Legislator
Legislator > Alixon Collazos-Gill
State Assemblymember
Alixon Collazos-Gill
(D) - New Jersey
New Jersey Assembly District 27
In Office - Started: 01/09/2024
contact info
Montclair Office
39 S. Fullerton Ave.
Second Floor, Suite 7
Montclair, NJ 07042
Second Floor, Suite 7
Montclair, NJ 07042
Phone: 973-509-0388
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A3871 | Requires school districts to provide instruction on history and contributions of Latino and Hispanic Americans 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. | In Committee |
| A2390 | Requires municipalities in compliance with affordable housing obligations be provided priority consideration for certain State grants and assistance. | Requires municipalities in compliance with affordable housing obligations be provided priority consideration for certain State grants and assistance. | 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 |
| A2090 | Requires solid waste management district to develop strategy to reduce food waste; requires DEP to adopt certain rules and regulations regarding composting facilities. | Requires solid waste management districts to develop strategy to reduce food waste; requires DEP to adopt certain rules and regulations regarding composting facilities. | Crossed Over |
| A4029 | 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. | In Committee |
| A4194 | 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. | 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. | In Committee |
| AR186 | 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. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| 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. | 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. | Passed |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| A3128 | Authorizes HMFA to use certain tax credits; directs HMFA to conduct tax credit auctions to provide financial assistance for certain housing purposes. | Authorizes HMFA to use certain tax credits; directs HMFA to conduct tax credit auctions to provide financial assistance for certain housing purposes. | Passed |
| A5888 | Establishes "New Jersey Private Contractor Registration Act." | This bill establishes the "New Jersey Private Contractor Registration Act." The bill prohibits contractors and subcontractors from engaging in private construction work, unless they are registered pursuant to the bill. Under the bill, "private construction work" means all building or work on a building, structure, or improvement of any type, as well as related building or work on a building, done within the State under an express or implied contract on behalf of another entity or individual. Private construction work does not include "public work" as that term is defined in the prevailing wage law, or "home improvement," as that term is defined in the "Contractors' Registration Act." As part of the registration, the contractor is required to include the following information: (1) the name, principal business address and telephone number of the private contractor; (2) whether the private contractor is a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or other form of business entity; (3) if the private contractor's principal business address is not within the State, the name and address of the private contractor's custodian of records and agent for service of process in the State; (4) the name and address of each person with a financial interest in the private contractor and the percentage interest, except that if the private contractor is a publicly-traded corporation, the private contractor is required to supply the names and addresses of the corporation's officers; (5) the private contractor's tax identification number and unemployment insurance registration number; (6) a certification form provided by the commissioner, with documentation satisfactory to the commissioner, that the private contractor has all valid and effective licenses, registrations or certificates required by State law, including registrations or certifications required to do business in the State of New Jersey; (7) disclosure of any action committed in another jurisdiction that would constitute a violation of this bill; (8) disclosure of any administrative merits determination, arbitral award or decision, or civil judgment, for violations of any of the certain federal and State labor laws or executive orders; (9) disclosure of any criminal offense committed in connection with the performance of activities regulated under this act or any criminal offense involving fraud, untruthfulness, or dishonesty or any criminal offense relating adversely to the registrant's fitness to perform activities regulated by the bill; and (10) any other relevant and appropriate information as determined by the commissioner. The bill requires a private contractor to pay an initial non-refundable registration fee of $250 to the commissioner. Upon successful completion of an initial two year registration, a private contractor is thereafter required to register for a two-year period and pay a non-refundable registration fee of $100. The bill provides that reduced fee schedules based upon an entity's annual revenue or non-profit status may be prescribed by regulation. Further, the bill exempts private contractors that are registered as public works contractors under "The Public Works Contractor Registration Act" from the registration and fee requirements of the bill. The bill provides for penalties and fines for noncompliance with its provisions, including but not limited to the suspension of a contractor's registration. | In Committee |
| A5886 | Revises process for filling vacancy from this State in United States House of Representatives. | This bill expedites the process for filling a vacancy from this State in the United States House of Representatives under certain circumstances. Under current law, and pursuant to the United States Constitution and federal law, vacancies in the United States House of Representatives are required to be filled by special election. In contrast to the provisions for filling vacancies in the United States Senate, where the Governor may make a temporary appointment to fill the vacancy until it can be filled by election for the unexpired term, the United States Constitution does not provide for the temporary appointment of a Representative. The Governor has the responsibility to issue a writ of election to fill the vacancy, while the Legislature may prescribe by law the election's scheduling. Current law provides that it is the duty of the Governor to issue a writ of election to fill such vacancy, unless the term of service for the vacant office will expire within six months after the happening of the vacancy. Therefore, if the vacancy happens on or after July 3 of the second year of the Representative's two-year term of office, the vacancy is not required to be filled. Current Law Circumstances and Timeframes Current law specifies three different vacancy scenarios under which the Governor is required or permitted to designate the next general election day to fill the vacancy, permitted to designate a special election day to fill the vacancy, and whether a primary election or a special primary election is required to nominate the candidates for election. (1) General Election With a Primary Election - if the vacancy happens in any year, not later than the 70th day prior to the day for holding the next primary election for the general election, the Governor is required to issue a writ of election to fill the vacancy designating the next general election day as the day on which the election will be held to fill such vacancy, with the nomination of candidates made in the same manner as the nomination of other candidates at said primary election. This scenario would typically cover vacancies occurring in January, February, and most of March of either year of the Representative's two-year term of office, with the primary election occurring in June and the general election occurring in November. (2) General Election Without a Primary Election - if the vacancy happens in any year later than the 70th day prior to the day for holding the primary election for the general election but before the 70th day preceding the day of the general election, and the unexpired term to be filled exceeds one year, the Governor is permitted to designate the next general election day as the day on which the election will be held to fill such vacancy, and that no primary election will be held for the nomination of candidates. Each political party selects its candidate to fill such vacancy in the same manner as under current law for selecting candidates to fill vacancies that arise among candidates that won the primary election and were thereby nominated to appear on the general election ballot. This scenario would typically cover vacancies occurring in the period from the last days of March through the last days of August, but only in the first year of the Representative's two-year term of office, with the general election occurring in November. (3) Special Election With a Special Primary Election - the Governor is permitted in the writ of election to designate a special day for the election to fill the vacancy, specifying the day on which a special primary election must be held, which must be not less than 70 days nor more than 76 days following the issuance of the writ, and specifying the day on which the special election must be held, which must be not less than 64 days nor more than 70 days following the day of the special primary election. Under this scenario, the special election to fill the vacancy could occur approximately 134 to 143 days after the issuance of the writ of election. Current law does not specify a timeframe for the Governor to issue the writ of election. Timeframes Under the Bill This bill provides for an expedited process for filling a vacancy from this State in the United States House of Representatives. Specifically, the bill establishes a timeframe of within 10 days of the occurrence of the vacancy for the Governor to issue a writ of election. The bill also removes the requirement that the election to fill the vacant seat be held on the same day as the next upcoming general election, and instead allows for a special election date to be designated. The bill specifies two ways in which a vacancy will be filled: (1) when the unexpired term to be filled equals or exceeds 180 days, the writ will designate the day on which a special primary election will be held, which will be not less than 70 days nor more than 76 days following the date of such proclamation, except that if a primary election is already scheduled to be held within 55 days following the day on which the special primary would be held, the writ may designate the special primary to be held on the same day as the regularly scheduled primary election. The special election will then be held not less than 64 nor more than 70 days following the day of the special primary election; or (2) when the unexpired term to be filled is less than 180 days, but in no case less than 135 days, the writ will designate a special day as the day on which the election will be held to fill such vacancy, which will be not less than 70 days nor more than 76 days following the date of such proclamation, and no primary election will be held for the nomination of candidates to fill such vacancy. The 180-day timeframe is based upon the amount of time required for the Governor to issue a writ for the election (up to 10 days), to conduct a primary election (70 to 76 days), to conduct a general election (64 to 70 days), to audit and certify the election results (up to 30 days), and have a new member take office. If a vacancy occurs in the final 135 days of an unexpired term, the seat will remain vacant until the start of a new term. Other Elections Procedures The bill also updates certain statutory language to reflect current practices and procedures. The bill removes language that required the writ of election to specify the day or days when the district boards would meet for the purpose of making, revising or correcting the registers of voters to be used at such special election. This no longer reflects standard practice. The bill further revises the requirement that notice of the special election be published once every week until the election is held, instead requiring that notice be published only once at least 45 days prior to the election. Under current law, all voters will receive additional notice by mail, in the form of a sample ballot or mail-in ballot. Finally, the bill specifies that, when a special election is to be held, the draw for candidate ballot position will be held as soon as practicable following the special primary election, provided that members of the public are given sufficient notice to witness the drawing. Current law does not distinguish between the ballot draw timelines for an election under normal timelines and the expedited process for filling vacancies. | In Committee |
| A5885 | Requires DEP to establish maximum contaminant level for hexavalent chromium in drinking water. | This bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection (department), no later than one year after the bill's effective date, to adopt a maximum contaminant level for hexavalent chromium (chromium-VI) of 10 parts per billion in drinking water beginning: (1) two years after the bill's effective date for public water systems with 10,000 of greater service connections; (2) three years after the bill's effective date for public water systems with 1,000 to 9,999 service connections; and (3) four years after the bill's effective date for public water systems with fewer than 1,000 service connections. The bill would also permit the department to adopt a more stringent standard for hexavalent chromium (chromium-VI) upon recommendation of the Drinking Water Quality Institute. The bill's provisions would not alter the maximum contaminant level for total chromium in drinking water, as adopted by the department pursuant to any federal or State law, rule, or regulation, except that hexavalent chromium (chromium-VI) would be prohibited from exceeding the maximum contaminant level of 10 parts per billion, as established under the bill. | In Committee |
| A3558 | Establishes State definition of anti-Semitism; creates a public awareness campaign; appropriates $100,000. | 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". 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 adopted by the IHRA for purposes of determining whether the alleged act was motivated by anti-Semitic intent. 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. Nothing in the bill would be construed to conflict with local, State, or federal anti-discrimination laws or regulations. This bill also appropriates $100,000 to the Office of the Attorney General for the creation of a public awareness campaign to promote bias crime reporting. Through extensive community outreach, the citizens of New Jersey will be empowered to identify and report bias crimes using the existing bias crime reporting hotline within the New Jersey Bias Crimes Reporting Unit. This appropriation represents an investment in safety and collective action against bias crimes, including acts considered anti-Semitic. | In Committee |
| A4974 | Establishes criminal penalties for sale and possession of machine gun conversion devices. | Establishes criminal penalties for sale and possession of a machine gun conversion device. | Crossed Over |
| A5859 | Eliminates five percent down payment requirement for local bond ordinances involving hazard mitigation and resilience projects. | This bill amends the local bond law to exempt a local government from appropriating an amount equal to five percent of the amount of obligations for local bond ordinances involving hazard mitigation and resilience projects. The bill also exempts a local government from applying to the local finance board concerning the maturity and amount of annual installment payments related to the financing of local bond ordinances involving hazard mitigation and resilience projects. The bill also makes technical corrections to existing law. | In Committee |
| A4083 | Establishes "John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey"; appropriates $2.5 million. | Establishes "John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey"; appropriates $2.5 million. | In Committee |
| A5442 | Requires BPU members to have certain experience and complete certain training. | Requires BPU members to have certain experience and complete certain training. | Crossed Over |
| A4763 | Requires development of educational fact sheet on water safety for public and nonpublic schools; requires DOE to maintain list of locations providing swim lessons. | Requires development of educational fact sheet on water safety for public and nonpublic schools; requires DOE to maintain list of locations providing swim lessons. | Crossed Over |
| A4753 | Requires hospitals and birthing facilities to request new parents watch water safety video prior to discharge. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Health (DOH) to prepare and make available to each hospital and birthing facility in the State an informational video on water safety for children, including, but not limited to, information on the risks to children of drowning in bathtubs, pools, and other bodies of water, the importance of receiving instruction on basic swimming, water safety, water rescue, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills; the use of life jackets and other age appropriate flotation devices for children; and anti-entrapment drain covers, safety release systems, and pool fences. The video is to be shown to a new parent and any other adult family member present at the infant's birth, prior to an infant's birth or the new parent's discharge from a hospital or birthing facility. The commissioner may make the informational video available to hospitals and birthing facilities by posting it on the DOH's Internet website or by other electronic means. The bill also stipulates that the DOH mandate that each hospital and birthing facility in the State require new parents to watch the informational video specified in the bill, which is to be shown to a new parent and any other adult family member present at an infant's birth, prior to the parent's discharge, as part of the hospital or birthing facility's discharge procedures. As used in bill "birthing facility" means an inpatient or ambulatory health care facility licensed by the DOH that provides birthing and newborn care services. | Crossed Over |
| A4762 | Designates May of each year as "Water Safety Month" in NJ; encourages DOE to provide resources on water safety. | This bill designates May of each year as "Water Safety Month" to raise awareness for safe water practices and accident and drowning prevention. The bill encourages the Department of Education (DOE), in consultation with the Department of Health (DOH), to provide resources to school districts to hold presentations and educational activities during "Water Safety Month" for students in grades kindergarten through five to provide water safety education. The bill stipulates that the presentations and educational activities may be held in partnership with nonprofit organizations. The bill also encourages the DOE, in consultation with the DOH, to provide resources to public schools to educate students on water safety. | Crossed Over |
| A5572 | Establishes quorum standards for professional licensing entities under certain circumstances. | Establishes quorum standards for professional licensing entities under certain circumstances. | Crossed Over |
| A5670 | Repeals law that requires funds for legislative agents to be assessed on student tuition bills in certain manner. | This bill repeals P.L.1995, c.63 (C.18A:62-22), which requires funds for legislative agents to be assessed on student tuition bills in a certain manner. It is the sponsor's belief that this law restricts the rights of students who participate in certain student organizations at public institutions of higher education from engaging in State legislative activity, effectively silencing these students. Under P.L.1995, c.63, the governing body of a public institution of higher education is prohibited from allowing funds for legislative agents or organizations which attempt to influence legislation to be assessed on student tuition bills. However, optional fees may be assessed for nonpartisan organizations that employ legislative agents or attempt to influence legislation provided that the fee has been authorized by a majority vote in a student referendum. An optional fee is an amount payable on a student tuition bill, appearing as a separately assessed item, but not a mandatory charge or a waivable fee. Optional fees that appear on student tuition bills are currently required to be accompanied by a statement as to the nature of the item along with an explanation that the item is not a charge required to be paid by the student, the student may add the charge to the total amount due, and that the item has appeared on the bill at the request of the student body and does not necessarily reflect the endorsement of the governing body of the public institution of higher education. | In Committee |
| A5459 | Extends time period in which to enroll newborn infant in health benefits coverage. | This bill extends the time period in which newly born children are covered under their parents' health benefits coverage to 90 days after birth. Current law limits the coverage of newly born children to 60 days from their birth. At the conclusion of the 60 days, the child will be without coverage, unless the parents enroll the child in a private health benefits coverage policy or in a State or federal program, such as FamilyCare. The bill will provide a longer period of time for children to be covered under their parents' health benefits coverage, which will assist new parents and ensure that children have access to adequate health care during the critical first few months of life. | Crossed Over |
| A1700 | Requires DOH to establish public awareness campaign and develop policies and procedures to promote recognition and treatment of perinatal anxiety. | Requires DOH to establish public awareness campaign and develop policies and procedures to promote recognition and treatment of perinatal anxiety. | Crossed Over |
| A4982 | Prohibits health insurance carriers from using human body weight as factor in determining coverage for treatment of eating disorders. | This bill prohibits health insurance carriers from using human body weight as a factor in determining coverage for treatment of eating disorders. For the purpose of this bill, "carrier" means an insurance company, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation, health service corporation, or health maintenance organization authorized to issue health benefits plans in New Jersey. | Crossed Over |
| A3025 | Exempts poll workers wages from affecting unemployment compensation. | Exempts poll workers wages from affecting unemployment compensation. | Crossed Over |
| 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 |
| A5584 | 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. | In Committee |
| A5427 | Eliminates presumption of pretrial release for sex offenses committed against minor. | This bill eliminates the presumption of pretrial release for defendants charged with a sex offense, if the alleged victim of the offense is a minor. 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 a defendant who is found to be a flight risk, a danger to another or the community, or likely to obstruct further criminal proceedings. Currently, the Criminal Justice Reform Law establishes a presumption for some form of pretrial release, except with respect to an eligible defendant charged with: murder; a crime for which the eligible defendant would be subject to an ordinary or extended term of life imprisonment; theft of or unlawful taking of a motor vehicle or receiving stolen property where the property involved is a motor vehicle under certain circumstances; or a crime under any statute of the United States, this State, or any other state that is substantially equivalent. Under the bill, the presumption of pretrial release also would not apply to an eligible defendant charged with a sex offense, as defined under Megan's Law pursuant to subsection b. of section 2 of P.L.1994, c.133 (C.2C:7-2), if the alleged victim is under 18 years of age. | In Committee |
| A5009 | "Packaging and Paper Product Stewardship Act." | "Packaging and Paper Product Stewardship Act." | In Committee |
| A4374 | Establishes criminal penalties for certain violations of the "New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act." | Establishes criminal penalties for certain violations of the "New Jersey Prevailing Wage Act." | In Committee |
| A4844 | Requires BPU to establish beneficial building electrification and decarbonization program and requires certain entities to submit plans to implement individual beneficial building electrification and decarbonization programs. | This bill would direct the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to establish a beneficial building electrification program, and would require electric public utilities to prepare and implement beneficial building electrification plans. As used in the bill, "beneficial electrification" means a change in end-use equipment from a nonelectric type to an efficient electric type for any building end use, including water heating, space heating, industrial process, or transportation, provided that the change: reduces cost from a societal perspective; reduces greenhouse gas emission, or promotes the increased use of the electric grid in off-peak hours. The bill directs the BPU to adopt, no later than one year after the bill becomes law, rules and regulations establishing a beneficial building electrification program. As part of the program, the BPU would develop greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for beneficial building electrification programs implemented by each electric public utility in the State and require electric public utilities to prepare and implement beneficial building electrification plans. The BPU would: (1) establish beneficial electrification program targets expressed in the amount of on-site greenhouse gas emission reductions; (2) establish program design elements and minimum filing requirements to achieve the goals of the energy master plan; (3) establish a cost recovery and performance incentive mechanism for programs established under the bill; (4) determine whether the electric public utilities or the board would be responsible for the implementation of building electrification programs for new construction; and (5) develop and provide direct incentives for the installation of electric heat pumps. The bill would require each electric public utility to prepare a multi-year beneficial electrification plan to achieve the targets established by the BPU. To be approved by the BPU, an electricity public utility plan would be required to meet or exceed on-site greenhouse gas emission reduction targets set by the board and be cost effective from a societal perspective utilizing a cost-effectiveness test that includes consideration of the environmental benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and methane emissions. Under the bill, a beneficial building electrification plan may meet the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets set pursuant to the bill through the following: (1) conversion of fossil fuel-based space and water heating systems, including natural gas and propane systems as well as other unregulated fuels, to systems that employ high-efficiency electric heat pumps; (2) replacement of fossil fuel based appliances with high-efficiency electric appliances such as induction cooking ranges and heat-pump clothes dryers; (3) conversion of fossil fuel-based industrial equipment or processes to energy-efficient electric-powered equipment or processes; or (4) market transformation programs aimed at educating and training contractors to use appliances, equipment, and systems that are high-efficiency. | In Committee |
| AJR166 | Urges Congress to continue progress on National Museum of the American Latino. | Urges Congress to continue progress on National Museum of the American Latino. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A5133 | Requires health insurance and Medicaid coverage for the treatment of stuttering. | Requires health insurance and Medicaid coverage for the treatment of stuttering. | In Committee |
| A5519 | Requires water breaks for certain sports events occurring on artificial turf fields. | This bill requires any school, college, municipality, or recreational organization hosting a sports event to have a water break schedule based on the outside temperature of a local area for competitions, practices, or instructional activities occurring on an artificial turf field. Under the bill, "artificial turf field" means a field with a surface made of synthetic fibers or materials designed to resemble natural grass, commonly used for recreational, educational, or competitive purposes. In addition, "sports event" means any competition, practice, or instructional activity involving recreational, interscholastic, youth, and collegiate teams, but does not include semi-professional and professional teams. Under the provisions of this bill, at minimum, the following water break schedule is required based on the outside temperature of the local area for all activities occurring on an artificial turf field: at 80 degrees Fahrenheit, water breaks are to be given every 30 minutes; at 85 degrees Fahrenheit, water breaks are to be given every 20 minutes; at 90 degrees Fahrenheit, water breaks are to be given every 15 minutes; and at 95 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, water breaks are to be given every 10 minutes. Additionally, any school, college, municipality, or recreational organization hosting a sports event on an artificial turf field is to suspend the event if the outside temperature of the local area is 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, except that the sports event may be moved indoors to a controlled environment where the temperature may be regulated. Any school, college, municipality, or recreational organization that violates any of the provisions of this bill will receive a written warning issued by a local health authority or department for the first offense. For a second or subsequent offense, the school, college, municipality, or recreational organization will be subject to a civil penalty of $100, which may be collected and enforced by the Department of Health in a summary proceeding pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). | In Committee |
