as the senior freeze program, from a reimbursement program into a credit program for most eligible homeowners. Currently, eligible seniors and disabled persons may apply for a senior freeze benefit that reimburses them for any property tax increases paid in the prior tax year over and above the amount of property taxes paid in the applicable base year. This bill would allow most of these eligible homeowners to realize these savings in the form of a credit directly applied to reduce the payable amount for their third and fourth quarter property tax bills for the current tax year. Eligible homeowners who reside in a unit in a cooperative, mutual housing corporation, or continuing care retirement community, and who do not pay property taxes directly to the municipality, would receive a rebate payment instead of a credit directly applied to the applicable property tax bill. These rebates would be paid during the current tax year for which the senior freeze benefit is sought so that these homeowners also do not have to wait until the next year to receive their senior freeze benefit. | In Committee |
| S218 | Directs NJ Infrastructure Bank to establish financing program for electric school buses; allocates $20 million annually in societal benefits charge revenues to NJ Infrastructure Bank for purposes of program. | The bill directs the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB) to establish, within one year after the date of enactment of the bill into law, a program, to be known as the Electric School Bus Financing Program, to provide loans and other forms of financial assistance to school districts to finance the purchase of electric school buses in lieu of, or to replace, diesel-powered school buses for the daily transportation of students and the purchase and installation of related electric school bus charging infrastructure. A school district seeking financial assistance for the purchase of an electric school bus or the purchase and installation of related electric school bus charging infrastructure would be required to apply to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU). As part of the application process, the school district would be required to perform an energy assessment of the school district's current fleet of school buses. The assessment would compare the costs of acquiring, operating, and maintaining an electric school bus versus those for a diesel-powered school bus, identify the potential environmental benefits of using electric school buses within that school district, and identify potential savings that may be realized over the estimated useful life of the electric school bus. The BPU, in consultation with the NJIB, would be required to develop criteria for the ranking of applications received for funding and specifications for the types of electric school buses and related charging infrastructure eligible for financing. The bill specifies that this criteria provide priority ranking for school districts located in overburdened communities. Upon approval of an application, the BPU would submit a certification of application approval to the NJIB. Subject to the availability of funds under the program, the NJIB may make and contract to make loans or other forms of financial assistance to the applicant to finance all or a portion of the costs of the purchase of an electric school bus or the purchase and installation of related electric school bus charging infrastructure, as identified in the certification of application approval, provided that the project is included on a "Electric School Bus Financing Program Project Priority List" prepared by the BPU pursuant to section 4 of the bill. Loans and other forms of financial assistance provided pursuant to the bill would be made subject to such terms and conditions as the NJIB deems appropriate. The bill provides that a school district may use performance and operational savings realized from the purchase and use of an electric school bus or related charging infrastructure to repay a loan issued pursuant to the bill. The BPU, in conjunction with the NJIB, would be required, no later than one year after the first loan or other form of financial assistance is made, and for each succeeding year in which such financial assistance is made, to prepare and submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature on the effectiveness of the program in promoting the purchase of electric school buses and related charging infrastructure by school districts. The report would identify each school district that received a loan or other financial assistance from the program established by the bill, describe the electric school buses and related charging infrastructure purchased, and provide an analysis of the environmental benefits achieved from the purchase and use of electric school buses. The report may also include any recommendations for legislative changes that may improve the effectiveness of the program. Lastly, the bill would require the BPU, in the State fiscal year commencing July 1 following the date of enactment of the bill into law, and each year thereafter, to transfer to the NJIB $20 million from available balances accumulated in accounts of the BPU from funds collected through the societal benefits charge (established by the "Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act," P.L.1999, c.23 (C:48:3-49 et al.) for the purposes of the Electric School Bus Financing Program established pursuant to the bill. The BPU and the NJIB would be authorized to enter into any contract deemed necessary to implement this transfer of funds between the two entities. | In Committee |
| S933 | Requires DOT, NJT, and DHS to study and implement transportation mobility and accessibility improvements for persons with autism and developmental disabilities. | This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT), the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJT), and the Department of Human Services (DHS) to conduct a holistic review of current infrastructure design practices for public highways and public transportation projects. Upon completion of the review, new and revised design practices are to be adopted that will result in projects that promote the ability of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities to travel independently. DOT, NJT, and DHS are also to conduct a study of nationwide best practices that identifies ways to operate public roadway facilities, public transportation services, and mobility programs operated or funded under the DHS in a manner that makes transportation services and mobility programs more accessible for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities The DOT is required to encourage regional and local entities that apply for funding through the local aid program to adopt infrastructure design practices and best practices that are consistent with State practices. | In Committee |
| S326 | Requires physicians and other prescribers to obtain electronic or written consent for certain medications with "black box warnings." | This bill requires physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, and other authorized prescribers to obtain informed electronic or written consent prior to prescribing psychotropic medications that are accompanied by a "black box warning," which consent is to include an electronic or a written acknowledgement that the patient or the patient's guardian received notification about the black box warning. The bill specifies that in cases where electronic or written consent cannot be obtained but oral consent is provided, the prescriber must make a notation in the patient's file indicating the date and circumstances of the informed consent. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires pharmaceutical companies to place a "black box warning" on a drug label if medical studies indicate that the drug carries a significant risk of serious or life-threatening adverse effects. A "black box warning" is the strongest warning that the FDA requires. A physician, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse, or other authorized prescriber who violates the requirements established under the bill is subject to disciplinary action by the applicable State professional licensing board. | In Committee |
| S353 | Eliminates prohibition on provision of single-use paper bags by grocery stores for delivery orders; requires certain retailers to repurpose cardboard boxes if feasible. | This bill eliminates the prohibition on the provision of single-use paper carryout bags by grocery stores for groceries bagged for delivery. Under the bill, single-use paper carryout bags would be permitted to be provided or sold for a fee by grocery stores solely for delivery orders. In addition, this bill requires certain retailers to repurpose cardboard boxes obtained through the delivery of goods to deliver groceries, other food items, or for any other appropriate purpose, to the maximum extent feasible. | In Committee |
| S804 | "New Jersey Disability Savings Act." | This bill expands the "New Jersey Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Program," P.L.2015, c.185 (C.52:18A-250 et al.) to incentivize qualified individuals with disabilities and their families to save for disability-related expenses in tax-advantaged savings accounts, known as ABLE accounts. Pursuant to current federal statute, qualified individuals who have significant disabilities with onset prior to age 26 years, and who receive Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, may contribute as much as the federal gift tax limit, or $16,000 in 2022, to a qualifying ABLE account. Individuals with disabilities, or their parent or guardian, may open an ABLE account in the individual's state of residence, or in another state. As of January 2022, there are 49 ABLE plans operating nationwide. Funds deposited into an ABLE account may only be used for qualifying disability-related expenses such as transportation, housing, education, assistive technology, legal fees, and personal support services. Distributions from a New Jersey ABLE account are not subject to federal tax, provided the distributions do not exceed the individual's disability-related expenses for the year. New Jersey statute currently limits total lifetime contributions to an ABLE account to $305,000. Once the value of an ABLE account exceeds $100,000, SSI cash benefits for the ABLE account owner are suspended until the account's value falls below this threshold. However, a qualifying individual will not lose Medicaid benefits, no matter the balance in an ABLE account. Pursuant to the bill, all contributions to a qualifying