Legislator
Legislator > Luanne Peterpaul
State Assemblymember
Luanne Peterpaul
(D) - New Jersey
New Jersey Assembly District 11
In Office - Started: 01/09/2024
contact info
Tinton Falls Office
766 Shrewsbury Ave.
First Floor
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
First Floor
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Phone: 732-704-3808
Phone 2: 732-695-3371
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| S4476 | Permits awarding of contracts for certain preschool education services by resolution of board of education; extends maximum length of preschool education services contracts to three years. | This bill exempts certain contracts awarded for preschool education services from public advertising and bidding and permits the contracts to be awarded by a resolution of the board of education. The bill also extends the maximum length of preschool education services contracts to three years. Under current law, certain contracts under the Public School Contracts Law may be awarded by a resolution of the board of education without public advertising and bidding. The bill permits contracts for preschool education services provided by a licensed childcare provider or Head Start program and supported by preschool education aid to be awarded by a resolution of the board of education without public advertising and bidding. The Public School Contracts Law also limits awarded contracts to no more than 24 consecutive months unless otherwise authorized for a longer term. This bill permits contracts for preschool education services provided by a licensed childcare provider or Head Start program and supported by preschool education aid to be awarded for a period not to exceed three years. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| 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. | 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. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A5141 | Establishes historic distillery license; allows consumption of licensee's products on and off licensed premises under certain circumstances. | This bill establishes a historic distillery license to be issued for use in connection with a premises which is included in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. Under the bill, the license holder would be allowed to manufacture any distilled alcoholic beverages and rectify, blend, treat and mix, and fortify, blend, and treat fermented alcoholic beverages. In addition, the license holder would be entitled to sell distilled alcoholic beverages at retail to consumers on the licensed premises of the distillery for consumption on the premises. The license holder also would be entitled to sell this product for consumption off the premises in a quantity of not more than five liters per person. The bill does not establish a limitation on the amount of distilled alcoholic beverages that the holder of this license would be entitled to manufacture. Under current law, the holder of a craft distillery license is limited to annually producing 20,000 gallons or less of distilled alcohol beverages. The license fee would be $1,000. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4113 | Prohibits sports wagering partnerships at public institutions of higher education. | Prohibits sports wagering partnerships at public institutions of higher education. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A5466 | Requires BPU to study effects of data centers on electricity costs. | Requires BPU to study effects of data centers on electricity costs. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4937 | Concerns satellite cannabis dispensaries, Cannabis Regulatory Commission membership, and post-employment restrictions on State employees. | Concerns satellite cannabis dispensaries, Cannabis Regulatory Commission membership, and post-employment restrictions on State employees. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4380 | Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements. | Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements. | In Committee |
| A5004 | Creates separate crime for items depicting sexual exploitation or abuse of children; concerns computer generated or manipulated sexually explicit images. | Creates separate crime for items depicting sexual exploitation or abuse of children; concerns computer generated or manipulated sexually explicit images. | Crossed Over |
| A1675 | Extends membership in TPAF to 10 years after discontinuance of service and to 15 years for those who were laid off or had 10 or more years of continuous service upon voluntary termination. | Extends membership in TPAF to 10 years after discontinuance of service and to 15 years for those who were laid off or had 10 or more years of continuous service upon voluntary termination. | Passed |
| A5217 | Requires third-party discounts and payments for individuals covered by health benefits plans to apply to copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, or other out-of-pocket costs for covered benefits. | Requires third-party discounts and payments for individuals covered by health benefits plans to apply to copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, or other out-of-pocket costs for covered benefits. | Crossed Over |
| A3974 | Prohibits use of deceptive marketing practices by substance use disorder treatment providers. | Prohibits use of deceptive marketing practices by substance use disorder treatment providers. | Passed |
| S1067 | Directs DHS to conduct landscape analysis of available mental health services. | Directs DHS to conduct landscape analysis of available mental health services. | Vetoed |
| A4603 | Allows commercial farmer to be awarded reasonable costs and attorney fees for defending against bad faith complaints under "Right to Farm Act". | This bill would strengthen the legal protections provided to farmers under the "Right to Farm Act." Specifically, the bill would allow farmers to recover reasonable costs and attorney fees incurred in the defense of bad faith complaints against commercial agricultural operations, activities or structures when a county agriculture development board or the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC), as applicable: 1) finds the farmer is entitled to the irrebuttable presumption established under the "Right to Farm Act"; and 2) determines, supported by a preponderance of the evidence, that the complaint was brought in bad faith and all or a portion of the costs and attorney fees are reasonable. Under the "Right to Farm Act," the established irrebuttable presumption is that a commercial agricultural operation, activity or structure or specific operation or practice does not constitute a public or private nuisance, or does not otherwise invade or interfere with the use and enjoyment of any other land or property, if: 1) the commercial agricultural operation, activity or structure conforms to agricultural management practices recommended and adopted by the SADC, or the specific operation or practice of the commercial agricultural operation has been determined to constitute a generally accepted agricultural operation or practice, either by the appropriate county agriculture development board or the SADC, as applicable; and 2) the commercial agricultural operation, activity or structure or specific operation or practice complies with all relevant federal and State statutes and regulations, and does not pose a direct threat to public health and safety. Under the bill, a farmer seeking an award of reasonable costs and attorney fees would submit an application therefor to the county agriculture development board or the SADC as applicable, after being found entitled to the irrebuttable presumption. The county agriculture development board or the SADC would then determine, whether a preponderance of the evidence supports a determination that the complaint was made in bad faith and if the costs and fees, or a portion thereof, are reasonable. If so, the county agriculture development board or the SADC would issue an order for the person filing the complaint to pay the reasonable costs and fees to the farmer. | Passed |
| A5077 | Extends statutory pause on collection of student growth objective data. | An Act concerning educator evaluations and amending P.L.2024, c.14. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4544 | Expands eligibility requirements of State's child care assistance program to include full-time graduate and post-graduate students. | Expands eligibility requirements of State's child care assistance program to include full-time graduate and post-graduate students. | Passed |
| S862 | Requires DOT to provide additional information in annual report on pavement condition; makes report available to public. | Requires DOT to provide additional information in annual report on pavement condition; makes report available to public. | Passed |
| A4521 | Concerns provision of services to defendants on pretrial release. | This bill concerns the provision of services to defendants on pretrial release. While current law provides a variety of services for individuals upon reentering society following their release from incarceration, there are limited supports and services offered to defendants in this State who are charged with certain crimes and who are ordered to be released pending a final resolution of their matter. This bill authorizes counties to appoint a county pretrial release coordinator to evaluate the needs of defendants in the county for whom a complaint-warrant has been issued for an initial charge involving an indictable offense or a disorderly persons offense, and pretrial release has been ordered. The pretrial release coordinator is required to advise each eligible defendant that the services are offered on a voluntary basis and that the defendant is not required to receive the services offered. The pretrial release coordinator is responsible for offering the following assistance to the defendants in accessing services deemed necessary pursuant to the evaluation:· scheduling and otherwise accessing appropriate treatment, services, and programming during the defendant's period of pretrial release; · providing information concerning, and assistance in completing, applications for appropriate State and county public assistance program benefits; · providing information concerning available substance use disorder treatment and services including, but not limited to, medication-assisted treatment;· providing information concerning relevant social services and rehabilitative programs;· providing information concerning services provided by the State's One-Stop Career Centers; · providing information concerning insurance eligibility;· providing information concerning any other treatment, services, and programming deemed appropriate based on the evaluation required pursuant to the bill; and· if appropriate, providing assistance with obtaining a non-driver identification card. In addition, the county pretrial release coordinator is required to consult and coordinate with the county board of social services or welfare agency, as appropriate, when providing information or assistance with respect to a benefit or service administered by the board or welfare agency. The coordinator is required to collect and analyze data related to the services provided; develop peer counseling programs; meet with community stakeholders to establish best practices in providing services to defendants on pretrial release; identify available county services; and make recommendations for the provision of services to defendants during pretrial release. The amounts deemed necessary to support the county pretrial release coordinators are to be annually appropriated. This bill would implement recommendation number 15 of the report of the reconvened Joint Committee on Criminal Justice issued in June 2023. | Crossed Over |
| A4818 | Reduces and clarifies requirements for municipal tourist development commission disbursements for advertising. | This bill modifies and clarifies provisions of law governing municipal tourist development commissions which concern their expenditures for advertising outside of the municipality to attract tourists into the municipality. Under the bill, a tourist development commission would be required to disburse at least 20 percent of its revenues for such advertising. Current law requires a tourist development commission to disburse at least 50 percent of its revenues for such advertising. Additionally, the bill defines the term "advertising outside of the municipality" to clarify that the term applies to advertisements targeted to people who work or reside outside of the municipality, encouraging them to patronize tourist opportunities within the municipality, regardless of whether the advertisement also reaches people working or residing inside the municipality. | Crossed Over |
| 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 |
| 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. | 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. | Crossed Over |
| A5595 | Permits individuals to establish voluntary nonopioid directives. | Permits individuals to establish voluntary nonopioid directives. | Crossed Over |
| 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 |
| A5780 | Permits awarding of contracts for certain preschool education services by resolution of board of education; extends maximum length of preschool education services contracts to three years. | This bill exempts certain contracts awarded for preschool education services from public advertising and bidding and permits the contracts to be awarded by a resolution of the board of education. The bill also extends the maximum length of preschool education services contracts to three years. Under current law, certain contracts under the Public School Contracts Law may be awarded by a resolution of the board of education without public advertising and bidding. The bill permits contracts for preschool education services provided by a licensed childcare provider or Head Start program and supported by preschool education aid to be awarded by a resolution of the board of education without public advertising and bidding. The Public School Contracts Law also limits awarded contracts to no more than 24 consecutive months unless otherwise authorized for a longer term. This bill permits contracts for preschool education services provided by a licensed childcare provider or Head Start program and supported by preschool education aid to be awarded for a period not to exceed three years. | In Committee |
| A5601 | Requires State entities to offer optional service for businesses to receive certain notices electronically. | This bill requires State entities that issue legally required notices to businesses operating in this State to provide an optional service for businesses to receive such notices electronically. Such notices may include notices of violations, underpayment notifications, and employee unemployment claims. Within 60 days of the effective date of this bill, each State entity responsible for issuing legally required notices to businesses is required to notify any business within their purview of the optional electronic notification service. State entities are also required to provide the businesses with the necessary information to opt in to the electronic notification service. This bill defines "State entity" as a State department or agency in the Executive Branch of State Government, and any board, commission, corporation, authority, or instrumentality thereof. | Crossed Over |
| A5278 | Establishes "New Jersey Menopause Coverage Act"; requires health insurance coverage of medically necessary perimenopause and menopause treatments. | Establishes "New Jersey Menopause Coverage Act"; requires health insurance coverage of medically necessary perimenopause and menopause treatments. | Crossed Over |
| A3424 | Establishes certain program requirements for school counselor certification; outlines role and duties of school counselor; requires professional development for school counselors; establishes position of School Counselor Liaison in DOE. | Establishes certain program requirements for school counselor certification; outlines role and duties of school counselor; requires professional development for school counselors; establishes position of School Counselor Liaison in DOE. | Passed |
| A5827 | Modifies certain requirements and award availability under film and digital media content production tax credit program. | Modifies certain requirements and award availability under film and digital media content production tax credit program. | Crossed Over |
| A5848 | Modifies child endangerment statute to include AI technology; establishes criminal penalties. | This bill amends the child endangerment statute, N.J.S.A.2C:24-4, to create a fourth degree crime of knowingly or recklessly causing or allowing a child to be subjected to sexual conduct through the use of automated interactive computer technology. Under current law, endangering the welfare of a child occurs when a person engages in sexual conduct which would impair or debauch the morals of the child. Endangering is a second degree crime when committed by a person with a legal duty to care for the child, and is a third degree crime when committed by other persons. Although the statute does not specify what types of acts constitute sexual conduct which would impair or debauch the morals of the child, it has been well-settled by the courts of this State that the conduct can occur online or over the telephone without actual physical contact, and can include conversations with children that describe sexual activity. See, e.g., State v. Maxwell, 361 N.J. Super. 502 (Law Div. 2001); State v. Johnson, 460 N.J. Super. 481 (Law Div. 2019); State v. McInerney, 428 N.J. Super. 432 (App. Div. 2012). Under the bill, any person who knowingly or recklessly causes, or allows, a child to be subjected to sexual conduct which would impair or debauch the morals of the child, through the person's creation, control, possession, manipulation, use, dissemination, sale, or promotion of any automated interactive computer technology that is capable of performing or simulating sexual conduct, is guilty of a crime of the fourth degree. The bill provides an exception for AI technology that has safety features designed to stop a chatbot from simulating sexual conduct when it detects that a user is a child. A crime of the second degree is punishable by five to 10 years' imprisonment, a fine of up to $150,000, or both. 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 fourth degree is punishable by up to 18 months' imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. It is the sponsor's intent that the bill would impose criminal penalties in situations where the creator of an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot knowingly or recklessly programs the chatbot to engage in simulated sexual chats with users who are children. Such deliberate creation or misuse of AI chatbots, without regard to the safety of children, and their proliferation across social media platforms and the Internet, was reported in an April 26, 2025 article in the Wall Street Journal, entitled "Meta's 'Digital Companions' Will Talk Sex with Users - Even Children." | Crossed Over |
| AR194 | Designates June 2025 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in New Jersey. | This Assembly resolution designates June 2025 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in New Jersey, in recognition of the achievements, contributions, struggles, and humanity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, non-binary, and pansexual (LGBTQ+) individuals. Public officials and citizens of New Jersey are respectfully urged to commemorate LGBTQ+ Pride Month 2025 with appropriate activities. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A5622 | Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects in FY2026. | This bill would appropriate certain federal and State moneys to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the purpose of implementing the State Fiscal Year 2026 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. 5621 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 two projects to improve water discharge and treatment systems that had previously received a loan and require supplemental loans, representing $5.2 million in estimated total loan amounts; (2) in subsection b. of section 2 of the bill, a list of four projects to improve drinking water systems that had previously received a loan and require supplemental loans, representing $19 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 2026 Clean Water Project Eligibility List," a list of 151 projects to improve water discharge and treatment systems, representing $1.7 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 2026 Drinking Water Project Eligibility List," a list of 59 projects to improve drinking water systems, representing $651.7 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, 2026. 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, as detailed 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 |
| S4618 | Modifies certain requirements and award availability under film and digital media content production tax credit program. | Modifies certain requirements and award availability under film and digital media content production tax credit program. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A5462 | Requires electric public utilities to develop and apply special rules for certain data centers to protect non-data center customers from increased costs. | Requires electric public utilities to develop and apply special rules for certain data centers to protect non-data center customers from increased costs. | Crossed Over |
| A4897 | Revises law requiring certain student identification cards to contain telephone number for suicide prevention hotline. | Revises law requiring certain student identification cards to contain telephone number for suicide prevention hotline. | Passed |
| 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. | 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. | Crossed Over |
| 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. | 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. | Crossed Over |
| A5768 | Requires BPU to revise community solar program targets. | Requires BPU to revise community solar program targets. | In Committee |
| A4915 | Establishes reproductive health travel advisory. | This bill requires the Department of State to establish the "New Jersey Reproductive Health Travel Advisory" to inform New Jersey residents of the extent to which states within the United States restrict access to reproductive healthcare services. While many pregnancies are safe and uneventful, there is always some risk that a pregnancy will unexpectedly result in a medical emergency endangering the life or health of the patient. The effective treatment of such emergencies sometimes requires termination of the pregnancy. In the states that limit reproductive health care services, it is unclear to what extent necessary medical treatment for pregnancy-related emergencies will be permitted. There is thus a need to create an advisory that will inform New Jersey residents of the extent to which states within the United States limit reproductive health care services so that they may make informed travel decisions while pregnant. Pursuant to this bill, the travel advisory is to provide a description of each state in the United States with respect to reproductive healthcare services, including but not limited to, gestational duration bans, waiting periods, insurance coverage bans, medication restrictions, constitutional protections, reproductive health care funding, and criminal and civil liability for patients and healthcare providers. The travel advisory is required to provide the information according to the following tiered system: (1) "Blue: Exercise normal caution," which signifies that pregnant individuals have access to all forms of reproductive medical care without fear of civil or criminal prosecution; (2) "Yellow: Exercise increased caution," which signifies that pregnant individuals have restricted access to reproductive medical care that could result in civil or criminal prosecution; and (3) "Red: Reconsider travel," which signifies that pregnant individuals have extremely restricted access to reproductive medical care that could result in an adverse medical outcome, pregnant individuals being subject to civil or criminal prosecution, and individuals seeking emergency reproductive medical care not being provided life-saving care due to state law. The Department of State is to publish the travel advisory in a prominent location on its website and update the advisory for each state every time a state experiences a change in its law, rules, or regulations concerning reproductive healthcare services. | In Committee |
| A4969 | Ensures boards of elections have discretion to make initial determination of validity of cast ballots; requires Secretary of State to establish uniform guidelines for assessing validity of ballots. | Ensures boards of elections have discretion to make initial determination of validity of cast ballots; requires Secretary of State to establish uniform guidelines for assessing validity of ballots. | Passed |
| S4426 | Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects in FY2026. | Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2026. | Passed |
| S4530 | Requires BPU to revise community solar program targets. | Requires BPU to revise community solar program targets. | Passed |
| A5277 | Establishes public awareness campaign and call center for certain property tax relief programs; requires submission of annual report by Stay NJ Task Force. | Establishes public awareness campaign and call center for certain property tax relief programs; requires submission of annual report by Stay NJ Task Force. | Crossed Over |
| 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. | 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. | Passed |
| 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. | 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. | Passed |
| A5687 | Establishes Next New Jersey Manufacturing Program to incentivize in-State manufacturing investments and job creation. | Establishes Next New Jersey Manufacturing Program to incentivize in-State manufacturing investments and job creation. | Passed |
| A5309 | Permits up to three credits of continuing medical education on menopause to be used by advanced practice nurses and physicians for license renewal. | Permits up to three credits of continuing medical education on menopause to be used by advanced practice nurses and physicians for license renewal. | Passed |
| A5717 | 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. | 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. | In Committee |
| A5153 | Makes annual allocation of $500,000 from Clean Communities Program Fund for public outreach concerning single-use plastics reduction program permanent. | Makes annual allocation of $500,000 from Clean Communities Program Fund for public outreach concerning single-use plastics reduction program permanent. | In Committee |