| A4658 | Requires affirmative written consent for certain entities to disclose individual's medical information regarding reproductive health care services, with limited exceptions, unless disclosure is necessary to provide those services. | This bill requires health care providers, business associates of a covered entity, and carriers to receive affirmative written consent in order to disclose a patient's or covered person's medical information regarding reproductive health care services, with limited exceptions, unless disclosure is necessary to provide those services. Under the bill: "health care provider" means an individual or entity which, acting within the scope of its licensure or certification, provides a health care service; a "business associate of a covered entity" means the same as those terms are defined under federal "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act" rules, or a person or entity that performs certain functions or activities that involve the use or disclosure of protected health information on behalf of, or provides services to, health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers; "carrier" means an insurance company, health service corporation, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation, or health maintenance organization authorized to issue health benefits plans in this State; and "reproductive health care services" means all medical, surgical, counseling, or referral services relating to the human reproductive system including, but not limited to, services relating to pregnancy, contraception, or termination of a pregnancy. Specifically, this bill prohibits a health care provider, a business associate of a covered entity, or carrier from intentionally sharing, selling, using for marketing, or otherwise disclosing any personally identifiable medical information regarding reproductive health care services for any purpose not necessary to provide, or pay benefits for, those services, without the affirmative written consent of the patient or the covered person, or an authorized legal representative. Under the bill, "Medical information" includes information that is acquired using in-person or telephone communication, submitted documentation, a mobile application, an Internet website, or a wearable device. Further, "affirmative written consent" means a freely given, specific agreement collected on a standalone form, which clearly states to the patient how records containing medical information could be used and to whom the contents of the records could be disclosed, and allows the patient to refuse consent for specific disclosures. The bill further mandates that a health care provider, a business associate of a covered entity, or carrier are required to inform a patient or a covered person, or authorized legal representative, of the right to withhold such affirmative written consent at or before the time reproductive health care services are rendered or at such time as the covered person discloses any information relating to reproductive health care services that have been previously rendered. The bill allows for disclosure without affirmative written consent under certain circumstances. These exceptions include when disclosure is: 1) to medical personnel to the extent necessary to meet a bona fide medical emergency; 2) to the extent that the health care provider or carrier is a covered entity and the disclosure is made to a business associate under a valid business associate agreement; 3) as required to comply with the laws of this State, federal law, or the Rules of Court; 4) pursuant to a court order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction in this State upon a showing of good cause; 5) by a health care provider or carrier against whom a claim has been made, for use in the defense of the action or proceeding; 6) to certain State entities or licensing boards for records of a patient or covered person in connection with an investigation of a complaint, if the records are related to the complaint; 7) to a federal or State agency charged with investigating known or, in good faith, suspected child abuse, abuse of an elderly individual, abuse of an individual who is incapacitated, or abuse of an individual with a physical or mental disability, if such disclosure is requested in connection with an investigation of abuse that would constitute a crime under the laws of this State and such records are related to such investigation; and 8) pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Commissioners of Health and Banking and Insurance. Under the bill, if a court of competent jurisdiction finds that a health care provider or carrier has violated the provisions of this bill, the court may award damages, computed at a rate of $1,000 per violation, reasonable attorney's fees, and the costs incurred in maintaining that civil action. Finally, nothing contained in the bill is to be construed to limit, diminish, or abrogate the rights of a person under the federal "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996," Pub.L.104-191 or the obligations of a health care provider or carrier under that law. | In Committee |
| 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 |
| SJR140 | Designates month of March of each year as "Amyloidosis Awareness Month." | This joint resolution designates the month of March as "Amyloidosis Awareness Month" in the State of New Jersey in order to educate the public about the signs and symptoms of amyloidosis, extend the life expectancy of those who may be unaware that they are suffering from the disease, and help improve the quality of life of those who have been diagnosed with the amyloidosis. Designates month of March of each year as "Amyloidosis Awareness Month." | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A5510 | 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 |
| A5493 | Requires Commissioner of Education to permit certain school districts losing State school aid or subject to State aid growth limit to submit budgets after enactment of FY2026 appropriations act. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to permit certain school districts that are losing State school aid or are subject to the State aid growth limit specified in the State aid notice distributed to school districts on February 27, 2025 to submit their school budget after the enactment of the State fiscal year 2026 appropriations act. The fiscal year 2026 Governor's Budget Proposal currently recommends limiting State school aid increases to six percent over the aid received in fiscal year 2025. The commissioner is authorized under the bill to make any adjustments to the school budget calendar that are necessary to conform with the bill's provisions. The adjustments are to 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 or are subject to the proposed six percent State aid growth limit, if the amount of the reduction or the amount of the State aid eliminated due to the State aid growth limit 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 school 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 |
| A5467 | Designates State House Complex Welcome Center as "Governor Richard J. Codey Welcome Center." | This bill directs the State Capitol Joint Management Commission to designate the State House Complex Welcome Center as the "Governor Richard J. Codey Welcome Center" in honor of the distinguished services performed by Governor Codey during his career in public service. Governor Codey became New Jersey's longest serving legislator after being elected to the General Assembly in November of 1973 at just 27 years of age. After serving for nearly a decade in the General Assembly, Governor Codey served in the Senate from 1982 to 2024 and held the highly esteemed position of Senate President from 2002 to 2010. During his tenure as Senate President, Governor Codey served as Acting Governor on multiple occasions and as New Jersey's 53rd governor for 14 months after the resignation of Governor James E. McGreevey in 2004, before returning to the Senate. Throughout his time as Acting Governor and in the Legislature, Governor Codey was a strong advocate of strengthening public health in many aspects. Governor Codey's health system improvement efforts include increasing funding for mental health care, championing stem cell research, establishing the State's charity care program, leading a ban on indoor smoking in all State buildings, and establishing a prescription drug assistance program for seniors. Governor Codey made strides in protecting the health of the youth of New Jersey by increasing the age to legally purchase tobacco to 21 and initiating drug and steroid testing for high school athletes in New Jersey. Governor Codey fought to make communities safer by pushing for higher gun control standards, establishing GPS tracking for sex offenders, and authoring laws aimed at cracking down on internet predators. Outside of Governor Codey's public service, he has been an active and beloved member of his community, coaching youth basketball teams, mentoring first-generation college students, and working as a funeral director. After a long career faithfully serving the residents of this State, Governor Codey retired from public service in January of 2024. The State Capitol Joint Management Commission will erect appropriate signs bearing the new welcome center designation. The commission is authorized to accept public and private gifts, donations, and grants for the purpose of funding the costs associated with producing, purchasing, and erecting the signs. | In Committee |
| AJR202 | Designates month of March of each year as "Amyloidosis Awareness Month." | This joint resolution designates the month of March as "Amyloidosis Awareness Month" in the State of New Jersey in order to educate the public about the signs and symptoms of amyloidosis, extend the life expectancy of those who may be unaware that they are suffering from the disease, and help improve the quality of life of those who have been diagnosed with the amyloidosis. | In Committee |
| A4492 | Establishes fee refund program for businesses applying for permits, licenses, or certifications in this State. | This bill establishes a fee refund program for businesses applying for permits, licenses, or certifications in this State. This bill requires State entities that issue permits, licenses, or certifications to compile a catalog of the types of permits, licenses, or certifications it issues and submit that catalog to the Governor. This bill establishes information to be included in the catalog. This bill requires the Governor's office to establish recommended application processing times for the various types of permits, licenses, and certifications. Any State entity that exceeds the recommended application processing time as established under this bill after having received a completed application will refund the amount of the application fee to the extent permitted by law. The refund will have no bearing on the disposition of the underlying application. This bill defines "State entity" as a State department or agency, board, commission, corporation, or authority. | In Committee |
| A4679 | 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 |
| S3466 | Extends expiration date of special appraisal process for Green Acres and farmland preservation program; provides aid for watershed lands. | An Act concerning the preservation and protection of land in the Highlands Region, amending P.L.1999, c.152, and amending and supplementing P.L.2004, c.120. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4696 | "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 |
| A3984 | Establishes Jersey Strong Public Service Scholarship Program. | This bill establishes the Jersey Strong Public Service Scholarship Program. The program is to provide scholarships to eligible students who are employed in a public service sector experiencing critical workforce shortages. To be eligible to participate in the program, a student is required to: have graduated from a public or nonpublic high school in the State in the past year or plan to graduate within six months of the date of application; be a resident of the State; be a United States citizen; be employed full-time in a paid position in an eligible public service sector providing, at a minimum, an hourly wage commensurate with the State minimum wage or be placed in an open position in a public service sector; and meet any other minimum qualifications as determined by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. Placement positions are required to, at a minimum, pay an hourly rate commensurate with the State's minimum wage. The bill requires the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce development to establish a list of eligible public service sectors experiencing critical workforce shortages, which may include employment in hospitals or public schools or employment as a crossing guard or first responder. Under the bill, an eligible student who completes one-year of full-time employment in a public service sector experiencing critical workforce shortages is to receive a scholarship toward the cost of attendance for study at a public institution of higher education in the State for two academic years, not to exceed $25,000 total. An eligible student who completes two-years of full-time employment in a public service sector experiencing critical workforce shortages is to receive a scholarship toward the cost of cost of attendance for study at a public institution of higher education in the State for four academic years, not to exceed $50,000 total. To be eligible to receive the scholarship upon completion of each year of full-time employment as required by the program, a program participant is required to: maintain residency in the State; apply and be accepted to a full-time degree granting program at a public institution of higher education; and have applied for all other available forms of State and federal financial aid, excluding loans. Finally, the bill stipulates that a program participant's scholarship be terminated and required to be repaid if a program participant is dismissed from the public institution of higher education for academic or disciplinary reasons, or withdraws from the institution without approval from the authority. The bill also stipulates that the scholarship is to be terminated if the program participant who has received approval from the authority and withdraws due to illness, the illness of a member of the student's immediate family, or a family emergency, and the program participant would not be required to repay the scholarship. Under the bill, scholarship funds that exceed a program participant's cost of attendance are permitted to be remitted to the program participant. | In Committee |
| A5410 | Establishes additional public inspection requirements for school district budgets. | This bill provides additional public inspection requirements for school district budgets. Pursuant to current law, a school district is required to provide for public inspection on its website and make available in print in a "user-friendly" format the school budget as adopted for the school year. This bill extends these requirements to the version of the budget that is: 1) initially submitted by a school district to the Commissioner of Education for approval; and 2) approved by the commissioner. Pursuant to the bill, the version of the budget that is approved by the commissioner is to be made available no later than 48 hours prior to the public hearing on the budget. In addition, the bill requires all forms of the budget to be provided upon request for public inspection. | In Committee |
| A5418 | Requires pregnancy centers to disclose certain information in multiple languages. | This bill requires each crisis pregnancy center (center) operating in the State to disclose, that the center is not a licensed health care facility and whether the center employs a physician to supervise the pregnancy-related services in-person at the center. Under the bill, each center is required to conspicuously post signage with the disclosures, in English and Spanish, in the waiting area, in each examination room, and in each room used to discuss or provide information to clients about pregnancy-related services, signage which discloses certain information about the center. Additionally, a center that makes, publishes, disseminates, circulates, or places before the public, or causes, directly or indirectly, to be made, published, disseminated, circulated, or placed before the public, in a newspaper, magazine, or other publication, or in the form of a notice, circular, pamphlet, letter, or poster, or over any radio station, or via the Internet, or in any other way, an advertisement, announcement, or statement, is required to conspicuously state the disclosures, in English and Spanish, via such medium. A center that violates the provisions of the bill is subject to all remedies and penalties available pursuant to the Consumer Fraud Act (N.J.S.A.56:8-1 et seq.). In addition, the bill provides that if a center is about to engage in, is continuing to engage in, or has engaged in conduct which is in violation of the bill, or if it is in the public interest, the Attorney General has the authority to obtain summary action in the Superior Court to take whatever remedial steps necessary to correct the deceptive, false, or misleading advertising or statements on any client seeking pregnancy-related services, including, but not limited to, an injunction prohibiting the crisis pregnancy center from advertising, providing pregnancy-related services, or operating. | In Committee |
| A5382 | The "Municipal Volunteer Property Tax Reduction Act"; permits certain municipal property owners to perform volunteer services in return for property tax vouchers. | This bill would permit any municipality, by resolution, to create a "Municipal Volunteer Property Tax Reduction Program," permitting a municipal resident, age 60 years or older, who has owned and lived in a home in the municipality as the resident's primary residence for not less than 15 years in the aggregate, to volunteer the resident's services to the municipality in ways determined by the municipality, in exchange for property tax credits not to exceed $1,000 per tax year. Under this program, a municipality will determine the type of volunteer services that a resident may perform, and the amount of property tax credits, up to $1,000 per resident per tax year, that a volunteer shall be awarded for service. The bill sets the amount of the property tax credit per hour worked to the amount of the State minimum wage. The bill directs that property tax credits earned under the program shall not carry over from year to year, and credits earned in a tax year shall be applied to the municipal purposes property taxes due and owing only for that tax year. The property tax credits earned under the bill would not be considered as part of the general property tax due and paid for the purposes of the homestead property tax reimbursement program established pursuant to P.L.1997, c.348 (C.54:4-8.67 et al.). A municipality that creates a volunteer program cannot utilize volunteers for any position for which a salary is budgeted in the municipal budget. Volunteers can only be utilized by a municipality for non-professional, non-salaried positions or uses. The bill calls for a volunteer who participates in such a municipal program and who earns property tax credits from the municipality to be awarded a voucher by the municipality which would be used by the volunteer solely and exclusively to offset the property taxes for municipal purposes due and owing on the volunteer's residence in the municipality during the tax year in which the person is a volunteer. The voucher shall otherwise have no value and shall not be transferrable. The bill does not allow a voucher to be applied toward property taxes which become payable in a year succeeding the year in which the voucher is earned. The bill requires a municipality that creates a Municipal Volunteer Property Tax Reduction Program to advise the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs of the creation of the program not later than the third business day next following the adoption of the resolution creating the program. The bill requires that a resolution approved by a municipality operating under the provisions of Article Four of the "Local Government Supervision Act (1947)," P.L.1947, c.151 (C.52:27BB-54 et seq.) or the "Municipal Rehabilitation and Economic Recovery Act," P.L.2002, c.43 (C.52:27BBB-1 et seq.), or that is otherwise subject to a memorandum of understanding or similar agreement with the division as a condition of receiving supplemental State aid, will not be effective unless it is approved by the director. Any rules or regulations promulgated under the bill would become effective immediately upon filing with the Office of Administrative Law for a period not to exceed 365 days and thereafter may be amended, adopted, or readopted by the director pursuant to P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.). | In Committee |
| A5412 | Authorizes State Treasurer to appoint Garden State Preservation Trust acting executive director under certain conditions. | This bill would authorize the State Treasurer, in consultation with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection and the Secretary of Agriculture, to appoint an acting executive director for the Garden State Preservation Trust (GSPT) under certain conditions. Specifically, the bill would apply when the position of executive director has remained vacant for a period of one year or longer. An acting executive director appointed pursuant to the bill would serve for a minimum of one year, at an annual expense not to exceed $150,000, as established by the State Treasurer. The GSPT would retain all other oversight authority over the acting executive director. The position of GSPT executive director has been vacant since July 1, 2021. The GSPT is in charge of supporting important Statewide initiatives designed to enhance the efficient use of taxpayer's conservation dollars and is responsible for reporting to the Governor and the Legislature on the progress being made on achieving statutory goals and objectives concerning open space preservation and park development, farmland preservation, and historic preservation. | In Committee |
| A5389 | Requires firearm retailers to provide disclosure of customer's responsibility to report stolen or lost firearms; advises customers it is unlawful to purchase firearms with intent to sell to disqualified persons. | This bill requires firearm wholesale or retail dealers to provide disclosure of a customer's responsibility to report stolen or lost firearms and advise customers that it is unlawful to purchase a firearm with the intent to unlawfully sell it to any other person. Under the provisions of this bill, all firearm wholesale and retail dealers are required to provide customers with a disclosure, upon the retail sale or transfer of any firearm, printed in block letters not less than one-fourth of an inch in height. This bill requires that the disclosure be signed by the purchaser or transferee. In addition, the firearm wholesale or retail dealer is required to provide the purchaser or transferee with a copy of this written disclosure. Under the provisions of this bill, a firearm wholesale and retail dealer is required to collect and maintain a copy of each disclosure that is signed by a purchaser or transferee for a period of not less than 15 years. Furthermore, firearm wholesale and retail dealers are required to conspicuously post the same disclosure at each purchase counter. Specifically, the disclosure advises customers of their responsibility to report a lost or stolen firearm within 36 hours to the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality where the loss or theft occurred or to the Superintendent of State Police if the municipality does not have a local police force. In addition, the disclosure advises customers that it is illegal to purchase a firearm with the intent to unlawfully sell that firearm to someone who does not have the necessary firearm license or permit. Any firearm wholesale or retail dealer who violates the provisions of this bill will be subject to a civil penalty of up to $500 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for any subsequent offense. The civil penalty will be collected pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.), in a summary proceeding before the municipal court having jurisdiction. Officials authorized by law or ordinance, or law enforcement officers, can issue summonses for violations. All penalties collected will be forwarded to the Office of Attorney General to be used for gun violence prevention efforts. | In Committee |
| A4051 | Prohibits sale of cats, dogs, or rabbits by pet shops; repeals "Pet Purchase Protection Act." | Prohibits sale of cats, dogs, or rabbits by pet shops; repeals "Pet Purchase Protection Act." | In Committee |
| A4755 | 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. | 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. | In Committee |
| A1673 | "Right to Mental Health for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Act"; establishes certain requirements concerning provision of mental health services to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. | "Right to Mental Health for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Act"; establishes certain requirements concerning provision of mental health services to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. | In Committee |
| ACR152 | Strongly condemns decision of President Trump to permit immigration enforcement actions in sensitive locations such as schools and hospitals. | This concurrent resolution condemns the decision of President Donald J. Trump to rescind the longstanding federal policy of prohibiting immigration enforcement officers from taking action in sensitive locations, which included: schools; places of worship; hospitals and other healthcare facilities; shelters; relief centers; and public demonstrations, like rallies and protests. These sensitive locations have long been recognized as safe havens essential for public trust and the well-being of our communities. Removing the protected status of these locations undermines this trust and prohibits vulnerable individuals from accessing critical resources and service. This resolution condemns the decision of President Donald J. Trump to rescind longstanding federal policy and reaffirms New Jersey's commitment to providing equal access to essential services. | In Committee |
| A5256 | Allocates $7.5 million annually of constitutionally dedicated CBT revenue for preservation of land in Highlands Region. | This bill would amend and supplement the "Preserve New Jersey Act," P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.), to allocate $7.5 million annually of constitutionally dedicated Corporation Business Tax (CBT) revenue to the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council (council) for the preservation of land in the Highlands Region. The funding in this bill is provided from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution, which dedicates six percent of the CBT for certain environmental purposes. Under the "Preserve New Jersey Act" (act), P.L.2016, c.12 (C.13:8C-43 et seq.), of the dedicated CBT revenues allocated for open space, farmland, and historic preservation, each year: 62 percent is allocated to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for recreation and conservation purposes; 31 percent is allocated to the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) for farmland preservation; and the remaining seven percent is allocated to the New Jersey Historic Trust for historic preservation. Under this bill, $5 million of the amount allocated each year to the DEP and $2.5 million of the amount allocated to the SADC would be deposited into the "Preserve New Jersey Highlands Preservation Fund," a new fund created by the bill. These moneys, totaling $7.5 million each year would be used by the council to preserve lands located in the Highlands Region. | In Committee |
| A3414 | Modifies regulation of student permits by NJ State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling and establishes oversight of individuals seeking employment as shampoo technicians. | An Act concerning student permits for certain cosmetology and hairstyling students and amending and supplementing P.L.1984, c.205 (C.45:5B-1 et seq.). | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A2804 | Provides DHS and State Board of Medical Examiners to develop and implement process to improve efficiency of reviewing NJ FamilyCare provider applications. | Requires DHS and State Board of Medical Examiners to develop and implement process to improve efficiency of reviewing NJ FamilyCare provider applications. | Crossed Over |
| A4446 | Requires notification of pet presence in seasonal rental unit. | Requires notification of pet presence in seasonal rental unit. | Crossed Over |
| A5251 | Makes supplemental appropriation of $3,000,000 to Division on Civil Rights. | This bill appropriates $3 million to the Division on Civil Rights in the Department of Law and Public Safety. This appropriation is intended to specifically fund the New Jersey Bias Investigation Access System (NJ BIAS) updates needed to ensure State, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies properly and uniformly track all bias crimes. The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR) is the State agency charged with enforcing New Jersey's civil rights laws, including the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, the New Jersey Family Leave Act, and the Fair Chance in Housing Act. The mission of DCR is to protect the people of New Jersey from discrimination and bias-based harassment in employment, housing, and public accommodations. | In Committee |
| 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 |
| A4627 | Extends expiration date of special appraisal process for Green Acres and farmland preservation program; provides aid for watershed lands. | Extends expiration date of special appraisal process for Green Acres and farmland preservation program; provides aid for watershed lands. | In Committee |