New Jersey ABLE account are fully-deductible on a New Jersey State tax return, similar to qualifying contributions to the State's Section 529 educational savings program, known as the NJBEST. As amended, the bill additionally incentivizes taxpayer savings in New Jersey ABLE accounts by providing up to $750 in dollar-for-dollar matching funds for taxpayers whose gross annual income equals $150,000 or less, and who deposit funds into a newly opened ABLE account. It is important to note, however, that the savings incentives instituted under this bill are subject to the annual appropriations process. Therefore, the bill authorizes the Department of Human Services to select a methodology for allocating these incentive funds in years in which State appropriations for these incentive payments are insufficient to fulfill the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| S1699 | Requires registration and regulation of certain hemp-derived cannabinoids manufactured and sold in this State. | Pursuant to P.L.2019, c.238, known as the "New Jersey Hemp Farming Act," the New Jersey Department of Agriculture is designated as the primary regulatory authority over the production of hemp in the State. The department is responsible for promulgating regulation plans under which the State monitors and regulates hemp production, an agricultural crop which the State actively promotes, and which permits farmers and businesses to cultivate, handle and process hemp, and to sell hemp products for commercial purposes (and which is excluded from the definition of a controlled substance due to the presence of hemp or hemp-derived cannabinoids). Hemp-derived products manufactured outside the regulatory structure, while not illegal in New Jersey, remain unregulated, although chemical conversion processes can make hemp derived cannabinoid products, such as Delta 8, have psychoactive properties similar to the THC in legalized cannabis, and contain unknown but harmful byproducts of the conversion process. This bill establishes the Cannabis Regulatory Commission as the regulatory body for hemp-derived cannabinoids for purposes of registration and sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products. The bill further provides for existing laboratories to test hemp-derived cannabinoid products. Section 1. This section contains legislative findings and declarations including the following: hemp-derived cannabinoid products can contain more psychoactive cannabis than is lawfully permitted to be sold in unregulated form, and yet, such products are being sold in New Jersey outside the regulatory structure for cannabis and hemp. The Cannabis Regulatory Commission is uniquely positioned to implement a regulatory structure, including, tracking through establishing a registration requirement for hemp-derived cannabinoid products manufactured outside the New Jersey regulatory structure, and other health, safety and testing requirements. Section 2. This section defines key terms which aid in distinguishing cannabinoid products with psychoactive properties from those with non-psychoactive properties. A key term, "cannabinoid" means the naturally occurring chemical compound found in cannabis. The main cannabinoids found in cannabis plants are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which, in simplified terms, is psychoactive, and cannabidiol (CBD) which is non-psychoactive. Through a conversion process, known as isomerization, legal CBD products, such as Delta-8, have been found to contain psychoactive properties, and potentially harmful byproduct from the conversion process. Since many products are sold in convenience stores and gas stations, the bill targets retail merchants, defined in the bill as "hemp-derived cannabinoid retailers," to register products sold through their locations. Section 3. This section amends N.J.S.A. 24:6I-34, concerned with commission activities associated with the personal use of cannabis, to grant powers which enable the commission to perform duties prescribed in the bill. Jurisdiction, supervision, duties, functions, and powers are extended to hemp-derived cannabinoid products manufactured outside the New Jersey regulatory structure. The commission is empowered to regulate the purchase, sale, transportation, and delivery of hemp-derived cannabinoid products in accordance with the provision of this bill, and to adopt, amend, or repeal regulations as necessary. Subsection d. of this section adds the Commissioner of Agriculture as a consultant agency for the adoption of regulations by the commission. Section 4. This section establishes specific areas for regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoid products, including registration requirements, permit requirements for hemp-derived cannabinoid retailers, security requirements, age requirements to prevent the sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products with detectable THC to persons under 21 years of age, labeling and packaging requirements, unannounced visits, and civil penalties for failure to comply with regulations adopted pursuant to the provisions of the bill. Section 5. This section amends N.J.S.A. 24:6I-17, concerned with the testing of cannabis, to require that samples of cannabinoid product manufactured outside the New Jersey regulatory structure be tested by a laboratory licensed pursuant to N.J.S.A.24:6I-18 (testing laboratories) or pursuant to N.J.S.A.24:6I-35 (cannabis testing laboratories). Section 6. This section authorizes the testing of hemp-derived cannabinoid products at testing laboratories currently licensed to test medical cannabis and medical cannabis products, usable cannabis, cannabis products, cannabis extracts, and other cannabis resins. Section 7. This section provides that a retail establishment that offers for sale hemp-derived cannabinoid products prior to the passage of this bill shall have a period of one year from passage to comply with the provisions of the bill. It is not the intention of the sponsor to ban hemp-derived cannabinoids, such as Delta-8, but to require registration of such products, and to impose health and safety requirements through a regulatory structure. | In Committee |
| S296 | Requires mail-in ballot applications to include prepaid postage. | Under current law, a voter may complete and return to the county clerk by regular mail an application requesting to receive a mail-in ballot. This bill requires the mail-in ballot application form sent by mail to include prepaid postage, to be paid by the State. The bill will be implemented following the 2023 primary election. | 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 |
| S1941 | Establishes minimum registered professional nurse staffing standards for hospitals and ambulatory surgery facilities and certain DHS facilities. | This bill establishes staffing standards for registered professional nurses in State hospitals, ambulatory surgical facilities, developmental centers, and psychiatric hospitals. Specifically, the bill provides that, in addition to existing staffing requirements provided by law or regulation, the Commissioner of Health is to adopt regulations that provide minimum direct care registered professional nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for all patient units in general and special hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities, in accordance with the minimum staffing requirements that are established by the bill. As specified in the bill, minimum nurse-to-patient ratios will vary depending on the type of unit, and will range from one registered professional nurse for every five patients in a behavioral health or psychiatric or a medical/surgical unit, to one registered professional nurse for every patient under anesthesia in an operating room. The regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Health are not to decrease any nurse-to-patient staffing ratios that are already in effect on the bill's effective date. The bill provides that the Commissioner of Health is to require all general and special hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities to employ an acuity and staffing system for the purpose of increasing direct care registered professional nurse staffing levels above the minimum levels established in the bill, or otherwise provided by law or regulation, in order to ensure adequate staffing of each unit, service, or department. The acuity and staffing system will be based on: patient classification or acuity; professional nurse staffing standards adopted by nurse specialty organizations; skill mix; and the staffing levels of other health care personnel and the use of agency or temporary staff. The system is to be established in the facility by the facility's department of nursing, with the approval of a majority of the unit staff nurses or their bargaining agent. The bill requires the acuity and staffing system to allow for the forecasting of staffing levels, and to provide a method to adjust staffing levels for each patient care unit based on objective criteria currently set forth at N.J.A.C.8:43G-17.1(a)3, including, but not limited to: (1) the documented skills, training, and competency of staff to plan and provide nursing services in the nursing areas where they function; (2) a patient database incorporating objective factors such as the case mix index, specific or aggregate patient diagnostic classifications or acuity levels, patient profiles, critical pathways or care progression plans, length of stay, and discharge plans; (3) operational factors, such as unit size, design, and capacity, the admission/discharge/transfer index, and support service availability; (4) contingency plans to address critical departures from the staffing plan, including policies and procedures to regulate the closure of available beds if staffing levels fall below specified levels; and (5) policies and procedures for the reassignment of staff, including float and agency staff. The acuity and staffing system will additionally be required to permit waiver of minimum staffing level requirements in the event of an unforeseen emergent circumstance which causes significant changes in the patient census for a regular shift. Waiver will not be permitted unless the facility has made reasonable efforts to provide sufficient additional staff to meet the required minimum staffing levels, including seeking volunteers and making use of on-call staff, per-diem staff, agency staff, and float pools. The bill defines "unforeseeable emergent circumstance" to mean an unpredictable or unavoidable occurrence requiring immediate action. The Commissioner of Health will also be permitted to waive the minimum staffing level requirements for any hospital or facility that the commissioner determines is in financial distress. A waiver may be revoked upon a determination that the facility is no longer in financial distress. The bill requires the Department of Health to enforce minimum staffing ratios by conducting periodic inspections and responding to complaints. The bill provides a system, pursuant to which a registered professional nurse, other staff member, or member of the public, believing that a facility is in violation of the staffing requirements or the staffing and acuity system, may file a complaint with the Commissioner of Health. In responding to a complaint, the commissioner will be required to conduct an investigation to determine whether or not a hospital or facility is in violation, and to take such other action as may be necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements of the bill. Finally, in addition to the above-described requirements applicable to the Commissioner of Health, the bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services to conduct a review of Department of Human Services regulations concerning registered professional nurse staffing standards in developmental centers and State psychiatric hospitals, and to revise the regulations, as appropriate, to reflect safe staffing practices and assure adequate staffing at the facilities. | In Committee |