| S3663 | Establishes reproductive health travel advisory. | This bill requires the Department of State to establish the "New Jersey Reproductive Health Travel Advisory" to inform New Jersey residents of the extent to which states within the United States restrict access to reproductive healthcare services. While many pregnancies are safe and uneventful, there is always some risk that a pregnancy will unexpectedly result in a medical emergency endangering the life or health of the patient. The effective treatment of such emergencies sometimes requires termination of the pregnancy. In the states that limit reproductive health care services, it is unclear to what extent necessary medical treatment for pregnancy-related emergencies will be permitted. There is thus a need to create an advisory that will inform New Jersey residents of the extent to which states within the United States limit reproductive health care services so that they may make informed travel decisions while pregnant. Pursuant to this bill, the travel advisory is to provide a description of each state in the United States with respect to reproductive healthcare services, including but not limited to, gestational duration bans, waiting periods, insurance coverage bans, medication restrictions, constitutional protections, reproductive health care funding, and criminal and civil liability for patients and healthcare providers. The travel advisory is required to provide the information according to the following tiered system: (1) "Blue: Exercise normal caution," which signifies that pregnant individuals have access to all forms of reproductive medical care without fear of civil or criminal prosecution; (2) "Yellow: Exercise increased caution," which signifies that pregnant individuals have restricted access to reproductive medical care that could result in civil or criminal prosecution; and (3) "Red: Reconsider travel," which signifies that pregnant individuals have extremely restricted access to reproductive medical care that could result in an adverse medical outcome, pregnant individuals being subject to civil or criminal prosecution, and individuals seeking emergency reproductive medical care not being provided life-saving care due to state law. The Department of State is to publish the travel advisory in a prominent location on its website and update the advisory for each state every time a state experiences a change in its law, rules, or regulations concerning reproductive healthcare services. | Passed |
| A5792 | Provides for workers' compensation coverage of certain counseling services for first responders and provides that certain mental health related communications are confidential. | Provides for workers' compensation coverage of certain counseling services for first responders and provides that certain mental health related communications are confidential. | Passed |
| A5860 | Appropriates $107,999,000 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues and various Green Acres funds to DEP for local government open space acquisition, park development, and planning projects, and for certain administrative expenses. | Appropriates $107,999,000 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues and various Green Acres funds to DEP for local government open space acquisition, park development, and planning projects, and for certain administrative expenses. | In Committee |
| A5000 | Requires Medicaid coverage for fertility preservation services in cases of iatrogenic infertility caused by medically necessary treatments. | Requires Medicaid coverage for fertility preservation services in cases of iatrogenic infertility caused by medically necessary treatments. | Crossed Over |
| A1948 | Requires VCCO to issue annual report to Governor and Legislature. | This bill codifies the current policy of the Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) to issue an annual report summarizing compensation awards granted to eligible victims. Under the bill, the report is to summarize compensation awarded to victims during the previous fiscal year. The report is also to include the number of applications for compensation, the number of applications granted and denied and the reasons for the dispositions, the amount of awards, demographics concerning awards, services for which awards were provided, funding received by the office, and any other information deemed relevant by the Attorney General and the Executive Director of the VCCO. The bill requires the report to be completed within six months following the last day of the previous fiscal year. The report is to be issued to the Governor and the Legislature, as well as made available on the official website of the Department of Law and Public Safety. | Passed |
| S3711 | Makes annual allocation of $500,000 from Clean Communities Program Fund for public outreach concerning single-use plastics reduction program permanent. | Makes annual allocation of $500,000 from Clean Communities Program Fund for public outreach concerning single-use plastics reduction program permanent. | Passed |
| A5463 | Requires electric public utilities to submit annual report on voting to BPU. | Requires electric public utilities to submit annual report on voting to BPU. | Passed |
| S4567 | Appropriates $107,999,000 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues and various Green Acres funds to DEP for local government open space acquisition, park development, and planning projects, and for certain administrative expenses. | This bill appropriates $107,999,000 from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax (CBT) revenues and various Green Acres funds to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Of the total amount appropriated by the bill, $102,679,000 would be used by the DEP to provide grants or loans, or both, to assist local government units in the State to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, $3,000,000 would be used for a new planning grant program, and $2,320,000 would be used for the DEP's associated administrative costs. The total amount of funding allocated for local government projects listed in this bill is $102,679,000. Of this amount, $22,427,000 is for projects to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes identified in section 4 of the bill, and $80,252,000 is for projects to develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes identified in section 5 of the bill. Of the sum for projects to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes: $19,959,000 is allocated for planning incentive open space acquisition projects (i.e., projects located in municipalities and counties that have an open space tax and an approved open space plan); $2,086,000 is allocated for open space acquisition projects in urban aid municipalities or sponsored by densely populated counties; and $382,000 is allocated for site-specific incentive acquisition projects (i.e., projects located in municipalities that have an open space tax, but do not have an open space plan). Of the sum for projects to develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes: $29,145,000 is allocated for local park development projects in urban aid municipalities or sponsored by densely populated counties; $11,951,000 is allocated for local park development projects in densely or highly populated municipalities or sponsored by highly populated counties; $6,638,000 is allocated for standard local park development projects (i.e., projects located in municipalities that do not meet the criteria of the prior two categories); $4,247,000 is allocated for stewardship activity projects; and $28,271,000 is allocated for completely inclusive playground projects, pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2018, c.104 (C.13:8C-27.1), otherwise known as "Jake's Law." The projects approved by the bill include projects in "urban aid" and densely or highly populated municipalities and counties. The bill defines a "densely or highly populated municipality" as a municipality with a population density of at least 5,000 persons per square mile or a population of at least 35,000 persons; a "densely populated county" as a county with a population density of at least 5,000 persons per square mile; and a "highly populated county" as a county with a population density of at least 1,000 persons per square mile. In addition, the bill would appropriate $3 million to the DEP in order to establish a new a Planning Grant program, the purpose of which would be to provide matching grants to local governments to fund the preparation of plans and other activities necessary to identify needs and opportunities for additional recreation and conservation initiatives in the State. To the extent that there are funds remaining after the local government unit projects listed in this bill are offered funding, the bill also authorizes the DEP, with the approval of the JBOC, to use those funds to provide additional funding for local government unit projects listed in this bill as well as for local government unit projects previously approved for funding pursuant to various other laws. The projects listed in the bill have been approved by the DEP and the Garden State Preservation Trust (GSPT). | Passed |
| S3309 | Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements. | Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements. | Passed |
| A4479 | Requires social media platforms to cooperate with nonprofit organization initiatives to remove nonconsensual intimate images or videos. | Requires social media platforms to cooperate with nonprofit organization initiatives to remove nonconsensual intimate images or videos. | Crossed Over |
| AJR128 | Designates August of each year as "American Artist Appreciation Month" in New Jersey. | This resolution designates the month of August each year as "American Artist Appreciation Month" in recognition of the many valuable contributions of American artists to American society and the arts industry as a whole. The United States has a long history of artistic creation that reflects many different influences, innovations, and time periods. American artists have contributed significantly to visual and performing arts and have pioneered many artistic movements in the arts industry. Visual arts have been transformed by Pop Art, Luminism, and Photorealism, all movements which were led by American artists. American musicians have consistently been trailblazers in the music industry, popularizing many genres of music, including jazz, country, and rock and roll music. The many different artistic media and styles offer something to everyone, and by connecting with artists through their work, consumers are able to explore and consider different viewpoints on important issues. In addition to creating beautiful pieces of artwork that can stand the test of time, modern American artists contribute significantly to the nation's economy. The arts industry is one of the largest industries in the country. The arts industry is responsible for 4.7 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), generates more than twice as much revenue for local, state, and federal governments as the industry receives in government funding, supports 2.3 million jobs, and stimulates other industries, like food service, clothing and retail, and lodging and transportation, through live events. The film and television industry in New Jersey has been growing in recent years, due to the tax credit approved by the Legislature in 2018, and is forecasted to continue growing as the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic dissipate. In New Jersey, the arts industry currently accounts for 41 million dollars of revenue for State and local governments, as well as 25,000 jobs. New Jersey has always had a special relationship with the arts. The state is home to many prominent artists across all media, and boasts numerous museums, theatres, and arenas where exhibits and performances by American artists are hosted. It is fitting for the State of New Jersey to designate the month of August each year as "American Artist Appreciation Month" in recognition of the many American artists who create works of art that inspire New Jersey residents and Americans across the country. | Crossed Over |
| A5806 | Eliminates sales tax on baby necessities and sunscreen. | This bill provides sales and use tax exemptions for the sales of certain baby products and sunscreen. The exemption provided for baby products would include baby wash or soap, baby shampoos, baby lotions, and baby powders; child restraint systems; cribs; nursing bottles, nipples, and funnels; and strollers. A "child restraint system" is defined under the bill to mean any device that is designed to protect, hold, or restrain an infant or young child while riding in a motor vehicle to prevent or minimize injury and conforms with federal motor vehicle safety standards. The bill also defines a "crib" as a bed or sleeping enclosure designed to accommodate an infant or young child including bassinets and toddler beds. In addition, the bill further defines a "stroller" as a non-motorized, wheeled vehicle designed to push or otherwise transport an infant or young child including, but not limited to, a carriage, folding-type umbrella stroller, or full-size stroller. The bill also provides a sales and use tax exemption for the sales of sunscreen. "Sunscreen" is defined under the bill to mean a lotion, cream, spray, or gel regulated by the federal Food and Drug Administration that is primarily used for purposes of absorbing, reflecting, or scattering ultraviolet radiation and preventing sunburn or any sun-related skin damage. The definition of sunscreen would not, however, include products marketed or intended for use as cosmetics or otherwise intended to be applied for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. | In Committee |
| A3036 | "Swift Access For Emergency Response Actions Preservation Program (SAFER APP)"; authorizes Attorney General to order turn-by-turn navigation systems to reroute vehicular traffic under certain conditions. | "Swift Access For Emergency Response Actions Preservation Program (SAFER APP)"; authorizes Attorney General to order turn-by-turn navigation systems to reroute vehicular traffic under certain conditions. | Crossed Over |
| 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 |
| A4568 | Establishes task force to review current status of juvenile delinquency and remediation. | Establishes task force to review current status of juvenile delinquency and remediation. | In Committee |
| A4928 | Establishes eligibility requirements for State small business set-aside program. | This bill establishes requirements for eligibility when the State implements a small business set-aside program. The State currently has a small business set-aside program. This bill clarifies that only businesses without an applicable federal revenue standard established by federal regulations are required to have a certain maximum number of employees. This bill also alters the definitions of gross revenue from a standard of three years in business to a standard of five years in business. The requirements established in this bill will be in addition to any and all rules or regulations, except that these requirements will supersede the rules and regulations adopted as N.J.A.C. 17:13-2.1(a). | Crossed Over |
| A4981 | Permits court to take additional time to consider pretrial release or pretrial detention when firearm offense is involved. | Permits court to take additional time to consider pretrial release or pretrial detention when firearm offense is involved. | Crossed Over |
| A5376 | Creates Health Care Cost Containment and Price Transparency Commission, Office of Healthcare Affordability and Transparency, and hospital price transparency regulations. | Creates Health Care Cost Containment and Price Transparency Commission, Office of Healthcare Affordability and Transparency, and hospital price transparency regulations. | In Committee |
| A5076 | Requires State Police to establish recovery leave policy for troopers presenting proof of pregnancy. | Requires State Police to establish recovery leave policy for troopers presenting proof of pregnancy. | Crossed Over |
| A2255 | Requires boards of education to ensure that all staff are trained in care of students with epilepsy and seizure disorders every five years. | Requires boards of education to ensure that all staff are trained in care of students with epilepsy and seizure disorders every five years. | In Committee |
| A5270 | Dedicates certain wine tax receipts to "Jersey Fresh Program Fund." | This bill dedicates a portion of the revenue collected from the alcoholic beverage excise tax on certain wine sales to the "Jersey Fresh Program Fund." Specifically, the bill requires the State Treasurer to deposit into the Jersey Fresh Program Fund an amount equal to the revenues generated under the alcohol beverage excise tax at the rate of $0.21875 per gallon of wines, vermouth, and sparkling wines sold by plenary winery and farm winery licensees, as defined under State law. This dedication equates to 25 percent of the tax currently imposed on the sales of these alcoholic beverages. In 1984, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture created the first state-sponsored agricultural branding program in the nation, "Jersey Fresh," in order to distinguish the high quality of New Jersey-produced fruits and vegetables from others in the marketplace. The State-sponsored branding program was later expanded to include "Jersey Grown" for nursery crops, "Jersey Seafood" for aquacultured and wild-caught fish and shellfish, "Jersey Equine" for equine livestock, and "Made with Jersey Fresh" for processed food made with New Jersey sourced agricultural products. The Jersey Fresh Program Fund was established by law in 2017 to enable the collection of voluntary contributions for the Jersey Fresh Program through gross income tax returns. Under current law, the Legislature is required to annually appropriate all funds deposited into the Jersey Fresh Program Fund to the Department of Agriculture for the purposes of providing support to the Jersey Fresh Program, which includes, but not be limited to, funding advertising, promotional, and quality grading program activities to inform consumers about the availability of locally grown agricultural products. This bill expands the scope of revenues that are required to be annually deposited into the Jersey Fresh Program Fund to include a portion of revenues generated from the alcoholic beverage excise tax on the sale of wines, vermouth, and sparkling wines by plenary winery and farm winery licensees. Under the bill, the Legislature would also be required to annually appropriate these monies to the Department of Agriculture for the purposes of providing support to the Jersey Fresh Program. | In Committee |
| A4007 | Allows small employers to claim tax credit for paying certain health benefits plan premiums. | This bill allows taxpayers with fewer than 20 employees to claim a tax credit if they pay for their employees' health benefits plan premiums for a health benefits plan that is at least as comprehensive as the essential health benefits requirements of the federal Affordable Care Act. A taxpayer will be entitled to a credit up to $250 for each employee enrolled in a single plan and $500 for each employee enrolled in a family plan. The employer may only claim the full amount of the credit if the employer pays the full premiums. The bill provides a reduced credit if the employer pays at least half of the amount of the premium. The credit will also be reduced to account for employees that are not enrolled for the full taxable year. | In Committee |
| A5718 | Permits certain alcoholic beverage license holders to sell "Jersey Fresh" alcoholic beverages. | Permits certain alcoholic beverage license holders to sell "Jersey Fresh" alcoholic beverages. | In Committee |
| A4799 | Establishes "Jersey Craft Beverage Retailer Promotion and Grant Program" in EDA. | Establishes "Jersey Craft Beverage Retailer Promotion and Grant Program" in EDA. | In Committee |
| A3008 | Requires certain health care facilities to offer lactation counseling and consultations to persons who have given birth. | Requires certain health care facilities to offer lactation counseling and consultations to persons who have given birth. | Crossed Over |
| 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 |
| A5435 | Requires Division of Housing and Community Resources in DCA and applicable State agencies and nonprofits to establish a consolidated application for residential utility assistance programs. | Requires Division of Housing and Community Resources in DCA and applicable State agencies and nonprofits to establish a consolidated application for residential utility assistance programs. | 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 |
| A4899 | Limits amount of residential rental property application fee; establishes penalty. | Limits amount of residential rental property application fee; establishes penalty. | 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 |
| AJR62 | Designates first week of May of each year as "Children's Mental Health Awareness Week." | This joint resolution designates the first week of May as "Children's Mental Health Awareness Week" in New Jersey to raise public awareness of mental health and mental illness in children. Mental illness can adversely affect children in many ways, including increasing the likelihood of a child of being suspended from school, abusing drugs or alcohol, or ending up in the juvenile justice system. Many children with mental health disorders do not receive treatment for their illnesses, due to poor understanding of mental illness and treatment options, stigma or lack of access to treatment. The resolution intends to promote awareness in hopes of improving the lives of children who have emotional disturbances and other mental health disorders. | Crossed Over |
| A3981 | Subjects certain rooming and boarding houses to municipal land use regulations; requires owners and operators of cooperative sober living residences to submit certain approvals with license applications. | This bill subjects certain types of rooming and boarding houses, regulated by the Department of Community Affairs, to municipal land use regulations. Current law provides that no owner or operator of a rooming or boarding house is to be subject to regulation by any county or municipality for the purposes described in the "Rooming and Boarding House Act of 1979," P.L.1979, c.496 (C.55:13B-1 et seq.), except for an explicit exemption that subjects rooming and boarding houses to municipal construction regulations. The bill establishes an additional explicit exemption to require owners and operators of rooming and boarding houses be subject to municipal land use regulations. The bill also requires the prospective owner or operator of a cooperative sober living residence to submit to the State proof of certain local approvals as a condition of State issuance of a Class F license, described in N.J.A.C.5:27-1.6, to own or operate a cooperative sober living residence. | Crossed Over |
| A1996 | Establishes requirements to evaluate certain people who are pregnant and who have given birth for preeclampsia. | Establishes requirements to evaluate certain people who are pregnant and who have given birth for preeclampsia. | Crossed Over |
| A5211 | Establishes New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative Act. | This bill establishes the New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative Act, which codifies the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development's New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative. Under the bill, the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development is required to operate a New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative, the purpose of which is to provide students, workers, and job seekers with career pathways they need to pursue promising new careers and opportunities; to strengthen career pathways partnerships between county colleges and employers, primary and secondary schools, vocational technical high schools, four-year institutions of higher education, unions, and community based organizations; and to ensure that employers have access to a highly skilled workforce to meet critical labor market needs. The bill permits the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development to establish Centers of Workforce Innovation that offer career pathways in various areas. The bill directs the Centers of Workforce Innovation to develop curriculum specific to each career pathway that is to be made publicly available, provide students with instruction and skills necessary to gain employment in a career pathway, promote the use of the Community College Opportunity Grants, promote the expansion of apprenticeship and other work-based learning opportunities for students, and to collaborate with business leaders and educational partners across the State. | Crossed Over |
| A1715 | Requires public institution of higher education to invite Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey on institution's campus. | Requires public institution of higher education to invite Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey on institution's campus. | Crossed Over |
| A2596 | Requires DOT to provide additional information in annual report on pavement condition; makes report available to public. | Requires DOT to provide additional information in annual report on pavement condition; makes report available to public. | In Committee |
| A1841 | Expands requirements for health insurance carriers concerning prostate cancer screening and requires coverage be provided without cost sharing. | Expands requirements for health insurance carriers concerning prostate cancer screening and requires coverage be provided without cost sharing. | In Committee |
| A5241 | Prohibits approving authority from approving construction of certain warehouses on lot of land within 1,000 feet of historic district. | Prohibits approving authority from approving construction of certain warehouses on lot of land within 1,000 feet of historic district. | In Committee |
| A5275 | Imposes locational restriction on construction of a new crematory. | Imposes locational restriction on construction of a new crematory. | Crossed Over |
| A3541 | Establishes legislative internship program. | Establishes legislative internship program. | Crossed Over |
| 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 |
| A2115 | Requires public transportation employees and certain motorbus operators to complete training course on handling and responding to suspected human trafficking; requires inclusion of certain content in certain courses. | Requires public transportation employees and certain motorbus operators to complete training course on handling and responding to suspected human trafficking; requires inclusion of certain content in certain courses. | Crossed Over |