| A4754 | Prohibits business entities from selling or manufacturing certain personal flotation devices not approved by United States Coast Guard. | This bill prohibits any business entity from selling, distributing, manufacturing, delivering, holding, or offering for sale in this State a personal flotation device (PFD) that is not approved by the United States Coast Guard. Under the bill, a "personal flotation device" is defined as a wearable device, including but not limited to a lifejacket, puddle jumper, water wings, or other flotation device designed for recreational swimming and to be worn or attached to the body of a person who is less than 12 years of age. Any business entity that violates the provisions of this bill would be subject to a civil penalty of up to $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second offense, and $500 for a third or subsequent offense. The penalty may be collected and enforced by the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety in a summary proceeding pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). Several agencies and experts have issued warnings about the risks associated with certain PFDs, such as water wings, which can deflate or slip off, creating a false sense of safety for children and their parents. From 2018 to 2020, an average of 371 children under 15 drowned in pools or spas each year, and in 2022 there were about 6,400 non-fatal drowning incidents in the same age group. The American Red Cross advises children, inexperienced swimmers, and boaters to wear United States Coast Guard-approved life jackets. This bill aims to reduce confusion by prohibiting the sale and manufacture of unsafe PFDs from the market to better ensure that consumers can select reliable and effective PFDs for their safety. | In Committee |
| A5222 | Revises requirements for certain greenhouse gas emissions monitoring and reporting activities. | This bill would make various changes to the statutory requirements governing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions monitoring and reporting activities, including those carried out by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Board of Public Utilities (BPU). Specifically, the bill would: (1) add a definition for "indirect GHG" to include nitrogen oxides, hydrogen, and any other gas or substance determined by the DEP to be an indirect contributor to the problem of global warming; (2) clarify that the for the purposes of GHG emissions monitoring and reporting pursuant to the "Global Warming Response Act," P.L.2007, c.112 (C.26:2C-37 et al.), the term "GHG" would also include indirect GHG; (3) require the DEP to provide the global warming potential of the GHG emissions from each significant source of GHG emissions in the State, calculated using a 20-year time horizon; (4) require annual GHG reports produced by the DEP to be published no later than six months after the end of the calendar year for which they provide data; (5) require the DEP to monitor progress toward the 2030 objective for GHG emissions, established by Governor Murphy in Executive Order No. 274 of 2021; (6) require significant emitters of indirect greenhouse gas emissions, such as hydrogen, to report their emissions to the DEP; (7) require the DEP to enter into a contract with a provider of satellite GHG emissions data, in order to facilitate the DEP's production of GHG emissions reports; (8) clarify that the DEP, and other State agencies if required by federal law or international treaty, may state global warming potentials calculated using a 100-year time horizon, provided that the potentials are also stated in terms of a 20-year time horizon, (9) expand the requirement in existing law for State agencies to use a 20-year time horizon for global warming potentials to include any study, assessment, regulation, or incentive that is conducted by, supported by, or produced for any State agency; and (10) require any study, assessment, regulation, or incentive that is developed by a State agency and is related to GHG emissions to include methane and nitrous oxide emissions, and fugitive emissions and leakages. | In Committee |
| A4902 | Directs DEP to select consultant to perform Statewide needs assessment regarding recycling of packaging products; establishes "Statewide Recycling Needs Assessment Advisory Council" in DEP; appropriates $500,000. | Directs DEP to select consultant to perform Statewide needs assessment regarding recycling of packaging products; establishes "Statewide Recycling Needs Assessment Advisory Council" in DEP; appropriates $500,000. | In Committee |
| A5157 | Prohibits food service businesses from providing single-use utensils and condiments to customers, except upon request, and requires certain food service businesses to provide reusable, washable utensils to customers eating on site. | This bill would prohibit food service businesses in the State from providing customers with single-use utensils or condiments, except upon request. Specifically, the bill would provide that, commencing on the first day of the seventh month after the bill's enactment: (1) no food service business operating in the State may provide single-use utensils or condiments to any customer, except upon, and in accordance with, the express request of that customer; and (2) a food service business that has on-site seating capacity for 50 or more customers will be required to provide its on-site customers with easy access to reusable, washable utensils, which are to be returned to the food service business, upon completion of the on-site meal, for cleaning and reuse. The bill would expressly provide, however, that: (1) schools are to be exempted from the bill's provisions for the first five years following the bill's effective date; (2) food service businesses are to be exempted from the bill's provisions for the first two years following the bill's effective date; and (3) health care facilities are to be exempted from the bill's provisions during any infectious disease outbreak, or during outdoor recreational activities or family picnics. Under the bill's provisions, any food service business that elects to supply customers with single-use utensils or condiments, upon request, would be required to provide each customer with only those types and amounts of single-use utensils and condiments that have been expressly requested by the customer. A food service business would also be prohibited from creating, acquiring, or providing customers with bundled utensil or condiment packages that contain more than one type of single-use plastic utensil or condiment. Any food service business that violates the bill's provisions would be liable to a warning for the first offense, a civil penalty of $2,500 for the second offense, and a civil penalty of $5,000 for the third and each subsequent offense, to be collected through a summary proceeding. Each day on which a violation occurs would constitute a separate and distinct offense. Any moneys collected from penalties imposed pursuant to the bill would be deposited into the "Clean Communities Program Fund" for use in financing litter pickup, removal, education, and enforcement programs at the State and local levels, except that municipalities and county environmental enforcement agencies would be permitted to retain 30 percent of the moneys. Finally, the bill would amend the law at P.L.2020, c.117 (C.13:1E-99.126 et al.), which prohibits the distribution of plastic bags and polystyrene food serviceware, in order to provide for entities that are certified pursuant to the "County Environmental Health Act," P.L.1977, c.443 (C.26:3a2-21 et seq.), to have primary enforcement responsibility under, and for the purposes of, that law. | In Committee |
| A5175 | 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 |
| A5159 | Prohibits school district from denying admittance to student due to tardiness or violation of dress code or school uniform policy. | This bill provides that a student cannot be denied admittance to school due to: 1) tardiness; or 2) a violation of a school uniform policy or dress code policy, except in the case of a student wearing clothing, apparel, or accessories indicating membership in, or affiliation with, any gang associated with criminal activities. The amended bill clarifies that a board of education is not restricted from enforcing any adopted student code of conduct or policy that does not conflict with the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| A5160 | 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 |
| A5158 | 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 |
| 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 |
| AR152 | Expresses support for "Breakfast Bowl" held by Montclair State University and Rowan University and recognizes food insecurity efforts of these institutions. | This Assembly resolution expresses support for the annual "Breakfast Bowl" between Montclair State University and Rowan University, which aims to bring attention to the fight against food insecurity many residents in this State endure. The winner of the annual event, along with receiving a trophy, will have the privilege of determining whether New Jersey's famous breakfast meat is to be called "Pork Roll" or "Taylor Ham" until the teams meet for the next year's "Breakfast Bowl." Montclair State University and Rowan University both operate food pantries that seek, in part, to provide fresh produce as part of their efforts to combat food insecurity. With successful football programs that enjoy strong alumni connections and widespread stakeholder support, the "Breakfast Bowl" provides a unique opportunity for the Montclair and Rowan communities, corporate sponsors, State residents, and elected officials to come together in the fight against food insecurity across New Jersey. This resolution also recognizes the significant contributions Montclair State University and Rowan University have made in higher education through academics, community development, and athletics. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4967 | 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 |
| A4626 | Requires construction project applicants to disclose project financing. | Requires construction project applicants to disclose project financing. | In Committee |
| S912 | Establishes requirements concerning provision of postpartum care, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth information and development of personalized postpartum care plans. | An Act concerning postpartum care, pregnancy loss, stillbirth, and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| 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 |
| A4332 | Requires certain ultrasounds on pregnant women to be performed by licensed health care professionals. | Requires certain ultrasounds on pregnant women to be performed by licensed health care professionals. | In Committee |
| 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 |
| AR131 | Urges federal government to raise federal poverty line for public assistance programs. | This resolution urges the federal government to raise the federal poverty line for public assistance programs. The current federal poverty line was developed in the 1960s and was based on a household's ability to afford basic foodstuffs alone; it did not account for other living expenses such as housing, transportation, child care, and health care, which have all risen exponentially in price over the past sixty years. The federal government has not changed the original calculation for the poverty line since its inception, aside from adjusting for inflation. Consequently, nearly 53 million households cannot afford basic necessities such as food, housing, and health care, but only 37.9 million are officially recorded as living in poverty, as of 2022. The poverty threshold is used to determine eligibility for public assistance programs. As a result, the individuals and households who do not earn enough money to support their basic needs but do not meet the stringent limits of the current federal poverty line are without access to public assistance. Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and the rampant rate of inflation have only worsened the cost-of-living crisis, increasing the financial burden on many poor Americans who cannot access social welfare. In addition, recent policies to raise the minimum wage across the country have had unintended consequences for low-wage earners who have lost access to public assistance in exchange for a marginal, and often insufficient, increase in pay, resulting in a benefits cliff. By raising the federal poverty line, the federal government can more accurately report the number of impoverished Americans and, therefore, expand access to public assistance programs for the individuals and households who need it. [CM1]This number increased from 51 million when I first researched and drafted this assignment in July 2023. [CM2]This number decreased from 38.1 million when I first researched and drafted this assignment in July 2023. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4987 | 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 is 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 |
| A4985 | 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 |
| A3859 | Requires rental car company to provide notice to renter to delete personal information from motor vehicle computer system upon return of vehicle. | Requires rental car company to provide notice to renter to delete personal information from motor vehicle computer system upon return of vehicle. | In Committee |
| A2141 | Requires certain supermarkets, grocery stores, and food suppliers to donate food under certain circumstances. | This bill requires certain supermarkets, grocery stores, and food suppliers to donate food under certain circumstances. Under the bill, a supermarket, grocery store, or food supplier is to make a reasonable effort to donate all food that is fit for human consumption, but which would otherwise be discarded in the normal course of business by the supermarket, grocery store, or food supplier, to a food bank, a nonprofit organization, or to any person. The bill defines "supermarket or grocery store" to mean a retail outlet operating in a closed structure with an area greater than 16,000 square feet, of which at least 90 percent is occupied by food and related products. | In Committee |
| A4193 | Requires licensed health care professionals providing prenatal care to offer and screen, upon request, pregnant patients with history of depression for postpartum depression. | This bill expands an existing law that directs the Commissioner of Health, in conjunction with the State Board of Medical Examiners and the New Jersey Board of Nursing, to address the issue of postpartum depression by working with health care facilities and licensed health care professionals in the State to develop certain policies and procedures. This bill adds an additional provision to the law mandating the development of a policy that would require physicians, nurse midwives, and other licensed health care professionals providing prenatal care to women to offer, and provide upon the request, pregnant patients with a history of depression a prenatal screening for postpartum depression. Current policies under the law include patient and family education regarding postpartum depression and postnatal screenings for postpartum depression for all applicable patients. | In Committee |
| A4906 | Limits use of restrictions on telephone calls as discipline measure during incarceration. | This bill is in response to the recommendations made by the New Jersey Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson in its April 2024 report titled, "Visits and Phone Calls," and provides for limiting the use of suspension of telephone privileges as a disciplinary measure for incarcerated persons. The bill establishes rules and regulations concerning disciplinary sanctions that limit the use of telephone privileges of an incarcerated person. Pursuant to the bill, in instances where a disciplinary sanction suspending telephone privileges is imposed on an incarcerated person, the Administrator of the correctional facility will allow the incarcerated person at least one opportunity every two weeks to place a telephone call. The Administrator will also either notify the emergency contact of the incarcerated person, or allow the incarcerated person to notify the emergency contact, that telephone access has been suspended. Further, no suspension of telephone privileges will exceed 90 consecutive days and will not exceed 180 days in a given year of incarceration. The Commissioner must also ensure that suspension of telephone privileges will not be imposed on an incarcerated person who has been placed in a Restorative Housing Unit. Finally, no telephone sanctions will be imposed within 60 days of the date that the incarcerated person is scheduled to be released. If sanctions were imposed prior to 60 days before release date, the sanctions will be terminated for the 60 day period before release. The Commissioner may adopt rules and regulations as necessary to implement this act. | In Committee |
| A1400 | Requires water supplier to notify affected municipalities, school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools of violations of drinking water quality standards. | This bill would require the owner or operator of a public water system to immediately notify, by telephone and electronic mail, the governing body of a municipality and the chief administrator of every school district, charter school, and nonpublic school located within the municipality whenever the public water system violates any drinking water quality standard for drinking water supplied by the public water system within the municipality. The notification would provide the name of any contaminant that exceeds a drinking water quality standard, the maximum contaminant level or the action level, as appropriate, for the contaminant, the level of the contaminant found on each date, the dates when the tests were performed, the location of each sample tested and the location of each sample tested that exceeds a maximum contaminant level or action level. The bill also requires the owner or operator of the public water system to provide information on suggested remedies that a customer may take to address the violation. | Crossed Over |
| A1813 | Prohibits delivery of electronic smoking devices and tobacco products to individuals under 21 years of age. | Prohibits delivery of electronic smoking devices and tobacco products to individuals under 21 years of age. | Crossed Over |
| A2835 | Establishes Second Chance Program in charge of providing opportunities through labor organizations for formerly incarcerated individuals. | Establishes Second Chance Program in charge of providing opportunities through labor organizations for formerly incarcerated individuals. | Crossed Over |
| A2029 | Directs DOE and DOH to develop guidelines for school districts and institutions of higher education concerning student vaping awareness campaigns. | This bill directs the Department of Education (DOE) and the Department of Health (DOH), to develop guidelines for school districts and institutions of higher education that will help facilitate the implementation of on-campus anti-vaping awareness campaigns that target student populations. The purpose of the guidelines is to assist school districts, colleges, and universities in equipping adolescents and young adults with research backed material on the dangers of vaping in effort to combat the increased use of e-cigarettes among adolescents and young adults. The DOE and DOH are to review and update the guidelines annually. The guidelines, at a minimum, are to include recommendations for: (1) implementing an in-school and on-campus multi-tiered anti-vaping campaign that focuses on theories that promote age-appropriate positive behavior change among adolescents and young adults; (2) disseminating research backed materials on the dangers of vaping, as it relates to: its effects on the users' lungs, effects on mental health, how it compares to cigarette smoking, dangers to pregnant women, and its impact on people in the workplace and small children; (3) using decision-making models and decision-making aids to help students make healthy decisions and overcome peer pressure that encourages vaping; and (4) incorporating marketing materials, such as pamphlets, to promote on-campus age-appropriate anti-vaping information to middle school students, high school students, and college age adults. Under this bill, the DOE and DOH are to post the guidelines on the respective website of each department. | Crossed Over |
| AR164 | Recognizes and celebrates Bruce Springsteen's 75th birthday. | This Assembly Resolution recognizes and celebrates Bruce Springsteen's 75th birthday. Bruce Springsteen was born on September 23, 1949, in Long Branch, New Jersey and raised in Freehold, New Jersey by his working class family. Beginning in the late sixties and early seventies, Bruce Springsteen began his music career by touring with bands based in New Jersey, including The Castiles and Steel Mill, which eventually led him to several members of the now famous E Street Band. In 1972, Bruce Springsteen was signed to a record deal with Columbia Records and released the critically-acclaimed "Greetings from Asbury Park," launching his recording career as a musician. Throughout his career, Bruce Springsteen has established himself as a proud New Jersey native and as one of the greatest musicians of all time, selling over 120 million albums, winning 20 Grammys, and earning inductions in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Bruce Springsteen has also continuously pursued philanthropic endeavors, such as performing at numerous charitable concerts, contributing millions of dollars to humanitarian causes, and encouraging his audiences to give back, including bringing canned goods to his concerts to later be donated at local food banks. At the age of 75, Bruce Springsteen and his legacy continues to inspire musicians and fans worldwide, especially those who reside in his home state of New Jersey. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A3887 | Establishes requirements concerning provision of postpartum care, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth information and development of personalized postpartum care plans. | Establishes requirements concerning provision of postpartum care, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth information and development of personalized postpartum care plans. | In Committee |
| A4868 | Establishes "Mental and Behavioral Health for Hispanics and Latinos Act"; appropriates $1 million. | This bill establishes the "Mental and Behavioral Health for Hispanics and Latinos Act." Under the bill, the Commissioner of Health will be required to, in coordination with advocacy and mental and behavioral health organizations serving populations of Hispanic and Latino individuals or communities, develop and implement an outreach and education strategy to promote mental and behavioral health and reduce stigma associated with mental and behavioral health conditions and substance use disorders among Hispanic and Latino populations in this State. The strategy will: be designed to meet the diverse cultural and language needs of the various Hispanic and Latino Populations in the State and be developmentally and age appropriate; increase awareness of symptoms of mental illnesses common among Hispanic and Latino populations, taking into account differences within subgroups; provide information on evidence-based, culturally and linguistically appropriate and adapted interventions and treatments; ensure full participation of, and engage, both consumers and community members in the development and implementation of educational materials on mental and behavioral health; seek to broaden the perspective among both individuals in these communities and stakeholders serving those communities to use a comprehensive public health approach to promoting behavioral health that addresses a holistic view of health by focusing on the intersection between behavioral and physical health; and address the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the mental and behavioral health of the Hispanic and Latino populations. Beginning not later than one year after the date of enactment of the bill and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Health will prepare and submit to the Governor and the Legislature a report on the extent to which the strategy development and implemented pursuant to the bill improved mental and behavioral health outcomes associated with mental and behavioral health conditions and substance use disorders among Hispanic and Latino populations in this State. The bill appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Health to effectuate the purposes of the bill. | In Committee |
| AR159 | Commemorates anniversary of October 7th attack on Israel. | On October 7, 2023, just after the 50th anniversary of the start of the multi-front 1973 Yom Kippur War against Israel, the terrorist organization Hamas carried out a brutal attack against the Jewish people and the State of Israel. The attack began in the early morning when Hamas launched thousands of rockets from the Gaza Strip that reached as far as Tel Aviv and the outskirts of Jerusalem, and then infiltrated Israeli towns and army bases in the south, including a gathering of young people at a music festival. The armed terrorists launched a coordinated strike arriving in boats, paragliders, motorcycles, and other vehicles. News reports, survivor accounts, images, and videos from the scenes of this horrific attack show that Hamas terrorists slaughtered ordinary civilians and entire families, including babies and elderly people, set houses on fire, raped women, and took hostages. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, 1,200 people were confirmed dead in Israel, including American citizens, and another 3,400 were injured. The October 7th attack was one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in modern history, resulting in more Jews killed that day than on any single day since the Holocaust. On October 7th, Hamas took 251 men, women, and children hostage from Israel into Gaza, including American citizens, and kept them in inhumane and torturous conditions, including in cramped underground tunnels, since their kidnapping. One of the American hostages taken into captivity by Hamas, Edan Alexander, is a resident of Tenafly, New Jersey, and is still being held in captivity. Hamas has executed many of these hostages, including six individuals who were shot at close range on August 29, 2024 as Israeli Defense Forces approached their location. Israeli authorities believe that 101 of the hostages who were kidnapped on October 7th remain in captivity, and it is believed that only 64 individuals remain alive. The October 7th terror attack prompted a defensive war against Hamas by the Israeli Defense Forces. Many thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians have been wounded and killed by Israeli strikes targeting Hamas leaders, militants, and command and control positions. A large percentage of Palestinian civilians have been displaced and are now living in makeshift shelters with limited access to food, clean water, and medical care. The suffering and death which has occurred as a result of the October 7th attacks are tragic and horrific. It is therefore fitting and proper for New Jersey to commemorate the anniversary of the October 7th attack by Hamas against Israel, to mourn the lives that were lost as a result, condemn any and all acts of terrorism, stand in solidarity with the people of Israel and the Palestinian people, call for the release of all hostages, and support efforts seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict. | In Committee |
| AJR48 | 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. | In Committee |
| A4596 | Requires DOH to establish partnerships with certain entities to improve emergency response to public health crisis. | This bill requires the Department of Health to establish partnerships with certain entities to improve emergency response to public health crisis. Under the bill, the Commissioner of Health is to: (1) identify goods and services that are critical to the Department of Health's ability to provide a robust emergency response to a public health crisis; (2) identify partnerships that are critical to the Department of Health's ability to provide a robust emergency response to a public health crisis; (3) establish mechanisms for the creation and maintenance of the partnerships described in the bill; (4) identify groups that are most at-risk during a public health crisis; (5) establish and maintain institutionalized partnerships with businesses, community groups, governments, health care facilities and professionals, industries, universities, and other stakeholders that will enable the Department of Health to expand and improve its ability to provide a robust emergency response to a public health crisis; (6) formulate collaborative public health crisis response plans through the partnerships that were formed pursuant to the bill's provisions; (7) participate in joint training and exercises with partners for the execution of collaborative public health crisis response plans; (8) regularly engage partners on topics related to the delivery of services and emergency preparedness; (9) coordinate with partners during nonemergency government operations; and (10) coordinate with other local and State agencies and departments to develop a system to share and track contacts and partnership activity. | In Committee |