| S272 | Requires federal funding to be made available to Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse to support Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse if needed to offset unanticipated decrease in dedicated revenues. | This bill requires federal funding to be made available to the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse ("GCADA") to support the Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse ("alliance") if such monies are needed to offset unanticipated decreases in dedicated State revenues during fiscal years 2022 and 2023. Under current law, the GCADA administers the alliance, which is a network of community-based coalitions that are dedicated to fighting alcoholism and drug abuse. Through the alliance, the GCADA awards grants to participating municipalities and counties to help develop: (1) coordinated efforts involving schools, law enforcement, and community organizations to reduce alcoholism and drug abuse; (2) comprehensive drug abuse education programs for students and parents; (3) procedures for the intervention and treatment of students who abuse alcohol or drugs; and (4) comprehensive alcoholism and drug abuse community awareness programs. The State currently dedicates monies from the "Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund" to support the activities of the alliance. The monies deposited into this fund are collected as surcharges from persons convicted of any crime or offense in this State. The State also requires all monies collected under the "Alcoholic beverage tax law," R.S.54:41-1 et seq., from the holders of a restricted brewery license to be dedicated to the GCADA for the support of the alliance. During fiscal years 2022 and 2023, this bill provides that if these dedicated revenues are insufficient to support activities of the alliance, then to the extent permitted by federal law and subject to appropriation by the Legislature, the Governor would be required to make available such federal funding as is necessary to the GCADA, from the monies allocated to the State under the federal "Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act," Pub.L.116-136, the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021," Pub.L.117-2, or any other financial assistance provided by the federal government to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to support the alliance. | In Committee |
| S647 | Establishes commission to study impact of certain Medicaid reimbursement rate change on nursing homes. | The bill establishes the "Impact of Medicaid Personal Care Services Reimbursement Change on Nursing Homes Study Commission," to analyze the effects of the adjustment to the Medicaid hourly reimbursement rate for personal care services within the Medicaid program, resulting from the enactment of P.L.2017, c.239 (C.30:4D-7n and 30:4D-7o), as well as the revisions to that law adopted pursuant to P.L.2019, c.275 and any corresponding appropriations, on nursing homes in the State. Specifically, the commission is to analyze the effects of the increase in the hourly reimbursement rate on the operations, ability to comply with any minimum staffing requirements, employee retention, financial health, resident costs, and related issues on nursing homes in the State, including whether any nursing homes closed following the effective date of P.L.2017, c.239 or the enactment of P.L.2019, c.275 and the reasons for any closures. The bill requires that the commission solicit data or information from nursing homes in the State or other entities, as is necessary to carry out its duties. The study commission is to consist of nine members as follows: the Commissioners of Human Services and Health, or their commissioner's designee; one member of the public with expertise in State Medicaid policy and healthcare finance, who will be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly; one member of the public with expertise in State fiscal and budgetary matters, who will be appointed by the President of the Senate; and five members of the public with significant operational, financial, or managerial expertise in the nursing home industry, three of whom are to be representatives of entities currently operating one or more nursing homes in the State, two of whom will be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, two of whom will be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, and one of whom will be appointed by the Governor. The bill requires that the study commission prepare and submit a written report to the Governor and the Legislature not later than 12 months after its initial meeting. The report is to present the commission's analysis of the effect of the enactment of P.L.2017, c.239 (C.30:4D-7n through 30:4D-7o), as amended by P.L.2019, c.275, on nursing homes in the State, as well as any recommendations for legislation or other action the commissioner deems appropriate. The bill provides that the study commission is to expire on the first day of the third month following submission of its written report to the Governor and the Legislature. | In Committee |
| S1946 | Amends law to extend length of postpartum coverage for Medicaid services for eligible pregnant women to 180-day period. | This bill amends the law to extend the length of time of postpartum comprehensive Medicaid coverage for eligible pregnant women to a 180-day period, beginning on the last day of pregnancy. In doing so, this bill codifies budget language adopted in the FY 2020 Appropriations Act. Under current State law, comprehensive Medicaid coverage for this population is provided for a 60-day period, beginning on the last day of the pregnancy. This 60-day period complies with federal regulations regarding the minimum time length for postpartum Medicaid coverage. The bill also codifies that the income threshold for pregnant women under Medicaid must not exceed the highest income eligibility level established for pregnant women under the State Medicaid plan - currently 194 percent of the federal poverty level. Furthermore, the bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services to apply for such State plan amendments or waivers as may be necessary to implement the provisions of the bill and to secure federal financial participation for State Medicaid expenditures under the federal Medicaid program. | In Committee |
| S320 | Authorizes religious corporations to hold remote meetings during state of emergency declared by Governor. | This bill allows members of religious corporations to hold meetings solely or in part by means of remote communication during a state of emergency. Pursuant to current law, meetings of members are required to be held at a physical location, with no provision for members to participate by alternative means during a state of emergency. Under this bill, remote communication of meetings will be permitted if a state of emergency is declared by the Governor. During the state of emergency, a meeting of members may be held by means of remote communication to the extent that the board of trustees authorize and adopt guidelines and procedures governing such a meeting. The bill also provides that members are deemed present if participating in a meeting by means of remote communication, regardless of whether the meeting is held solely by means of remote communication or in part. In times of crisis, remote meetings can offer broader accessibility to members and increase member participation. It also provides religious corporations with the flexibility that they may need to respond to any challenges that may occur because of a state of emergency declaration. | In Committee |
| S1562 | Eliminates high school graduation proficiency test. | This bill eliminates the high school graduation proficiency test, which is required under current law to be taken in the 11th grade. It is the belief of the sponsor that graduation exit testing does not accurately represent student learning or career and college readiness. Studies have shown numerous flaws with standardized testing, including variation in student performance based on external circumstances, strong racial and socioeconomic biases, and inconsistency with material taught in class. The purpose of using standardized tests as graduation requirements is often to assess college readiness, however studies have shown that other metrics, such as grade point average, can predict the likelihood of graduation from college up to five times better than standardized test scores. In recent years, many states have eliminated graduation exit testing for these reasons, and currently only 11 states still maintain a testing requirement for high school graduation. The bill prohibits the State Board of Education from including in the standards for graduation from high school a requirement that students achieve satisfactory performance on the Statewide graduation proficiency test. The bill also amends current law to remove various references to the graduation proficiency test, including: the requirement that a Statewide proficiency test be included in the State or district standards for graduation from high school; the requirement that an out-of-school youth or adult age 18 or older pass the graduation proficiency test before being granted a State endorsed diploma; the requirement that school district report cards include information regarding the results of the graduation proficiency test; and the requirement that renaissance school projects be evaluated based on students' performance on the graduation proficiency test. The bill clarifies that a student participating in the State Seal of Biliteracy program would not be required to take a State graduation proficiency test as a condition of graduation from high school. Finally, the bill repeals the section of law that requires the State to administer a graduation proficiency test to all 11th grade students and certain 12th grade students, and repeals the section of law that requires the Commissioner of Education to consult with educators, parents, students, business and community representatives, and members of minority groups while developing the graduation proficiency test. The bill also repeals sections of law requiring the commissioner and the Joint Committee on the Public Schools to review and report on performance on the graduation proficiency test. | In Committee |