| S3199 | Establishes New Jersey-Haiti Commission. | An Act establishing the New Jersey-Haiti Commission and supplementing chapter 18A of Title 52. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A3770 | Requires Medicaid reimbursement of mental health rehabilitation services provided via clubhouse program. | Requires Medicaid reimbursement of mental health rehabilitation services provided via clubhouse program. | In Committee |
| A4751 | Permits purchase of service credit in SPRS for period of enrollment in military service academy and in New Jersey State Police Academy, and employment as class two special law enforcement officer. | An Act concerning the purchase of service credit in the State Police Retirement System for certain military and police service and amending P.L.1965, c.89 and P.L.2013, c.87. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A1825 | Establishes certain guidelines for SHBP, SEHBP, and Medicaid concerning step therapy protocols. | An Act concerning step therapy protocols and supplementing Titles 30 and 52 of the Revised Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A5589 | Provides accidental disability benefits to police who contract COVID-19 under certain circumstances. | This bill provides that certain public safety workers who contract coronavirus disease 2019 from June 5, 2021 until January 31, 2022 as a result of contracting the disease will be entitled to full accidental disability benefits under certain circumstances. Specifically, a worker will be entitled to those benefits if the worker: (1) contracts coronavirus disease 2019 during a time period in which the worker is working in a place of employment other than the worker's own residence; (2) is a member of the police; and (3) is permanently and totally disabled as a direct result of contracting coronavirus disease 2019. | In Committee |
| A5591 | Changes certain requirements for inspection of records of motor vehicle sales. | This bill removes the requirement under current law that non-physical, electronic records of online sales of motor vehicles be kept and maintained in a format that allows for immediate inspection and examination. Under the bill, a person who is licensed to buy, sell, lease, or deal in motor vehicles is required to keep non-physical, electronic records of online sales of motor vehicles in a format that allows for inspection and examination by the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, or the chief administrator's agent. In addition, the bill requires the chief administrator, or a designee, to provide one business day advanced written notice to an individual or entity engaged in the business of buying, selling, or dealing in motor vehicles; a licensed motor vehicle dealer; or a licensed leasing dealer prior to entering the building of an individual or entity engaged in the businesses listed above for the purpose of examining books and records. | In Committee |
| A5587 | Prohibits forcibly feeding certain poultry for production of foie gras. | This bill prohibits the force feeding of duck, goose, or other poultry, for the production of foie gras. The prohibition would not apply, however, when a person forcibly feeds a bird for the purpose of improving the bird's health. This bill also prohibits the distribution, sale, and offer for sale of foie gras and any foie gras products unless the foie gras or foie gras containing product originated from a state or jurisdiction that bans the practice of force feeding birds. Furthermore, the bill authorizes civil penalties to be imposed by the Secretary of Agriculture for a violation of the bill. The Superior Court and municipal court would have jurisdiction over proceedings for the enforcement of penalties under the bill. A person who violates the provisions in the bill would receive a written warning for the first offense, and a fine of $100 for a second and each subsequent offense. Each day a violation continues would constitute a separate offense. This bill would take effect on the 60th day after the date of enactment. | In Committee |
| A5593 | Requires DCA to enable certain construction subcode applicants to electronically submit certain materials for permit application review; limits requirements for physical seal on documents at worksite. | This bill requires the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to accept electronic submissions from a licensed plumbing, electrical, or heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration contractor corresponding to the contractor's discipline. Submissions for which the bill requires DCA to accept electronic submissions include, but are not limited to, subcode application forms or documents supporting the applications, such as shop drawings or documents displaying the calculations necessary for compliance with the electrical, fire protection, or energy subcode. The bill prohibits DCA from requiring the physical seal or signature of these contractors to be affixed to the subcode application form. Additionally, this bill prohibits DCA from requiring physical copies of plans at the worksite of a licensed plumbing, electrical, or heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration contractor to have an affixed physical seal. This bill is to take effect on the first day of the fourth month following enactment, except that the Commissioner of Community Affairs is permitted to take anticipatory actions necessary to comply with the provisions of the bill. | In Committee |
| A4723 | Modifies title and role of Chief Diversity Officer; establishes New Jersey Office of Supplier Development and Business Opportunities. | Modifies title and role of Chief Diversity Officer; establishes New Jersey Office of Supplier Development and Business Opportunities. | In Committee |
| A5604 | "End Tesla Exception Act"; repeals statute permitting Tesla and other zero emission vehicle manufacturers to sell vehicles directly to consumers. | This bill, which is designated as the "End Tesla Exception Act," repeals section 6 of P.L.2015, c.24 (C.56:10-27.1), which permitted certain motor vehicle manufacturers, including Tesla, to directly buy from or sell to consumers a zero emission motor vehicle. This statute provided an exception to the requirement that motor vehicle sales in this State occur through franchised dealerships. | In Committee |
| A4163 | Requires health insurers to provide coverage for biomarker precision medical testing. | An Act concerning health insurance coverage for biomarker precision medical testing and supplementing various parts of the statutory law. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3620 | Requires electric and gas public utilities to establish "Energy Bill Watch" program and include certain information in bills and notices to customers. | An Act concerning electric and gas public utilities and supplementing Title 48 of the Revised Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A5531 | Establishes "Equitable Drug Pricing and Patient Access Act." | This bill establishes the "Equitable Drug Pricing and Patient Accesses Act." The bill provides that the reimbursement rate for prescription drug services paid to a pharmacy providing prescription drug services to a beneficiary of the Medicaid program, whether such services are provided in the Medicaid fee-for-service delivery system or through the Medicaid managed care delivery system, will be no less than the national average drug acquisition cost of the drug plus a Medicaid fee-for-service professional dispensing fee of $10.92. The bill provides that each Medicaid managed care contract executed in this State will include pharmacy choice as a required benefit for any enrollee as outlined under the bill. To ensure that enrollees have access to a competitive selection of providers, each Medicaid managed care organization will permit the enrollee to choose any qualified pharmacy provided that the qualified pharmacy is a contracting provider and provide that no pharmacy will be denied the right to participate as a contracting provider, under the same terms and conditions currently applicable to all other contracting pharmacies, provided that the pharmacy accepts the terms and conditions of the Medicaid managed care contract. The bill requires the State Auditor to perform an audit of pharmacy pricing practices within the Medicaid program to determine the amount of savings the State should accrue from all pharmacies as a result of the provisions of the bill. In conducting this audit, the State Auditor will audit the flow of funds in the State's Medicaid program from managed care organizations to pharmacy benefit managers to pharmacies. In recent years, drug pricing has escalated at unprecedented rates. Restrictive practices that segregate certain drug types and disadvantage patients' choice and access are contributing factors, particularly in Medicaid programs. According to evaluation data found in the Governor's Budget Recommendations, total Medicaid prescription drug spending increased by approximately $700 million, or 3.3 percent, from $2.1 billion in FY 2019 to $2.8 billion in FY 2024. It is the sponsor's belief that ensuring that Medicaid establishes the Equitable Drug Pricing and Patient Access Act will provide greater transparency and cost management within the program to reduce waste and cost increases. | 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 |
| A5118 | Provides health care benefits to disabled members of TPAF and PERS. | Provides health care benefits to disabled members of TPAF and PERS. | Crossed Over |
| A4343 | Establishes New Jersey-Haiti Commission. | Establishes New Jersey-Haiti Commission. | In Committee |
| A3636 | Requires State agencies to make their websites accessible to people with disabilities and on mobile devices. | This bill requires that the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 AA, or the most up-to-date version of the guidelines, be the accessibility standard for the websites of all State agencies, and requires that each website be configured in such a way that it can be navigated, viewed, and accessed on a smartphone, tablet computer, or similar mobile device. The WCAG guidelines are published by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium, and make content accessible for people with disabilities. Under the bill, the Chief Technology Officer is required to establish the protocol by which a State agency can determine that its websites comply with the requirements. The Chief Technology Officer is required to certify each website's compliance two years after the bill's effective date and recertify compliance once every two years thereafter. As used in this bill, "State agency" means the Executive and Legislative Branch of the State, including, but not limited to, any department, board, bureau, commission, division, office, council, agency, or instrumentality thereof, or independent agency, public authority, or public benefit corporation. | In Committee |
| A5461 | Makes various changes to provisions of "Administrative Procedure Act." | This bill would make various changes to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) and other laws that supplement that act, in order to alter the procedures State agencies are required to follow when they adopt rules and regulations to implement State and federal laws. The bill would also provide for the payment of attorney's fees in certain circumstances when the head of an agency rejects or modifies the recommended report and decision of an administrative law judge and the decision is overturned by a court. Specifically, the bill would require State agencies to make available for public viewing on the agency's website (1) all public comments received related to each rule proposal issued by the agency, and (2) all data sets and other information that were used by the agency to formulate the proposed rule. The bill would also require that each rule proposal be directed toward a single object, prohibiting agencies from bundling together unrelated rule proposals. The bill would extend the public comment period for rule proposals from 30 days to 60 days. The bill would require that the socio-economic impact statement for rule proposals include estimates, in dollars, of the proposed rule's effect on annual expenditures by the State, municipalities, businesses, and residents. The bill would also require rule proposals to include a consideration of alternatives to the rule proposal, with a justification for why the proposed rule is superior to the alternatives. The bill would provide that, if 50 or more commenters request a 30-day extension to the public comment period or a public hearing for a proposed rule, this would constitute "sufficient public interest" for the purposes of section 4 of P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-4) and the agency proposing the rule would be required to grant the extension or hold a public hearing, as applicable. In addition, the bill would require State agencies to hold a public hearing on a rule proposal if the proposal is estimated to involve a substantive increase in expenditures by the State, municipalities, businesses, or residents. The bill would direct each State agency to formulate standards for what constitutes a "substantive increase in expenditures," but would establish a minimum threshold of $50 million in a calendar year. In addition, the bill would require State agencies to file a notice of intent for each contemplated rulemaking at least 90 days prior to issuing a formal rule proposal notification. Under current law, agencies are authorized, but not required, to file a notice of intent. The notice of intent is required to include a statement of either the terms or substance of the intended action or a description of the subjects and issues involved. The agency would be required to establish the time when, the place where, and the manner in which interested persons may present their views on the contemplated rule-making. The bill would also require agencies to review and respond to petitions that claim that one of the agency's rules is in conflict or inconsistent with another State or federal rule. Similarly, the bill would require State agencies to analyze their rules to verify that they do not conflict with other State and federal rules, prior to readopting them. The bill would require the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) to include all public comments received, and all data and other information used, for each rulemaking action in its online database of rulemaking actions. The bill would also explicitly require State agencies to provide all necessary information to the OAL for the development of the online database. In addition, the bill would require the OAL to update the database daily, rather than making "regular and timely updates," as in current law. Finally, the bill would provide that, whenever the head of the agency rejects or modifies the recommended report and decision of an administrative law judge pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10 of P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-10), and the modification or rejection is subsequently overturned by judicial review, the agency would be liable for the plaintiff's attorneys' fees incurred in the court challenge to the final agency decision. | In Committee |
| A4653 | Requires AG to establish training program for crowd management and provide resources to municipal police department or force for large gatherings and flash mobs. | Requires AG to establish training program for crowd management and provide resources to municipal police department or force for large gatherings and flash mobs. | Crossed Over |
| S2423 | Renames Juvenile Justice Commission as Youth Justice Commission. | An Act renaming the Juvenile Justice Commission and amending the various parts of the statutory law. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A5446 | Prohibits BPU approval of electric and gas public utility rate increases resulting in total increase to average residential customer bill in excess of two percent annually. | This bill prohibits the Board of Public Utilities from approving electric or gas public utility rate increases that are projected to result in a total increase to an average residential customer bill in excess of two percent annually. | In Committee |
| A4761 | Requires Division of Children's System of Care to make changes to certain polices regarding the provision of family support and respite care services for certain eligible individuals. | This bill requires the Division of Children's System of Care (DCSOC) in the Department of Children and Families to: (1) establish an authorization period of 12 months for the provision of agency-hired, agency-weekend respite, and self-hired respite care, to an individual under the age of 21 with a developmental disability; (2) once an individual under the age of 21 with a developmental disability has been authorized to receive family support services from an agency contracted with the Department of Children and Families (DCF), ensure that the individual's family or guardian be provided with a bank of respite care service hours, in addition to, and separate from, any other family support service hours the individual, the individual's family or guardian, or both are eligible to receive, that can be used during each authorization period, including, but not limited to, agency-hired, agency-weekend respite, or self-hired respite care, based on the specific needs of the individual, the individual's family or guardian, or both; and (3) establish a process by which the family or guardian of an individual under the age of 21 with a developmental disability who has been authorized to receive family support services undergoes an annual reevaluation of the need for the family support services received during the authorization period. Nothing in the bill is to be construed to allow the DCSOC to reduce the amount of respite care service hours an individual under the age of 21 with a developmental disability, the individual's family or guardian, or both have been authorized to receive during a 12 month authorization period. As defined in the bill: "agency-hired respite care" means respite care, including social and recreational experiences, provided by a trained respite care worker employed by an agency contracted with the DCF to an individual under the age of 21 with a developmental disability in, or outside of, the individual's home; "agency-weekend respite care" means social and recreational experiences provided during the weekend by a trained respite care worker employed by an agency contracted with the DCF to an individual under the age of 21 with a developmental disability outside of the individual's home; and "self-hired respite care" means an arrangement that allows the family or guardian of an individual under the age of 21 with a developmental disability to recruit and hire a trained respite care worker, paid directly by individual's family or guardian, to provide social and recreational experiences to the individual in, or outside of, the individual's home. Currently, DCSOC policy reauthorizes the provision of agency-hired, agency-weekend, and self-hired respite care every 90 days, stipulates that certain respite care services are limited to a set number of service hours (60 hours for agency-hired and self-hired respite care and 75 hours for agency-weekend respite care), and requires the families of individuals under the age of 21 with a developmental disability receiving family support services to undergo an annual reapplication process to continue to receive such services. This bill would require the DCSOC to expand the authorization period for the provision of agency-hired, agency-weekend, and self-hired respite care from the current 90 days to 12 months, ensure that certain respite care services are not limited to a set number of service hours during each authorization period, and replaces the annual reapplication process with an annual reevaluation process of the family supports services provided by DCSOC to eligible individuals to afford families the flexibility to access respite care based on their specific needs. | In Committee |
| ACR157 | Condemns Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry and intolerance. | This resolution condemns Hinduphobia, anti-Hindu bigotry and intolerance, and declares the State of New Jersey as a place that welcomes the diversity brought by Hindu Americans. This resolution recognizes that Hinduism is one of the world's largest and oldest religions with over 1.2 billion adherents in over 100 countries and which encompasses an array of diverse traditions and belief systems with values of acceptance, mutual respect, and peace. The United States has always been a beacon of hope, progress, and innovation, attracting people from around the world to create and live a better and fulfilling life, and has welcomed more than four million Hindus from all corners of the world and given them better opportunities and the freedom to practice Hinduism, also known as "Sanatana Dharma". The American Hindu community has been a major contributor to diverse sectors such as medicine, science and engineering, information technology, hospitality, finance, academia, manufacturing, energy, retail trade, and so much more. Hindu contributions of Yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, food, music, arts, and more have enriched the cultural fabric and have been widely adopted in American society and enriched the lives of millions. Hinduphobia, as described by the Understanding Hinduphobia Initiative, is "a set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviors towards Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and Hindus that may manifest as prejudice, fear, or hatred". There have been documented instances of hate crimes against Hindu Americans over the last few decades in many parts of the country. | In Committee |
| A1802 | Requires law enforcement officer to conduct danger assessment of domestic violence victims and provide assistance to high-risk victims. | This bill requires law enforcement officers to conduct a danger assessment of victims of domestic violence and provide assistance to victims deemed to be at a higher risk of harm. Specifically, the bill requires a law enforcement officer to conduct a danger assessment of any person who the officer has reasonable cause to believe is a victim of domestic violence in order to determine if the potential victim is in immediate need of services. The danger assessment is to be conducted with the consent of the alleged victim using an objective, standardized, and evidence-based domestic violence danger assessment instrument approved by the Attorney General, in consultation with the Domestic Violence Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board. The danger assessment instrument is required to generate a score or rating that indicates an elevated risk that an alleged victim of domestic violence will suffer serious bodily injury or death as a result of a future act of domestic violence. The approved instrument is to be based on information deemed relevant by the Attorney General which is to include, but not be limited to: · the date of all recent acts of domestic violence using a calendar provided by the officer to the victim to identify or approximate the date of all recent acts; and· for each recent act of domestic violence:o a description of each act including the type of physical violence used, if any; o whether any injuries were sustained by the alleged victim; ando whether the act involved the use of, or threat to use a firearm or other weapon. If the danger assessment generates a score or rating that indicates an elevated risk of serious bodily injury or death to an alleged victim, the law enforcement officer is required to: notify the victim that the score generated indicates there is an elevated risk; and, with the consent of the alleged victim, facilitate the provisions of immediate assistance through a domestic crisis team or other services available to victims of domestic violence. The bill also requires the Attorney General to incorporate the current domestic violence curriculum for law enforcement officer training on how to conduct the danger assessment and notifying and facilitating access to services to alleged victims who are deemed to be at an elevated risk of harm. | In Committee |
| A5425 | Establishes three-year Integrated Domestic Violence Court pilot program in Camden, Essex, Hudson, and Middlesex counties. | This bill creates a three-year Integrated Domestic Violence Court pilot program in the Superior Court in Camden, Essex, Hudson, and Middlesex counties. The Integrated Domestic Violence Court model, upon which this bill is based, combines domestic violence cases, matrimonial cases, and related criminal matters into one court, has the motto "one family, one judge," and provides integrated services to families, enhances offender accountability and improves victim safety. The Integrated Domestic Violence (IDV) Court, established under the bill, would hear any case involving domestic violence, pursuant to the "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 1991," P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-17 et seq.) that also involves: divorce, child custody, and other family court matters; crimes or offenses arising out of acts of domestic violence; juvenile offenses; and applications for and violations of restraining orders. In the view of the sponsor, a pilot program in New Jersey modeled on the Integrated Domestic Violence Court model would enhance services to victims and families. | In Committee |
| 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 |
| A4882 | Requires cell phone and social media guidelines to be developed by DOE and policy to be adopted by each school district. | Requires cell phone and social media guidelines to be developed by DOE and policy to be adopted by each school district. | In Committee |
| S1445 | Requires public institution of higher education to readmit student whose enrollment was interrupted due to military service. | An Act concerning military service members at public institutions of higher education and supplementing chapter 62 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| 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 |
| A5093 | Requires school meal service providers to give purchasing preference to foods produced by in-State farmers and other food producers located within State borders or within 100 miles of destination school. | Requires school meal service providers to give purchasing preference to foods produced by in-State farmers and other food producers located within State borders or within 100 miles of destination school. | In Committee |
| A5182 | Modernizes responsibilities of New Jersey Council of County Colleges. | Modernizes responsibilities of New Jersey Council of County Colleges. | Crossed Over |