| A3577 | Provides CBT credit for development of anaerobic digestion facilities that process food waste. | This bill would incentivize the development and construction of anaerobic digestion facilities that process food waste within the State by providing a tax credit against the corporation business tax to compensate a taxpayer for the costs incurred during the development and construction of the anaerobic digestion facility. The tax credit would be available for a period of six years. The bill defines "anaerobic digestion facility" as a facility that operates and hosts an anaerobic digester. The bill defines "anaerobic digester" as a device that promotes the decomposition of organic material into simple organics and gaseous biogas products, in the absence of elemental oxygen, by means of controlling temperature and volume, and that includes a methane recovery system. The bill also defines "food waste" to mean food processing vegetative waste, food processing residue generated from processing and packaging operations, overripe produce, trimmings from food, food product over-runs from food processing, soiled and unrecyclable paper generated from food processing, and used cooking fats, oil, and grease. "Food waste" does not include food donated by the generator for human consumption, any waste generated by a consumer after the generator issues or sells food to the consumer, or any waste regulated by 7 C.F.R. ss.330.400 through 330.403 and 9 C.F.R. s.94.5. The amount of the tax credit provided by the bill may not exceed the lesser of: (1) 50 percent of the costs incurred to develop and construct the anaerobic digestion facility, or (2) $250,000. The bill would also limit the cumulative total of tax credits awarded pursuant to the bill to $15 million. To qualify for the tax credit allowed pursuant to this section, a taxpayer would be required to apply to the Commissioner of Environmental Protection (commissioner) for a certification that provides: (1) that the anaerobic digestion facility developed by the taxpayer is eligible for the tax credit; and (2) the amount of the tax credit. The application to the commissioner would be required to demonstrate that the anaerobic digestion facility was developed and constructed prior to applying for the tax credit. The application would also be required to include a receipt demonstrating the total cost of the development and construction of the anaerobic digestion facility, a certification that the anaerobic digestion facility will be used to process food waste, and any other information determined relevant by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The bill would require the DEP, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Taxation, to adopt rules and regulations as are necessary to implement the bill's provisions Finally, the bill would require, no later than six years after the bill's effective date, the DEP to prepare and submit to the Governor, the State Treasurer, and the Legislature, a report that, at a minimum, summarizes the effectiveness of the tax credit in incentivizing the development and construction of anaerobic digestion facilities that process food waste in the State. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, between 30 and 40 percent of food in the United States is wasted. In 2017, nearly 41 million tons of food waste was generated and only 6.3 percent of that food waste was diverted from landfills and incinerators for composting. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reports that unwanted and discarded food squanders resources, including water, land, energy, labor, and capital, and that when food waste is dumped into a landfill, it rots and creates methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas. Food waste also contributes to approximately 8 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. A valuable way to divert waste food waste from landfills is anaerobic digestion. Food waste can be converted through anaerobic digestion to produce biogas, which can be used to generate heat and electricity, or can be injected into the natural gas pipeline. According to the DEP, electricity produced from the combustion of biogas from food waste qualifies for Class I Renewable Energy Certificates from the Board of Public Utilities. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are three types of anaerobic digestion facilities that accept food waste, such as stand-alone food waste digesters, on-farm digesters that co-digest food waste, and digesters at water resource recovery facilities that co-digest food waste. A 2017-2018 report by the EPA concerning anaerobic digestion facilities that accept food waste in the United States, reported that there are only four anaerobic digestion facilities that accept food waste in New Jersey. The EPA also reports that there are many anaerobic digestion facilities in the country that currently do not accept or process food waste. Overall, this bill would incentivize the development of anaerobic digestion facilities that accept food waste in the State in an effort to reduce food waste, limit the amount of food waste being dumped into landfills and incinerators, and further protect the environment from the adverse effects of climate change. | In Committee |
| A4721 | Requires Department of Treasury to update New Jersey Disparity Study every five years. | This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to prepare and submit to the Governor and to the Legislature updates to the New Jersey Disparity Study of 2024 every five years, beginning with January 1, 2029. The updates will include changes in the availability and utilization of small, minority, women, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses in State procurement. | In Committee |
| A4855 | Concerns policies governing student use of cell phones and social media platforms in schools. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to develop a policy concerning student use of cell phones and social media and requires a board of education to adopt a policy concerning student use of cell phones and social media. Under the bill, the commissioner is to develop a policy applicable to students enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12 concerning student use of cell phones and social media platforms during regular school hours, on a school bus, or during school-sanctioned events when the student is under the direct supervision of a teaching staff member or employee of the board of education. The policy is to, at a minimum, (1) provide age appropriate and grade-level differentiated policies concerning limiting and prohibiting 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 school district for cell phone storage, including locked pouches and cell phone lockers; (7) provide guidance for a school district to establish network-based restrictions to prevent the use of, or access to, social media platforms; and (8) detail protocols for communicating the district's policy concerning student use of cell phones and social media platforms to students, their families, and teaching staff members. The bill also requires each board of education to adopt a policy concerning student use of cell phones and social media platforms during regular school hours, on a school bus, or during school-sanctioned events when the student is under the direct supervision of a teaching staff member or employee of the board of education. The policy is to be consistent with the policy developed by the commissioner. Additionally, the bill permits the commissioner to grant an exemption to a board of education for the requirement to adopt the policy upon submission of an application by the board. | In Committee |
| A4856 | Establishes pilot program in DOE to use lockable cell phone pouches in certain public schools; appropriates $500,000. | This bill establishes a one-year pilot program in DOE to assess the academic and mental health benefits associated with the use of lockable cell phone pouches in grades six through 12. Under the bill, a school district that wishes to participate in the pilot program is required to submit an application to the commissioner that is to include: (1) the number of middle schools and high schools in the district; (2) the number of students enrolled in each middle school and high school in the district; and (3) a proposal outlining the district's program implementation plan, including the number of schools in which the district will use the lockable cell phone pouches and the method by which the district will notify the parent or guardian of a student in the event of an emergency. The bill directs the Commissioner of Education to select two districts in each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the State to participate in the pilot program and to seek a cross section of school districts from urban, suburban, and rural areas of the State. The bill permits the commissioner to select a school district that is currently implementing a program that utilizes lockable cell phone pouches in schools of the district to participate in the pilot program, provided the district is not receiving any other grant to support the use of lockable cell phone pouches in schools. Under the bill, the commissioner is to provide pilot districts with guidance regarding the use of lockable cell phone pouches in schools, including training on how the lockable cell phone pouches work. The bill directs the commissioner to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature no later than 120 days following the conclusion of the pilot program that evaluates the effectiveness of the pilot program in improving academic success and mental health outcomes of students in middle school and high school and provides recommendations as to continued use of lockable cell phone pouches in schools Finally, the bill appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Education to effectuate the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| A3260 | Directs Department of Agriculture in consultation with DOE, to establish Internet-based school meals application. | Directs Department of Agriculture, in consultation with DOE, to establish Internet-based school meals application. | In Committee |
| A4191 | Protects access to assisted reproductive technology. | This bill provides every woman in this State the fundamental right to choose whether to use assisted reproductive technology (ART). Under current law, the State provides the fundamental right to choose or refuse contraception or sterilization, or to choose whether to carry a pregnancy, to give birth, or to terminate a pregnancy. Under the bill, the fundamental rights related to reproductive health choice in the State are expanded to include the use of ART. ART includes, but is not limited to, in vitro fertilization (IVF). This legislation is in response to the Alabama Supreme Court ruling in LePage v. Mobile Infirmary Clinic, P.C. (Docket No. SC-2022-0515, SC-2022-0579), decided in February 2024. In LePage, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos are "extrauterine children," finding that that the state's "'Wrongful Death of A Minor Act' applies on its face to all unborn children, without limitation." This holding could have widespread implications for anyone in Alabama who is seeking or provides IVF. New Jersey has long been a State that supports, and provides protections for, the reproductive freedom of its citizens, including the right to make the choice of whether to start or expand a family through IVF. | Crossed Over |
| A4527 | Concerns keyless locking mechanisms and burglar's tools. | This bill expands the definition of "burglar's tool" to include that which may be considered an "engine, machine, tool or implement." Under the bill, an engine, machine, tool, implement, or program manufactured or possessed in violation of N.J.S.2C:5-5 includes such which may provide access to a premises through a keyless locking mechanism. Under the bill, it is a crime of the fourth degree if the person manufactured such instrument or implements or published such plans or instructions for tools which may provide access to a premises through a keyless locking mechanism. If the person merely possesses an instrument in violation of the statute, then it is a disorderly persons offense. A fourth degree crime is punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. A disorderly persons offense is punishable by up to six months imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. | Crossed Over |
| A4531 | Limits negotiated plea agreements for crime of burglary when firearm involved. | This bill prohibits the prosecution from entering into a plea agreement for a lesser term of imprisonment or fine for the crime of burglary when a firearm is involved. Under current law, it is a crime of the second degree if, in the course of committing the offense of burglary, the actor: (1) purposely, knowingly or recklessly inflicts, attempts to inflict, or threatens to inflict bodily injury on anyone; or (2) is armed with or displays what appears to be explosives or a deadly weapon. Under the bill, a person convicted of burglary while armed with a firearm would be ineligible to enter into a negotiated plea agreement to receive a lesser term of imprisonment or a fine. "Firearm" is defined as any handgun, rifle, shotgun, machine gun, automatic or semi-automatic rifle, or any gun, device or instrument in the nature of a weapon from which may be fired or ejected any solid projectable ball, slug, pellet, missile or bullet, or any gas, vapor or other noxious thing, by means of a cartridge or shell or by the action of an explosive or the igniting of flammable or explosive substances. "Firearm" also includes, without limitation, any firearm which is in the nature of an air gun, spring gun or pistol or other weapon of a similar nature in which the propelling force is a spring, elastic band, carbon dioxide, compressed or other gas or vapor, air or compressed air, or is ignited by compressed air, and ejecting a bullet or missile smaller than three-eighths of an inch in diameter, with sufficient force to injure a person. | Crossed Over |
| ACR115 | Urges United States Congress to pass "Universal School Meals Program Act of 2023." | This concurrent resolution urges the United States Congress to pass the "Universal School Meals Program Act of 2023." This federal legislation would provide free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack to all school children regardless of their socioeconomic background. This legislation also eliminates school food debt and reimburses schools for all delinquent school meal debt. | Crossed Over |
| A4752 | Prohibits gender-based price discrimination. | This bill prohibits businesses in New Jersey from engaging in gender-based priced discrimination. Commonly referred to as the "pink tax" or "gender tax," gender-based discrimination occurs when products and services marketed and intended for use by girls and women are priced higher than comparable products and services for boys and men. The bill provides that a business in the State is prohibited from: (1) discriminating based on gender with regard to the price charged for a service offered by the business; and (2) charging prices for any two consumer products from the same manufacturer that are substantially similar, if those products are priced differently solely based on the gender of the individuals for whom the products are intended or marketed. For the purposes of the bill, two products would be considered "substantially similar" if there are no significant differences in the materials used in the products, the function of the products, and the functional design or features of the products. A difference in color or packaging among consumer products would not, by itself, be construed as a substantial difference. The bill specifies that its provisions would not be construed to prohibit price differences based upon labor, materials, tariffs, or any other gender-neutral reason, including when a retail establishment passes through a price to the consumer that is set by a manufacturer, distributor, or other entity that is beyond the retailer's control. Under the bill, the following businesses would be required to clearly and conspicuously disclose to the customer in writing the pricing for each standard service provided: (1) tailors or other businesses providing aftermarket clothing alterations; (2) barbers or hair salons; and (3) dry cleaners and laundries providing services to individuals. The bill requires the pricing to be posted in an area conspicuous to customers. Posted price lists are required to be in no less than 14-point boldface type and clearly and completely display pricing for every standard service offered by the business. Additionally, business are required to provide a customer with a complete written price list upon request. The bill further requires businesses to display in a conspicuous place at least one clearly visible sign, printed in no less than 24-point boldface type, notifying customers that gender-based price discrimination is prohibited under New Jersey law. A violation of the bill's provisions is an unlawful practice under the consumer fraud act, P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.). An unlawful practice is 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, a violation can 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. | In Committee |
| A4532 | Establishes separate crime of burglary of residential dwelling. | This bill establishes burglary of a residence as a separate crime from the crime of burglary pursuant to N.J.S.A.2C:18-2, thus facilitating the tracking of the crime of burglary of residential dwellings in this State. Under the bill, "residential dwelling" is defined as: (1) any building or structure, though movable or temporary, or a portion thereof, which serves primarily as a residence for one or more persons; or (2) any place adapted for overnight accommodation of persons. The penalties for burglary of a residence remain the same as under current law. It is a crime of the third degree to commit a burglary of a residential dwelling under this bill; except that it is a crime of the second degree if the actor: (1) purposely, knowingly, or recklessly inflicts, attempts to inflict, or threatens to inflict bodily injury on anyone; (2) is armed with or displays what appear to be explosives or a deadly weapon; or (3) enters the residential dwelling while a resident or any other person, other than a person acting in concert with the actor, is present in the residential dwelling. A crime of the third degree is punishable by three to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. A crime of the second degree is punishable by five to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $150,000, or both. | Crossed Over |
| A4528 | Establishes "Home Security Systems Anti-Burglary Task Force." | This bill establishes the "Home Security Systems Anti-Burglary Task Force" in the Department of Law and Public Safety. Under the bill, the purpose of the task force is to study and make recommendations for manufacturers and installers concerning home security systems, including but not limited to keyless entry, camera, and alarm systems, meant to prevent residential burglaries. The bill provides that the task force will consist of 16 members as follows:· the chairperson of the Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm and Locksmith Advisory Committee of the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, who shall serve as the chair of the task force;· the Attorney General and the Superintendent of State Police, serving ex officio, or their designees;· one representative of each of the following organizations selected by that organization: the New Jersey Electronic Life Safety Association; the Electronic Security Association; the Monitoring Association; the Security Industry Association; the Insurance Council of New Jersey; the New Jersey Insurance Underwriting Association; the New Jersey Property-Liability Insurance Guaranty Association; the New Jersey Association of Chiefs of Police; and the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey; and· four public members, appointed by the Governor, with experience in the locksmithing and alarm business, including at least one licensed locksmith and one licensed burglar alarm installer. The bill requires the task force to submit a written report to the Governor and the Legislature detailing the task force's recommendations concerning improvements in home security and anti-burglary measures through security system design features and product availability. The report will also include any recommendations for legislative or regulatory action that are necessary to effectuate the improvements. | Crossed Over |
| A4530 | Allows sentencing to extended term for repeat convictions of receipt of stolen property. | This bill provides that a person may be sentenced to an extended term of imprisonment for repeat convictions of receiving stolen property. Under the bill, a person is a persistent offender if the person has previously been convicted on two or more prior and separate occasions of receiving stolen property in violation of N.J.S.A.2C:20-7, regardless of the dates of the convictions. A persistent offender may be sentenced to an extended term, upon motion of the prosecutor, if the prior conviction is for a crime committed on a separate occasion and the crime for which the person is being sentenced was either: (1) within 10 years of the date of the defendant's last release from confinement for the commission of any crime; or (2) within 10 years of the date of the commission of the most recent violation of N.J.S.2C:20-7 for which the defendant has a prior conviction. | Crossed Over |
| S2607 | Requires private bus operators to provide notice and hold public meetings for certain service changes. | An Act concerning requirements for certain private bus operators and supplementing Title 27 of the Revised Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| AJR189 | Designates September 14 of each year as "Latino Business Day" in New Jersey. | This resolution declares September 14 of each year as "Latino Business Day" in the State of New Jersey. Latino-owned businesses present an opportunity for intergenerational upward mobility and wealth accrual, with growing revenues among Latino owned businesses increasing the assets of subsequent generations. The rapid growth of this industry outpaces the growth of the overall Latino population, as well as the number of business created by other demographic groups. Each year, Latino owned businesses supply the American economy with $800 billion in revenues. The Latino community also represents a prominent consumer base and economic force, contributing $3.2 trillion to U.S. markets. Over the last ten years, Latino-owned businesses have grown ten times faster than white-owned businesses, experiencing a 57 percent growth rate, compared to five percent for non-Latino-owned firms. This rate has slowed in recent years but the trend of demographic outperformance persists; between 2020 and 2023, Latino-owned businesses noticed an 8.7 percent growth rate, against 5.6 percent for white-owned businesses. Latino-owned business are expected to occupy 20 percent of the national labor market in five years, and 29 percent by 2050. Latino entrepreneurs currently account for 17 percent of the U.S. workforce; the 4.7 million Latino-owned businesses in America employ 3.5 million workers across the country. Between 2007 and 2019, the number of jobs created by Latino owned businesses grew from 1.9 million to 2.9 million, a 53.6 percent growth rate. Researchers estimate that unemployment rates would have risen above 10 percent if not for Latino business creation. September 14 is National Support Latino Business Day, recognizing the contributions of Latino-owned businesses to the New Jersey economy as well their positive impact on communities. With this context in mind, it is in public interest to recognize the economic strength of Latino business on September 14. | In Committee |
| S2869 | Establishes penalties for employers who disclose or threaten to disclose employee's immigration status for purpose of concealing violation of State wage, benefit or tax laws. | This bill provides that if the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development finds that an employer has, for the purpose of concealing any violation of State wage, benefit and tax laws, disclosed or threatened to disclose to a public body an employee's immigration status, the commissioner is, in addition to imposing any other remedies or penalties authorized by law, authorized to assess and collect an administrative penalty against the employer. Specifically, the bill provides for administrative penalties as follows: (1) for the first violation, an administrative penalty not to exceed $1,000; (2) for the second violation, an administrative penalty not to exceed $5,000; and (3) for any subsequent violation, an administrative penalty not to exceed $10,000. When determining the amount of the administrative penalty imposed pursuant to the bill's provisions, the commissioner may consider factors which include the history of previous violations by the employer, the seriousness of the violation, the good faith of the employer and the size of the employer's business. The commissioner may not levy an administrative penalty pursuant to the bill's provisions unless the commissioner provides the alleged violator with notification of the violation and of the amount of administrative penalty, and unless the commissioner provides the alleged violator an opportunity to request a hearing before the commissioner or the commissioner's designee. Establishes penalties for employers who disclose or threaten to disclose employee's immigration status for purpose of concealing violation of State wage, benefit or tax laws. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3384 | Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2025. | An Act appropriating moneys to the Department of Environmental Protection for the purpose of making zero-interest loans or principal-forgiveness loans to project sponsors to finance a portion of the costs of environmental infrastructure projects. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4665 | Requires Secretary of Higher Education and public institutions of higher education to develop programs for improving Hispanic and Latino representation in higher education leadership positions. | This bill requires the Secretary of Higher Education and public institutions of higher education to develop programs for improving Hispanic and Latino representation in higher education leadership positions. Under the bill, the Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, is directed to establish a targeted leadership development program that prepares Hispanic and Latino faculty for leadership positions at public institutions of higher education in the State. Additionally, the bill requires the secretary to establish a program that develops or expands pipelines that guide Hispanic or Latino undergraduate students into academic careers. The bill requires each public institution of higher education to adopt policies and procedures to promote diverse representation reflective of the student body and the State on any search committee convened for a senior administration or leadership position at the institution. Under the bill, the Secretary of Higher Education is required to establish a program to assist public institutions of higher education in the recruitment and retention of Hispanic and Latino faculty and staff into leadership positions at those institutions. The purpose of the program is to develop guidance and strategies for the institutions to: · identify and mitigate cultural and institutional barriers experienced by Hispanic and Latino faculty and administrators which may negatively impact the recruitment and retention of those individuals into leadership positions at public institutions of higher education; · provide institutional support and professional development opportunities specifically designed for Hispanic and Latino faculty and administrators;· promote opportunities for academic alliances and collaborative partnerships to share best practices, resources, and support for increasing Hispanic and Latino representation in institution leadership; and · conduct an ongoing review of the effectiveness of the institution's diversity programs and initiatives. The bill requires each public institution of higher education to implement a program to increase the recruitment and retention of Hispanic and Latino individuals into leadership positions at the institution. Finally, the bill requires each public institution of higher education to submit an annual diversity report to the Secretary of Higher Education. The report will include, at a minimum:· the racial and gender composition of all leadership positions at the institution; and· a review of the diversity program implemented pursuant to the bill's provisions. The bill directs the secretary to compile the annual diversity reports submitted by the institutions and submit a summative report annually to the Governor and the Legislature. | In Committee |
| AR147 | Condemns recent U.S. Supreme Court decision and reaffirms that bump stocks are a dangerous firearm component. | This resolution condemns the United States Supreme Court's ruling in Garland v. Cargill, which held that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) exceeded its authority when it promulgated a regulation prohibiting bump stocks. In addition, this resolution reaffirms this State's commitment to protecting its citizens by having enacted P.L.2017, c.323 to prohibit the sale and possession of bump stocks. On October 1, 2017, Stephen Paddock opened fire on an outdoor venue in Las Vegas, Nevada killing 60 people and injuring at least 530 people in just ten minutes, resulting in the deadliest mass shooting in the United States' modern history. According to news reports, the Las Vegas shooter modified his rifles with bump stocks, which significantly alters the speed at which an individual can pull the trigger of a firearm. A bump stock is a device or component for a firearm that increases the rate of fire achievable with the weapon by using energy from the recoil of the firearm. A firearm equipped with a bump stock can fire as many as 800 rounds per minute and a semi-automatic firearm equipped with a bump stock is not readily distinguishable from a machine gun. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4081 | Establishes penalties for employers who disclose or threaten to disclose employee's immigration status for purpose of concealing violation of State wage, benefit or tax laws. | Establishes penalties for employers who disclose or threaten to disclose employee's immigration status for purpose of concealing violation of State wage, benefit or tax laws. | In Committee |