| S355 | Establishes "NJpass Program" to provide discounted fares to eligible organizations; establishes "GO NJ Transit Card Program" to develop transit cards that can be used to purchase any NJT service. | This bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation (corporation) to establish the "NJpass Program" and the "GO NJ Transit Card Program." The purpose of the NJpass Program is to support workforce development and increase access to public transportation in the State by providing discounted rates to approved classes of certain eligible organizations when purchasing a ticket or pass for a New Jersey Transit Corporation service (corporation service). Under the program, the corporation would be required to contract with eligible organizations that have been approved by the corporation to participate in the NJpass Program to provide discounted rates to approved classes of the eligible organizations. The corporation would be required to establish eligibility criteria and develop an application process for eligible organizations to apply to participate in the NJpass Program. Upon approval of an application, the corporation and the eligible organization will have the opportunity to negotiate the terms and conditions of the contract to be entered into, including, but not limited to, the amount of the discounted fares to be offered and the types of corporation services to be accessed under the NJpass Program. Following any negotiations necessary between the corporation and the eligible organization, the corporation will enter into a contract with the eligible organization to provide discounted group rates to the approved class of the eligible organization. The terms and conditions of the contract are required to include, at a minimum: (1) the discounted rates to be offered to the approved class of the eligible organization; (2) specific information as to what the approved class of the eligible organization will be; (3) information concerning any limitations on times of use or types of corporation services available to the approved class; and (4) the amount of compensation or reimbursement required from the eligible organization, if any, to cover the administrative costs of the corporation. A contract under the NJpass Program will be valid upon the approval of the corporation for a term of not more than two years, except that the first contract with an eligible organization cannot exceed 12 months. The bill also requires the corporation to establish the "GO NJ Transit Card Program." The purpose of the GO NJ Transit Card Program is to develop GO NJ Transit Cards (transit cards) and a system in which the transit cards can be purchased and utilized to purchase a ticket or pass for any corporation service in the State. Under the program, transit cards would be available for purchase. Individuals who purchase a transit card would be able to load money onto the transit card and utilize the transit card to purchase a ticket or pass for any corporation service within the State. Money loaded onto a transit card never expires. In establishing the transit cards under the GO NJ Transit Card Program, the corporation is required to: (1) develop and implement a fare capping system to ensure individuals who utilize a transit card are paying the lowest authorized fare for any period of travel, without having to pay the full cost upfront; and (2) provide discounted fares, in an amount to be determined by the corporation, to transit card users, which are to be in addition to any other discounted fares already provided by the corporation, including, but not limited to, the discounted fares provided to any senior citizen or person with a disability who receives reduced fares for transportation provided by the corporation, or provided under contract with the corporation. The bill requires the corporation to publish information concerning the NJpass Program and the GO NJ Transit Card Program on its Internet website and update the information as necessary. The bill also requires the corporation to submit reports to the Governor and the Legislature on the effectiveness of each of the programs established by the bill. In establishing and implementing the programs, the corporation is required to consider the efforts other states have taken to implement similar programs. | In Committee |
| S304 | Expands Medicare health care coverage to all New Jersey residents. | This bill would expand the federal Medicare health care coverage program to every New Jersey resident, regardless of age, health, or disability status. Currently, Medicare is generally available only to people who are age 65 years or older, who have a disability, or who have certain specified health conditions. The bill defines a resident as a person domiciled in the State for a period of 30 days immediately preceding the date of application for inclusion in the Medicare program. The bill requires the State to apply to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for any waiver of federal statute or regulation necessary to effectuate this expansion of Medicare. The application would allow New Jersey to replace federal, State, and local health care programs with universal coverage through New Jersey Medicare. CMS would estimate the cost of providing Medicare for all New Jersey residents, and will deduct the estimated revenue from Medicare and Medicaid payments that New Jersey residents, the State of New Jersey, and the federal government pay to offset those costs. CMS will establish Medicare premiums for New Jersey residents accordingly. Upon the enactment of universal Medicare coverage in New Jersey, the bill would prohibit any health insurance carrier from offering a health benefits plan that includes coverage for health care services covered by Medicare. This provision would ensure full participation in the Medicare program, which would increase enrollment and thus spread the risk of insurance over a larger population to achieve greater cost efficiency in the health care sector. The purpose of this bill is to establish a universal health care coverage program in New Jersey that builds upon the long, successful history of the federal Medicare program. In contrast with most common private insurance plans, Medicare is affordable for nearly everyone, offers greater patient choice in their health care providers, and has much lower out-of-pocket costs. Medicare is more efficient than private insurance, having much lower administrative costs. As an established federal program, expanding Medicare would require no new State bureaucracy and no difficult adjustment for health care providers to a new system. Medicare could provide low-cost health care coverage with to hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents who currently lack health coverage or who may lose coverage as a result of increasingly complex, costly, and restrictive private health insurance. | In Committee |
| S343 | Authorizes use of digital license plates. | This bill authorizes the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to permit the use of digital license plates and digital license plate devices. Digital license plates authorized for use by the bill are required to, at all times, display the registration number of the motor vehicle. The commission is required to establish standards for digital license plates and digital license plate devices. | In Committee |
| S1345 | Creates "New Jersey Anti-Semitism Task Force". | This bill establishes the New Jersey Anti-Semitism Task Force to conduct research, develop recommendations to address the harms caused by anti-Semitism, and annually issue a report to the Governor and Legislature regarding the state of anti-Semitism in New Jersey. The task force will be permanent and consist of 18 persons, at least five of whom will be members of the public. The bill requires the task force to conduct research, develop recommendations to address the harms caused by anti-Semitism, and annually issue a report to the Governor and Legislature regarding the state of anti-Semitism in New Jersey. In performing this duty, the task force will: (1) Identify, compile, and synthesize the relevant corpus of evidentiary documentation relative to the history and current status of anti-Semitism at college campuses and state universities and the world, with a focus on New Jersey-specific information. The task force's documentation and examination will include, but not be limited to, facts related to: (a) The definition and ideology of anti-Semitism; (b) Misconceptions and stereotyping relative to the Jewish people; and (c) Discrimination and systemic failings relative to the fair treatment of the Jewish people; (2) Recommend appropriate ways to educate the New Jersey public of the task force's findings; and (3) Recommend appropriate remedies in consideration of the task force's findings. The task force will hold at least four public meetings each year, with at least one of those meetings being held in-person. The other meetings may be conducted virtually, via videoconferencing. Meetings via conference call will not be permitted. The task force will issue a report each year to the Governor and the Legislature and will provide its first annual report no later than 12 months following its initial meeting. | In Committee |