| A5303 | Requires AG to review Statewide policy regarding investigation of human trafficking. | This bill requires the Attorney General to review the Statewide policy regarding the investigation of human trafficking. Currently, Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive No. 2012-2 sets forth standards and procedures for the investigation of human trafficking. Under the provisions of this bill, upon the review of the policy, the Attorney General is required to consider and address: 1) whether the use of audio or video recording by law enforcement officers conducting undercover investigations of human trafficking would protect the integrity of the investigation and ensure the proper treatment of victims of human trafficking; 2) the implementation of strict policies for dissemination of the audio or video recording, if used, in order to protect victims of human trafficking; 3) the involvement of county prosecutors at the beginning of and throughout human trafficking investigations conducted by county or municipal law enforcement officers in order to address legal challenges as they arise; and 4) any other areas, as determined by the Attorney General. This bill is in response to a recommendation contained in a report issued by the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation in October 2024 entitled "An Inquiry into Human Trafficking Activity in the Massage and Bodywork Therapy Industry in New Jersey." | Crossed Over |
| A3810 | Requires adoption of policy addressing job-related issues of pregnant firefighters. | This bill provides that within 180 days after the bill's effective date a paid or part-paid fire department or force will adopt, review, and update, if needed, at least annually, a policy that addresses the job-related issues of any pregnant member of that department or force. These include, but not limited to, disclosure of a pregnancy, issuance of a medical certificate by the member's physician in regard to any limitations on job-related duties, and the availability of any light-duty or non-hazardous assignments. The policy will also provide that a pregnant firefighter will be given information as to when certain job-related tasks may not be appropriate for the member; the use of leave time for pregnancy, and the continuation of employee benefits. In creating this policy the department or force will be guided by the standards of the National Fire Protection Association, or of another such professional organization, that apply to the job-related issues affecting pregnant firefighters. | Crossed Over |
| A1921 | Concerns AG guidelines on bias incident investigation standards. | Concerns AG guidelines on bias incident investigation standards. | Crossed Over |
| A4848 | Requires health care professionals to perform lead screening on pregnant persons under certain circumstances. | Requires health care professionals to perform lead screening on pregnant persons under certain circumstances. | Crossed Over |
| 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 |
| AR178 | Condemns U.S. House of Representatives for passage of budget resolution cutting $1.5 trillion from federal budget and urges U.S. Senate to reject House resolution. | This Assembly Resolution condemns the United States House of Representatives for passage of a budget resolution, on February 25, 2025, cutting $1.5 trillion over ten years from the federal budget and respectfully urges the United States Senate to reject this House resolution. The budget resolution specifically targets $880 billion in cuts from the House Energy and Commerce Committee which regulates public healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, $330 billion from the Education and Workforce Committee which routinely legislates matters on education funding, and $230 billion from the Agriculture Committee whose purview includes the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Given the size and scope of the desired cuts, as well as budget documents circulated by House leadership, policy experts believe that these cuts are aimed at or will ultimately fall on critical safety net programs such as Medicaid and SNAP. In New Jersey, approximately 1.8 million low- and moderate- income people rely on NJ FamilyCare, which encompasses the Medicaid Program and the Children's Health Insurance Program, to cover their healthcare needs. Funding reductions of this size would have severe consequences for these enrollees, as well as the provider community who deliver the critical healthcare services under the program. Approximately 830,000 low-income residents in New Jersey receive SNAP benefits, which provides them with the resources needed to feed their families. It is anticipated that federal funding cuts to SNAP under the House budget resolution would be realized by limiting benefits, restricting eligibility, or some combination of both of these actions; thereby, significantly reducing the number of residents who receive support from this program. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4817 | Requires electric and gas public utilities to establish "Energy Bill Watch" program and include certain information in bills and notices to customers. | Requires electric and gas public utilities to establish "Energy Bill Watch" program and include certain information in bills and notices to customers. | In Committee |
| A5342 | Requires Office of Homelessness Prevention to contract with county agencies or nonprofits to issue certain identification and birth certificates to individuals experiencing homelessness; appropriates $2 million. | This bill requires the Office of Homelessness Prevention (OHP) in the Department of Community Affairs to contract with a county agency or nonprofit in each county of the State that administers homelessness programs to issue personal identification, in a form and manner as determined by the director, and to coordinate provision of copies of birth certificates to individuals experiencing homelessness. A county agency or nonprofit is to be permitted to directly access and issue a birth certificate maintained by the State Office of Vital Statistics and Registry and shall notify the State Office of Vital Statistics and Registry of each issuance. This bill appropriates $2 million from General Fund, which shall be divided among the contracted county agencies or nonprofits pursuant to the bill, prorated based on the homeless population of each county, to the Office of Homelessness Prevention in the Department of Community Affairs, to effectuate the purposes of the bill. | In Committee |
| A4451 | Establishes Task Force on Aging in State of New Jersey in DOH. | Establishes Task Force on Aging in New Jersey in DOH. | In Committee |
| A5310 | Makes various changes to school funding law and Educational Adequacy Report; establishes Special Education Funding Review Task Force. | This bill makes various changes to State school aid, including extraordinary special education aid and vocational expansion stabilization aid, and establishes a new category of State school aid known as reduction adjustment aid. The bill also includes certain additional requirements for the issuance of the Educational Adequacy Report. The bill requires the Department of Education to make available on the department's Internet website the calculation of aid payable to each school district in the succeeding year in a user-friendly manner, including explanations of the variables used to determine the district's aid. The information is required to be posted each year within two days of the Governor's Budget Message. Under current law, a school district is reimbursed for certain special education costs in the form of extraordinary special education aid. However, in recent years the State's appropriation for extraordinary special education aid has covered only a portion of eligible costs provided in state, with the percentage covered fluctuating from year to year. The bill requires the State to increase the appropriation from year to year, or otherwise ensure that the percentage of a school district's costs reimbursed through extraordinary special education aid increases compared to the previous fiscal year. Additionally, the bill provides that the amount of vocational expansion stabilization aid received by a county vocational school district is to be adjusted to allow for increases in resident enrollment. The adjustment is to equal the number of additional students enrolled in the district multiplied by the additional cost per pupil for county vocational school districts and the geographic cost adjustment. The bill also establishes certain municipal overburden protections to prevent a school district from receiving a reduction in State school aid. Pursuant to the bill, an SDA district would not be subject to a reduction in State school aid if it is located in a municipality in which the equalized total tax rate is greater than the Statewide average equalized total tax rate for the most recently available calendar year and if the district is spending below adequacy. In the case of a school district other than an SDA district, the district would not be subject to a reduction in State school aid if it is located in a municipality in which the equalized total tax rate is at least 10 percent greater than the Statewide average equalized total tax rate for the most recently available calendar year and is spending at least 10 percent below adequacy. These municipal overburden protections would also apply to a regional school district if 50 percent or more of the district's constituent districts or municipalities met either of the aforementioned qualifying criteria. An SDA district that is spending above adequacy would not be subject to a reduction in State school aid that exceeds the amount by which the district is spending above adequacy. The bill also establishes reduction adjustment aid to ensure that the amount of State school aid provided to a school district is not decreased by more than two percent of the district's prebudget year total operating budget. The total operating budget is defined as the sum of a district's general fund revenues from local sources, State sources, federal sources, and other sources, less any withdrawals from reserve accounts and reimbursements for extraordinary special education aid. Additionally, the bill makes certain changes to the Educational Adequacy Report, which is submitted to the Legislature every three years to update the various parameters used to calculate State aid to school districts. Pursuant to the bill, the Commissioner of Education may initiate a review of certain elements of the school funding formula, including the metrics for adjusting costs in intervening years between reports. Additionally, the bill requires that a draft of the Educational Adequacy Report be made available for public comment for at least 30 days, during which time members of the public may provide remarks on the draft report at public hearings to be held at various locations across the State and through the submission of written and electronic testimony. During the development of the next Educational Adequacy Report following enactment of this bill, the commissioner is to engage a diverse group of stakeholders to review and make recommendations concerning: the calculation of a district's local share and whether the metrics used are best able to estimate a district's potential adjusted tax levy; the impact and feasibility of using multi-year averages in the calculation of local share; the abilities of the Department of Education and school districts to predict and anticipate State school aid amounts from year to year; and possible methods of improving upon the existing preschool funding methodology. Finally, the bill establishes the Special Education Funding Review Task Force for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of State aid provided to support special education costs, examining the possibility of a tier-based model for special education funding, and making recommendations regarding the implementation of a tier-based funding model. The task force is to consist of 11 members, each of whom is to have a background in, or special knowledge of, the legal, policy, and administrative aspects of special education in New Jersey. The task force is to issue a final report detailing its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later than one year after the organization of the task force. | In Committee |
| A5308 | Requires Director of Division of Local Government Services in DCA to establish grant program to enhance local government efficiency; appropriates $1.5 million. | This bill requires the Director of the Division of Local Government Services (division) in the Department of Community Affairs to establish a local government unit management enhancement review grant program. The purpose of the program is to provide grants to local government units to contract with management enhancement review consultants, as defined in the bill, to conduct local government unit efficiency reviews and to make recommendations to streamline operations and reduce costs. Under the bill, to participate in the program, a local government is required to submit an application to the division detailing the local government unit's proposed plans for the grant funding, including, but not limited to:· the amount of grant funding being sought by the local government unit; · a description of how the grant funding will be used to conduct an efficiency review; and· the proposed sources of matching funding to be used by the local government unit to conduct the efficiency review. Under the bill, after reviewing the applications, the Director of the division is required to select local government units to receive a management enhancement review grant. In selecting grant recipients, the director is to consider factors specified in the bill. The maximum grant award under the program is $150,000 for a county-based local government unit and $100,000 for a municipal-based local government unit. The bill requires a local government unit that receives a grant under the program to contribute 25 percent of the grant award amount to the management enhancement review. Within one year of receiving a grant, each participating local government unit is required to submit a report to the director detailing:· the expenditures of the grant funds under the program; · the specific shared services, operating efficiencies, or improved delivery of services achieved as a result of the management enhancement review; and· the specific cost savings achieved as a result of the shared services, operating efficiencies, or improved delivery of services. The director is required to compile the reports submitted for inclusion in a comparative profile of the participating local government units and to post the profile for public inspection on the division's Internet website in an easily accessible location. The bill appropriates $1.5 million from the General Fund to the division to provide grants to local government units to effectuate the purposes of the bill. | In Committee |
| A5135 | Establishes central registry for, and provides for informational outreach to, senior citizens living in New Jersey. | This bill requires the Division of Aging Services (division) in the Department of Human Services to establish and maintain a voluntary central registry of senior citizens residing in this State. The information in the central registry will be used for the purposes of compiling statistical information on the number of senior citizens living in the State and providing wellness check calls during emergencies and information on services and programs for senior citizens. The division will be authorized to receive death record notifications from the New Jersey Electronic Death Registration System concerning the death any of individual registered with the division pursuant to this bill for the purposes of updating the central registry. A person who is 65 years or older may apply to the division for inclusion in the registry and will provide the division with the following information: the person's name, date of birth, address, income level, and contact information. A person who registers pursuant to this bill may subsequently request through the registry to have the person's information removed from the registry. The Commissioner of Human Services will not remove the information until 21 days following the person's request. The commissioner will subsequently destroy all records associated with that person's registration and remove that person's name from the registry. Information on senior citizens compiled pursuant to this bill may be used by the division and agencies designated by the commissioner for the purposes of carrying out this bill, but otherwise the information will be confidential and not divulged or made public so as to disclose the identity of any person to whom it relates, except as provided by law. Information regarding a person's inclusion in the registry will not be deemed a public record. The division will conduct a Statewide multi-media public awareness campaign in English and Spanish to raise awareness among individuals, who are age 64 years or older, regarding the central registry established pursuant to this bill. | In Committee |
| A5048 | Enhances protections under Law Against Discrimination for persons serving in military and military veterans. | This bill enhances certain protections under the Law Against Discrimination ("LAD"). Military Service. Currently, the LAD bars discrimination based on "liability for service in the Armed Forces of the United States." The bill broadens this provision to specifically bar discrimination against persons currently serving in the military and military veterans. The bill defines this additional protected class of persons as those in active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States or National Guard, and those who have been discharged or released from active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States or National Guard. Job Protection for Military Service. The bill makes it an unlawful employment practice under the LAD for employers to deny reemployment to employees who take leave for military service. This provision is in compliance with the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, 18 U.S.C. s.4301 et seq. Gender-neutral Language. Under the bill, gendered language in the LAD is changed to gender-neutral language. For example, in N.J.S.A.10:5-39, the provision in the LAD that sets out an affirmative action program for veterans, the bill replaces the phrase "soldier, sailor, marine, airman, nurse or army field clerk" with "enlisted person or officer." Unlawful Discrimination. The bill adds the term "unlawful" before "discrimination" throughout the LAD to clarify that the LAD prohibits only unlawful discrimination. The LAD does not apply to discrimination that may be lawful. For example, practices that result in a disproportionately negative impact on members of a protected class constitute unlawful discrimination only if the entity engaging in the practices cannot show that it is using the practices for a substantial, legitimate, nondiscriminatory interest or cannot show that there is a less discriminatory alternative that meets that interest. | In Committee |
| A4612 | Increases resource threshold limit for certain Medicaid eligibility groups. | Increases resource threshold limit for certain Medicaid eligibility groups. | In Committee |
| A4810 | Requires NJ FamilyCare reimbursement for comprehensive medication management services provided for certain children by licensed pharmacist. | This bill requires the NJ FamilyCare program to provide reimbursement for comprehensive medication management (CMM) services when provided by a licensed clinical pharmacist for a medically complex pediatric patient. "CMM services" is defined as a standard of care by which a clinical pharmacist assesses each of a patient's medications, including prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, and nutritional supplements, to determine that each is appropriate, effective, and safe, given the patient's medical conditions, comorbidities, and other medications. Comprehensive medication management services are provided by a clinical pharmacist as part of a patient's health care team. The bill defines a "clinical pharmacist" as a licensed pharmacist who has completed a clinical residency to acquire expertise in the therapeutic use of medications to ensure optimal patient health outcomes. Clinical pharmacists work as part of a patient's team of healthcare professionals to provide medication therapy evaluations and recommendations to patients and healthcare providers. CMM services for which a clinical pharmacist would receive NJ FamilyCare reimbursement will include:1. comprehensive reviews of a pediatric patient's prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and nutritional supplements;2. development and implementation of patient-specific medication action plans;3. ongoing monitoring of patient adherence to the patient-specific medication action plan;4. follow-up consultations and services necessary to ensure the efficacy and safety of the patient-specific medication action plan; and5. any other CMM services deemed necessary by the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (the division) in the Department of Human Services and the Board of Pharmacy for the appropriate care of a medically complex pediatric patient. The bill directs the division to enter into value-based contracts with licensed clinical pharmacists in order to reimburse for CMM services provided for medically complex pediatric patients. The division also will establish a quality assurance program in order to monitor and evaluate the outcomes and efficacy of the CMM services provided, and ensure that these services align with the division's value-based payment strategies. The division and the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy in the Division of Consumer Affairs will designate the educational, training, and credentialing requirements for licensed clinical pharmacists to provide CMM services. The bill also amends "The New Jersey Pharmacy Practice Act," P.L.2003, c.280 (C.45:14-40 et seq.), to specify that a licensed clinical pharmacist who satisfies the credentialing requirements for the provision of CMM services will not be required to enter into a written agreement with a licensed physician in order to provide CMM services. The bill further amends section 25 of P.L.2003, c.280 to provide that the statutory provisions regulating collaborative drug therapy management will not apply to the provision of CMM services, as provided by a licensed clinical pharmacist. | In Committee |
| A2801 | Renames, extends eligibility, and makes various other changes to Primary Care Practitioner Loan Redemption Program. | Renames, extends eligibility, and makes various other changes to Primary Care Practitioner Loan Redemption Program. | Crossed Over |
| A5271 | Requires health insurance coverage of scalp cooling systems in connection with cancer chemotherapy treatment; requires physicians to inform patients of scalp cooling therapy. | This bill requires health insurance carriers (insurance companies, health, hospital, and medical service corporations, health maintenance organizations, and State and School Employees' Health Benefits Program contracts) to provide coverage for scalp cooling systems used in connection with cancer chemotherapy treatment. Pursuant to the bill, "scalp cooling system" means any device used to cool the human scalp to prevent or reduce hair loss during cancer chemotherapy treatment, so long as the device is designed and intended for repeated use and is primarily and customarily used to serve a medical purpose. In addition, the bill requires physicians administering cancer chemotherapy to a patient to inform the patient, prior to the initiation of treatment, of the availability of scalp cooling therapy as an option to help prevent or reduce hair loss and to maintain a record of the discussion in the patient's medical records. | In Committee |
| A5086 | Revises penalty for underage gambling to be civil penalty; provides for all associated fines to be used for gambling addiction treatment. | Under current law, anyone who gambles at a casino or simulcasting facility while under the legal age of 21 is guilty of a disorderly persons offense. A person who allows someone under the age of 21 to gamble, while they are in that person's legal care or custody, is also guilty of a disorderly persons offense. A licensee or employee of a casino who allows someone under the age of 21 to gamble is guilty of a disorderly persons offense as well. This bill changes the penalties for each of these actions from that of a disorderly persons offense, which is of a criminal nature, to instead be a civil fine of up to $500 for the first offense, up to $1,000 for the second offense, and up to $2,000 for any offense thereafter. The fines collected will used for prevention, education, and treatment programs for compulsive gambling, such as those provided by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. | Crossed Over |
| A3879 | Requires signs to be posted in emergency rooms regarding VCCO. | Requires signs to be posted in emergency rooms regarding VCCO. | Crossed Over |
| A2437 | Requires ingredients of menstrual products to be listed on package. | Requires ingredients of menstrual products to be listed on package. | Crossed Over |
| A4841 | Concerns housing discrimination based on source of lawful income. | Concerns housing discrimination based on source of lawful income. | Crossed Over |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| S684 | Requires telecommunications, cable television, and Internet service providers to allow for service contracts to be paused or canceled following service recipients's admission to long-term care facility. | An Act allowing for service contracts to be paused or canceled following service recipients' admission to certain long-term care facilities and supplementing Title 56 of the Revised Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A3803 | Requires public institution of higher education to readmit student whose enrollment was interrupted due to military service. | This bill requires a public institution of higher education to readmit an undergraduate student who withdrew from the institution due to the student's service in the uniformed services, including service in the Armed Forces, or as a member of the National Guard or Reserve, on active duty, active duty for training, or full-time National Guard duty under federal or State authority. Under the bill, the institution is required to readmit the student with the same academic status as the student had when the student last attended the institution. The bill also provides that readmission is to be granted upon written request by the student for the next academic semester beginning after the date of the request. Finally, the bill provides that an institution cannot charge an application or other fee for a readmission request made pursuant to the bill's provisions. This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed. | In Committee |
| A3678 | Renames Juvenile Justice Commission as Youth Justice Commission. | Renames Juvenile Justice Commission as Youth Justice Commission. | In Committee |