| A4426 | Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2025. | This bill appropriates certain federal and State moneys to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the purpose of implementing the State Fiscal Year 2025 New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Financing Program (NJEIFP). The bill would appropriate these funds for the purpose of making loans to local governments and privately-owned water companies (project sponsors) for a portion of the costs of water infrastructure projects. A companion bill, Assembly Bill No. 4425 of this session, would authorize the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB) to execute loans using the funds appropriated to the DEP by this bill to finance a portion of the costs of the clean water and drinking water projects enumerated by the bill. The bill would authorize the DEP to use the moneys appropriated by the bill to fund the following projects: (1) in subsection a. of section 2 of the bill, a list of six projects to improve water discharge and treatment systems that had previously received a loan and require supplemental loans, representing $77.3 million in estimated total loan amounts; (2) in subsection b. of section 2 of the bill, a list of two projects to improve drinking water systems that had previously received a loan and require supplemental loans, representing $26.5 million in estimated total loan amounts; (3) in paragraph (1) of subsection a. of section 3 of the bill, the "Storm Sandy and State Fiscal Year 2025 Clean Water Project Eligibility List," a list of 156 projects to improve water discharge and treatment systems, representing $1.9 billion in estimated total loan amounts; (4) in paragraph (2) of subsection a. of section 3 of the bill, a list of four projects in the Pinelands area that are receiving funding under the "Pinelands Infrastructure Trust Bond Act of 1985," P.L.1985, c.302, to improve water discharge and treatment systems, representing $15.3 million in estimated total loan amounts; and (5) in subsection b. of section 3 of the bill, the "Storm Sandy and State Fiscal Year 2025 Drinking Water Project Eligibility List," a list of 72 projects to improve drinking water systems, representing $714.9 million in estimated total loan amounts. The bill would also appropriate the unexpended balances from various funds to the DEP, and allow the DEP to transfer moneys between various State funds, for the purpose of funding the NJEIFP and providing the State match for federal funding provided under the federal laws, including the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, as detailed in subsection a. of section 1 of the bill. In addition, the bill would appropriate to the DEP funds deposited in the "Clean Water State Revolving Fund" and the "Drinking Water State Revolving Fund" pursuant to the federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act," Pub. L. 117-58. The bill would authorize loans to certain project sponsors to include zero interest or principal forgiveness, subject to certain funding limits and restrictions detailed in subsections b. through e. of section 1 of the bill. Projects designated for zero interest or principal forgiveness loans include projects that reduce or eliminate discharges from combined sewer overflow outfalls, water quality restoration projects, water and energy efficiency projects, and emerging contaminant projects. The bill would establish certain requirements on loans to project sponsors made by the DEP pursuant to the bill, as enumerated in section 4 of the bill. The bill would also establish additional restrictions, described in section 5 of the bill, for "Sandy financing loans," which are those loans that utilize federal funding provided pursuant to the federal "Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013," Pub.L. 113-2. Under the bill, the project lists and the DEP's authorization to utilize the funds appropriated by the bill would expire on July 1, 2025. The bill would also authorize the NJIB to utilize repayments of loans made using moneys from various State funds, enumerated in subsections a. and b. of section 10 of the bill, to recoup trust bond repayments and administrative fees that have not been paid by project sponsors instead of redepositing the money into the funds. However, the bill would also require the NJIB to make a compensatory deposit into certain State funds, enumerated in subsection c. of section 10 of the bill, when the NJIB receives the deficient payments or fees from the project sponsor. Finally, the bill would appropriate to the NJIB, from repayments of loans, interest payments, certain federal funds, and any earnings received from the investment of those funds, as enumerated in sections 12 and 13 of the bill, such amounts as the chairperson or secretary of the NJIB certifies are necessary and appropriate for deposit into one or more reserve funds established by the NJIB. | In Committee |
| A3872 | Requires private bus operators to provide notice and hold public meetings for certain service changes. | This bill establishes several requirements for a private entity that operates motorbus regulator route service. Specifically, these private entities would be required to: (1) provide at least four months written notice to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) and the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) prior to the substantial curtailment of such service; (2) provide at least three months written notice to the service's customers prior to the substantial curtailment of such service; and (3) hold at least one public meeting in the affected area, as close as possible to the highest trafficked stop on the route, within 15 days after providing notice to the service's customers. Prior to holding the public meeting, the private entity is required to provide written notice of the public meeting to the commission, NJ Transit, as well as the State legislators representing any legislative district, the mayor and governing body of any municipality, and the board of county commissioners of any county that will be affected by the substantial curtailment of such service. A private entity found to be in violation of the bill is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for each violation, which penalty is to be in addition to any other penalties that may be available pursuant to law. The bill requires the commission to adopt rules and regulations to implement the bill and to take any action necessary to ensure that private entities are in compliance with the bill's provisions. | In Committee |
| A4656 | 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 |
| A4601 | Requires health insurance and Medicaid coverage for reproductive health care services; prohibits adverse actions by medical malpractice insurers in relation to performance of health care services. | This bill requires health insurance carriers (including health service corporations, hospital service corporations, medical service corporations, commercial individual and group health insurers, and health maintenance organizations), entities contracted to administer health benefits in connection with the State Health Benefits Program and School Employees' Health Benefits Program, and the NJ FamilyCares/Medicaid program to provide coverage for the termination of pregnancies. Under the bill, "pregnancy" is defined as the period of the human reproductive process beginning with the implantation of a fertilized egg. The bill provides that, upon request of a religious employer, health insurers are required to grant an exclusion if the coverage conflicts with the religious employer's bona fide religious beliefs and practices. "Religious employer" is defined in the bill to mean an organization that is referred to in section 6033(a)(3)(A)(i) or (iii) of the federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. s.6033), and that is organized and operates as a nonprofit entity. Additionally, the bill provides that any State program that provides benefits for pregnancy-related care will also provide benefits for the termination of a pregnancy. Lastly, under the bill, medical malpractice insurers are barred from taking any adverse action, including loss of coverage, sanctions, fines, penalties, or rate increases, against an insured for providing or facilitating reproductive health care services or gender-affirming health care services based solely on the fact that the patient receiving the service is a resident of a state where providing or facilitating the activity is illegal. | In Committee |
| A4561 | 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 |
| A4483 | "Cancer Patient Care and Compassion Act." | This bill, to be known as the "Cancer Patient Care and Compassion Act," provides certain protections for Stage III, Stage IV, or terminal cancer patients. The bill: 1. Requires health insurance carriers (including health service corporations, hospital service corporations, medical service corporations, commercial individual and group health insurers, and health maintenance organizations), entities contracted to administer health benefits in connection with the State Health Benefits Program and School Employees' Health Benefits Program, and the NJ FamilyCares/Medicaid program to provide coverage for individuals diagnosed with cancer and with a prognosis that is deemed Stage III, Stage IV, or terminal (1) parenteral treatment of the cancer; (2) survivorship care plan, including follow-up appointments; and (3) any other service or item as determined by the regulators of each type of carrier or contract. Under the bill, "parenteral treatment" means the intravenous, intra-arterial, intraperitoneal, or intrathecal administration of nutrition or medication bypassing the gastrointestinal system and "survivorship care plan" means a plan for an individual with cancer from diagnosis through the end of life that focuses on the health and well-being of the individual. This includes, but is not limited to, side effects from treatment, cancer recurrence, and quality of life. Any cost-sharing or copayment or coinsurance that may be required for coverage will not apply. 2. Prohibits residential mortgage lenders from providing a notice of intention to a residential mortgage debtor undergoing treatment for Stage III, Stage IV, or terminal cancer. Under the bill, a residential mortgage lender shall ensure, before sending a notice of intention to cure a default on a mortgage debtor's residential mortgage obligation, that the residential mortgage debtor is not undergoing treatment for Stage III, Stage IV, or terminal cancer. If a mortgage debtor is undergoing treatment, the mortgage lender will be prohibited from providing a notice of intention to the mortgage debtor until the mortgage lender receives notice from the physician of the mortgage debtor that the debtor is no longer undergoing treatment. Additionally, the bill provides that any foreclosure action to take possession of a residential property will be dismissed upon submission by the residential mortgage debtor to the residential mortgage lender of a letter from the physician of the debtor certifying that the debtor is undergoing treatment for Stage III, Stage IV, or terminal cancer. 3. Prohibits a creditor from initiating a collection proceeding for a default on any debt against an individual who is undergoing treatment for Stage III, Stage IV, or terminal cancer and who submits to the creditor a letter from the individual's physician certifying treatment of the individual for Stage III, Stage IV, or terminal cancer. The bill also provides that any collection proceeding against an individual who is undergoing treatment for Stage III, Stage IV, or terminal cancer is required to be dismissed upon submission by the individual of a letter from the individual's physician certifying treatment of the individual for Stage III, Stage IV, or terminal cancer. 4. Requires that for eviction actions based on nonpayment or habitual late payment of rent, or for failure to pay a rent increase, the Superior Court will authorize a stay of eviction for up to 45 days if the tenant is actively undergoing Stage III, Stage IV, or terminal cancer treatment. To qualify for this stay, the tenant must provide a confidential certification from their treating physician, submitted under seal. Additionally, during the stay period, the tenant has the right to renew their lease upon its expiration, subject to reasonable changes proposed by the landlord. The bill also provides the right to reinstatement to equivalent employment after a period of leave applies to all periods in which TDI or FLI benefits are provided, including extending that right to FLI leave takers employed by employers with less than 30 employees, as is presently the case for TDI leave takers. Under the bill, an employee who is eligible for both earned sick leave and either TDI or FLI benefits, may use either the earned sick leave or whichever is applicable of the TDI or FLI benefits, and may select the order in which they are taken, but may not receive more than one kind of paid leave benefits during any period of time. | In Committee |
| A4489 | Revises requirements for proceedings concerning nonrenewal of nontenured staff members of district boards of education. | This bill amends the requirements for proceedings concerning the nonrenewal of nontenured officers and employees of school district boards of education. Under current law, these proceedings, often called "Donaldson hearings," are informal appearances that provide an opportunity for nontenured staff members for whom the chief school administrator has recommended nonrenewal to convince members of the board of education to offer reemployment. The bill provides nontenured staff members, whose employment contracts are not renewed, a right to a formal hearing before the applicable board of education to convince the board members to offer reemployment. The bill requires the presence of the school board attorney at all of these hearings, requires the nontenured staff member to provide copies of all written material in support of the case to the board attorney at least three days in advance of the hearing, and requires the decision of the board of education on whether to renew the contract of a nontenured staff member to be in writing. The written decision of the board is required to include the factual background of the case, as well as the reasons for the board's decision. In the case of hearings conducted remotely, the bill prohibits deactivation of video functionality by board members except during formal break periods. The purpose of this bill is to afford greater due process than provided under current law for nontenured staff who face the prospect of nonrenewal from positions of school district employment. Specifically, under this bill, boards of education would assume a more formalized process when conducting hearings concerning the nonrenewal of an employment contract for a nontenured staff member, including the requirement that the board memorialize its findings and conclusions at the conclusion of each hearing. It is the sponsor's belief that this requirement will minimize arbitrary decision making and will provide a more substantial record in the event of appeal. | In Committee |
| A4490 | Requires DOT to erect and maintain certain electric vehicle charging station signs. | This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to erect and maintain highway exit signs to assist motorists in the identification of, availability of, and direction of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The bill requires that the dimensions and location of each EV charging station highway exit sign comply with all applicable federal and State laws and meet all design and placement guidelines for such signs as established pursuant to the provisions of the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways." | In Committee |
| A4491 | Expedites process for filling vacancy from this State in United States House of Representatives under certain circumstances. | This bill expedites the process for filling a vacancy from this State in the United States House of Representatives under certain circumstances. Under current law, and pursuant to the United States Constitution and federal law, vacancies in the United States House of Representatives are required to be filled by special election. In contrast to the provisions for filling vacancies in the United States Senate, where the Governor may make a temporary appointment to fill the vacancy until it can be filled by election for the unexpired term, the United States Constitution does not provide for the temporary appointment of a Representative. The Governor has the responsibility to issue a writ of election to fill the vacancy, while the Legislature may prescribe by law the election's scheduling. Current law provides that it is the duty of the Governor to issue a writ of election to fill such vacancy, unless the term of service for the vacant office will expire within six months next after the happening of the vacancy. Therefore, if the vacancy happens on or after July 3 of the second year of the Representative's two-year term of office, then the vacancy is not required to be filled. Current Law Circumstances and Timeframes Current law specifies three different vacancy scenarios under which the Governor is required or permitted to designate the next general election day to fill the vacancy, permitted to designate a special election day to fill the vacancy, and whether a primary election or a special primary election is required to nominate the candidates for election. (1) General Election With a Primary Election - if the vacancy happens in any year, not later than the 70th day prior to the day for holding the next primary election for the general election, the Governor is required to issue a writ of election to fill the vacancy designating the next general election day as the day on which the election will be held to fill such vacancy, with the nomination of candidates made in the same manner as the nomination of other candidates at said primary election. This scenario would typically cover vacancies occurring in January, February, and most of March of either year of the Representative's two-year term of office, with the primary election occurring in June and the general election occurring in November. (2) General Election Without a Primary Election - if the vacancy happens in any year later than the 70th day prior to the day for holding the primary election for the general election but before the 70th day preceding the day of the general election, and the unexpired term to be filled exceeds one year, the Governor is permitted to designate the next general election day as the day on which the election will be held to fill such vacancy, and that no primary election will be held for the nomination of candidates. Each political party selects its candidate to fill such vacancy in the same manner as under current law for selecting candidates to fill vacancies that arise among candidates that won the primary election and were thereby nominated to appear on the general election ballot. This scenario would typically cover vacancies occurring in the period from the last days of March through the last days of August, but only in the first year of the Representative's two-year term of office, with the general election occurring in November. (3) Special Election With a Special Primary Election - the Governor is permitted in the writ of election to designate a special day for the election to fill the vacancy, specifying the day on which a special primary election must be held, which must be not less than 70 days nor more than 76 days following the issuance of the writ, and specifying the day on which the special election must be held, which must be not less than 64 days nor more than 70 days following the day of the special primary election. Under this scenario, the special election to fill the vacancy could occur approximately 134 to 143 days after the issuance of the writ of election. Current law does not specify a timeframe for the Governor to issue the writ of election. Expedited Timeframes Under the Bill This bill expedites the process for filling a vacancy from this State in the United States House of Representatives under certain circumstances. Specifically, the bill establishes a timeframe of within 10 days of the occurrence of the vacancy for the Governor to issue a writ of election. The bill also requires a special election to be held to fill the vacancy when such vacancy occurs in any year earlier than in the month of July. A special election would also be required to be held under the bill when such vacancy occurs after the 70th day preceding the day of the general election and the unexpired term to be filled exceeds one year. Finally, the bill eliminates the requirement to hold a primary election or a special primary election in all House of Representatives vacancy scenarios. Each political party would select its candidate to fill such vacancy in the same manner as under current law for selecting candidates to fill vacancies that arise among candidates that won the primary election and were thereby nominated to appear on the general election ballot. The bill specifies three different vacancy scenarios under which the Governor would be required to issue a writ to fill the vacancy at either the general election or at a special election. (1) General Election - if the vacancy happens in any year not earlier than July 1 but on or before the 70th day preceding the day of the general election, the Governor, in issuing a writ of election to fill the vacancy, would be required to designate the next general election day as the day to fill the vacancy and that no primary election will be held for the nomination of candidates. This scenario would typically cover vacancies occurring in the month of July through the end of August in any year of a Representative's two-year term of office, with the general election occurring in November. (2) Special Election in Any Year - if the vacancy happens in any year earlier than July 1, the Governor, in issuing a writ of election to fill such vacancy, would be required to designate in said writ a special election day as the day to fill the vacancy and that no primary election will be held for the nomination of candidates. The day designated for the special election would be not less than 70 days nor more than 80 days following the issuance of the writ of election. This scenario would cover vacancies occurring in the months of January through June in any year of a Representative's two-year term of office, with the special election occurring at least 70 days but not more than 90 days after the occurrence of the vacancy, when accounting for the "within 10 days" timeframe established under the bill for the Governor to issue the writ of election. (3) Special Election in First Year - if the vacancy happens after the 70th day preceding the day of the general election and the unexpired term to be filled exceeds one year, the Governor, in issuing a writ of election to fill such vacancy, would be required to designate in said writ a special election day as the day to fill the vacancy and that no primary election will be held for the nomination of candidates. The day designated for the special election would be not less than 70 days nor more than 80 days following the issuance of the writ of election. This scenario would typically cover vacancies occurring from the end of August through the month of December in the first year of a Representative's two-year term of office, with the special election occurring at least 70 days but not more than 90 days after the occurrence of the vacancy, when accounting for the "within 10 days" timeframe established under the bill for the Governor to issue the writ of election. The minimum 70-day timeframe before an election is derived from the amount of time needed for election officials and candidates to meet the various deadlines, such as ballot printing and mailing, established for conducting an election in this State in compliance with State and federal law requirements. | In Committee |
| A4493 | "Emission Reduction Innovation Act"; authorizes gas public utilities to develop and implement plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. | This bill, to be known as the "Emission Reduction Innovation Act," would authorize gas public utilities to develop and implement "utility innovation plans," which would aim to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with natural gas use in the State through the use of biogas, renewable natural gas, power-to-hydrogen, power-to-ammonia, carbon capture and utilization, the deployment of a hybrid energy, district energy, or energy efficiency project, and the use of other innovative technologies proposed by the utility. The bill would establish certain content requirements for utility innovation plans, as enumerated in subsections a. through c. of section 3 of the bill. The plans would be required to be submitted to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) for approval. Each plan would be effective for five years, after which the utility would be authorized to submit an updated plan. The bill would require a gas public utility to show that the costs to implement an approved utility innovation plan are reasonable. If approved by the board, the utility could recover the costs of implementing the plan through the rates it charges to its ratepayers or using another methodology. The bill would authorize utilities to shift up to 25 percent of the total plan budget between individual projects or programs, after providing notice to the BPU and rate counsel. Shifts greater than 25 percent of the total plan budget would require BPU approval. The bill would require gas public utilities that are implementing approved utility innovation plans to submit an annual report to the BPU on the status of the plan. The bill would authorize the report to include certain items including the costs incurred under the plan and the lifecycle greenhouse gas reduction or avoidance accomplished under the plan; Section 4 of the bill would require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in consultation with the BPU, to review the methodology by which a utility innovation plan calculates the lifecycle greenhouse gas reductions associated with the plan. The DEP would be required to ensure that the methodology is consistent with its own current methodology for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions, as well as that the plan is consistent with the State's greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals established by the "Global Warming Response Act," P.L.2007, c.112 (C.26:2C-37 et al.). The DEP would have 180 days to complete its review. Section 4 of the bill would also require that, when the BPU reviews the cost-benefit analytic framework of a proposed utility innovation plan, it does so in a manner consistent with the board's existing guidelines and processes for other utility investment programs. | In Committee |
| A4466 | Concerns appeals of assessed valuation of real property of $1,000,000 or more. | This bill concerns the appeal by a taxpayer, or a taxing district, of the assessed valuation of a parcel of real property having an assessed valuation of more than $1,000,000. R.S.54:3-21 currently provides that a taxpayer or a taxing district may file a complaint appealing the current assessment directly with the Tax Court, if the assessed valuation of the property subject to the appeal exceeds $1,000,000. The statute also provides that an appeal to the Tax Court by one party in a case in which the Tax Court has jurisdiction establishes jurisdiction over the entire matter in the Tax Court. This bill would require that in the case where appeals on a single property for a single tax year have been filed with both the Tax Court and the county board of taxation, the county board of taxation shall dismiss the appeal before it without prejudice. | In Committee |
| S2082 | Establishes New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force; clarifies collection of student growth data. | An Act establishing the "New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force," and amending and supplementing P.L.2012, c.26. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4004 | Provides for filing extension and alternate medical documentation in PFRS, SPRS, or PERS for accidental disability retirement in certain circumstances; extends accidental death benefit for survivors of certain SPRS retirees. | Provides for filing extension and alternate medical documentation in PFRS, SPRS, or PERS for accidental disability retirement in certain circumstances; extends accidental death benefit for survivors of certain SPRS retirees. | In Committee |
| AJR178 | Urges US Department of Veterans Affairs to study use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for veterans. | This joint resolution urges the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to study the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for veterans. While serving their country, military members can come across various traumatic events through circumstances such as war zone deployment, training accidents, and military sexual trauma. Among veterans using health care provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 23 percent had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their life. PTSD can cause chemical changes in the body's hormonal system and autonomic nervous system, as well as changes to brain activity and structure. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been effective in treating disruptions of brain structure and functions, making it a potential alternative treatment for PTSD. In 2017, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs announced it would offer HBOT as a treatment option for a small group of veterans with PTSD symptoms resistant to standard treatments. Additionally, two evidence briefs on the use of HBOT to treat veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and PTSD in whom other treatments have not been successful were prepared for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. On April 16, 2024, legislation establishing a pilot program at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to furnish HBOT for veterans who have PTSD or TBI passed the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health by voice vote. It is important that a study on the efficacy of HBOT be conducted to determine if the treatment will bring about beneficial changes for the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who proudly serve the nation and risk their lives to protect our freedom. | In Committee |
| A3521 | Establishes occupational heat stress standard and "Occupational Heat-Related Illness and Injury Prevention Program" in DOLWD. | Establishes occupational heat stress standard and "Occupational Heat-Related Illness and Injury Prevention Program" in DOLWD. | In Committee |
| AR139 | Expresses sincere appreciation to staff of New Jersey General Assembly. | This resolution expresses sincere appreciation to the staff of the New Jersey General Assembly. Each legislative session, the General Assembly of New Jersey elects officers and administrative personnel to serve the vital functions of the General Assembly. These staff members play a pivotal role in the smooth functioning of the legislative process in this State, and their experience and diverse backgrounds contribute greatly to the effectiveness of the General Assembly's operations. Despite any challenges faced during each legislative session, the General Assembly staff uphold exemplary standards of professionalism and expertise within the constitutionally mandated timeframes. It is essential to recognize the Chief Clerk and all members of the General Assembly staff for their unwavering dedication and service to the State of New Jersey. Therefore, the General Assembly wishes to express its heartfelt appreciation to the Chief Clerk and all members of the General Assembly staff for their outstanding dedication, cooperation, and excellent work. | In Committee |