| S1387 | Increases distribution to municipalities from Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund over two years; prohibits anticipation of certain revenue in municipal budget; requires additional aid be subtracted from municipal property tax levy. | This bill requires the distribution of additional State aid to municipalities under the "Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Act." Budget constraints required reductions in the amount of Consolidated Municipal Property Tax Relief Aid (CMPTRA) distributed to all municipalities in Fiscal Years 2009, 2010, and 2011. Some municipalities also experienced reductions in their Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Aid (ETR Aid) distribution during that period. This supplemental funding would restore, over a two-year period, approximately $331 million in reductions to CMPTRA and ETR Aid. In Fiscal Year 2023, municipalities would receive an aid increase equal to 50 percent of the difference between the distribution of CMPTRA and ETR Aid they received in Fiscal Year 2008 and Fiscal Year 2012. The fully restored amount would be distributed beginning in Fiscal Year 2024 and in each fiscal year thereafter. The total amount of aid to be restored to each municipality would be in addition to the total amount of CMPTRA and ETR Aid distributed to each municipality in Fiscal Year 2012. This legislation also extends the existing ETR Aid "poison pill" protection to ensure that each municipality received an aid amount not less than the combined payment of CMPTRA and ETR Aid to municipalities in Fiscal Year 2012 and the additional aid distributed under the bill. This bill also amends current law to require a municipality to subtract any additional amount of ETR aid it receives, pursuant to the bill, from its adjusted tax levy when computing that amount for its next fiscal year. By deducting the additional amount of ETR Aid from the previous year's levy, municipalities would be permitted to raise a lower amount of taxes through the levy for municipal purposes. The bill prohibits a municipality from anticipating, for purposes of preparing its annual budget, the receipt of any State aid payment from the ETR aid under the provisions in the bill. The bill also requires a municipality to amend its local budget to properly reflect the total amount distributed to the municipality from the ETR aid. | In Committee |
| S1483 | Requires Division of Highway Traffic Safety to conduct public awareness campaign regarding bicyclist and pedestrian safety. | This bill requires the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety to establish a public awareness campaign to provide information to the public concerning bicyclist and pedestrian safety. The campaign is to include, but is not limited to, information regarding the provisions under current law that require a person operating a bicycle to keep to the right side of the road, the penalties and dangers associated with violating this provision, information regarding the provisions under current law concerning motorists safely passing a pedestrian, bicycle, low-speed electric bicycle, low-speed electric scooter, or any other lawful personal conveyance, and the penalties and dangers associated with violating this provision. | In Committee |
| S1300 | Establishes loan program in Department of Treasury for certain entities offering health benefits plans; makes appropriation. | This bill establishes a loan program in the Department of Treasury for certain entities offering health benefits plans. Specifically, the bill requires the State Treasurer to establish a program providing loans to entities offering health benefits plans in the State that are faced with insolvency as a result of providing coverage for the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic due to circumstances such as a large number of catastrophic claims or premium threshold issues. The bill requires the State Treasurer to evaluate applications from any entity offering a health benefits plan in this State. The loans are only to be made available to an applicant the State Treasurer determines would likely face insolvency without receiving the loan, and are limited to the amount needed by the entity to avoid becoming insolvent. The bill provides that no loan is to be awarded after the end of the ninth month following the effective date of the bill. An entity receiving a loan pursuant to the bill may not be charged interest or fees associated with the loan. The State Treasurer may extend the term or forgive repayment of the loan if the State Treasurer determines an extension or loan forgiveness is necessary for the continued solvency of the entity. The bill provides that the State Treasurer is to appropriate the funds from the General Fund that are necessary to effectuate the purposes of the bill. | In Committee |
| S2016 | Appropriates $70 million in federal funds to EDA to support arts and culture organizations negatively impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. | This bill appropriates $70 million in federal funds to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) to support arts and culture organizations, including for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations, that were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the bill, the EDA, in consultation with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (council), would be required to award $50 million in grants to support the financial recovery, resiliency, and growth of qualifying arts and culture organizations. However, of this total, $10 million in grants would be dedicated to arts education organizations that provide programs and services for public schools or afterschool programs. Specifically, these grants may be used to offset any revenue losses that occurred as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic or provide the cash reserves necessary to ensure continued operations in the event of future pandemic-related shutdowns. Additionally, the bill requires the EDA, in consultation with the council, to award $20 million in grants to qualifying arts and culture organizations to support the completion of placemaking projects in public spaces. Under the bill, placemaking projects would include any creative or artistic project intended to beautify or enrich public spaces, such as artistic paintings on roadways or sidewalks, landscape plantings in public areas, educational signage, and other artistic, cultural, or educational installations. The monies appropriated under the bill would be provided from the State's allocation of funds from the federal "Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund," established pursuant to the federal "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021". | In Committee |
| S970 | Qualifies certain disabled veterans for toll rate exemptions and exemptions from motor vehicle registration fees. | This bill qualifies certain disabled veterans for toll rate exemptions and exemptions from motor vehicle registration fees. The bill expands the motor vehicle registration fee exemption from disabled veterans, who had taken part in World War II, the Korean Conflict between 1950 and 1953, and the Vietnam Conflict between 1960 and 1974, and who receive compensation as result of the loss of use of one or more limbs as result of military service, to include disabled veterans, who have completed a VA 21-4502 form and have been approved by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to receive an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment. The bill requires the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the South Jersey Transportation Authority to not charge a toll to any customer with an account with the electronic toll collection system, commonly known as E-ZPass, and who is exempt from the payment of motor vehicle registration fees, on the State's three toll roads, the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway, and the Atlantic City Expressway. | In Committee |
| S261 | Provides for spaying and neutering stray or feral cats and establishes fund therefor; designated as "Compassion for Community Cats Law." | The bill, designated as the "Compassion for Community Cats Law," provides for the spaying and neutering of stray or feral cats. In particular, the bill provides, with limited exceptions, that: (1) no cat may be released for adoption from an animal rescue organization facility, shelter, pound, or kennel operating as a shelter or pound unless the cat has been spayed or neutered by a licensed veterinarian; and (2) any community cat trapped and impounded at a shelter, pound, or kennel operating as a shelter or pound, or trapped and taken to an animal rescue organization facility, must be spayed or neutered, ear-tipped, and vaccinated against rabies before being returned to the location where the community cat was trapped or given to a person assuming ownership of the community cat. The spaying and neutering requirements do not apply to a cat or a community cat that: (1) is less than two months old; (2) a licensed veterinarian determines cannot be spayed or neutered for other health reasons affecting the cat; (3) is placed in a foster home or transferred to another shelter, pound, kennel operating as a shelter or pound, or animal rescue organization facility by a shelter, pound, or kennel operating as a shelter or pound; or (4) is to be euthanized in accordance with the provisions of section 16 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.16) and R.S.4:22-19, which provide for humanely euthanizing animals after a shelter, pound, or kennel operating as a shelter or pound has offered the animal for adoption for at least seven days. The bill authorizes an animal rescue organization facility, shelter, pound, or kennel operating as a shelter or pound to charge the cost of spaying or neutering the cat to the person assuming ownership of the cat. The bill also amends various sections of existing law to allow for the implementation of the new spaying and neutering requirements established by the bill and other provisions of the bill. The bill authorizes the Department of Health (DOH) to adopt regulations necessary to implement grant programs and fund the spaying and neutering requirements established in the bill. The bill establishes the "Compassion for Community Cats Fund" in the DOH to provide grants to municipalities and counties to establish programs to humanely trap community cats, and sterilize, ear-tip, and vaccinate them against rabies, and return each feral cat to the location where the cat was trapped. The "Compassion for Community Cats Fund" is to be credited with the monies collected for violations of the bill, the surcharge on dog licenses imposed by section 1 of P.L.1983, c.181 (C.4:19-15.3c), any moneys appropriated by the Legislature, and any return on investment of moneys deposited in the fund. Finally, the bill repeals sections 2 and 3 of P.L.2011, c.142 (C.4:19-15.30 and 4:19-15.31), known as the "Pet Sterilization Pilot Program." The committee amendments to the bill: (1) correct cross-references and citations in the bill; (2) correct typographical errors in the bill's reproduction of existing statutory text; and (3) delete a statutory reference to a program for aid to families with dependent children that was replaced by the Work First New Jersey program pursuant to P.L.1997, c.38. | In Committee |