| S3179 | Concerns certain emergency operations plans required to be submitted to law enforcement agencies. | An Act concerning certain emergency operations plans and amending P.L.2010, c.78. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3922 | Appropriates $18,518,738 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to NJ Historic Trust for grants for certain historic preservation projects and associated administrative expenses. | An Act appropriating $18,518,738 from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax revenues for the purpose of providing grants, as awarded by the New Jersey Historic Trust, for certain historic preservation projects and associated administrative expenses. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S720 | Requires DCPP to consult with Division of Developmental Disabilities following finding of child abuse or neglect to create services plan for person with developmental disability under certain circumstances. | An Act concerning the Division of Child Protection and Permanency and amending P.L.1974, c.119. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A5231 | Allows veteran service organizations to obtain license to serve members alcoholic beverages. | This bill establishes a veteran's service organization license that would allow certain veteran organizations to sell alcoholic beverages on the licensed premises and only to bona fide members of a veteran's service organization, guests of a bona fide member, affiliated bona fide members of other veteran service organizations, and members of auxiliary organizations that are allied with other veteran's service organizations. The bill defines veteran's service organization as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, or other veterans' organizations chartered under federal law, or any service foundation of such an organization recognized in its bylaws. Under current law, these veteran organizations may obtain a club license to serve alcoholic beverages to members and guests but are prohibited from serving alcoholic beverages to auxiliary and affiliated members. Under the bill, a bona fide member of a veteran's service organization would be permitted to have not more than nine individuals as guests on any one occasion and host private events. The bill prohibits affiliated and auxiliary members from having guests and hosting private events on the premises of a veteran's service organization at which they are not a member. A bona fide member who hosts a private event would be required to provide all of the alcoholic beverages which are to be purchased off the licensed premises. The license holder would be prohibited from selling alcoholic beverages or charging a fee for the consumption of alcoholic beverages at a private event but would be allowed sell food and non-alcoholic beverages for consumption on the licensed premises. | In Committee |
| A5237 | Establishes Advisory Commission on Advancing LGBTQIA+ Youth Equity and Inclusion in Schools. | This bill establishes the Advisory Commission on Advancing LGBTQIA+ Youth Equity and Inclusion in Schools. The commission is to consist of 25 members, including: (1) the Commissioners of Education, Children and Families, Health, and Human Services, ex officio, or their designees; (2) the Attorney General, ex officio, or a designee; (3) the former chairperson of the Anti-Bullying Task Force; (4) four public members appointed by the President of the Senate and four public members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, all of whom are to have demonstrated expertise in issues relating to the work of the commission; and (5) 11 public members of the education community appointed by the Governor. The bill stipulates that, to the greatest extent practicable, at the time of appointment, the initial members are to be members of the Advisory Commission on Advancing LGBTQIA+ Youth Equity and Inclusion in Schools established pursuant to Executive Order No. 361 of 2024. The commission is to:· review State and local educational policies and practices that impact LGBTQIA+ students;· identify best practices for ensuring inclusive and supportive school environments for LGBTQIA+ students;· recommend strategies to address and prevent bullying, harassment, and discrimination against LGBTQIA+ students; · recommend ways to support districts in implementing statutory and regulatory requirements to include instruction on the political, economic, and social contributions of LGBTQIA+ figures in an appropriate place in the curriculum;· recommend ways to support the mental health and well-being of LGBTQIA+ students; · advise on professional development and training best practices for educators and school administrators regarding LGBTQIA+ issues; and · advise the Governor and the Legislature on other issues relating to ensuring safe and supportive school climates for LGBTQIA+ students. The commission is to submit its initial report to the Governor and the Legislature no later than 180 days after the commission organizes. The commission is to prepare and submit annual reports thereafter containing its findings, activities, and recommendations, including any recommendations for legislative action that it deems appropriate to the Governor and the Legislature. LGBTQIA+ students face unique challenges at school, including bullying, discrimination, and lack of access to supportive resources. Over the years, the State has implemented various initiatives to create inclusive school environments. On June 17, 2024, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order No. 361 establishing an executive branch Advisory Commission on Advancing LGBTQIA+ Youth Equity and Inclusion in Schools. This commission is to provide advice to the executive branch to support Department of Education's efforts to advance LGBTQIA+ equity in schools. The Legislature strongly supports the executive branch's commitment to ensuring inclusive school environments for LGBTQIA+ students. It is the sponsor's intent to establish a permanent commission to study these issues and recommend legislation to ensure LGBTQIA+ students are shielded from discrimination in New Jersey's schools. | In Committee |
| S715 | Requires AG to establish rape kit tracking system. | An Act concerning sexual assault forensic evidence kits and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A3899 | Creates pilot program to provide corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for value of certain fruit and vegetable donations made by commercial farm operators. | Creates pilot program to provide corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for value of certain fruit and vegetable donations made by commercial farm operators. | 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 |
| A5162 | Makes FY2025 supplemental appropriation of $10 million for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Grant Program. | The bill supplements the FY2025 appropriations act by appropriating $10 million to the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness to create a grant program for State and local officials to purchase equipment or training necessary to address sightings of unidentifiable Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as drones. The recent surge in mass sightings of UAS and unexplained usage of this technology in national airspace is disconcerting to the citizens of New Jersey and a potential threat to critical infrastructure. This supplemental appropriation provides needed funds to support State and local law enforcement in safeguarding vital assets and ensuring strict adherence to all regulations and requirements associated with UAS ownership and operation in New Jersey. | In Committee |
| A2104 | Requires DEP to prioritize funding for certain projects for acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes and certain environmental infrastructure projects that include, or allow for, flood mitigation projects. | This bill would direct the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide additional priority points to certain applicants that seek funding, for Blue Acres projects and for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects. Specifically, under the bill, projects that include, or allow for, a flood mitigation project to occur onsite would receive additional priority points in the ranking for funding pursuant to the respective program. The DEP would factor these additional points into its calculations when establishing: (1) the list of projects eligible to receive "Blue Acres funding"; (2) the "clean water project priority list," pursuant to section 20 of P.L.1985, c.334 (C.58:11B-20); and (3) the "drinking water project priority list," pursuant to section 24 of P.L.1997, c.224 (C.58:11B-20.1). As used in the bill, "Blue Acres project" means any project of the State or a qualifying tax exempt nonprofit organization to acquire, for recreation and conservation purposes, lands that have been damaged by, or may be prone to incurring damage caused by, storms or storm-related flooding, or that may buffer or protect other lands from such damage. | Crossed Over |
| A4229 | Requires NJEDA to establish loan program to assist beginning farmers in financing capital purchases. | Requires NJEDA to establish loan program to assist beginning farmers in financing capital purchases. | Crossed Over |
| A2102 | Exempts community gardens operating on-site composting systems or other systems of managing organic waste from certain DEP permits under certain conditions. | This bill would exempt a community garden that operates an on-site composting system, or other on-site system of managing organic waste in accordance with the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) standards for recycling, from any permits required by the DEP pursuant to the "Solid Waste Management Act," P.L.1970, c.39 (C.13:1E-1 et seq.), the "New Jersey Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act," P.L.1987, c.102 (C.13:1E-99.11 et al.), the "Air Pollution Control Act (1954)," P.L.1954, c.212 (C.26:2C-1 et seq.), or the "Water Pollution Control Act," P.L.1977, c.74 (C.58:10A-1 et seq.), or any rules or regulations adopted pursuant thereto. To be eligible for the exemption provided by the bill: (1) the system may not accept more than 200 gallons per week of source separated food waste, except that a community garden located on property that is 5,000 square feet or larger in size may accept source separated food waste in an amount equal to 200 gallons per week per 5,000 square feet of property; and (2) the compost generated from the system is to be used on-site for the community garden or be given away or offered for sale in accordance with the requirements of the DEP providing for the disposition of processed Class C recyclable materials. As defined in the bill, "community garden" means any publicly or privately owned piece of land maintained and cultivated as a garden by members of the surrounding community. | Crossed Over |
| ACR148 | Urges federal government to develop protocols for State and local law enforcement to respond to drones. | This resolution urges the President, Congress, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to develop protocols and mechanisms for State and local law enforcement to investigate and respond to threats posed by unidentified unmanned aircraft, also known as drones. Currently, the Federal Aviation Administration is not authorized to delegate formal enforcement functions to State and local governments. This resolution requests that the federal government expand the powers of State and local law enforcement to mitigate aerial threats to public safety. New Jersey has recently experienced a surge in sightings of drones. The drones appear to be larger than any craft a hobbyist would be permitted to own. These sightings, which have occurred on the heels of similar sightings of drone activity on United States military bases in England, have occurred in several counties and usually happen between dusk and dawn. Troublingly, many have been spotted over sensitive locations such as military installations, the Round Valley Reservoir, and a residence of the President-elect. It is the sponsor's intent to provide the law enforcement professionals of New Jersey with the authority and means to investigate and mitigate threats posed by unidentified drones. | In Committee |
| A4220 | Revises Statewide transfer agreements for transfer of academic credit and reverse credit at participating institutions of higher education; establishes New Jersey Transfer Ombudsperson within Office of Secretary of Higher Education. | Revises Statewide transfer agreements for transfer of academic credit and reverse credit at participating institutions of higher education; establishes New Jersey Transfer Ombudsperson within Office of Secretary of Higher Education. | Crossed Over |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| A2845 | Authorizes funding to protect safety of cooperating witnesses; expands Crime Victim's Bill of Rights to provide these witnesses with certain guarantees. | Authorizes funding to protect safety of cooperating witnesses; expands Crime Victim's Bill of Rights to provide these witnesses with certain guarantees. | Crossed Over |
| ACR138 | Honors 40th anniversary of Jersey Fresh program. | This concurrent resolution honors the 40th anniversary of the Jersey Fresh program. The agricultural industry is critical to ensuring New Jersey residents have access to healthy food and plays a key role in the State's economy by helping to keep property taxes low, increase property values, and garner State revenue. In 1984, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture established the Jersey Fresh program, the first in the nation state-sponsored agricultural commodity marketing and quality grading program, to promote the State's agricultural industry. The Jersey Fresh program helps support family owned farms across New Jersey through its marketing campaigns that inform shoppers of what produce is in season and encourage consumers to shop local. The Jersey Fresh program's distinct label placed on locally harvested produce assists consumers easily differentiate fruits and vegetables grown in New Jersey from other produce in the marketplace. The Jersey Fresh program encourages consumers to purchase locally grown produce through its quality and freshness guarantees. Specifically, the Jersey Fresh quality grading program requires Jersey Fresh produce to meet U.S. No. 1 Fresh for Processing grade or better. With this added quality assurance, the Jersey Fresh label guarantees that its produce was freshly harvested in New Jersey, has been inspected, and meets high quality standards. The Jersey Fresh program has demonstrated success in increasing New Jersey consumers' awareness of, and willingness to purchase, locally harvested produce. Consumer recognition of Jersey Fresh products has extended beyond the State to the mid-Atlantic and New England markets and, in 2020, was on par with that of other major national brands. Today, the Jersey Fresh program is recognized as a national model for other state-sponsored agricultural branding programs. The Jersey Fresh program's innovative marketing strategies have contributed to the program's longevity and popularity. New Jersey produces over 100 types of fruits and vegetables and is nationally ranked in the top 10 producers of blueberries, peaches, bell peppers, squash, tomatoes, and cranberries. The Jersey Fresh program has expanded across the State and is available to New Jersey residents in every county, including at over 2,000 On-Farm Markets run by local New Jersey farmers, community farmers markets, major retail stores, wineries, breweries, and distilleries. The Jersey Fresh program's popularity and demonstrated success has also inspired related programs modeled after the Jersey Fresh program, including the Made with Jersey Fresh program, which identifies processed food made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients; the Jersey Grown program, which advertises New Jersey grown plants, trees, shrubs, and flowers; the Jersey Raised program, which markets livestock raised in New Jersey; and the Jersey Seafood program, which promotes aquacultured and wild-caught fish and seafood products harvested off of New Jersey's coast. | Crossed Over |
| A1657 | Permits certain mental health professionals working in school districts to refer or help facilitate referral of students to professional counselors. | Permits certain mental health professionals working in school districts to refer or help facilitate referral of students to professional counselors. | Crossed Over |
| AJR89 | Condemns hate in all forms and especially all hate and bias crimes. | Condemns hate in all forms and especially all hate and bias crimes. | Crossed Over |
| A4475 | Establishes standards for court-ordered counseling for domestic violence offenders. | This bill establishes standards for court-ordered counseling for domestic violence offenders. Under current law, the court may order a defendant charged with a crime or offense involving domestic violence who has been released pending trial, or as part of a final restraining order issued by the court in a domestic violence matter, to receive professional domestic violence counseling from either a private source or a source appointed by the court. If ordered to participate in this counseling, the defendant would be required to provide the court with documentation of attendance. Under the bill, any domestic violence counseling program in which a defendant participates based on a court order issued in a domestic violence matter would be required to facilitate defender accountability and include the following components: (1) risk assessments that identify dynamics of domestic violence and escalating risk factors, and include information provided by the courts; (2) information and education concerning the tactics of power and control and the understanding of domestic violence as a domination and control issue; (3) a protocol to demonstrate the defendant's attendance in programming, and additional reporting as requested by the court to support a prompt and effective review by the court for noncompliance; and (4) regular reviews of the program and compliance by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families for Batterers' Intervention Programs funded by the Department of Children and Families. This bill implements Recommendation #28 of the June 2023 report of the Reconvened Joint Committee on Criminal Justice. | Crossed Over |
| A5151 | Allows public bodies to continue using newspapers for required public notices and legal advertisements until certain specified date regardless of format. | An Act allowing publication of required public notices and legal advertisements in certain newspapers for extended period regardless of format. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A5152 | Reschedules June 2025 primary election date; provides for adjustment of certain election related deadlines. | An Act concerning the date of the June 2025 primary election and adjustment of certain election related deadlines. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A3853 | Extends certain pay parity regarding telemedicine and telehealth until July 1, 2026. | An Act regarding telemedicine and telehealth and amending P.L.2021, c.310. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| AR173 | Urges federal government to investigate unidentified drones operating in NJ airspace. | This resolution affirms support for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the program's progress in reducing hunger among vulnerable populations in New Jersey. The resolution urges the United States Congress to reject the proposed federal cuts to SNAP. On May 14, 2025, to achieve a minimum $1.5 trillion cut from the federal budget over a ten year period, the House Agriculture Committee voted in favor of a bill that would reduce up to $300 billion in food aid funding, largely aimed at SNAP. In New Jersey, SNAP is a critical resource for residents, with nearly 850,000 individuals, or nine percent of the total population, relying on the program's benefits to feed their families. A significant number of the households that participate in SNAP include some of the State's most vulnerable members: the elderly, disabled, veterans, and children. The New Jersey General Assembly supports State and federal collaboration to identify programmatic efficiencies within SNAP; however, budgetary cost savings implemented at the expense of striping income-limited children, seniors, and families of safety net food and nutrition services is unconscionable. The General Assembly urges Congress to reject these drastic proposed federal funding reductions, or any subsequent proposals, and to maintain SNAP as an accessible resource for those in need of food assistance. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| AR82 | Urges NJ DOH to increase public awareness on effects of xylazine. | Urges NJ DOH to increase public awareness on effects of xylazine. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A908 | Requires AG to establish rape kit tracking system. | This bill requires the Attorney General to establish a sexual assault forensic evidence (SAFE) kit, commonly referred to as a rape kit, tracking system. Under the bill, the Attorney General is to issue guidelines or a directive establishing the system. The bill defines a "sexual assault forensic evidence kit tracking system" as an Internet-based system that allows a person, including a victim; a State, county, or municipal law enforcement officer; an employee of a healthcare facility or laboratory, as deemed appropriate by the Attorney General; and any other person, as deemed appropriate by the Attorney General, to track a sexual assault forensic evidence kit through the chain of custody from the time of collection at a healthcare facility to the transfer to a local law enforcement agency, submission to a laboratory, and final disposition. | In Committee |
| A5120 | Appropriates $18,518,738 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to NJ Historic Trust for grants for certain historic preservation projects and associated administrative expenses. | The bill appropriates $18,518,738 to the New Jersey Historic Trust for grants for certain historic preservation projects contained in the bill and associated administrative expenses. The funding in this bill is provided from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax (CBT) revenues pursuant to Article VIII, Section II, paragraph 6 of the State Constitution, approved by the voters of the State in November 2014. The "Preserve New Jersey Act" implements the constitutional dedication of CBT revenues for open space, farmland, and historic preservation. The "Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund" was established by section 9 of the "Preserve New Jersey Act." The funding contained in this bill will be used by the New Jersey Historic Trust to provide capital preservation grants for 43 projects, totaling $15,031,000 (listed in subsection b. of section 1 of the bill), and historic site management grants, including heritage tourism initiatives, for 34 projects, totaling $1,467,738 (listed in subsection c. of section 1 of the bill). In addition, of the funding, $100,000 will be used by the New Jersey Historic Trust to purchase a historic preservation easement. Lastly, the bill appropriates $1,920,000 to the New Jersey Historic Trust for administrative expenses incurred in the implementation of the "Preserve New Jersey Act." Capital preservation grants fund the restoration, preservation, repair, and rehabilitation of historic sites for new or continued use by nonprofit organizations or local governments. There are three levels of capital preservation grants: Level I grants of $5,000 to $150,000; Level II grants of $150,001 to $750,000; and Multi-Phase Level II grants range of $500,000 to $750,000. Historic site management grants help fund preservation planning projects, such as condition assessments, historic structure reports, archaeological investigations, construction documents, and heritage tourism initiatives to improve visitors' experiences at historic sites. All of the grants require a match from the recipient. All of the properties are listed or eligible to be listed in the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places, either individually or within designated historic districts. The projects listed in this bill have been approved by the New Jersey Historic Trust and the Garden State Preservation Trust. The bill also provides that any transfer of any funds to another project, or change in project sponsor, site, or type, listed in the bill would require the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee. The bill further provides that, to the extent there are funds remaining after the projects listed in this bill are offered funding, the New Jersey Historic Trust, with the approval of the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, may use those funds to provide additional funding for historic preservation projects, provided those projects were previously approved for funding pursuant to various other laws or approved for funding pursuant to this bill. | In Committee |
| A2334 | Requires telecommunications, cable television, and Internet service providers to allow for service contracts to be paused or canceled following service recipient's admission to long-term care facility. | Requires telecommunications, cable television, and Internet service providers to allow for service contracts to be paused or canceled following service recipient's admission to long-term care facility. | In Committee |
| A4168 | Requires DCPP to consult with Division of Developmental Disabilities following finding of child abuse or neglect to create services plan for person with developmental disability under certain circumstances. | Under current law, if the court finds that a person who has abused or neglected a child appears to be in need of therapeutic services, the court may order the person to accept such services or an evaluation for services. The services ordered by the court may include, but are not limited to, homemaker services, functional education, and professional therapy. This bill would provide that in cases where the person has a developmental disability and is eligible for services provided by the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) in the Department of Human Services, the Division of Child Protection and Permanency would be required make reasonable efforts to consult with DDD to create a plan for services for the person. DDD would also be required to determine an appropriate method to offer the services based on the person's disability. | In Committee |