| A4367 | Requires producers of plastic packaging and certain other plastic products to reduce quantity of plastic sold; restricts additional substances under "Toxic Packaging Reduction Act." | This bill would require the producers of plastic packaging and certain other plastic products sold in the State to reduce the amount, by weight, of their packaging or products sold annually. The bill would also restrict additional substances under the "Toxic Packaging Reduction Act," P.L.1991, c.520 (C.13:1E-99.44 et seq.). Specifically, the source reduction component of the bill would apply to (1) plastic packaging, (2) single-use plastic products that are collected in the municipal solid waste stream, and (3) plastic products that have the effect of disrupting recycling processes, including, but not limited to, single-use plastic items such as straws, utensils, cups, plates, and plastic bags. The definition of "covered material" in section 1 of the bill would exclude various types of products, including those regulated under certain federal laws. Under the bill, producers of the products described above (including producers of products that are packaged in plastic packaging) would be required to decrease the amount of the packaging or products that are sold annually, by weight, such that, after two years, the quantity sold is 90 percent of the baseline amount, after four years, the quantity sold is 80 percent of the baseline amount, after six years, the quantity sold is 70 percent of the baseline amount, after eight years, the quantity sold is 60 percent of the baseline amount, and, after 10 years, the quantity sold is 50 percent of the baseline amount. The bill would also prohibit the sale of cardboard packaging materials (including products sold in cardboard packaging materials) unless the cardboard contains at least 75 percent postconsumer recycled content and is recycled at a rate of at least 75 percent. Producers who violate these requirements would be liable to civil and civil administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day of noncompliance. The bill would also amend the "Toxic Packaging Reduction Act" to prohibit the sale of packaging (and products that are packaged in packaging) that contains certain substances, including toxic metals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and vinyl chloride. Under current law, only packaging that contains lead, mercury, cadmium, or hexavalent chromium is restricted under the "Toxic Packaging Reduction Act." Persons who violate the provisions of the "Toxic Packaging Reduction Act" are liable to civil and civil administrative penalties of up to $7,500 per day of noncompliance, for a first offense. Finally, the bill would also establish a Toxic Packaging Task Force, composed of the DEP commissioner or a designee and four members of the public, appointed by the DEP commission and the presiding officers of the Legislature. The task force would be charged with recommending additional chemicals to regulate under the "Toxic Packaging Reduction Act." Under the bill, the DEP would be required to adopt rules and regulations to regulate a chemical no later than one year after the task force's recommendation. | In Committee |
| A4368 | 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 |
| A4387 | Allows students to use portion of opportunity grant awards under Educational Opportunity Fund program during summer session. | This bill provides that a student may elect to use a portion of an opportunity grant funded through the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF), during the summer session following the academic year for courses that fulfill graduation requirements or award credits in the student's academic major. The student would be responsible for notifying the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education of the intent to use a portion of the award during the summer. The Secretary of Higher Education would adjust the amount of the student's award that will be disbursed during the academic year, and notify the student that using a portion of the grant during the summer session will reduce the amount of the award that will be disbursed during the academic year. The secretary would also be required to annually report the number of students who did and did not use a portion of a grant award to enroll in courses during the summer, and the number and percent of these students who graduated within 100 percent and 150 percent of average completion time. This bill implements a recommendation of the College Affordability Study Commission which released its final report in September 2016. | In Committee |
| A3992 | Increases penalties for certain prohibited sales of tobacco and vapor products. | Increases penalties for certain prohibited sales of tobacco and vapor products. | In Committee |
| A4364 | 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 |
| AR127 | Condemns Arizona Supreme Court ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Mayes banning abortions in the state and reaffirms New Jersey citizens' freedom to access reproductive health care services. | This Assembly Resolution condemns the Arizona Supreme Court ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Mayes, which upheld a long-dormant and outdated 1864 law banning abortions. The resolution additionally reaffirms the rights of all New Jersey citizens to have the freedom to make decisions about planning their families free from unreasonable governmental interference. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4172 | Concerns discrimination based on membership in a labor organization. | This bill extends protection under the Law Against Discrimination (LAD) to members of a labor organization. The LAD, P.L.1945, c.169 (C.10:5-1 et. seq.), provides protections for those who are members of a protected class, including protection against discrimination in employment, public accommodations, housing, land use, lending, and association membership. Under current law, a member of a protected class includes an employee who has one or more characteristics, including race, creed, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry, age, marital status, civil union status, domestic partnership status, affectional or sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy, sex, gender identity or expression, disability or atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait of any individual, or liability for service in the armed forces. This bill provides that members of a labor organization also are members of a protected class who are entitled protection under the LAD. In addition, the bill revises the definition of "labor organization" to include any organization of any kind, including a labor union or any agency or employee representation committee or plan, in which public or private employees participate and which exists and is constituted for the purpose, in whole or in part, of collective bargaining, or of dealing with public or private employers concerning grievances, terms or conditions of employment, or of other mutual aid or protection in connection with employment. | In Committee |
| A4121 | 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 |
| AR124 | Condemns actions of Russian Federation and Vladimir Putin for events leading up to death of Alexei Navalny. | This resolution condemns the actions of the Russian Federation and Vladimir Putin for the events leading up to the death of Alexei Navalny. Navalny was an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin and an opposition leader who organized massive pro-democracy, anti-corruption protests. Navalny was convicted and received suspended sentences twice on criminal charges, which led Russian election officials to bar Navalny from running against Vladimir Putin in the 2018 presidential election. In August 2020, Navalny was poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent and medically evacuated to Germany for treatment. Upon his return to Russia in 2021, he was immediately arrested due to accusations that he violated his parole conditions. After his arrest, he received multiple prison sentences. The time Navalny spent in prison was reportedly inhumane for reasons such as solitary confinement, extreme cold, unsanitary conditions, and harsh beatings. Navalny was pronounced dead on February 16, 2024, at the age of 47, while imprisoned at the IK-3 penal colony, and many people were detained and arrested for attending his funeral as well as various memorials across Russia. The General Assembly of the State of New Jersey joins the rest of the world in condemning the Russian Federation and Vladimir Putin's relentless targeting of Alexei Navalny to silence his message of resistance against corruption, which ultimately resulted in his death. | In Committee |
| A4094 | 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 |
| A4078 | "Disaster Victims Protection Act"; requires Governor to allocate federal and State disaster aid to municipalities in proportion to amount of catastrophic physical damage sustained within each municipality. | Under this bill, the Governor would allocate federal and State disaster relief aid to municipalities, including residents and businesses therein, in proportion to the relative amount of catastrophic physical damage suffered within each affected municipality. This aid allocation methodology is intended to ensure that residential victims and business owners in the most heavily damaged areas following a disaster are provided assistance prior to the expenditure of aid monies for other economic development and redevelopment projects. In response to the unprecedented damage to this State caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, New Jersey received billions of federal dollars from Congress in the form of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to support the State's rebuilding and reconstruction efforts. With approval from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Governor allocated millions of dollars to housing development projects within the nine most-impacted counties, as designated by HUD, which include Atlantic, Bergen, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union counties. Some municipalities within these designated counties were completely devastated, while other municipalities within these counties suffered far less, if any, major damage. Some of the least-damaged municipalities, however, received disproportionately greater CGBG-DR funding from the State for development projects, leaving some of the residents and businesses in more damaged municipalities at a fiscal disadvantage for reconstruction. This bill is intended to ensure that residents and businesses most impacted by a disaster will receive a level of disaster relief aid commensurate with the amount of damage sustained within the municipality. Fundamental principles of fairness and equity require that the residents and businesses in those municipalities that are the hardest hit and suffer the most physical damage from a natural or other disaster should receive the most relief. | In Committee |
| A4079 | 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 |
| A3413 | Establishes New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force; clarifies collection of student growth data. | Establishes New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force; clarifies collection of student growth data. | In Committee |
| A4080 | Provides phased-in increases in cigarette tax rate over four-year period. | This bill provides for a phased-in increase in the cigarette tax rate over a four-year period. Under current law, the State imposes a tax on cigarettes at a rate of $0.135 per cigarette, or $2.70 per pack of 20 cigarettes, which tax rate has been in effect since 2009. This bill would increase this tax rate over a four-year period, as follows:(1) beginning on July 1, 2024, the cigarette tax rate would increase by 55 cents to $3.25 per pack of 20 cigarettes;(2) beginning on July 1, 2025, the cigarette tax rate would increase an additional 25 cents to $3.50 per pack of 20 cigarettes; (3) beginning on July 1, 2026, the cigarette tax rate would increase an additional 25 cents to $3.75 per pack of 20 cigarettes effective July 1, 2026; and(4) beginning on July 1, 2027, the cigarette tax rate increases an additional 25 cents to $4.00 per pack of 20 cigarettes, which rate would remain in effect each year thereafter. Current law dedicates one percent of cigarette tax revenues for smoking cessation and prevention initiatives funded through the Department of Health and $391.5 million in cigarette tax revenues to the Health Care Subsidy Fund for payments to acute care hospitals in New Jersey that provide necessary inpatient and outpatient services to patients regardless of ability to pay. This bill does not alter these dedications. Accordingly, any additional revenue collections resulting from the proposed increases in the cigarette tax would be received in the General Fund as State revenue, except as otherwise dedicated for these purposes. | In Committee |
| A4077 | Requires use of uniform silver flags to mark certain pesticide applications. | This bill requires every commercial pesticide applicator to use uniform silver flags to mark areas on which pesticides have been applied. The flags used must be silver in color, must be a uniform size and type, must provide information in English and Spanish, and must stay in place for a minimum of 72 hours after the pesticide application. In addition, the bill would prohibit the use of silver flags to mark anything likely to be confused with a pesticide application. The exclusive color requirement is intended to distinguish pesticide flags from, among other things, those used for invisible dog fences, underground utility lines, septic tanks, and underground piping. The bill also directs the Department of Environmental Protection to promulgate rules and regulations effectuating these requirements. | In Committee |
| A4076 | Creates Highlands Conservation Trust to preserve land in Highlands Region, and authorizes Highlands conservation license plate to raise revenue therefor. | This bill would create the Highlands Conservation Trust in but not of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. The purposes of the trust would be to acquire and hold, or acquire and convey to other governmental entities or to qualified nonprofit organizations, environmentally important, valuable, or sensitive lands located in the New Jersey Highlands Region. These lands would be permanently preserved and managed in their natural state or in a largely natural or undeveloped state for the purposes of (1) conserving and enhancing the exceptional natural resources of the Highlands Region, such as clean air, contiguous forest lands, wetlands, pristine watersheds, and habitat for fauna and flora, (2) preserving sites of historic significance, and (3) providing abundant passive recreational opportunities. Any lands acquired by the trust would become exempt from taxation and the payment of any in lieu of tax obligation upon the date of acquisition. The trust would be administered by a seven-member board of trustees comprising: four private citizens appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate; the Commissioner of Environmental Protection; the Executive Director of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council; and a mayor, or elected chief executive, of a municipality in the Highlands preservation area appointed by the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. The trust would be empowered, among other things, to: (1) plan and implement strategies to maximize land acquisition and preservation and environmental enhancement in the Highlands Region in keeping with the purposes of the trust; (2) acquire and hold, or convey to other government entities, including but not limited to the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust, or to qualified nonprofit organizations, environmentally important, valuable, or sensitive lands in the Highlands Region; and to preserve or manage those lands in their natural state, or in a largely natural or undeveloped state, for the purposes of conserving and enhancing the exceptional natural resources of the Highlands Region, such as clean air, contiguous forest lands, wetlands, pristine watersheds, and habitat for fauna and flora, preserving sites of historic significance, and providing abundant passive recreational opportunities; (3) establish a special working relationship with the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council in furthering the purposes of the trust; (4) apply for and accept grants and other aid; solicit and accept gifts, donations, legacies, bequests, and endowments; and solicit and accept rents or royalties, all to be used for the purposes of the trust; (5) if deemed useful, authorize establishment by appropriate persons or organizations of a tax-exempt nonprofit organization or organizations for the purposes of assisting the trust; and (6) establish incentive programs to encourage landowners within the Highlands Region to (a) convey land to the trust or to other public or private entities seeking to preserve land in keeping with the purposes of the trust, or (b) manage their lands in keeping with the purposes of the trust. The bill would also establish the "Highlands Conservation Trust Fund." The trust fund would be the depository for all moneys: (1) received as a grant or other form of aid by the trust or by the State and designated for the trust; (2) given, donated, bequeathed, or endowed to the trust from public or private sources; (3) received as rent or as a royalty by the trust or by the State on behalf of the trust; (4) received as net revenues from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission in connection with the issuance of Highlands conservation license plates as authorized by the bill; and (5) appropriated or otherwise made available to the trust by the State. The moneys in the trust fund would be specifically dedicated to be used only for the purposes of the trust. No moneys in the trust fund could be utilized for the development of any land for any purpose or for the acquisition of land that will not remain in a natural or largely natural or undeveloped state, except that up to eight percent of the moneys annually received and deposited into the trust fund could be used to pay for development of sites to allow for public access and environmental education and interpretation and for the development of trails, and up to two percent of the moneys annually received and deposited into the trust fund could be used to pay for promotional and program awareness efforts. No moneys in the trust fund could be used to pay or discharge the principal of or interest on any indebtedness incurred for any purpose by the trust or any other governmental entity. | In Committee |
| A4093 | Clarifies staff training requirements at long-term care facilities regarding care of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, and intersex seniors and seniors living with HIV. | This bill clarifies provisions under current law, which require long-term care facilities to ensure that the administrators and staff at the facility receive training: concerning caring for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, and intersex seniors and seniors living with HIV; and preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, intersex status, and HIV status. Specifically, this bill amends the law to provide that the training entity selected by the long-term care facility under existing law is only required to provide in-person training to two designated employees, one which must represent management at the facility and one which must represent direct care staff at the facility. The bill further clarifies that these two designated employees are required to provide training, utilizing the information and training materials received from the selected training entity, to train the remaining administrators and staff members employed at the facility. | In Committee |
| A3991 | Directs State Board of Education to authorize general science endorsement to instructional certificate. | This bill directs the State Board of Education to authorize the issuance of a general science endorsement to an instructional certificate. The endorsement authorizes the holder to teach any science course in grades nine through 12. The bill defines "instructional certificate" as a certificate of eligibility, certificate of eligibility with advanced standing, provisional certificate, or standard instructional certificate. The bill requires a candidate seeking an instructional certificate with a general science endorsement to: (1) possess a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in biology, chemistry, physics, or a related field; (2) achieve a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a scale of 4.0, or its equivalent; (3) pass a Commissioner of Education-approved basic skills test; (4) pass a commissioner-approved subject matter test, if applicable, and (5) meet any other requirements as established by the commissioner. Under the bill, a teacher who currently holds a biological science, chemistry, earth science, physical science, or physics endorsement to an instructional certificate may apply for an instructional certificate with a general science endorsement provided the teacher meets the requirements set forth in the bill. | In Committee |
| A3985 | Requires DHS and DOH, respectively, to provide information on SNAP, WFNJ, and WIC recipients regarding card skimming, cloning, and similar fraudulent activities and to replace stolen benefits; makes appropriation. | This bill directs the Commissioners of Human Services and Health, respectively, to provide information to certain benefit recipients regarding card skimming and cloning and to replace stolen benefits under fraudulent circumstances. Specifically, the Commissioner of Human Services is responsible for implementing these provisions for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Work First New Jersey Program (WFNJ), while the Commissioner of Health is responsible for implementing the provisions for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The bill also appropriates the necessary funds to the departments to support the provisions of the bill. As used under the bill, "skimming" means the illegal installation of devices on point-of-sale or automatic teller machine terminals to capture a cardholder's personal identification number and other data stored on the magnetic strip of the electronic benefits transfer card; and "card cloning" means making an unauthorized copy of an electronic benefits transfer card. Under the bill, each commissioner is to provide information to program recipients regarding the: risks of card skimming, card cloning, and similar fraudulent methods; precautions a recipient can take to avoid falling victim to fraudulent methods; claims process, established under the bill, through which a recipient can have stolen benefits replaced; and process by which a recipient can report stolen to the appropriate department or to local law enforcement agencies. This information is to be distributed to recipients, at a minimum, at the point of enrollment and recertification in the program and with the issuance of the recipient's electronic benefits transfer card. Each commissioner is also required to post the information on the department's website and at eligibility determining offices. The bill mandates the commissioners to establish a claims process, that mirrors the provisions of federal law regarding the replacement of stolen SNAP benefits, by which a recipient's stolen program benefits can be replaced by either federal or State funds, subject to availability. The bill also directs the commissioners to coordinate with vendors to implement available precautions to reduce the vulnerability of electronic benefits transfer cards to theft, such as the inclusion of an embedded microchip in all electronic benefits transfer cards Finally, the commissioners are required to report to the Governor and the Legislature, 18 months following the effective date of the bill, and annually thereafter, data regarding stolen and replaced program benefits, as collected under the bill, as well as any other information that demonstrates the departments' efforts to protect recipients from fraud. | In Committee |
| A4028 | Provides certain resources to county prosecutors for enforcement of law regarding failure to pay wages; makes appropriation. | This bill requires the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD), for purposes of supporting the enforcement of the provisions of State wage and hour laws, to provide funds and training to each county prosecutor's office for the investigation and prosecution of the abovementioned laws and worker exploitation. The bill requires the county prosecutor of each county to establish and assign an assistant prosecutor to the investigation and prosecution of violations of the State wage and hour laws. The bill makes an appropriation from the General Fund to the DOLWD, not to exceed $2,000,000, for purposes of effectuating the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| A3774 | Establishes five-year conception to cradle pilot program in DOE. | This bill establishes a five-year Conception to Cradle Pilot Program in the Department of Education (DOE). The objective of the pilot program is to facilitate partnerships between public schools, community-based nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, health and social services providers, public and private universities, and State and local governmental agencies to: (1) provide an integrated focus on early childhood development, health and social services, educational counseling, and community development; (2) offer prenatal and pediatric health and nutritional care to infants and toddlers from birth to age three; and (3) actively engage families and foster collaborative practices based on an individual community's identified need. Under the pilot program, 50 public schools with the worst student performance are to be selected to receive training in providing community school services to infants and toddlers from birth to age three, and would be assigned a site coordinator to assist in the provision of services. The bill stipulates that no later than six months following the bill's effective date, the Commissioner of Education (commissioner) is to survey every school district in the State to assess the extent to which public schools in the district can provide community school services to infants and toddlers from birth to age three. The survey is to: (1) identify public schools with the worst student performance in the district that have an interest in providing community school services; (2) list the entities with which a school can enter into a partnership for the provision of services; and (3) detail services that are to be provided through the community school services program. Under the bill, the commissioner would issue a request for proposals to identify a nonprofit organization located in the State to manage the pilot program. The selected organization would be responsible for providing technical assistance to the public schools participating in the pilot program, and may enter into an agreement with another nonprofit entity to assist it in carrying out its responsibilities as outlined in the bill. The organization, in coordination with the DOE, would develop an application procedure and specific criteria for selecting the 50 public schools to participate in the program and receive direct support from a site coordinator. The selection criteria would be posted on the DOE's website at least 20 days prior to the beginning of the application period. In selecting the 50 public schools to participate in the pilot program, priority is to be given to a school that: has the worst student performance in its school district as determined by standard assessment measures; and serves low-income and under-resourced communities. The organization would employ and train individuals who would be assigned to serve as a site coordinator in a public school selected to participate in the pilot program. Those selected to be site coordinators would be required to be employees of the organization, and not the school they are assigned. The commissioner would annually enter into a contract with an independent entity to perform an audit of the organization's accounts and financial transactions. The audits, which must be completed no later than five months following the organization's fiscal year, would be posted on the DOE's website. The bill also requires that the commissioner enter into a contract with an independent entity to conduct an evaluation of the pilot program. The final report, which the commissioner would forward to the Governor and the Legislature, would be due no later than six months prior to the conclusion of the pilot program. The bill also establishes in the DOE a nonlapsing fund known as the Conception to Cradle Pilot Program Fund. The fund is to consist of any funds that are appropriated by the Legislature for inclusion in the fund, investment earnings of the fund, and moneys contributed to the fund by private sources. | In Committee |
| AJR150 | Designates July of each year as "Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month" in NJ. | This resolution designates July of each year as "Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month" in New Jersey. Cleft lip and palate, together commonly called orofacial clefts, are birth defects that occur when a baby's lip or mouth do not form properly during pregnancy. A cleft lip occurs when the tissue that makes up the lip does not join completely before birth and results in an opening in the upper lip. The opening in the lip can be a small slit or it can be a large opening that goes through the lip into the nose. A cleft palate occurs when the tissue that makes up the roof of the mouth does not join together completely during pregnancy. Some babies are born with both the front and back parts of the palate open while others only part of the palate is open. Children with a cleft lip with or without a cleft palate or a cleft palate alone often have problems with feeding and speaking clearly and are prone to have ear infections, hearing problems, and problems with their teeth. About one in every 1,700 babies is born with cleft palate in the United States. The causes of orofacial clefts among most infants are unknown and ongoing research is being conducted at the national level to better understand the root causes. Cleft lip and palate affects people worldwide, impacting speech, eating, and overall quality of life. Raising awareness about cleft palate is essential to foster understanding, compassion, and support for New Jersey residents and families affected by this condition, as well as to encourage medical research aimed at identifying the root cause of the orofacial disorder. | In Committee |