| SJR13 | Designates Saturday before Thanksgiving Day as "National Adoption Day" and designates November as "National Adoption Month" in New Jersey. | This joint resolution designates the Saturday before Thanksgiving Day as "National Adoption Day" and designates the month of November as "National Adoption Month" in New Jersey to raise public awareness of adoption services and the foster care system, to educate prospective parents about the options available to them when considering adoption, and to celebrate finalized adoptions for families. Many children in the foster care system do not receive the appropriate emotional and financial support necessary to succeed in life that other children receive from their families. Children in foster care may experience more physical, emotional, and psychological trauma in their lifetimes than their peers, adding to the difficulties endured while waiting for a permanent home. While adoption statistics are trending in the right direction, there is still a vast need to encourage more parents to consider adoption, and that begins with a willingness to expedite the adoption process and celebrate its success. Starting with former Los Angeles Presiding Judge Michael Nash in the 1990s, celebrations have been held during the month of November aimed at finalizing adoptions and recognizing the newly united families. Many county vicinages in New Jersey host National Adoption Day services during the week prior to Thanksgiving Day, in part to unite families before the holiday season, but generally to bring awareness to the thousands of children that continue to wait for a resolution, especially for children who spend years in the system and teenagers who are close to aging out and becoming independent. Therefore, it is altogether fitting and proper to designate the Saturday before Thanksgiving Day as "National Adoption Day" and designate the month of November as "National Adoption Month" in New Jersey. | In Committee |
| S351 | Imposes conditions on drivers approaching disabled vehicles. | This bill imposes conditions on motor vehicle drivers approaching a disabled vehicle with flashing hazard warning signal lights or utilizing road flares or reflective triangles. The bill requires a motor vehicle driver approaching a disabled vehicle displaying these lights, road flares, or reflective triangles to either move to a lane that is not next to the disabled vehicle or, if the driver is unable to safely or legally move over, to slow down to a speed less than the posted speed limit, and be prepared to stop. The bill also requires the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety to include in a public awareness campaign the importance of motor vehicle operators reducing the speed of their vehicles and changing lanes when approaching a disabled vehicle that is flashing hazard warning signal lights or utilizing road flares or reflective triangles. | In Committee |
| S322 | "Improved Suicide Prevention, Response, and Treatment Act." | This bill would amend and supplement the law to improve the suicide assessment, response, and treatment system in the State and strengthen the obligations of health care providers, law enforcement officers, and insurers with respect to suicide prevention, response, and care. The bill would provide, in particular, for each psychiatric facility, each outpatient mental health treatment provider, and each suicide or crisis hotline operating in the State to have specially trained suicide prevention counselors on staff, during all hours of operation, to assess patients' suicide risk and provide suicide prevention counseling to patients who are deemed to be at risk of suicide. The bill would further require the attending physician at a hospital emergency department to have an on-site suicide prevention counselor assess and provide assistance to any emergency room patient who is or may be suicidal, and it would additionally provide for the governing body of each county to appoint a local suicide prevention response coordinator, who will be responsible for deploying at least one qualified and locally available suicide prevention counselor to assist law enforcement at any emergency scene involving a person who is or may be suicidal. Finally, the bill would require all health insurance carriers to provide coverage for the costs that are associated with the suicide prevention assessments performed and counseling services rendered pursuant to the bill's provisions. The bill provides for suicide prevention counselors to perform a formal suicide risk assessment of a patient at the following times: 1) immediately upon a patient's initial admission to a psychiatric facility or upon a patient's first clinical encounter with an outpatient treatment provider; 2) whenever there is reason for attending staff at a psychiatric facility or outpatient treatment provider to believe that a patient is developing new suicidal ideations, behaviors, or tendencies while under the care of the facility or provider; 3) within three days prior to the discharge of an apparently non-suicidal patient from inpatient care; and 4) whenever a suicide prevention counselor is called to assess a patient in a hospital emergency department or at the scene of an emergency, as provided by the bill. Each suicide risk assessment conducted under the bill is to be performed using a standardized tool, methodology, or framework, and is to be based on data obtained from the patient, as well as pertinent observations made by the attending clinician, assigned suicide prevention counselors, and other staff members having direct contact with the patient, and, to the extent practicable, any other information about the patient's history, the patient's past, recent, and present suicidal ideation and behavior, and the factors contributing thereto that is available from all other relevant sources, including outside treatment professionals, caseworkers, caregivers, family members, guardians, and any other persons who are significant in the patient's life. The suicide risk assessment is to include an evaluation of the patient's current living situation, housing status, existing support systems, and close relationships, and is to indicate whether there is any evidence that the patient is being subjected to abuse, neglect, exploitation, or undue influence by family members, caregivers, or other persons. The results of a patient's suicide risk assessment and notes regarding the progress of suicide prevention counseling provided to an at-risk patient are to be documented in the patient's health record. The bill further specifies that any counseling and treatment provided to address an at-risk patient's suicidal ideations, behaviors, or tendencies is to be supplemental to any other treatment that is received by the patient for the patient's other mental health issues. If a suicide prevention counselor, when assessing a patient outside of an inpatient psychiatric setting, determines that inpatient treatment may be necessary to address an at-risk patient's suicidal ideations, behaviors, or tendencies, the counselor will be required to either effectuate the voluntary admission and warm hand-off of the at-risk patient to an inpatient psychiatric facility or, if the patient refuses voluntary inpatient admission, effectuate a warm hand-off of the patient to a screening service or mental health screener to determine whether involuntary commitment to treatment is warranted. In cases where the counselor is providing on-site assistance at an emergency scene or in a hospital's emergency department, the on-scene law enforcement officers or attending physician may assist in the warm hand-off of the patient for these purposes. For any at-risk patient remaining in outpatient care, suicide prevention counselors at the outpatient treatment provider will be required to reengage and provide individualized, one-on-one counseling to each such patient, commensurate with the results of the patient's suicide risk assessment, whenever the patient has a subsequent clinical encounter with the outpatient treatment provider. The bill provides that, whenever a law enforcement officer is dispatched in response to a request for emergency services that involves a person who is or may be suicidal, the police dispatcher will be responsible for notifying the local suicide prevention response coordinator, appointed by the county's governing body under the bill, and the suicide prevention response coordinator will be responsible for ensuring the contemporaneous deployment of a suicide prevention counselor to the scene of the emergency. A 9-1-1 call-taker is to determine whether each request for emergency services involves a person who is or may be suicidal, and the bill provides for call-takers to undergo training to enable them to make this determination. Upon deployment to an emergency scene, a suicide prevention counselor will be required to: 1) provide assistance to law enforcement on the scene, as may be necessary to facilitate the non-violent de-escalation of the emergency situation; 2) perform an on-site suicide risk assessment of the person in crisis; and 3) immediately use warm hand-offs and the assistance of law enforcement, as needed, to link the at-risk person to appropriate treatment facilities, programs, and services, including voluntary or involuntary inpatient treatment, where warranted. Under the bill's provisions, each county and municipal law enforcement officer in the State will be required to complete at least two hours of in-service training in identifying the signs of mental illness and appropriate response techniques to be followed when interacting with a person who is or may be suicidal. The training is required to include: (1) the importance of approaching a suicidal person in a calm, gentle, and respectful manner; (2) the importance of avoiding the use of unnecessary force and the importance of using verbal methods of communication and other non-violent means to de-escalate an emergency situation involving a person who is or may be suicidal; and (3) specific techniques, means, and methods, consistent