| A2941 | Concerns certain emergency operations plans required to be submitted to law enforcement agencies. | This bill concerns certain emergency operations plans that are required to be submitted to law enforcement agencies. Under current law, all sports and entertainment facilities, movie theaters, and places of worship are required to annually prepare an emergency operations plan in coordination with the appropriate local fire, law enforcement, and emergency response agencies. A copy of the plan is to be filed with the municipal emergency management coordinator and the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality in which the sports and entertainment facility, movie theater, or place of worship is situated. The plan is required to include a copy of the building plans or building layout that identifies the internal and external access routes. Under the provisions of this bill, all sports and entertainment facilities, movie theaters, and places of worship are required to file the emergency operations plan in an electronic format that is compatible with public safety software systems. In addition, the bill requires the emergency operations plan to include emergency mapping data. The bill defines "emergency mapping data" as a digital representation of a building's interior and exterior that is verified for accuracy by a person and provided to public safety officials as set forth under current law electronically and in a printable format through existing public safety software systems. The bill requires the emergency mapping data to include an aerial image of the building; a geospatially referenced floor plan or building schematic; site specific labeling of rooms, suite numbers, and key features; locations of hazardous material and utility shut-offs; and any other relevant information. Current law defines "place of worship" to mean a building capable of seating more than 500 people, including but not limited to a church, mosque, or synagogue, used primarily as a place of public or private worship on a permanent basis by a recognized and established religious sect or denomination registered as a not-for-profit organization pursuant to current law. This bill changes that definition from a building capable of seating more than 500 people to a building capable of seating more than 300 people. It is the intent of the sponsor to bring the provisions of this law in line with the provisions of current law requiring schools to submit certain data regarding school buildings and grounds to law enforcement. | In Committee |
| A5149 | Reschedules June 2025 primary election date; provides for adjustment of date on which primary elections will be held if date coincides with period of religious observance. | This bill reschedules the June 3, 2025 primary to take place on June 10, 2025, the following Tuesday, in order to accommodate a period of religious observance. The bill requires the Secretary of State to inform all county clerks, county boards of election, superintendents of elections, municipal clerks, and members of the public at large in this State of the rescheduled primary election day no later than seven days following the effective date of this bill. The Secretary of State will also be required to make all necessary adjustments to all deadlines required to be met ahead of a primary election pursuant to Title 19 of the Revised Statutes, and publish a calendar containing the adjusted dates to be used for the 2025 primary election pursuant to the bill This bill also requires the Secretary of State to reschedule the date of primary elections in any future year if the date of the primary elections coincides with a period of religious observance that limits significantly the usual activities of the followers of a particular religion or that would result in significant religious consequences for such followers. In such a scenario, the secretary must inform all county clerks, county boards of election, superintendents of elections, municipal clerks, and members of the public at large in this State of the rescheduled primary election no later than the first working day in January of the year in which the rescheduled election is to occur. Whenever the date of a primary election is rescheduled, the Secretary of State will be required to make all necessary adjustments to all deadlines required to be met ahead of a primary election pursuant to Title 19 of the Revised Statutes, and publish a calendar containing the adjusted dates to be used for that primary election pursuant to the bill. The bill defines "a period of religious observance" as any day or portion thereof on which a religious observance imposes a substantial burden on an individual's ability to vote in person on election day. | In Committee |
| S1430 | Provides for expanded use of affordable housing voucher program funding. | An Act concerning use of affordable housing vouchers for homeownership expenses, amending P.L.2004, c.140, and supplementing P.L.1992, c.79 (C.40A:12A-1 et seq.). | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3611 | Provides grant to study and map mental health care resources for children; makes appropriation. | An Act concerning mental health services for children, supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| 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 |
| SJR71 | Designates first week of May of each year as Wounded Warrior Appreciation Week. | This joint resolution designates the first full week of May of each year as Wounded Warrior Appreciation Week in New Jersey. With advancements in battlefield medicine and body armor, an unprecedented percentage of military service members are surviving severe wounds and injures in the service of the United States. It is estimated that during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, over 48,000 servicemen and women were physically injured. In addition to the physical wounds, it is estimated that as many as 400,000 service members live with the invisible wounds of war including combat-related stress, major depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, with another 320,000 believed to have experienced a traumatic brain injury while on deployment. This State should honor and empower all wounded warriors, encouraging them in their adjustment to civilian life and achievement of their goals. Designates first week of May of each year as Wounded Warrior Appreciation Week. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4672 | Changes certain Mobility and Transportation Innovation Pilot Program requirements; appropriates $20 million. | This bill amends current law that established the Mobility and Transportation Innovation Pilot Program (program) to expand the program's ability to award grants to local government units and transit agencies to fund public transportation projects throughout the State. Under current law, the program is only authorized to award grants to local government units and transit agencies to fund transportation projects within Mercer County. The bill also establishes additional criteria for the Commissioner of Transportation (commissioner) to consider when approving applications for the program. Specifically, the commissioner is required to consider the degree to which the proposed transportation projects: (1) improve transit system performance; (2) remove barriers to mobility, especially for travelers with disabilities and those without a personal vehicle; (3) improve mobility in disadvantaged communities, such as low-income areas and areas lacking existing public transportation; (4) accelerate deployment of advanced transit technologies, including shared-use mobility services; (5) deliver economic benefits through enhanced mobility; (6) improve safety by reducing roadway collisions; and (7) improve environmental sustainability, particularly by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The bill provides that in order to qualify for a program grant, the transportation project is required to: (1) enable persons without a smartphone or credit card to access transportation services made available through the project and (2) include wheelchair-accessible vehicles and an accessible mobile application as accessibility features that accommodate the mobility needs of persons with disabilities. Finally, the bill appropriates $20 million from the General Fund to the Department of Transportation to support the program, which is in addition to $2 million that was appropriated to the program when the program was first established. | In Committee |
| SJR103 | Declares NJ "Purple Heart State." | This resolution declares New Jersey a "Purple Heart State." New Jersey veterans and active duty military members have fought selflessly to preserve our nation's freedom, with many being wounded or killed while in the line of duty. The Purple Heart Medal is awarded in the name of the President to veterans and active duty military members who have been wounded or killed while serving in our nation's Armed Forces. The recipients of the Purple Heart Medal deserve recognition and honor for the bravery that recipients have shown while serving our nation. Three states, including West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, are declared "Purple Heart States." Parts of 45 states are part of the "Purple Heart Trail," a symbolic and honorary system of roads, highways, bridges and other monuments that give tribute to the veterans and active duty military members who have been awarded the Purple Heart Medal. New Jersey has multiple counties, cities, and locations that are part of the "Purple Heart Trail." The "Purple Heart Trail" was established at the 1992 Military Order of the Purple Heart convention, which was held in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Declaring New Jersey a "Purple Heart State" honors the contributions and sacrifices of the New Jersey service members who have received the Purple Heart Medal. Purple Heart Medal recipients from the State have been vital in maintaining the freedoms and way of life enjoyed by the State's citizens. The people of New Jersey have great respect, admiration, and the utmost gratitude for all of the service members who have selflessly served our country and the State. Therefore, it is altogether fitting and proper to declare New Jersey a "Purple Heart State." Declares NJ "Purple Heart State." | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A5078 | Prohibits aquaculture of any species of octopus for purpose of human consumption. | This bill prohibits the aquaculture of any species of octopus for the purpose of human consumption. In addition, this bill prohibits a business entity from selling, possessing, or transporting any species of octopus that is the result or product of aquaculture. Any violation of the bill's provisions would be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000, and each day during which the violation continues would constitute an additional, separate, and distinct offense. The practice of octopus aquaculture has raised ethical and environmental concerns due to the highly advanced cognitive abilities and complex behaviors exhibited by these animals. Octopus farming practices and conditions, including inadequate living environments and confinement, may subject octopus to significant stress and suffering, compromise their well-being, and lead to adverse behavioral changes. As carnivores, octopuses require a high-protein diet sourced from wild fish and shellfish which could substantially increase demand on marine resources, further depleting fish stocks and disrupting marine ecosystems. Additionally, octopus aquaculture poses further risks to the marine ecosystems due to the heightened potential for the spread of infectious pathogens, which may impact other marine species and ecosystems. | In Committee |
| A4297 | Requires issuance of raincheck for unavailable good or service advertised by digital coupon. | This bill requires the issuance of rainchecks for goods or services advertised by digital coupon. Under the bill, if an item advertised to the public by a person who sells or offers for sale goods or services at a retail location is not currently available in stock, as advertised to the public in a digital coupon, the person is required to provide a raincheck for not less than 60 days, which would allow the consumer to obtain the same product, service, or benefit at the same price, discount or on the same terms and conditions as that provided by the digital coupon. 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 |
| A3505 | Establishes protected leave under "Family Leave Act" and family temporary disability leave benefits for bereavement for death of child, miscarriage, stillbirth, and certain other circumstances. | Establishes protected leave under "Family Leave Act" and family temporary disability leave benefits for bereavement for death of child, miscarriage, stillbirth, and certain other circumstances. | Crossed Over |
| A4174 | Clarifies consent to being photographed, filmed, or recorded in a sexual manner does not include or imply consent to disclosure of image. | This bill amends the invasion of privacy statute, N.J.S.A.2C:14-9, to clarify that a person's consent to being photographed, filmed, videotaped, recorded, observed, or otherwise having their nude, sexual, or sexually suggestive image reproduced is not be construed to include or imply the person's consent to the disclosure of such image. The bill also requires that a person's consent to disclosure is strictly construed to be limited only to the express purpose for which consent was obtained. Under current law, a person's consent to the taking of the image could be construed to also waive any restriction on the subsequent disclosure of the image. Under the bill, taking an image and disclosing an image are two separate acts that require two separate instances of consent. | Crossed Over |
| S3608 | Permits restaurants and certain alcoholic beverage retailers and manufacturers to conduct business within designated outdoor space or on public sidewalk. | An Act concerning outdoor sale of food and alcoholic beverages and supplementing Title 40 of the Revised Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S2652 | Revises statutory terms pertaining to sexual exploitation or abuse of children. | An Act concerning certain criminal offenses involving sexual exploitation or abuse of children and amending various parts of the statutory law. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S3201 | Upgrades certain penalties for assaulting law enforcement officer and requires offender to be tested for communicable diseases in certain instances. | An Act upgrading certain penalties for assault and requiring testing for communicable diseases, and revising various parts of statutory law. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| 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 |
| A5042 | Requires public entities purchase five percent of goods and services from Central Nonprofit Agency; requires Division of Purchase and Property establish training protocols for all purchasing agents; grants Central Nonprofit Agency right of first refusal. | Under current law, State and local government agencies and political subdivisions of the State that are authorized to purchase goods and services are required to make a good faith effort to purchase five percent of such goods and services through the Central Nonprofit Agency, an agency established by the "Rehabilitation Facilities Set-Aside Act." Under the bill, such State and local government agencies and political subdivisions of the State will be required to purchase five percent of goods and services through the Central Nonprofit Agency. The bill clarifies reporting and oversight requirements. Under the bill, the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury must submit a report of purchasing data to the Central Nonprofit Agency for the Rehabilitation Facilities Set-Aside program no more than six months after the effective date of this bill, and on a quarterly basis thereafter. In addition, the Department of the Treasury will be required to report annually to the Governor and the Legislature detailing the compliance of State and local government entities and political subdivisions with the purchasing thresholds. The bill also provides that the Division of Purchase and Property, in collaboration with the Central Nonprofit Agency, must establish training protocols for all purchasing agents employed by State or local government entities or political subdivisions required to meet the purchasing thresholds. The bill also provides that the Central Nonprofit Agency will have a right of first refusal for all goods and services that may otherwise be purchased through a cooperative purchasing agreement catalog so long as the Central Nonprofit Agency can deliver the goods or services that would otherwise be purchased through a cooperative purchasing agreement catalog at a price that is within 15 percent of fair market value. The "Rehabilitation Facilities Set-Aside Act" assists persons who are blind or have a severe disability with achieving maximum personal independence through productive employment by assuring a continuous market for their goods and services, which are produced at qualified rehabilitation facilities and distributed through the Central Nonprofit Agency. The Central Nonprofit Agency is designated by the Commissioner of the Department of Human Services to facilitate the distribution of orders received from various State agencies as provided in the "Rehabilitation Facilities Set-Aside Act." This bill furthers the goals of the "Rehabilitation Facilities Set-Aside Act" to assist in the productive employment of individuals with special needs. | In Committee |
| A4706 | Revises statutes implementing certain property tax relief programs pursuant to recommendations promulgated by Stay NJ Task Force. | An Act concerning the Stay NJ property tax benefit program and amending and supplementing various parts of the statutory law. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4447 | Allows certain health care practitioners referrals to pharmacies to be made in accordance with certain professional standards. | An Act concerning health care practitioner referrals and amending P.L.1989, c.19. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| AJR25 | Designates first week of May of each year as Wounded Warrior Appreciation Week. | This joint resolution designates the first full week of May of each year as Wounded Warrior Appreciation Week in New Jersey. With advancements in battlefield medicine and body armor, an unprecedented percentage of military service members are surviving severe wounds and injures in the service of the United States. It is estimated that during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, over 48,000 servicemen and women were physically injured. In addition to the physical wounds, it is estimated that as many as 400,000 service members live with the invisible wounds of war including combat-related stress, major depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, with another 320,000 believed to have experienced a traumatic brain injury while on deployment. This State should honor and empower all wounded warriors, encouraging them in their adjustment to civilian life and achievement of their goals. | In Committee |
| A4970 | Provides grant to study and map mental health care resources for children; makes appropriation. | This bill requires the Department of Children and Families to distribute a $1,000,000 grant to the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute to study and map mental health care resources for children. Under the bill, the New Jersey Health Care Quality will be required to assemble a group of stakeholders to: create a comprehensive visual journey map that outlines families' experiences in obtaining mental health care and related support services for their children; identify the eligibility rules for various pediatric mental health care programs and resources available to children in this State, steps and barriers to accessing these programs and services, and how these programs and services may connect, disconnect, or compete; and provide concrete policy suggestions to improve the structure, funding, mission, and interconnectedness of pediatric mental health care programs ensuring that programs are family- and child-focused. The group of stakeholders will consist of: representatives with subject matter expertise in pediatric mental health care services; pediatric mental health care providers; and mental health care program administrators from counties representing the northern, central, and southern regions of New Jersey. Under the bill, New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute will be required to: (1) evaluate the current landscape of pediatric mental health care services across: schools; counties; State agencies including, but not limited to, the Departments of Children and Families, Education, Human Services, and Health; insurers; and the legal system; (2) identify the eligibility rules, covered services, and funding structures for pediatric mental health care programs available to children in this State; (3) conduct qualitative research through interviews and focus groups with families, health care providers, and program administrators across three counties representing the northern, central, and southern regions of New Jersey; (4) review the applicable laws, regulations, and contract terms governing pediatric mental health care services in the State; (5) highlight barriers to care and analyze payment structures, reimbursement rates, and cost-sharing provisions to identify financial barriers to access to pediatric mental health care services; (6) compile and analyze data on pediatric mental health outcomes, stratified by payer type, race, ethnicity, and other relevant characteristics that can identify disparities in access to pediatric mental health care services and pediatric mental health outcomes across different populations; (7) prepare and submit to the Department of Children and Families a document that visually maps the steps a child and family are required to take in order to access mental health care services, covering the initial contact with a mental health care provider to the provision of mental health care and noting all the interactions, required steps, and encountered barriers related to receiving mental health care; and (8) prepare and submit to the Department of Children and Families a document that: summarizes eligibility criteria, coverage details, and payment policies for pediatric mental health care programs available to children in the State; identifies any key issues related to pediatric mental health care and any disparities in mental health outcomes in the State; and includes the advisory group's policy recommendations to pediatric improve mental health care program structures, efficiency, coverage, funding, and interconnectedness. No later than 15 months after the date of enactment of this bill, the Commissioner of Children and Families will submit to the Governor and the Legislature the documents prepared pursuant to the bill. The commissioner will also make the documents available to the public on the Department of Children and Families' Internet website. The bill appropriates from the General Fund to the Department of Children and Families the sum of $1,000,000 to effectuate the purposes of this bill. | In Committee |
| AJR60 | Declares NJ "Purple Heart State." | This resolution declares New Jersey a "Purple Heart State." New Jersey veterans and active duty military members have fought selflessly to preserve our nation's freedom, with many being wounded or killed while in the line of duty. The Purple Heart Medal is awarded in the name of the President to veterans and active duty military members who have been wounded or killed while serving in our nation's Armed Forces. The recipients of the Purple Heart Medal deserve recognition and honor for the bravery that recipients have shown while serving our nation. Three states, including West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, are declared "Purple Heart States." Parts of 45 states are part of the "Purple Heart Trail," a symbolic and honorary system of roads, highways, bridges and other monuments that give tribute to the veterans and active duty military members who have been awarded the Purple Heart Medal. New Jersey has multiple counties, cities, and locations that are part of the "Purple Heart Trail." The "Purple Heart Trail" was established at the 1992 Military Order of the Purple Heart convention, which was held in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Declaring New Jersey a "Purple Heart State" honors the contributions and sacrifices of the New Jersey service members who have received the Purple Heart Medal. Purple Heart Medal recipients from the State have been vital in maintaining the freedoms and way of life enjoyed by the State's citizens. The people of New Jersey have great respect, admiration, and the utmost gratitude for all of the service members who have selflessly served our country and the State. Therefore, it is altogether fitting and proper to declare New Jersey a "Purple Heart State." | In Committee |
| A5008 | Concerns distribution of 9-1-1 System and Emergency Response Trust Fund Account. | This bill expands the purposes funded by the "9-1-1 System and Emergency Response Trust Fund Account." Under this bill, funds credited to the account are to be annually appropriated to pay any costs associated with the recruitment and retention of first responders. The bill also allocates, annually, five percent of funds credited to the account to the New Jersey EMS Task Force, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides emergency medical services throughout New Jersey and regularly collaborates with the State. | In Committee |
| 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 |