| A3650 | Establishes minimum Medicaid reimbursement rate of $200 for basic life support emergency ambulance transportation services. | This bill establishes a minimum Medicaid reimbursement rate of $200 for basic life support emergency ambulance transportation services, an increase of $142 from the State's existing rate of $58 per transport. In doing so, the sponsor aims to ensure that emergency ambulance transportation providers, which deliver integral medical services for those with unplanned urgent and life-threatening health conditions, are given the financial support necessary to serve the community. Currently, New Jersey has the lowest Medicaid reimbursement rate for basic life support emergency ambulance transportation services in the region. Surrounding states' rates range from $65.27 in Delaware to $293.90 in Connecticut. Moreover, pending legislation in Pennsylvania would increase that state's rate to $325 per transport, which would be the highest rate in the region. | In Committee |
| A3683 | 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 |
| A3578 | Requires swimming pools to offer deep water swimming tests to children 12 years of age and younger upon request. | This bill requires a swimming pool in the State to offer deep water swimming tests to any patron 12 years of age or younger, upon the request of the patron or the patron's guardian. Until such a patron has successfully completed a deep water swimming test, the patron is to be required to be accompanied by an adult, within arm's length of the patron, while swimming in the pool; except that a patron who is a member of the pool's swim team, if applicable, is to be exempt from the provisions of the bill. Confirmation of the availability of such deep water swimming tests is to be included in an inspection of the pool by a health authority and within the Checklist for Public Recreational Bathing Facilities developed by the Department of Health. For the purposes of the bill, "deep water swimming test" means a swimming skill assessment, conducted by a lifeguard employed by the swimming pool, to determine a swimmer's ability to enter water that is deeper than the swimmer's chest. At a minimum, in order to pass the deep water swimming test, the patron must be able to swim 50 meters, or two laps of the swimming pool, and tread water for 30 seconds. | In Committee |
| AR103 | Urges US Congress to study food deserts and feasibility of addressing issue at federal level. | This resolution respectfully urges Congress to study food deserts and the feasibility of addressing the issue at the federal level. Food deserts are geographic areas where residents have few to no convenient options for obtaining affordable and healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Disproportionately found in high poverty areas, food deserts make it more difficult for kids, families, and communities to obtain and maintain healthy eating habits. Food deserts are most common in areas with smaller populations, higher rates of abandoned or vacant homes, and residents who have lower levels of education, lower incomes, and higher rates of unemployment. There is no single cause of food deserts but there are contributing factors that cause them, such as: transportation challenges, unhealthy convenience food accessibility, and high cost of healthy foods. More than 1.3 million New Jerseyans live in food deserts where regular access to healthy food is hindered by factors including the absence of supermarkets, poor public transit, low internet use, and high poverty rates. Current State policies and programs are not enough to fully address the food desert problem in New Jersey. Continued food desert research at the federal level is necessary to develop feasible and actionable policy that will address the issue at the State level. Supplementing and expanding existing federal level food desert research, such as the "United States Department of Agricultures "Food Access Research Atlas" and "Food Desert Locator", through the incorporation ongoing research will allow for continual new data that will help inform innovative approaches to solving the food desert crisis across the country and in the State. A study to determine the feasibility of addressing food deserts at the federal level should be conducted by Congress as it will help guide future state level food desert research by providing a framework on whether future actionable policy should focus on micro or macro level interventions. | In Committee |
| A3542 | Requires at least one drive-up ballot drop box in each county; requires certain information to be posted at ballot drop boxes and locations. | This bill requires the county board of elections in each county to establish at least one drive-up ballot drop box in the county and to post certain information at ballot drop boxes and locations. Under current law, each county board of elections is required to establish at least 10 ballot drop boxes at locations throughout the county following several criteria. Under this bill, at least one of those locations would be required to be a "drive-up ballot drop box," defined as a ballot drop box and location designed and evaluated to possess accessible features including, but not limited to, sufficient vehicle turning radius adjacent to the driver side, curb cuts, availability of handicap parking, and an unimpeded path to the ballot drop box from handicap parking. The bill requires the drive-up ballot drop box to be easy to locate and readily visible by voters with adequate lighting and a clear line of sight from the street and parking area. The bill would also require certain information to be posted at ballot drop boxes and drop box locations. Under the bill, all ballot drop boxes would be marked as an "Official Ballot Drop Box." In addition, in a uniform manner prescribed by the Secretary of State, the following information would be posted at drop boxes and drop box locations in all languages required under the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 and under current law for the county: the penalties for drop box tampering; a-toll free voter hotline; a statement indicating that no postage is necessary for depositing the ballot into the drop box; a statement indicating that the drop box is for mail-in ballots only for that county; and a statement informing the public of the applicable deadline for accepting ballots at the drop box. Finally, the bill directs the Secretary of State and county boards of elections to include guidelines for county boards of elections to follow to establish an electioneering boundary of 100 feet around each ballot drop box in compliance with current law. The bill requires the posting of signs and information to notify the public of the prohibited electioneering activities within the boundary of the ballot drop box. | In Committee |
| AJR113 | Designates November of each year as "Transgender Awareness Month." | This joint resolution designates November of each year as "Transgender Awareness Month" in the State of New Jersey, and respectfully calls on the Governor to annually issue a proclamation calling on public officials and citizens of this State to observe "Transgender Awareness Month" with appropriate activities and programs. Transgender individuals, who are people whose gender identity, expression, or behavior is different from those typically associated with the individual's assigned sex at birth, face considerable challenges in society, including discrimination, harassment, physical abuse, and social isolation. In the face of a sharp increase in anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation being introduced nationwide, with numerous bills seeking to limit access to health care, housing, education, and free expression for transgender individuals and transgender youth in particular, the Legislature finds it fitting and appropriate to increase awareness and understanding of the prejudice, discrimination, and violence that transgender persons face, as well as to recognize the beauty, strength, and resilience of the transgender community and the myriad contributions transgender individuals make to the life, culture, and social fabric of the United States. | In Committee |
| A2058 | Directs the suspension, by operation of law, of certain offenders' child support obligations. | This bill requires the suspension, by operation of law, of certain offenders' child support obligations. Under the bill, unless otherwise provided in a court order or judgment, the obligation to pay current and past due child support, and the judicial enforcement of the obligation, is to be automatically suspended by operation of law for any period exceeding 180 consecutive days in which the person ordered to pay support is incarcerated or placed in detention. This suspension applies to all child support orders monitored by the State IV-D agency or Probation Division, and child support orders for which the State has jurisdiction to modify the order. A suspension under the bill would not affect any existing arrearages that accrued prior to the date of the suspension; the arrearages would remain due and would be subject only to the administrative enforcement remedies provided by law. The bill requires the Child Support Program to provide at least one notice to both parties at their last known addresses when the obligation is automatically suspended. The notice is required to include information regarding the date of the suspension and the date the obligation or arrears repayment is expected to be reinstated. The notice also is to include information on the right of a custodial parent to reinstate payment by the obligor if that person is found to have the ability to pay. Either party is authorized to file a motion or application with the court seeking payment or judicial enforcement of an obligation suspended automatically under the bill if the person ordered to pay support has the ability to pay while incarcerated or placed in detention. Cases eligible for relief under the bill may be reviewed by the court to ascertain the obligor's ability to pay and determine whether to suspend or continue the obligation for the period of incarceration or detention exceeding 180 days. The bill requires the obligation to pay child support and judicial enforcement of the obligation to automatically resume 90 days following the release of the obligor from incarceration. The Department of Human Services Child Support Program, in consultation with the Probation Division of the Administrative Office of the Courts, is required to develop forms to implement the provisions of the bill. In addition to other notice requirements to be provided to an incarcerated person by the Department of Corrections during intake, the DOC also is required under the bill to inform the defendant that every order for child support is to be suspended, by operation of law, for any period exceeding 180 consecutive days in which obligor is incarcerated unless otherwise provided in a court order or judgment. Finally, the bill requires the Juvenile Justice Commission, in addition to any other information to be provided during the intake process for a juvenile adjudicated delinquent and placed in detention, to advise the juvenile of any child support orders and judgments entered against them, provide information on how to petition the court for a temporary modification of the financial obligations, and inform the juvenile that every order for child support is to be suspended, by operation of law, for any period exceeding 180 consecutive days in which the obligor is in detention unless otherwise provided in a court order or judgment. The Administrative Office of the Courts is required to provide sample forms and instructions on how to file an application to modify child support to the Juvenile Justice Commission for self-represented litigants. | In Committee |
| A668 | Requires Commissioner of Education to develop educational fact sheet on water safety for public and nonpublic schools. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Education in consultation with water safety organizations such as the American Red Cross, the New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance, or other similar organizations to develop an educational fact sheet on water safety for public and nonpublic schools. The commissioner would also be required to utilize any resources produced by water safety organizations in creating the fact sheet. The fact sheet would include information on: · how parents and guardians can reduce their child's risk of injury or drowning while in, on, and around bodies of water;· the important role water safety education courses and swimming lessons play in saving lives; and· locations in each county of the State where age-appropriate water safety courses and swimming lessons are offered, including courses and lessons that are offered for free or at reduced prices. A school district would distribute the fact sheet to parents and guardians who initially enroll their child in school in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Education. The Commissioner of Education would also be required to make the educational fact sheet available to nonpublic schools which would be encouraged, but not required, to distribute the fact sheet to parents and guardians who initially enroll their child in the school. | In Committee |
| A2216 | Requires certain information to increase public awareness and use of voting by mail; requires certain mail-in ballots received by county board within 48 hours be considered valid; requires certain mail-in ballots to be retained. | This bill requires certain information to increase public awareness and use of voting by mail, requires certain mail-in ballots received by county board within 48 hours be considered valid, and requires certain mail-in ballots to be retained. Under current law, county boards of elections are required to retain voted mail-in ballots for a period of two years. This bill clarifies that ballots that are received 48 hours after the closing of the polls, along with their envelopes, are also required to be retained for two years. The bill would also require that every mail-in ballot that does not bear a postmark date but that is received by the county board by delivery of the United States Postal Service within 48 hours after the time of the closing of the polls for the election for which the ballot was prepared is to be considered valid and canvassed. Under the bill, the Secretary of State is required to: (1) prepare informational posters for use at all polling places that promote voting by mail, (2) include with mail-in ballots information for the voter on how to check the status of the voter's mail-in ballot, and (3) provide educational materials to county board of elections employees on the standards for acceptance and rejection of mail-in ballots. Under the bill, the educational materials prepared by the Secretary of State would serve an educational purpose for the county board and would not replace, supersede, or void the authority of the county board or a judge of the Superior Court to accept or reject a mail-in ballot. This bill also prohibits the rejection of a mail-in ballot due to missing or insufficient glue on an outer or inner envelope. | In Committee |
| A2217 | Prohibits membership club from limiting sale of motor fuel to members of club. | This bill prohibits a membership club operating as a retail dealer for the sale of motor fuel from limiting the sale of motor fuel to members of the club. The bill provides that it is in the public interest for gasoline stations to service all individuals, whether or not the individuals are members of a club that operates the gasoline station. | In Committee |
| A2218 | Creates first degree crime of home invasion, makes crime subject to No Early Release Act, and upgrades burglary of residence to second degree crime under certain circumstances. | This bill creates the first degree crime of home invasion and makes this crime subject to the No Early Release Act. In addition, the bill upgrades burglary of a residence to a second degree crime under certain circumstances. Specifically, under the provisions of the bill, a person commits the crime of home invasion if he or she enters a person's residence with the intent to commit a robbery, a first or second degree crime, or certain kidnapping and sexual crimes or offenses when another person or persons are present and the actor: 1) uses force or inflicts bodily injury on a person in the residence; 2) threatens a person in the residence with, or purposely or knowingly, puts the person in fear of immediate bodily injury; 3) commits, attempts to commit, or threatens to commit any first or second degree crime or certain kidnapping and sexual crimes and offenses; or 4) is armed with or threatens the use of a deadly weapon or explosive. The bill requires a mandatory term of imprisonment of between 10 years and 30 years for the crime of home invasion. Additionally, the convicted offender would be required to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed, without possibility of parole, since the bill includes the crime of home invasion under the No Early Release Act. A convicted offender also could be subject to a fine of up to $200,000 (the ordinary fine amount applicable to first degree crimes). As to burglary, this crime is upgraded to a second degree crime if a person enters a residence when a resident or any other person, other than a person acting in concert with the actor, is present in the home. The bill provides that knowledge that another person was in the home would not be an element of this upgraded crime, and it would not be a defense that the offender was unaware that another person was present in the home when they entered the residence. The upgraded crime would be punishable by a term of imprisonment between five to 10 years, a fine up to $150,000, or both. Under current law, burglary is only a crime of the second degree if the defendant inflicted, attempted to inflict, or threatened bodily injury or was armed during the course of the offense. In all other circumstances, burglary is a crime of the third degree (ordinarily punishable by a term of imprisonment of between three to five years, a fine not up to $15,000, or both). | In Committee |
| A2219 | Prohibits NJTA from passing credit card processing fees to toll payers. | This bill prohibits the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) from charging toll payers or New Jersey E-ZPass account holders for any fees associated with the processing of credit card transactions or other similar electronic transactions. The bill codifies an existing practice of the NJTA. | In Committee |
| A2486 | Establishes Office of New Americans in Department of Human Services. | This bill establishes the Office of New Americans in the New Jersey Department of Human Services. This bill codifies the existing Office of New Americans established in 2019 pursuant to Executive Order 74 of 2019. The commissioner will appoint the director, and the director will be the administrator and head of the office. The bill requires the office to be a centralized location for expertise and data on New Americans and to engage in programs, initiatives, and policies focused on successful integration for immigrants, refugees, and their children. The office will also provide technical assistance and training to other offices and departments in the Executive Branch on issues pertaining to effective and equitable engagement with New Americans. The bill also requires the Department of Human Services, through the Office of New Americans, to: administer services for New Americans; engage directly with immigrant and refugee communities and service providers to understand and address their concerns and the obstacles they face in accessing services and resources; and support and advise State departments and agencies, as well as other organizations, on community engagement and outreach to promote best practices and improve the accessibility of State programs and information by New Americans. Additionally, the bill requires the office to use data for informing the State's efforts only as authorized under State and federal law to advance integration for immigrants. The office will not use or share data for the use of civil immigration enforcement. | In Committee |
| A1810 | Prohibits sale of flavored cigarettes, non-premium cigars, and oral nicotine pouches. | This bill extends the current ban on the sale of flavored cigarettes to include menthol cigarettes, which were exempted from the flavored cigarette ban when it was first enacted in 2008. The bill also bans flavored oral nicotine pouches and non-premium cigars, as those terms are defined in the bill. The bill additionally makes the prohibitions and the 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 an oral nicotine pouch, a non-premium cigar, or a cigarette, or any component part thereof, which contains a natural or artificial constituent or additive that causes the oral nicotine pouch, non-premium cigar, or cigarette, or any smoke emanating from the cigarette or non-premium cigar, to have a characterizing flavor other than tobacco. In no event is an oral nicotine pouch, a non-premium cigar, or 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 flavored cigarette bill 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, upon the recommendation of the municipality in which the violation occurred, following a hearing by the municipality, the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury may suspend or, after a second or subsequent violation, revoke the retailer's tobacco retailer license. 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 |
| A1621 | Requires public schools, and nonpublic schools which receive federal funding, to provide students with information on rights afforded under Title IX, and provide contact information for Title IX coordinator. | This bill requires each public school, and each nonpublic school which receives federal funds and is subject to the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. s.1681 et seq.), to post on its website in an easily accessible location the following information:· the rights afforded to a student and the responsibilities of the school under Title IX; · the name and contact information of the Title IX coordinator for the school, including the Title IX coordinator's phone number and e-mail address; and· the procedure to file a complaint under Title IX. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Education to annually disseminate through electronic means a letter to each public school, and to each nonpublic school which receives federal funds and is subject to the requirements of Title IX, informing the school of the rights afforded to a student and the responsibilities of the school under Title IX. | In Committee |
| A925 | 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 |
| A1880 | 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 |
| A1830 | Establishes "Voting Improvement Task Force." | This bill establishes in, but not of, the Department of State a task force to be known as the "Voting Improvement Task Force." The task force would consist of nine members: (1) the Secretary of State, ex officio, or the secretary's designee; (2) five county election officials to be appointed, one each, by the Governor, Senate President, Senate Minority Leader, Speaker of the General Assembly, and the Assembly Minority Leader with no two appointees coming from the same county; and (3) three members of the public with experience in vote-by-mail processing or election reform advocacy to be appointed, one each, by the Governor, Senate President, and Speaker of the General Assembly. The bill directs the task force to: (1) evaluate the vote-by-mail process in the State; (2) examine ways to process and count vote-by-mail and provisional ballots more quickly in the State; (3) explore the feasibility of implementing ranked-choice voting in the State; and (4) research additional methods of expanding and improving voting by mail in the State. The task force is required to hold at least three public hearings, one each in the Northern, Central, and Southern parts of the State, to receive testimony from the public and elections experts on matters concerning voting by mail. The bill directs the task force to report its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later than one year following its first meeting. The task force would expire upon the submission of its report. | In Committee |
| A1636 | Establishes grant program for constructing kitchen facilities in licensed child care centers; appropriates $1,000,000. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Children and Families to establish a program to provide grants to licensed child care centers for the design and construction of kitchen facilities and to assist the centers in educating children about good nutrition and encouraging healthy eating habits. The commissioner would administer the program. Under the provisions of the bill, a child care center electing to participate in the program is to submit to the commissioner a grant application that meets specific criteria outlined in the bill. Upon review of the application and subject to the availability of funds, the commissioner would award grants to approved applicants. The commissioner, to the maximum extent practicable, would equitably distribute grant awards to successful applicants in the northern, central, and southern regions of the State, including child care centers in urban, suburban, and rural areas of the State. Finally, the bill appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Children and Families to implement the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| A944 | 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 |
| A2490 | 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 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 |
| A1143 | Establishes annual cost of living adjustment based on Consumer Price Index for programs providing mental health, substance use treatment, or services to persons with developmental disabilities. | This bill stipulates that on or after the effective date of the bill, the terms of a contract entered into between the Divisions of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Human Services (DHS) and a program providing mental health services, substance use treatment services, or services to persons with developmental disabilities 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 the DHS would be required to announce the rate of the increase on October 1 of each year. As used in the bill, a program providing mental health services, substance use treatment services, or services to persons with developmental disabilities shall include State programs partially funded or fully funded by Medicaid and licensed or approved by the Commissioner of Human Services or other appropriate State licensing agencies. | In Committee |
| A602 | Establishes "New Jersey Reparations Task Force." | This bill establishes the "New Jersey Reparations Task Force" to study and develop reparations proposals for African-Americans in this State. The task force would consist of 11 members, comprised of four legislators and seven public members. Three members would be appointed by the Governor and eight members would be appointed by the Legislative leadership. At a minimum, four of the public members would be appointed from persons recommended by organizations concerned with the issues of civil rights, human rights, racial, social and economic justice and equality, reparations and other issues concerning the African-American community. The members of the task force will appoint a chair and a vice chair of the task force. The members of the task force would not be compensated but may be reimbursed for expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties. This bill, among other things, requires the task force to: (1) examine the institution of slavery within the State of New Jersey; (2) examine the extent to which the State of New Jersey and the federal government prevented, opposed, or restricted efforts of former enslaved persons and their descendants who are considered United States' citizens to economically thrive upon the ending of slavery; (3) examine the lingering negative effects of slavery on living African-Americans and on society in New Jersey and the United States; (4) research methods and materials for facilitating education, community dialogue, symbolic acknowledgement, and other formal actions leading toward transformation, reparations remedies, a sense of justice, and economic justice among the descendants of enslaved African people in this State; (5) make recommendations for what remedies should be awarded, through what instrumentalities, and to whom those remedies should be awarded; and (6) address how said recommendations comport with national and international standards of remedy for wrongs and injuries caused by the State. The task force will hold at least six public meetings in different parts of the State, including Camden, Paterson, Newark, New Brunswick, Atlantic City, and Trenton. The Governor will call the first meeting of the task force to occur on or before the first day of the third month after enactment. The task force will issue an interim report of its progress to the Governor and the Legislature no later than 12 months following the initial meeting. The task force will submit its final report and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later than 24 months following the initial meeting. The task force will expire upon issuance of its final report. | In Committee |
| A2143 | Eliminates smoking ban exemption for casinos and simulcasting facilities. | This bill amends the "New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act," P.L.2005, c.383 (C.26:3D-55 et seq.), to prohibit smoking in casinos and casino simulcasting facilities. Current law prohibits smoking in most indoor public places and workplaces, with certain exceptions, including indoor public places and workplaces which are within the perimeter of casinos and casino simulcasting facilities and accessible to the public for wagering. This bill would eliminate these exceptions from the smoking ban. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that casino workers are at greater risk for lung and heart disease because of secondhand smoke, and a study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that the air in casinos can have up to 50 times more cancer-causing particles than the air on rush-hour highways. This bill would protect all workers in New Jersey from the hazards of second hand smoke by requiring that casinos and casino simulcasting facilities be smoke-free workplaces. | In Committee |