with the principles identified in the bill, that are to be employed by law enforcement officers when approaching, communicating with, engaging in physical contact or the use of force with, and de-escalating a situation involving, a person who is or may be suicidal. The in-service training is also to include simulated role-playing scenarios, which will allow trainees to demonstrate their ability to effectively interact with, and de-escalate emergency situations involving, a person who is or may be suicidal. The bill would require each inpatient psychiatric facility and each outpatient mental health treatment provider to establish policies and protocols to provide for the effective, compassionate, and responsible discharge of at-risk patients from care and the smooth transition of at-risk patients through the continuum of care using warm hand-offs, rapid referrals, and supportive contacts. Each outpatient provider will additionally be required to adopt policies and protocols providing for the warm hand-off of an at-risk patient to an inpatient psychiatric facility or to a screening service or mental health screener, as appropriate, in any case where the patient's suicide prevention counselor or attending clinician has reason to believe that the patient may require voluntary or involuntary commitment to inpatient treatment to address the patient's suicidal ideations, behaviors, and tendencies or associated mental health issues. The bill authorizes a facility or provider to enter into contracts or memoranda of understanding with outside organizations, including local crisis centers and other psychiatric facilities and providers, in order to facilitate the smooth and effective care transition of at-risk patients as provided by the bill. The bill also requires a psychiatric facility or outpatient treatment provider to facilitate the biennial training of all staff on the following issues: 1) the fundamentals of the facility's suicide prevention policies and protocols; 2) the particular suicide care policies and protocols that are relevant to each staff member's role and responsibilities; 3) the signs and symptoms that can be used by both clinical and non-clinical staff to identify existing patients who may be developing new suicidal ideations, behaviors, or tendencies; 4) the importance of, and methods and principles to be used in, ensuring the safe and responsible discharge and care transition of at-risk patients; and 5) the respectful treatment of, effective communication with, and de-stigmatization of, at-risk patients. The bill would prohibit a staff member of a psychiatric facility or outpatient treatment provider from: 1) discharging an at-risk patient into a homeless situation; or 2) having an at-risk patient arrested or incarcerated in a jail or prison, unless the at-risk patient poses an otherwise uncontrollable risk to others. The bill would additionally require a suicide prevention counselor and any other staff member employed by a psychiatric facility, by an outpatient treatment provider, or by a suicide or crisis hotline, as well as any other health care professional, when interacting with an at-risk patient, to: 1) treat the at-risk patient with the same dignity and respect that is shown to other patients; 2) adopt a stance that reflects empathy, compassion, and an understanding of the ambivalence the at-risk patient may feel in relation to the patient's desire to die; 3) treat the at-risk patient in an age-appropriate manner and using methods of communication that the patient can understand; 4) attempt to engender confidence in the at-risk patient that there is an alternative to suicide, and encourage the patient to use all available services and resources to empower the patient to choose such an alternative; 5) not engage in activities or communication methods that may result in the increased traumatization or re-traumatization of the at-risk patient; 6) not engage in the psychological testing of an at-risk patient who is in crisis or who has recently been lifted out of a crisis situation (except in the case of a suicide risk assessment performed pursuant to the bill); and 7) not engage in behavior that discriminates against or stigmatizes the patient. Any person who violates these minimum standards of compassionate care will be personally liable to pay a civil penalty of not more than $500 for a first offense, not more than $1,000 for a second offense, and not more than $2,500 for a third or subsequent offense, to be collected in a summary proceeding. Such person will also be subject to: 1) potential criminal liability and civil lawsuits, including lawsuits for punitive damages, for any injury that is proximately caused thereby; 2) the suspension or revocation of the person's professional license or certification; 3) the revocation of the person's mental health accreditation; and 4) the termination of the person's employment. | In Committee |
| S2263 | Establishes Co-Curricular Activity Emergency Grant Program to support operations of co-curricular activities at public schools; appropriates $750,000. | This bill establishes a Co-Curricular Activity Emergency Grant Program in the Department of Education to support the continued operations of certain academic-related, co-curricular activities that are offered to students by public schools. The bill permits any school district, charter school, or renaissance school to apply to the Department of Education for a co-curricular activity emergency grant. Each grant would be dedicated to supporting the operations of one or more co-curricular activities that are offered to students who attend the recipient school. When submitting an application, the school district, charter school, or renaissance school would be required to designate the co-curricular activities to which grant funding would be dedicated. Under the bill, each grant would be awarded in an amount determined by the Commissioner of Education. When awarding grants, the commissioner may give preference to applicants that experienced the largest reduction in revenues due to the outbreak of COVID-19, or dedicate funding to specific co-curricular activities. As used in the bill, a "co-curricular activity" means a voluntary activity or program that is conducted outside of regular school hours and supplements the academic experience of participating students, including such activities as model United Nations, debate competitions, theatrical performances, musical performances, and other academic-related activities. The bill also appropriates $750,000 from the General Fund to support the operations of the grant program. | In Committee |
| S758 | Re-establishes Arthritis Quality of Life Initiative and Advisory Council on Arthritis in DHS. | This bill would re-establish the Arthritis Quality of Life Initiative and the Advisory Council on Arthritis in the Department of Human Services (DHS). The initiative and the advisory council were initially established in the Department of Health, through the enactment of the "Arthritis Quality of Life Initiative Act," at P.L.1999, c.72 (C.26:2V-1 et seq.). In 2012, the Legislature transferred the initiative and the advisory council to the DHS; but only a year later, in 2013, the Legislature repealed the "Arthritis Quality of Life Initiative Act," on the basis that the advisory council was inactive. This bill would permanently reinstitute the initiative and the council in the DHS, in order to ensure that arthritis continues to be sufficiently addressed in the State. Specifically, the bill would require the Commissioner of Human Services to re-establish the Arthritis Quality of Life Initiative within 180 days after the bill's effective date. The purpose of the initiative is to: 1) increase public awareness about arthritis, its symptoms, and available treatment options; 2) publicize options for arthritis prevention; 3) highlight the value of early diagnosis and treatment; and 4) encourage and facilitate the delivery of programs and services that are aimed at preventing arthritis-related complications and improving the quality of life of people with arthritis. In establishing the initiative, the bill would require the commissioner, at a minimum, to: 1) develop, and publicize on the department's Internet website, a list of health care providers who offer specialized services for persons with arthritis; 2) establish, or, if appropriate, authorize and facilitate the re-establishment and ongoing maintenance, of two regionally-based arthritis centers, one in the northern and one in the southern part of the State; 3) implement a public information and outreach campaign that includes, but need not be limited to, appropriate educational materials that promote the early diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases; 4) implement a professional education program for health care practitioners, which is to promote and endeavor to increase professional levels of expertise in association with the diagnosis of arthritis, and the treatment and care of persons with the disease; 5) identify, and publicize on the department's Internet website, programs and services that are designed to prevent arthritis, reduce complications associated with arthritis, and improve the quality of life of those living with the disease; 6) establish a phone-based referral and support network to help arthritic persons identify appropriate health care providers, legal advocates, and available programs and services; and 7) engage in, or promote and facilitate, the use of outcome-based research designed to improve arthritis care and treatment, and appropriately publicize the findings of such research. The bill would also re-establish the Advisory Council on Arthritis in the DHS. The purpose of the council would be to advise the commissioner on the development and ongoing implementation and operations of the Arthritis Qualify of Life Initiative. The council would include 19 members, as follows: the Director of the Division of Aging Services in the Department of Human Services, the Principal Deputy Commissioner of Public Health in the Department of Health, the Director of Population Health in the Department of Health, the Director of the Division on Women in the Department of Children and Families, and the Chair of the New Jersey Interagency Council on Osteoporosis in the Department of Human Services, or their designees, who would each serve ex officio; and 14 public members who have expertise or experience in arthritis or related subject matters, to be appointed by the commissioner. Each public member of the council would serve for a term of three years, except that, of the members first appointed, four would serve for terms of three years, five would serve for terms of two years, and five would serve for terms of one year. Each member is to hold office for the term of appointment, and until their successor is appointed and qualified. Members are eligible for reappointment to the council. The council would be required to organize as soon as practicable after the appointment of a majority of its members. The members would serve without compensation, but could be reimbursed for travel and other necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the council for its purposes. Not later than 18 months after the bill's effective date, and annually thereafter, the commissioner will be required to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature describing the activities and accomplishments of the initiative. | In Committee |