| AR165 | Urges President and Congress of United States to enact federal legislation providing proportional property tax relief for honorably discharged veterans having a service-connected permanent disability. | This resolution urges the President and Congress of the United States to enact federal legislation to provide proportional property tax relief for honorably discharged veterans having a service-connected permanent disability. The United States of America and the State of New Jersey are forever grateful to the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces of the United States and who sacrifice their lives to protect the freedoms enjoyed by all citizens of this nation. However, in the course of their selfless sacrifice for this nation, many veterans unfortunately experience permanent disabilities that can limit their ability to support themselves and their families. In recognition of the sacrifice and service of these veterans, it is the responsibility of the federal government to ensure that veterans with service-connected disabilities receive the benefits necessary to enjoy a stable quality of life, without the fear of suffering catastrophic financial hardship. While the State of New Jersey currently provides crucial tax relief to these veterans in the form of a total property tax exemption for veterans with 100 percent service-connected disabilities, this assistance is unfortunately unavailable to veterans who live with similar disabilities in other states. To ensure that all veterans throughout the country receive property tax relief commensurate with the severity of their disabilities, there is an urgent need for the federal government to enact legislation to provide proportional property tax relief for honorably discharged veterans having a service-connected permanent disability. The provision of proportional property tax relief would entitle veterans with a service-connected disability to an annual property tax benefit based on a designated percentage of the property taxes paid by the veteran, as determined by the veteran's disability rating assigned by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. However, to ensure that these benefits target the veterans most in need of assistance, this proportional property tax relief should be limited to those veterans with annual income up to $200,000, and the federal benefits should only be provided for the principal residences of eligible veterans. In providing this proportional property tax relief, the federal government would honor its duty and obligation to support the selfless men and women who sacrificed their well-being for the betterment of this great nation. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4866 | Permits restaurants and certain alcoholic beverage retailers and manufacturers to conduct business within designated outdoor space or on public sidewalk. | Permits restaurants and certain alcoholic beverage retailers and manufacturers to conduct business within designated outdoor space or on public sidewalk. | In Committee |
| A586 | Provides for expanded use of affordable housing voucher program funding. | Provides for expanded use of affordable housing voucher program funding. | In Committee |
| A4872 | Prohibits certain coordination among residential rental property owners who restrict competition with respect to residential dwelling units. | Prohibits certain coordination among residential rental property owners who restrict competition with respect to residential dwelling units. | In Committee |
| A4811 | Makes supplemental appropriation of $20 million for provision of Summer Tuition Aid Grants in summer 2025; provides conditional authority for transfer of additional resources to Summer Tuition Aid Grants account. | A Supplement to the annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, P.L.2024, c.22. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4126 | Revises law requiring school districts, charter schools, nonpublic schools, and contracted service providers to review employment history of prospective employee for allegations of child abuse or sexual misconduct. | This bill makes changes to the current law requiring school districts, charter schools, nonpublic schools, and contracted service providers to review the employment history of certain applicants and any allegations of child abuse or sexual misconduct made against those applicants. Current law requires the Department of Education to develop forms for applicants and employers that may be used to comply with requirements concerning the review of an applicant's employment history. This bill requires the department's Office of Student Protection to develop the forms and requires that the forms be used in complying with the employment history requirements. Current law also requires applicants to positions involving regular contact with students at school districts, charter schools, nonpublic schools, and contracted service providers to provide a list of certain former employers of the applicant within the last 20 years. The bill removes the 20-year limit. Under current law, an applicant who gives false information or willfully fails to disclose information required to be provided under the law may be subject to certain civil penalties up to $500. The bill increases the maximum civil penalty amount to $10,000. The bill further requires the Commissioner of Education to create and maintain a secure and centralized school employee identification database. The purpose of the database is to provide school districts, charter schools, nonpublic schools, and contracted service providers with ready access to any information that may disqualify an individual from being hired by, or continuing employment with, a school district, charter school, nonpublic school, or contracted service provider. The bill requires specific categories of information to be included in the database. The bill directs the commissioner to establish policies and procedures to provide secure access to the database. The commissioner is directed to establish policies and procedures to ensure the accuracy of the information in the database. The bill also directs each school district, charter school, nonpublic school, or contracted service provider to request that the Department of Children and Families conduct a child abuse record information check of its child abuse records to determine if an incident of child abuse or neglect has been substantiated against any applicant to a position involving regular contact with students at the school district, charter school, nonpublic school, or contracted service provider and includes provisions pertaining to how those records are to be secured and used. The bill requires the State Board of Examiners to submit to the commissioner notice of any pending review that may result in the revocation or suspension of an administrative or instructional certificate. This bill also requires the commissioner to audit the hiring records of a school district, charter school, nonpublic school, or contracted service provider holding a contract with a school district, charter school, or nonpublic school to ensure compliance with the provisions of law. The audit is to occur every five years, pursuant to a schedule established by the commissioner. The bill authorizes the commissioner to conduct random audits. Additionally, the bill permits the commissioner to contract with a qualified third party to conduct the audits. Under the bill, if the commissioner determines the hiring practices do not comply with the law, but the noncompliance does not pose an immediate threat to the safety or wellbeing of students or staff of the school, then the commissioner is to issue recommendations for compliance with the law to the school district, charter school, nonpublic school, or contracted service provider holding a contract with a school district, charter school, or nonpublic school. The commissioner is also authorized under the bill to provide direct oversight of the hiring practices of a school district, charter school, or nonpublic school if the commissioner determines through an audit that the hiring practices fail to comply with the provisions of the law, and the noncompliance is determined by the commissioner to: (1) be the result of willful misconduct or gross negligence; (2) pose an immediate threat to the safety or wellbeing of students or staff of the school; or (3) constitute a failure to implement the recommendations issued by the commissioner as a result of a previous audit. This bill requires the department to establish procedures for the prompt investigation of allegations of child abuse or sexual misconduct by a school employee. The procedures are to require certain components as specified in the bill. The bill requires school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools to utilize the procedures established by the bill for any investigation regarding an allegation by a school employee. The bill further prohibits school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools from entering into contracts with contracted services providers unless the provider attests that it utilizes comparable investigation procedures as established by the bill. The department is also required to establish guidelines to assist school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools in implementing the investigation procedures and for determining when to refer an allegation of child abuse or sexual misconduct to law enforcement. The bill permits a board of education, board of trustees of a charter school, or chief school administrator of a nonpublic school to enter into a memorandum of agreement with law enforcement regarding allegations of child abuse or sexual misconduct by school employees and the procedures and responsibilities of designated employees in conducting investigations. Finally, the bill requires the commissioner to issue a report to the Governor and the Legislature every five years on implementation the law. This bill implements certain recommendations of the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation's March 2024 report, "Safeguarding New Jersey Students from Sexual Predators and Child Abuse at School - Examining the State's 'Pass the Trash' Law." | In Committee |
| A4942 | Establishes multiple sclerosis public awareness campaign. | This bill establishes a multiple sclerosis public awareness campaign in the Department of Health (DOH) in order to promote among the citizens of the State an understanding of MS, including its causes and health effects, and to deliver information on how the disease can impact an individual's quality of life. The campaign may provide for the development of print and electronic media in languages including, but not limited to, English and Spanish. The public awareness campaign is to include, but not be limited to: (1) a comprehensive description of MS, including a discussion of causes, symptoms, and treatment options; (2) information about educational resources available to, and research being conducted to develop effective therapies and find a cure for, those with MS; and (3) materials on how MS can impact an individual's quality of life and ways in which those with MS can maintain the best health possible, live well with the disease, and make educated decisions about their health care. The DOH is to make available to the public information about MS, informational literature concerning the signs, causes, health effects of the disease, and any other information that the department deems to be necessary, and the information may be revised whenever new information about MS becomes available. | In Committee |
| A4925 | Provides corporation business and gross income tax credit for certain Pre-Broadway and Post-Broadway theater productions. | This bill provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits to production companies for costs incurred for certain accredited theater productions. Specifically, the bill provides that a production company may receive tax credits for costs related to eligible pre- and post-Broadway theater productions that are performed at qualified facilities in New Jersey. The credits would equal 35 percent of the production's eligible production and performance expenditures. Under the bill, production and performance expenditures include: (1) expenditures for design, construction, and operation, including sets, special and visual effects, costumes, wardrobe, make-up, and accessories; (2) costs associated with sound, lighting, staging, facility expenses, rentals, per diems, and accommodations; (3) payroll costs up to $250,000 per week; and (4) certain advertising and public relations expenditures and transportation expenditures. The bill requires production companies to apply to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for the initial approval of tax credits. However, the bill provides that the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury would be responsible for the final approval of tax credits. Under the bill, the total value of tax credits awarded in each fiscal year may not exceed $10 million. | In Committee |
| A4916 | Prohibits use and sale of algorithmic devices for setting rent price or occupancy of residential dwelling units. | This bill prohibits the use and sale of algorithmic devices for setting rent price or occupancy of residential dwelling units. In recent years, a number of new software programs, often referred to as "algorithmic devices," have threatened to destabilize rental housing markets in cities nationwide, including in New Jersey. These programs enable landlords to indirectly coordinate with one another through the sharing of non-public competitively sensitive data in order to artificially inflate rents and vacancy rates for rental housing. Participating landlords provide vast amounts of proprietary data to the programs, which in turn set or provide recommendations for rent and occupancy rates. More and more landlords in the United States now pool their data and pricing decisions using such software. This software has contributed to double-digit rent increases, higher vacancy rates, and higher rates of eviction, and has distorted markets so that rents and vacancy rates have increased in tandem. Often used by large corporate landlords, the software fuels the consolidation of corporate and private equity ownership of rental housing, at the expense of landlords large and small who compete in the market without use of this software. Landlords using these tools are not appropriately engaging in the market and the companies developing and selling these tools to landlords are contributing to these problems. Numerous antitrust lawsuits have been filed against certain of these companies, including RealPage, Inc. and Yardi Systems, Inc. The lawsuits allege that these companies are enabling and participating in a scheme of unlawful price fixing. These include lawsuits filed by the District of Columbia Attorney General and the Arizona Attorney General and more than 20 federal private class action lawsuits nationwide that have been consolidated in the federal court in the Middle District of Tennessee. This bill does not restrict the development, sale, or use of software to help landlords manage units based on internal data or with use of publically available data. Nor does it regulate the amount of rent that a landlord may charge. This bill prohibits the sale, license, and use of an algorithmic device that sets, recommends, or advises on rents or occupancy rates that may be achieved for residential dwelling units in the State. The bill provides that the Attorney General may file a civil action for a violation for damages, injunctive relief, restitution or return of illegal profits, civil penalties of up to $1000 per violation, or some combination. A court is required to award reasonable attorney's fees and costs to the Attorney General if the Attorney General is the prevailing party in such a civil action. The bill defines "algorithmic devices" and "non-public competitor data" for the purposes of the "New Jersey Antitrust Act." | In Committee |
| A4134 | Requires homemaker-home health aide and nursing assistant certification examinations to be translated into multiple languages. | Requires homemaker-home health aide and nursing assistant certification examinations to be translated into multiple languages. | Crossed Over |
| AJR112 | Designates calendar week that includes September 10th of each year as "Suicide Prevention Week" in NJ. | Designates calendar week that includes September 10th of each year as "Suicide Prevention Week" in NJ. | Crossed Over |
| A3366 | Establishes Women's Menstrual Health Program to identify and assist patients with symptoms related to endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. | Establishes Women's Menstrual Health Program to identify and assist patients with symptoms related to endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. | Crossed Over |
| A3539 | Revises statutory terms pertaining to sexual exploitation or abuse of children. | This bill updates terminology in statutory law pertaining to the sexual exploitation or abuse of children. Current state law prohibits the creation, manufacture, distribution, sale or viewing of child pornography. Among child protection advocates, however, terms such as "child sexual abuse material" and "child sexual exploitation material" have come into wider use, replacing the general description of "child pornography" because these terms more accurately reflect the suffering of the children who are victims of these crimes. When used in the context of depictions of children, the term "pornography" may be understood to legitimize or trivialize the sexual abuse or exploitation of those children. In addition, the term "pornography" carries with it the implication that the acts are performed with the consent of the child, and represent legitimate sexual material. This bill replaces the term child pornography with the term "trade in child sexual abuse or exploitation material" in Title 2A. In Title 2C, the definition of "item depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of a child" is amended to include "child sexual abuse or exploitation material" and the acronym "CSAEM." The bill replaces the term child pornography with "network to share child sexual abuse or exploitation material" in various sections of Title 2C concerning the definition, degrees of crime, examination referrals, registration of sex offenders, and special sentencing for parole supervision for life for a leader of a network distributing depictions of child sexual abuse or exploitation. The bill further clarifies that online distribution or possession of sexual abuse or exploitation material is to be included in the schedule of penalties pertaining to offenses involving computer criminal activity in Title 2C. In Title 9, the term pornography is replaced with "any crime involving child sexual abuse or exploitation material" concerning disqualification of employment pursuant to N.J.S.9:3-40.5. In Title 18A, the word pornography is replaced with the term "child sexual abuse or exploitation material" with regard to the practice of "sexting," or sending sexually explicit messages pursuant to N.J.S.18A:35-4.32. This bill replaces the term pornography in various parts of Title 30 with "any crime involving child sexual abuse or exploitation material" in the statutes concerning revocation of a day care center's registration, criteria for permanent disqualification from employment, disqualification from adopting a child or being a resource family parent, and disqualification of employment at, or ownership or sponsorship of, a child day care center. In Title 52, the term pornography is replaced with "online distribution or possession of child sexual abuse or exploitation material" in the statutes concerning the Department of Law and Public Safety's efforts to receive and respond to inquiries or complaints from members of the public reporting computer crimes pursuant to N.J.S.52:17B-193. This bill also updates the terminology used in current law to replace outdated references to certain crimes that involve the sexual exploitation or abuse of children. According to the sponsor, the changes made in this bill are not intended, nor should they be construed, to have any substantive impact on the applicability of the affected provisions; the changes are intended to render the terminology consistent with the rest of the current statutory scheme and the broader international trend. The bill also corrects technical inconsistencies in the statutes. | In Committee |
| A2378 | Upgrades certain penalties for assaulting law enforcement officer and requires offender to be tested for communicable diseases in certain instances. | Upgrades certain penalties for assaulting law enforcement officer and requires offender to be tested for communicable diseases in certain instances. | In Committee |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| AJR197 | Designates May of each year as Haitian Heritage Month. | This joint resolution designates May of each year as Haitian Heritage Month. Haitian Heritage Month, recognized globally during the month of May, celebrates the rich culture of Haiti and its people, including their history, language, distinctive art, and cuisine. The purpose of Haitian Heritage Month is to raise awareness and understanding about Haitian culture, history, and traditions by educating the public about the historical global contributions Haitian people have made and to celebrate these Haitian achievements worldwide. Haiti's history is of vital significance and pride for its people and has crucial global importance, representing a new concept of human rights, universal citizenship, and participation in government through the Haitian Revolution, which occurred from 1791 to 1804. The Haitian Revolution is one of the largest and the first successful slave rebellions in the Western Hemisphere. Haitian Heritage Month is an expansion of Haitian Flag Day, a national Haitian Holiday celebrated annually on May 18th, serving as a major patriotic celebration in Haiti and the Diaspora to encourage patriotism. Haitian Flag Day serves as a reminder of the struggle to freedom and the Haitian Flag symbolizes the unity that borne the Haitian nation through the alliance of the Blacks and mulattoes during the Revolutionary war. Haitian American immigrants have come to the United States bringing their own influences and cultural traditions to a variety of spheres including the arts, business, sports, literature, science, and law. Today, New Jersey has the fourth largest Haitian-American population in the United States, with nearly 69,000 Haitian-American residents. For decades, Haiti has faced significant challenges, including natural disasters that have devastated the land and disrupted the lives of millions. However, the Haitian people have demonstrated resilience throughout history. It is time to officially recognize the Haitian people and all of their achievements. | 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 |
| A4744 | Requires NJTA, SJTA, EDA, CRDA, PANYNJ, and DRPA to consider minorities and women when hiring or awarding contracts. | This bill requires the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA), South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA), New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA), Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), and Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), when offering employment, to consider, and when feasible prioritize, individuals who are minorities and women. The bill also requires the NJTA, SJTA, EDA, CRDA, PANYNJ, and DRPA, when awarding contracts for service, to consider, and when feasible prioritize, minority businesses and women's businesses. Finally, the bill requires the NJTA, SJTA, EDA, CRDA, PANYNJ, and DRPA to publish on their respective Internet websites information concerning: (1) the number of employees employed by the entity by gender, race, and ethnicity, and the average salary range for each group; and (2) the number of contractors the entity has contracted with by gender, race, and ethnicity, and the average contract awarded for each group.The bill requires the information to be maintained and updated on a quarterly basis. The enactment of substantially similar legislation by New York and Pennsylvania, respectively, is required before the bill's provisions concerning the PANYNJ and the DRPA become operative. | In Committee |
| A4802 | Requires Civil Service Commission establish mentoring program for certain civil service firefighter applicants. | This bill requires the Civil Service Commission to establish and maintain a mentoring program for civil service firefighter applicants. The purpose of the mentoring program would be to assist applicants residing in a municipality with a median income at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level through the civil service application, examination, and selection process, and to help address obstacles unique to their circumstances. The program will include a study group to help applicants in any municipality with a median income at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level with the resources needed to compete with applicants in other communities that benefit from outside private study groups. The program may be conducted through mentoring projects, including workshops, group discussions, and dissemination of information about civil service practices which provide assistance in overcoming barriers to employment. The program will be designed to provide mentoring to an applicant for the duration of the exam cycle, until the mentee completes the hiring process. The commission would develop criteria to determine eligibility in the program as a mentor and as a mentee. A mentor may be a current or former firefighter in good standing who obtained a firefighter position through the civil service process, or any other person deemed appropriate by the commission. A mentor or mentee may be removed from the mentoring program for good cause as determined by the commission. A mentee would be removed from the program upon the mentee's acceptance of an offer of employment. An applicant may participate in the program as a mentee a maximum of three times within a 10-year period. A former mentee may be eligible to participate in the program as a mentor. No monies would be provided to a mentor to participate in the program, and no fees would be charged to a mentee to participate in the program. At least once a year, the commission would review the program for its efficacy, and make any necessary adjustments to continue to meet the needs and purpose of the program. | 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 |
| A4793 | Requires State Agricultural Development Committee to develop educational materials for owners or operators of commercial farms regarding benefits of participating in farmland preservation program. | This bill would require the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) to develop educational materials in the form of handouts and pamphlets for owners or operators of commercial farms regarding the benefits of participating in New Jersey's farmland preservation program. This bill further requires the SADC to provide copies of the educational materials to each municipality, and the municipal tax collector or the municipal tax assessor is required to provide a copy of the educational materials to the owner or operator of a commercial farm upon submission of an application for farmland assessment. In addition, this bill would require local municipalities to make copies of the educational material widely available at publicly accessible municipal buildings. | In Committee |