| A1418 | Establishes standards for food date labeling; requires Commissioner of Health to establish public education program and promulgate guidelines related to food safety. | This bill would establish standards for food date labeling and require the Department of Health to establish a public education program and guidelines related to food safety. Under the bill, a manufacturer may use food date labeling, but is required, if food date labels are used, to follow the labeling standards provided in the bill. A food date label may indicate either: (1) a "quality date" to indicate the date after which the quality of food may begin to deteriorate, but is still acceptable for consumption; or (2) an "elevated-risk date" to indicate the date, established by the manufacturer, after which there is a high level of risk associated with the consumption of a "time/temperature control for safety food." The bill defines a "time/temperature control for safety food" as a food that requires time/temperature control for safety, in accordance with the 2013 United States Food and Drug Administration Food Code, to limit pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation. Quality dates would be displayed with the uniform phrase "BEST if Used By" and elevated-risk dates would be displayed with the uniform phrase "USE By." Under the bill, a retail food facility would not be liable for a manufacturer's failure to properly label food in accordance with the bill. Nothing in the bill would prohibit the sale, donation, or use of food after the food's quality date has passed. However, a retail food facility would be prohibited from selling or donating food after its elevated-risk date. A retailer would also be prohibited from selling food labeled with a "sell-by" date, or any date that is intended to communicate primarily to a distributor or retailer for purposes of stock rotation and that is not a quality date or an elevated-risk date, unless the date is in a coded format not easily readable by consumers. The bill would also change the labeling requirements that must be used for fluid milk products from "sell by" or "not to be sold after" to a quality date label as described above. Alcoholic beverages would be exempt from the bill's provisions. The bill allows the Department of Health to designate additional foods as time/temperature control for safety foods, or exempt foods from the designation. The department would post this information on its Internet website. The bill would also require the establishment of a public education program, which would include a public information campaign about the meaning of date labels, and educating consumers on how to handle food properly and when it can safely be consumed. | In Committee |
| A197 | Provides gross income tax deduction for amounts paid to taxpayers for sale of certain real property interests for conservation purposes. | This bill provides for a gross income tax deduction for amounts paid to taxpayers in exchange for their sale of certain real property interests for conservation purposes. The New Jersey gross income tax provides a deduction for a charitable, qualified conservation contribution of real property interests for land preservation purposes modeled on the similar federal income tax deduction which covers full land interest sales and restricted land use easements. But land interest sales in New Jersey to various conservation programs for which a purchase price is paid to the New Jersey taxpayer can result in taxable gains for those New Jersey sellers who need to garner some investment income from these sales. To allow a deduction for these transfers with preservation or conservation restrictions on the real estate can prevent developers from buying up environmentally valuable land in this State and benefit both the taxpayer and the residents of the State at large. The bill will allow the deductions for both parts of some mixed transfers referred to as bargain sales in which there is both a charitable donation aspect and a cash purchase payment for less than the land's fair market value (FMV). The donation value is the difference between the FMV and the cash payment. In a bargain sale, a real estate owner is both a seller (for the cash portion) and a donor (for the donated portion) of the real estate interest. The bill will also allow a deduction for full market value sales to conservation organization which include certain governmental programs and non-profit run preservation programs. These programs will include but not be limited to those run by a governmental unit, charitable trust, foundation or charitable non-profit organization that participates in a Green Acres program, Blue Acres program, farmland preservation program, historic preservation program, the Highlands Transfer Development Rights Program, a park or forestry or an open space and recreation space preservation or conservation program or a wildlife, hunting or fishing conservation and restoration program. | In Committee |
| A1421 | "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 certain 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 require, beginning one year after the bill's effective date, a manufacturer of a product for sale in the State that contains intentionally added PFAS to submit to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) a written notification that includes: (1) a brief description of the product; (2) the purpose for which PFAS are used in the product, including in any product components; (3) the amount of each of the PFAS, identified by its chemical abstracts service registry number, in the product, reported as an exact quantity determined using commercially available analytical methods or as falling within a range approved for reporting purposes by the DEP; (4) the name and address of the manufacturer; (5) the name, address, email address, and phone number of a contact person for the manufacturer; and (6) any additional information determined by the DEP to be necessary. A manufacturer would be able to submit the notification information to the DEP for a category of products that are substantially similar, as determined by the DEP, rather than for each individual product. Upon submission of the required notification information, a manufacturer would also be required to pay the $1,000 fee to the DEP imposed pursuant to section 5 of the bill. Beginning two years after the bill's effective date, a manufacturer that has failed to provide the DEP with the required notification information or pay the required fee would be prohibited from selling, offering for sale, or distributing for sale in the State a product containing intentionally added PFAS. If the DEP has reason to believe that a product containing intentionally added PFAS is being offered for sale or distribution in the State in violation of section 6 of the bill, the DEP would be required to direct the manufacturer of the product to, within 30 days: (1) certify, in writing, to the DEP that the product does not contain intentionally added PFAS; or (2) notify persons who sell that product in this State that the sale of that product is prohibited in the State and provide the DEP with a list of the names and addresses of those notified. A retailer would not be prohibited from selling a product containing intentionally added PFAS unless the retailer sells, offers for sale, or distributes for sale a product for which the retailer has received notification from the product's manufacturer or the DEP that sale of the product is prohibited. The bill would also 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. Section 15 of the bill establishes penalties for violations of the bill's provisions, or any rules or regulations adopted pursuant thereto, and for any manufacturer who knowingly makes a false certification to the DEP pursuant to section 7 of the bill or violates the provisions of subsection d. of section 11 of the bill by making a false claim on the product label or Internet website for a cookware product. The bill also includes provisions that would allow products containing a trace amount of PFAS to continue to be sold, distributed, and manufactured within the State without the product being in violation of the bill's provisions as long as the trace amount stems from impurities of natural or synthetic ingredients or the manufacturing process, storage, or migration from packaging of the product. The bill's intent is to prohibit the intentional addition of PFAS into these products. 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. The bill would require the product label to include a statement, in both English and Spanish, which reads: "This product contains PFAS," and the statement would be required to be placed on the label in a manner that is visible and legible to the consumer. The statement would be required to be included on the cookware product's product listing on the manufacturer's Internet website as well. Beginning two years after the bill's effective date, a manufacturer would be prohibited from making a claim, on the product label or Internet website for the cookware product, that the cookware is free of PFAS if PFAS was intentionally added to the cookware. Certain cookware products that meet the requirements in subsection e. of section 11 of the bill would be exempt from the labeling requirements of the bill. 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. A violation of this provision would be an unlawful practice pursuant to P.L.1960, c.39 (C.56:8-1 et seq.), commonly known as the State's "Consumer Fraud Act." As provided by section 1 of P.L.1966, c.39 (C.56:8-13), an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud Act is 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, a violation can 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. 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. In determining which additional products containing PFAS should be prohibited for sale or distribution within the State, the DEP would be required to prioritize the prohibition of the sale of product categories or uses that, in the DEP's judgment, pose the greatest risk to public health or are most likely to cause contamination of the State's air, land, or water resources 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. Each year, the DEP may audit, or cause to be audited, a random sample of manufacturers in order to determine compliance. Manufacturers are required to cooperate fully with any audit or investigation conducted, and the DEP may require a manufacturer to pay the costs of an audit conducted. 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, at a minimum: (1) informational resources targeted to industrial and commercial users of PFAS; (2) education of the general public concerning PFAS and its environmental and health impacts; (3) to the extent funds are available, grants to operators of publicly owned treatment works for the purposes of developing, expanding, or implementing pretreatment standards for PFAS and education of users on sources of PFAS and proper management; (4) to the extent funds are available, grants to municipalities for the purposes of educating solid waste disposal users on sources of PFAS and its proper management; and (5) any other information and efforts that are determined by the DEP to be beneficial in reducing the presence and impact of PFAS in the State. The DEP would be required to submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature, no later than two years after the bill's effective date, and annually thereafter for 10 years, on the effectiveness of the program in reducing PFAS discharges to air, water, and soil within the State, and educating industrial and commercial users of PFAS and residents of the State on PFAS and its proper management. 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 purpose of the DEP's research would be to gain knowledge surrounding the subject of PFAS, provide insight into the proper management and mitigation of PFAS within the State, and to protect the environment from the adverse impacts of PFAS. The DEP's research would be required to include, at a minimum: (1) the collection of soil samples from throughout the State for monitoring and testing for PFAS; (2) the collection of water samples from throughout the State for monitoring and testing for PFAS; (3) the collection of air samples from throughout the State for monitoring and testing for PFAS; (4) the collection of fish, plant, and animal samples from throughout the State for monitoring and testing for PFAS; (5) the comparison of PFAS samples gathered across the State in an effort to measure levels of PFAS contamination and also determine if there are any hotspots of PFAS contamination in the State; (6) research concerning the impact of PFAS on the State's air, water, and soil quality and ways to mitigate the negative impacts of PFAS; (7) data collection of research findings and mitigation efforts concerning PFAS in other States and countries; and (8) any other data collection and research that the department deems necessary to improve the current foundation of knowledge on the subject of PFAS. 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. The bill would appropriate from the General Fund to the DEP the sum of $5 million 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. Any proprietary information or trade secrets included in any written notification, certification, or any other record submitted to the DEP pursuant to this bill is 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. Finally, the bill authorizes the DEP to adopt rules or regulations necessary to implement the provisions of the bill. PFAS are man-made chemical compounds that have multiple fluorine atoms bonded to a chain of carbon atoms. Since the 1930s, PFAS have been widely used in countless consumer products because they repel oil, water, and grease. There are over 12,000 different types of PFAS, and new types are invented on a nearly daily basis. PFAS are commonly found in products such as polishes, waxes, paints, cleaning products, cookware, cosmetics, carpet treatments, fire extinguishing foam, dental floss, shampoos, waterproof clothing, food packaging, and even microwave popcorn. As a result, the presence of PFAS in the environment is widespread, and further exacerbated by multiple sources. The carbon-fluorine bond that forms PFAS is one of the strongest chemical bonds found in nature and does not break down under typical environmental conditions. As a result, PFAS are nicknamed "forever chemicals" because they accumulate, rather than break down, over time. PFAS may enter the environment in the following ways: (1) the disposal of products containing PFAS in landfills, thereby contaminating the surrounding soil, groundwater, and source water; (2) the utilization of PFAS by manufacturing sites, which may result in contamination of the surrounding ground and surface waters; (3) the utilization of sludge byproducts containing PFAS on agricultural land, thereby leading to water and soil contamination; (4) the discharge of PFAS by wastewater treatment plants into source waters that service public drinking water systems; and (5) the contamination of private wells by groundwater containing PFAS. The widespread presence of PFAS in the water, soil, and air, results in the contamination not only of public drinking water systems and wells, but also of the food products humans and animals ingest. Plants, fish, and livestock, are commonly exposed to PFAS-contaminated water or food and are consumed daily by most Americans. Studies have indicated that exposure to PFAS, and the resulting buildup of PFAS in the human body, may be linked to certain harmful health effects in both humans and animals. It is crucial to begin prohibiting the sale and distribution of products containing intentionally added PFAS within the State and to increase transparency with consumers of products that contain PFAS. In addition, there is a need for greater education surrounding PFAS and its impact on the environment and the health of the State's citizens. | In Committee |
| A5920 | Amends Fiscal Year 2026 annual appropriations act to reassign appropriation for Borinqueneer Park from City of Perth Amboy to Borinqueneers Park City Education Alliance. | Amends Fiscal Year 2026 annual appropriations act to reassign appropriation for Borinqueneer Park from City of Perth Amboy to Borinqueneers Park City Education Alliance. | Introduced |
| A5956 | Prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing mask or disguise while interacting with public. | Prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing mask or disguise while interacting with public. | Introduced |
| A4195 | 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. | 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. | Introduced |
| Bill | Bill Name | Motion | Vote Date | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2167 | Requires public and certain nonpublic schools to comply with breakfast and lunch standards adopted by USDA. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S317 | Revises "Athletic Training Licensure Act." | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S1320 | Requires certain information be included in certain contracts with licensed public adjusters. | Assembly Floor: Concur Governor Recommendations | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A775 | "Fairness in Women's Sport Act." | Assembly Floor: Table Motion | 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. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A2090 | Requires solid waste management district to develop strategy to reduce food waste; requires DEP to adopt certain rules and regulations regarding composting facilities. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3099 | Establishes option for students nearing completion of program in chiropractic medicine to participate in preceptorship provided by State-licensed chiropractor. | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Concur Governor Recommendations | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3007 | Increases maximum age for pediatric long-term care facility residents to 26. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 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. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3035 | Prohibits certain vehicles from parking in electric vehicle charging spaces under certain circumstances. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 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. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| 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. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A2998 | Permits court to order counseling for children in households with domestic violence in appropriate cases; establishes presumption of award of custody to domestic violence victim in appropriate cases. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A2390 | Requires municipalities in compliance with affordable housing obligations be provided priority consideration for certain State grants and assistance. | Assembly Floor: Table Motion | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A2390 | Requires municipalities in compliance with affordable housing obligations be provided priority consideration for certain State grants and assistance. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A551 | Permits certain consumers up to five business days to cancel home improvement contracts and up to three days to cancel certain consumer goods contracts. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2335 | Requires school districts to provide instruction on history of Latinos and Hispanics as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3518 | Requires MVC to create digital driver's licenses and digital non-driver identification cards. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| AJR128 | Designates August of each year as "American Artist Appreciation Month" in New Jersey. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3742 | Requires Secretary of Agriculture to establish Farm to School Local Food Procurement Reimbursement Grant Program to reimburse school districts for costs expended in sourcing and procuring local foods for students; appropriates $4,500,000. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2783 | "Travel Insurance Act." | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2788 | Appropriates $128.241 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for farmland preservation purposes. | Assembly Floor: Concur Governor Recommendations | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3802 | Differentiates certain legal services from traditional insurance products. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3974 | Prohibits use of deceptive marketing practices by substance use disorder treatment providers. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3979 | Requires certain providers of substance or alcohol use disorder treatment, services, or supports to be assessed for conflicts of interest prior to receiving State funds, licensure, or certification. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A3973 | Revises law concerning patient referrals to substance use disorder treatment facilities, recovery residences, and clinical laboratories. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S2961 | Establishes minimum qualifications for persons employed on public works contract. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4085 | Allows for natural organic reduction and controlled supervised decomposition of human remains. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3052 | Concerns grade options at public institutions of higher education for service member and dependents unable to complete course due to military obligation. | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4182 | Concerns conditions of employment of certain cannabis workers. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3132 | Imposes certain requirements on secondhand dealers of cellular telephones and wireless communication devices. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4215 | Directs BPU to adopt rules and regulations concerning small modular nuclear reactors; authorizes EDA to incentivize construction and operation of such reactors. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4248 | Requires certain documentation as proof of voter identity to vote; updates procedures for challenging voters regarding proof of identity. | Assembly Floor: Table Motion | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4295 | Establishes New Jersey-India Commission. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4302 | Amends current child labor laws to protect minor working as vlogger in certain circumstances. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 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." | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3309 | Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 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. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4479 | Requires social media platforms to cooperate with nonprofit organization initiatives to remove nonconsensual intimate images or videos. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4521 | Concerns provision of services to defendants on pretrial release. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4544 | Expands eligibility requirements of State's child care assistance program to include full-time graduate and post-graduate students. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 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. | Assembly Floor: Concur Governor Recommendations | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4577 | Requires State departments and Office of Technology to provide reports on proposed technology upgrades. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4636 | Requires that notice concerning gift card fraud be posted by retail mercantile establishments that sell gift cards to consumers. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4643 | Creates penalty for child endangerment via use of social media. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4651 | Establishes penalties for certain conduct related to public brawl and disorderly conduct. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4712 | Establishes Office of Veteran Advocate and ombudsman for DMVA; appropriates funds. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4714 | Broadens riot; enhances penalties for certain crimes committed during riot; creates new crimes of mob intimidation and cyber-intimidation by publication; establishes duty in municipality to permit law enforcement to respond appropriately. | Assembly Floor: Table Motion | 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. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4818 | Reduces and clarifies requirements for municipal tourist development commission disbursements for advertising. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3618 | Directs DEP and DOT to establish "Wildlife Corridor Action Plan." | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3663 | Establishes reproductive health travel advisory. | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3776 | Establishes Chronic Absenteeism Task Force. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3773 | Concerns requirements to report separations from employment under employee leasing agreements. | Assembly 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. | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A4971 | Requires EDA to provide grants to certain small businesses affected by State infrastructure and construction projects. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5000 | Requires Medicaid coverage for fertility preservation services in cases of iatrogenic infertility caused by medically necessary treatments. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5004 | Creates separate crime for items depicting sexual exploitation or abuse of children; concerns computer generated or manipulated sexually explicit images. | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5077 | Extends statutory pause on collection of student growth objective data. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 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. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3933 | Establishes School Supervisor Mentorship Pilot Program; appropriates $500,000. | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5146 | Removes exception to civil service working test period for political subdivision employees. | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S3992 | Modifies capital reserve funding requirements for certain planned real estate developments. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5213 | Establishes "New Economy Opportunity Skills System Pilot Program" to strengthen alignment and collaboration between local workforce development boards, community colleges, and county vocational school districts; makes appropriation. | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5195 | Requires producer of certain firefighting equipment containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances to provide written notice to purchaser; prohibits sale, manufacture, and distribution of certain firefighting equipment containing intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5267 | Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5260 | Prohibits sale, manufacture, and distribution of certain apparel containing intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4122 | Revises apportionment of State lottery contributions. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5277 | Establishes public awareness campaign and call center for certain property tax relief programs; requires submission of annual report by Stay NJ Task Force. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5278 | Establishes "New Jersey Menopause Coverage Act"; requires health insurance coverage of medically necessary perimenopause and menopause treatments. | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| SJR154 | Directs BPU to investigate PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.'s Reliability Pricing Model; directs State to promote affordable energy practices and to urge PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. to implement certain reforms. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5362 | Prohibits casino licensees from using non-wagering casino games to solicit future gaming. | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5383 | Requires unrestricted Medicaid coverage for ovulation enhancing drugs and medical services related to administering such drugs for certain beneficiaries experiencing infertility. | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5420 | Permits 30-calendar day extension to cure period for certain businesses to address and resolve certain violations. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5421 | Requires development of online tax training for small and micro-businesses. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5422 | Allows businesses to receive information via email concerning new regulations and economic incentives that affect business. | Assembly 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. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| AR180 | Urges DEP, Pinelands Commission, and Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council to engage in alternative forest management practices during periods of drought when prescribed burning is unsafe. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 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. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5462 | Requires electric public utilities to develop and apply special rules for certain data centers to protect non-data center customers from increased costs. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5463 | Requires electric public utilities to submit annual report on voting to BPU. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| S4293 | Requires owner or operator of data center to submit water and energy usage report to BPU. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5517 | Directs BPU to study feasibility of developing advanced reactors Statewide. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5533 | Establishes requirements for receipt and purchase of scrap metals containing lithium-ion or propulsion batteries. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5563 | Establishes "Summer Termination Program" for certain utility customers. | Assembly Floor: Third Reading - Final Passage | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| A5563 | Establishes "Summer Termination Program" for certain utility customers. | Assembly Floor: Concur in Senate Amendments | 06/30/2025 | Yea |
| State | District | Chamber | Party | Status | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | New Jersey Assembly District 27 | Assembly | Democrat | In Office | 01/09/2024 |