| S768 | Eliminates position of constable; removes statutory references to constable; repeals various parts of statutory law; implements recommendation of SCI report concerning elimination of constables. | This bill eliminates the position of constable, removes statutory references to the position, and repeals certain sections of law to reflect this change. Under the bill, the salary provisions of a municipal employment contract for a constable which was entered into prior to the effective date of the bill would remain in effect and the person would be compensated in accordance with the provisions of the contract until the contract expires. However, any provisions of the contract which grant powers and impose duties associated with the position of constable would be deemed null and void. The bill implements recommendations set forth in the December 2021 report of the State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation (SCI) entitled, "Abusing the Badge, A report on the SCI's Investigation into Constables in New Jersey." In its report, the SCI deems the position of constable unnecessary and outdated, and calls for the elimination of the position "before someone gets seriously injured or worse." The SCI investigation found that, rather than serve as a beneficial adjunct to police, the role of constable instead far too frequently represents a potential hazard to the constables themselves, the police, and the public at large. | Dead |
| S293 | Expands definition of child abuse or neglect. | This bill expands the definition of child abuse or neglect. Specifically, the bill amends section 2 of P.L.1971, c.437 (C.9:6-8.9) and section 1 of P.L.1974, c.119 (C.9-8.21) to stipulate that a child is considered abused or neglected if the abuse or neglect is committed or is allowed to be committed by a person who is not the child's parent or legal guardian, including another child under the age of 18. Currently, both statutes consider a child to be abused or neglected if the abuse or neglect is committed or is allowed to be committed by a parent or legal guardian, but does not consider such acts to be abuse or neglect if they are committed by a person who is not the child's parent or a legal guardian, including another person under the age of 18. | In Committee |
| S909 | Permits exemption from certain civil service examinations for person with disability. | Under current law, a person must pass a civil service open competitive examination prior to becoming eligible for employment in an entry level position. Under this bill, a person with a disability who seeks to apply for a civil service position may request, in writing, an exemption from the examination required for the position. The Civil Service Commission will grant the request if the commission determines that the duties of the position for which the person seeks to apply can be performed by a person with a disability who is otherwise qualified to satisfactorily perform those duties. The appointing authority will require proof of the person's disability prior to making an appointment. The appointing authority will accept as proof of disability a letter or other official certification from a medical professional. The appointing authority will also accept as proof of eligibility participation in certain specified programs. The records pertaining to a person's disability, except to the extent necessary for the proper administration of this bill and for statistical purposes, will be deemed confidential and not subject to the law commonly referred to as the open public records act. | In Committee |
| S668 | Increases Medicaid reimbursement for in-person partial care and intensive outpatient behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment services, and associated transportation services, for adults. | this bill increases Medicaid reimbursement rates for partial care and intensive outpatient services by 35 percent. Rates increased under the bill include, but are not limited to: per diem and hourly reimbursement rates for partial care and intensive outpatient services, as well as services provided during partial care and intensive outpatient treatment, such as intake evaluation, psychiatric evaluation, family counseling, individual counseling, and group counseling. The bill also provides that the aggregate Medicaid reimbursement rate for transportation services and mileage to or from a partial care or intensive outpatient services provider is to be no less than $10 for each one-way trip. As defined under the bill, "partial care services" means comprehensive, individualized, structured, non-residential intensive treatment services, including access to psychiatric, medical, and laboratory services, for an adult with severe mental illness or substance use disorder provided at a licensed outpatient facility for a minimum of 20 hours per week. "Intensive Outpatient Services" means comprehensive, individualized, structured, non-residential treatment sessions for an adult with severe mental illness or substance use disorder provided at a licensed outpatient facility for a minimum of nine hours per week. | In Committee |
| S816 | Expands purpose of Traumatic Brain Injury Fund to support transportation costs incurred by eligible individuals in accessing support group meetings. | This bill expands the purpose of the Traumatic Brain Injury Fund to support transportation costs incurred by an eligible individual in accessing support group meetings. Under the bill, support group meetings mean any gathering of individuals with traumatic injuries who congregate in order to obtain information and perspective, relative to their injuries, and to improve their general well-being. Pursuant to N.J.A.C.10:141-1.11, the Traumatic Brain Injury Fund currently provides payment to an eligible individual for transportation services related to accessing medical appointments, treatment facilities, or vocational programs. The Traumatic Brain Injury Fund purchases supports and services for eligible New Jersey residents of any age, who have survived a traumatic brain injury, to foster independence and maximize quality of life when insurance, personal resources, or public programs are unavailable to meet those needs. A portion of the fund also is used to support public education, outreach, and prevention activities related to traumatic brain injuries. A $.50 surcharge on motor vehicle registration fees generates revenue for the fund. | In Committee |
| S1474 | Requires DEP to prioritize funding for certain projects for acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes and certain environmental infrastructure projects that include, or allow for, flood mitigation projects. | This bill would direct the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide additional priority points to certain applicants that seek funding, for Blue Acres projects and for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects. Specifically, under the bill, projects that include, or allow for, a flood mitigation project to occur onsite would receive additional priority points in the ranking for funding pursuant to the respective program. The DEP would factor these additional points into its calculations when establishing: (1) the list of projects eligible to receive "Blue Acres funding"; (2) the "clean water project priority list," pursuant to section 20 of P.L.1985, c.334 (C.58:11B-20); and (3) the "drinking water project priority list," pursuant to section 24 of P.L.1997, c.224 (C.58:11B-20.1). As used in the bill, "Blue Acres project" means any project of the State or a qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization to acquire, for recreation and conservation purposes, lands that have been damaged by, or may be prone to incurring damage caused by, storms or storm-related flooding, or that may buffer or protect other lands from such damage. | In Committee |
| Bill | Bill Name | Motion | Vote Date | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1636 | Changes MVC voter registration procedures. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| A4937 | Concerns satellite cannabis dispensaries, Cannabis Regulatory Commission membership, and post-employment restrictions on State employees. | Senate Floor: Amend | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4954 | Requires members of historic preservation commissions to complete historic preservation planning course. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| S3931 | Updates requirements for licensure in occupational therapy. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Senate Floor: Reconsidered Vote | 06/30/2025 | Abstain |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Senate Floor: Amend | 06/30/2025 | Abstain |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| A5563 | Establishes "Summer Termination Program" for certain utility customers. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5563 | Establishes "Summer Termination Program" for certain utility customers. | Senate Floor: Amend | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5546 | Concerns financial powers and responsibilities of Capital City Redevelopment Corporation. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4376 | Establishes Department of Veterans Affairs. | Senate Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| 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 | Yea |
| S4530 | Requires BPU to revise community solar program targets. | Senate Floor: Concur in Assembly Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| State | District | Chamber | Party | Status | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | New Jersey Senate District 18 | Senate | Democrat | In Office | 05/09/2016 | |
| NJ | District 18 | House | Democrat | Out of Office | 01/01/2002 | 01/21/2024 |