| A4758 | Establishes annual sales tax holiday for certain retail sales of computers, school computer supplies, school supplies, school art supplies, and school instructional materials. | This bill establishes an annual "back-to-school" sales tax holiday in the State of New Jersey during August and September. During the two month period, the retail purchases of certain personal computers with a sales price of less than $3,000, school computer supplies with a sales price of less than $1,000 per item, and certain school supplies and equipment made by individual shoppers for non-business purposes will be exempt from the State sales tax. While the tax holiday is intended to provide financial relief to the students of New Jersey and their families, the general public may also make tax-free purchases for other nonbusiness uses during this time period. Annual and temporary sales tax holidays have been established in at least 19 states and the District of Columbia, and have gained popularity and support in several others. While some states have opted to celebrate tax holidays at the beginning of the calendar year or during seasonal holiday periods, a majority of states have established tax moratoria during some portion of the late summer and early autumn back-to-school period, as families prepare to send their children back to school. These tax holidays typically include exemptions for purchases of educational supplies, consumer products, and clothing items that allow students to face the challenges of the coming year. Under the bill, tax exempt school supplies and equipment during the holiday include: (1) school supplies, such as pens and pencils, notebooks, and binders; (2) school art supplies, such as paints and paintbrushes, clay, and glazes; (3) school instructional materials, such as maps, globes, reference books, and workbooks; (4) computers with a sales price of less than $3,000 per item; and (5) school computer supplies, such as computer storage equipment, printers, and personal digital assistants, with a sales price of less than $1,000 per item. Unlike other tax relief initiatives, the establishment of a back-to-school sales tax holiday in New Jersey could be developed and implemented with minimal administrative effort. It would provide an administratively simple and effective way to cut taxes for consumers that would require no special taxpayer forms or rebate applications. In addition, it would be economically beneficial to the State's merchants and small business owners by encouraging consumer spending during a period of time when demand is typically soft. | In Committee |
| A4654 | Requires health benefits coverage for family planning and reproductive health care services, including early infancy care, without cost sharing. | Requires health benefits coverage for family planning and reproductive health care services, including early infancy care, without cost sharing. | Crossed Over |
| A3508 | Requires child abuse reporting hotline maintained by DCPP to provide information on resources available to victims and families. | This bill requires that the child abuse reporting hotline maintained by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) provide information on resources available to the victims of child abuse or neglect and their families. DCPP regularly contracts with community-based agencies throughout the State to provide a variety of services to children and families, including counseling, parenting skills classes, substance abuse treatment, in-home services, foster care, and residential placement. It is critical for families to be made aware of these services so that they are empowered to break the cycle of abuse and protect the most vulnerable residents of New Jersey. | Crossed Over |
| A3860 | Establishes certain medical billing requirements concerning specific nature of charges or expenses for health care services. | Establishes certain medical billing requirements concerning specific nature of charges or expenses for health care services. | Crossed Over |
| A4759 | Expands definition and qualifications of online newspaper for required public advertisements. | This bill amends the definition of a newspaper and establishes certain criteria for publications to qualify for the online publishing of official notices and advertisements by State or local bodies. The bill retains the requirements that the newspaper be entirely printed in the English language, printed and published within the State of New Jersey, be a newspaper of general paid circulation possessing an average news content of not less than 35%, and have been published continuously in the municipality where its publication office is for not less than two years. The bill removes the requirement that the newspaper be registered as a second class mail matter with the postal service. This bill states that in order for State and local government agencies to publish notices to a newspaper's website, the newspaper will be required to meet the following qualifications: (1) demonstrate a history of serving an audience which includes the jurisdiction or area of interest the agency serves; (2) provide an email newsletter to their readers, which shall include the notices published in their newspaper; and (3) provide an option to view the notice in Spanish and one additional prominent language spoken in the region the newspaper serves. | In Committee |
| A1844 | Requires 60 day notice concerning tuition rate changes by licensed child care centers. | Requires 60 day notice concerning tuition rate changes by licensed child care centers. | Crossed Over |
| A4381 | Permits boards of education to lease certain school property to federally qualified health centers without bidding. | Permits boards of education to lease certain school property to federally qualified health centers without bidding. | In Committee |
| A4736 | Amends public school laws on harassment, intimidation, and bullying to apply to certain acts against teachers and staff members; revises definition of "harassment, intimidation, or bullying" in "Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act." | This bill extends the public school law on harassment, intimidation, and bullying to apply to certain acts of fraudulent impersonation or false depiction by means of artificial intelligence or deepfake technology. The bill also extends the law to apply to acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying against teachers and staff members. Current law requires each school district to adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying. The definition of "harassment, intimidation, or bullying" includes gestures and written, verbal or physical acts, and electronic communications. This bill clarifies that any act or communication, including electronic communication that uses deceptive audio or visual media may not be used to harass, intimidate, or bully a student, teacher, or staff member. Under the bill, "deceptive audio or visual media" means any video recording, motion picture film, sound recording, electronic image, photograph, any technological representation of speech or conduct substantially derivative thereof, or any forgery or facsimile of a document or writing, that appears to a reasonable person to realistically depict any speech, conduct, or writing of a person who did not in fact engage in the speech, conduct, or writing, and the production of which was substantially dependent upon technical means, rather than the ability of another person to physically or verbally impersonate the person. | In Committee |
| AR149 | Supplements General Assembly Rules to require members of General Assembly to be addressed as State Representative. | This resolution supplements the General Assembly Rules to require that all members of the General Assembly be addressed as State Representative. State Representative is a gender-neutral term that provides all members of the General Assembly with the same title. Currently, members of the General Assembly are referred to as Assemblyman and Assemblywoman. The New Jersey State Constitution of 1947 refers to persons elected to the General Assembly as "members," not as "Assemblyman" or "Assemblywoman." 45 states and territories use the term "representative" for members of the lower body. While other states and territories have other genderless titles for members of their lower house, only New Jersey, New York, Nevada, and California call their members "Assemblyman" and "Assemblywoman." New Jersey would be joining the large majority of states by choosing a genderless title for its General Assembly members. | In Committee |
| A4691 | Makes supplemental appropriation of $100 million to Affordable Housing Production Fund in DCA for completion of 100-percent affordable housing projects. | This bill provides a supplemental appropriation of $100 million to the Affordable Housing Production Fund (fund) in the Department of Community Affairs. The purpose of the fund is to provide financial assistance to municipalities to support the completion of 100-percent affordable housing projects. The fund was established pursuant to P.L.2022, c.49. Under the law, "100-percent affordable housing project" means an affordable housing project in which 100-percent of the residential units are constructed for occupancy by low- and moderate-income households and that has been identified in a fair share affordable housing obligation judgment of repose entered into by the municipality. | In Committee |
| 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 |
| A2280 | Codifies prohibition of discriminatory practices in real estate appraisals and requires real estate appraisers to complete anti-bias training. | An Act concerning discriminatory practices in real estate appraisals and supplementing and amending P.L.1991, c.68. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S2822 | Revises workers' compensation law to increase contingency attorney fee cap in contingency case from 20 percent to 25 percent. | An Act concerning contingency fees in workers' compensation matters and amending R.S.34:15-64. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A3772 | Revises process for property tax lien holder to foreclose right to redeem a property tax lien; allows property owner to protect remaining equity. | An Act revising the process for a property tax lien holder to foreclose the right to redeem a property tax lien, amending various parts of the statutory law, and supplementing chapter 5 of Title 54 of the Revised Statutes and P.L.1948, c.96 (C.54:5-104.29 et seq.). | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4572 | Appropriates $101,696,535 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to DEP for local government open space acquisition and park development projects; and for certain administrative expenses. | An Act appropriating $101,696,535 from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax revenues to help local government units acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, and for certain administrative expenses. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| S2825 | Removes time limitation on issuance of additional alcoholic beverage licenses within boundaries of former federal military installations. | An Act concerning alcoholic beverage licensing and amending P.L.2018, c.101 and P.L.2023, c.290. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A3906 | Removes time limitation on issuance of additional alcoholic beverage licenses within boundaries of former federal military installations; allows ABC Director to issue concessionaire permit for locations eligible to receive special mall license. | Removes time limitation on issuance of additional alcoholic beverage licenses within boundaries of former federal military installations; allows ABC Director to issue concessionaire permit for locations eligible to receive special mall license. | In Committee |
| S1446 | Modifies down payment assistance program for benefit of first-generation and first-time homebuyers; makes an appropriation. | An Act concerning housing assistance for certain homebuyers and amending P.L.2023, c.78. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A2027 | Establishes One-Year State Work First New Jersey Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Pilot Program and State Work First New Jersey Diaper Benefit Pilot Program; appropriates $2.5 million to DHS. | An Act concerning a monthly State benefit for menstrual hygiene products and diaper products under the Work First New Jersey Program, supplementing P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55), and making an appropriation. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A3986 | Revises workers' compensation law to increase contingency attorney fee cap in contingency case from 20 percent to 25 percent. | This bill revises the workers' compensation law to increase the cap in contingency fee matters from 20 percent to 25 percent. Attorneys for injured workers are often compensated on a contingency fee basis, and the original cap of 20 percent does not take into account additional duties that workers' compensation attorneys are required to handle since the cap's establishment. | In Committee |
| A2824 | Modifies down payment assistance program for benefit of first-generation and first-time homebuyers. | Modifies down payment assistance program for benefit of first-generation and first-time homebuyers. | 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 |
| AR148 | Condemns action of Republican members of United States Congress in failing to support passage of SB3612; affirms New Jersey Legislature's commitment to protecting reproductive freedom and full access to reproductive health care. | This resolution condemns the action of the Republican members of the United States Congress in failing to support the passage of SB3612, federal legislation supportive of the use of in vitro technology and the rights of individuals in relation to the use of assisted reproductive technology. In the United States, one in six people of childbearing age struggle with infertility and require some type of professional assistance in order to conceive a child. Fortunately, 90 percent of infertility cases are treatable with medical therapies including drug treatment, surgery, and in vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF is a process whereby an egg is removed from a person's body and combined with sperm inside a laboratory for fertilization; the fertilized egg, called an embryo, is then transferred into the uterus. Tammy Duckworth, a Democratic Senator from Illinois who utilized IVF to conceive her two children, introduced Senate Bill 3612 (SB3612), part of a four-bill package of legislation known as the "Right to IVF Act," in order to protect the rights of individuals to seek reproductive assistance, such as IVF, and the physicians who provide these services, without the fear of prosecution. . SB3612, known as the "Access to Family Building Act," would bar the limitation of access to assisted reproductive technology, such as IVF, and grants the individual rights to (1) access assisted reproductive technology, (2) continue or complete ongoing assisted reproductive technology treatment or procedure, and (3) retain all rights regarding the use or disposition of genetic materials. Senator Duckworth urged her Republican colleagues to join the Democrats' efforts to protect access to IVF by unanimously passing this legislation. The Republicans failed to support the measure and the vote to pass the measure failed. Instead of supporting the passage of SB3612, Republican senators proposed an alternative measure, the "IVF Protection Act," which would discourage, but nonetheless allow, states to enact burdensome treatment restrictions. Following the failure to support the passage of SB3612, Senate Republicans issued a statement of support for the use of IVF technology. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A1669 | Removes obstacles to teacher certification for certain teachers; repeals law establishing alternative certificate of eligibility. | An Act concerning teacher certification, supplementing chapter 26 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and repealing P.L.2023, c.180. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| AR138 | Designates June 2024 as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in New Jersey. | This Assembly resolution designates June 2024 as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in New Jersey, in recognition of the achievements, contributions, struggles, and humanity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, non-binary, and pansexual (LGBTQIA+) individuals. Public officials and citizens of New Jersey are respectfully urged to commemorate LGBTQIA+ Pride Month 2024 with appropriate activities. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4660 | Establishes Reproductive Health Care Professionals Loan Redemption Program; appropriates $5 million. | This bill establishes the Reproductive Health Care Professional Loan Redemption Program in the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA). The loan redemption program is to provide for the redemption of a portion of a program participant's State, federal, or commercial student loans in exchange for the program participant's service at a site providing reproductive health care services, as approved by the authority. Under the bill, the sites may include sites operated by a nonprofit organizations, hospitals, clinics, physicians' offices, and other facilities providing reproductive health care services. An approved site under the bill includes sites providing abortion care. To be eligible to participate in the program, an applicant is required to: (1) be a resident of the State; (2) be employed as an eligible reproductive health care professional, defined as a person who is licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized to provide health care services and who is providing reproductive health care services in the State; and (3) submit an application in a manner determined by the executive director of the HESAA. In selecting program participants, the executive director is required to give preference to applicants employed as an eligible reproductive health care professional in a county facing a shortage of reproductive health care professionals. The bill stipulates that a selected program participant is to enter into a written contract with the authority. The contract is to specify the duration of the program participant's required service and the total amount of student loans to be redeemed in return for the service. Under the bill, loan redemption is to amount to 18 percent of a program participant's qualifying loan amounts in return for one full year of service at an approved site, an additional 26 percent for a second full year of service, an additional 28 percent for a third full year of service, and an additional 28 percent for a fourth full year of service. The total loan redemption for a program participant is not to exceed $200,000. Finally, the bill stipulates that a reproductive health care professional, who is participating in the National Health Services Corps Loan Repayment Program or any other loan redemption program administered by the authority, is not eligible to simultaneously participate in the Reproductive Health Care Professional Loan Redemption Program. | In Committee |
| A4638 | Establishes "Resident Firefighter Grant Program" in Division of Fire Safety. | This bill establishes the "Resident Firefighter Grant Program" in the Division of Fire Safety (division) in the Department of Community Affairs (DCA). This program would provide grants to fire districts to use for the creation and expansion of resident firefighter programs. The bill defines "resident firefighter" as a firefighter who performs fire station duties including, but not limited to, attending trainings and responding to emergency calls, in exchange for free living accommodations. The bill requires the director of the division, to the extent possible, to equitably distribute grant awards to successful applicants in the northern, central, and southern regions of the State. Funds distributed under the program are required to be used for the purposes as prescribed in the bill, including, but not limited to, incentives and amenities for resident firefighters, and construction of, and supplies for, dormitories for resident firefighters which may include kitchen facilities. The bill also requires DCA to annually request, as part of its annual budget proposal, a minimum of $5 million to fund the grants authorized by the bill. The bill also requires DCA and the division to pursue and utilize any available federal, State, local, and private funding for the grants. | In Committee |
| A4661 | Provides for voluntary contributions for taxpayers on gross income tax returns to support reproductive health care services. | This bill establishes the "New Jersey Reproductive Health Care Equitable Access Fund" and provides for a designation on the State gross income tax return that will permit taxpayers to make voluntary contributions to the fund to support equitable access to reproductive health care services for individuals who cannot afford them. Under the bill, the State would be required to annually appropriate the amounts deposited into the "New Jersey Reproductive Health Care Equitable Access Fund" for distribution, in equal amounts, to the three largest providers of reproductive health care services to Medicaid patients in the State during the previous calendar year, as determined by the Commissioner of Health. The bill requires these monies to be used to provide reproductive health care services to individuals who cannot afford such services. The bill defines "reproductive health care services" to mean medical, surgical, counseling, or referral services relating to the human reproductive system, including services relating to pregnancy or the termination of a pregnancy. | In Committee |
| A4657 | Creates "Reproductive Health Care Access Fund" to strengthen access to reproductive health care; makes appropriation. | This bill implements various measures to strengthen access to reproductive health care services in the State and establishes the "Reproductive Health Care Access Fund" to address those purposes. The fund will be used for the following purposes: (1 "Reproductive Health Care Clinical Training Program"; (2) "Reproductive Health Care Security Grant Program"; and (3) "Reproductive Health Care Facility Loan Program". The purpose of the "Reproductive Health Care Clinical Training Program" established in the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety will be to protect access to reproductive health care by ensuring that there are sufficient number of health care professionals to provide reproductive health care services. For instance, the program will ensure that the coordinating organization has demonstrated experience in coordinating health care training programs for reproductive health care services and family planning services. The coordinating organization will also be responsible for administering grants to develop and sustain reproductive health care services. The bill provides that the "Reproductive Health Care Security Grant Program" in the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness will make available grants to eligible reproductive health care facilities which the Director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness determines are at a high risk of being the target of unlawful activity, including acts of violence, property damage, vandalism, cyber attacks, and harassment. Grants provided under the program will be used to hire security personnel and target-hardening equipment. Further, the "Reproductive Health Care Facility Loan Program" will award loans to eligible reproductive health care facilities that provide reproductive health care services. Under the bill, loans awarded will be used to support establishing or renovating existing health care facilities, investments in technology to facilitate care, the recruitment and retention of staff, and other operational needs that increase reproductive health care services. The bill requires that the Department of Health conduct a Statewide needs assessment to examine the gaps in access and delivery of reproductive health care services in the State, including the impact that out-of-State restrictions have had on the need for reproductive health care services and the provider network in the State. Finally, the bill appropriates monies from the General Fund, subject to availability, to the "Reproductive Health Care Access Fund." The FY 2024 Appropriations Act includes a $5 million appropriation for OBGYN Clinical Training Program to provide training to licensed members of the health care community. Another $5 million in FY 2024 is appropriated for the Reproductive Health Security Grant Program toward securing clinics. These grants support reproductive health care facilities that provide reproductive health care with target hardening support. The FY 2024 Governor's Budget recommends language in which the Office of Homeland Security Preparedness will receive reimbursement to administer the grant. | In Committee |
| A4655 | Codifies authority for certain health care providers to provide abortions and clarifies certain operational requirements for abortion facilities. | This bill codifies the authority of physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, certified midwives, and advanced practice nurses to provide abortions. Under the bill, physician assistants can perform aspiration abortions consistent with the physician assistant's scope of practice, which can include the administration of sedation consistent with the physician assistant's scope of practice and training and a physician assistant can order, prescribe, dispense, and administer medication abortions. Under the bill, certified nurse midwives and certified midwives can perform aspiration abortions, which may include the administration of moderate sedation, consistent with their scope of practice and training and consistent with regulations of the applicable licensing board. A certified nurse midwife authorized to prescribe drugs pursuant to section 2 of P.L. 1991, c. 97 (C.45:10-18), may order, prescribe, dispense, and administer medication abortions. A certified nurse midwife who is not authorized to prescribe drugs pursuant to section 2 of P.L. 1991, c. 97 (C.45:10-18) or a certified midwife may provide medication abortions if the use of the medication is authorized by a standing order issued by a physician. Under the bill, advanced practice nurses may perform aspiration abortions, which may include the administration of moderate sedation, and administer medication abortions consistent with the advanced practice nurse's scope of practice and training and consistent with regulations of the New Jersey Board of Nursing. The bill provides that an abortion facility will not be required to be an ambulatory surgical facility or a surgical practice license, to the extent that the facility performs abortion procedures that do not require general anesthesia or an operating room, and such services may be performed in procedure rooms. An entity seeking licensure as an ambulatory care facility or a surgical practice at which early aspiration abortions would be performed will not be subject to certain limitations under current law for ambulatory care facilities, so long as the facility or surgical practice adheres to all applicable regulations with respect to the standard of care. | 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 |
| A4646 | Requires Medicaid coverage for self-administered hormonal contraceptives dispensed by pharmacist under standing order. | This bill requires the State's Medicaid program to cover expenses incurred in the provision of self-administered hormonal contraceptives as prescribed by a standing order and dispensed by a pharmacist. Under the bill, "self-administered hormonal contraceptive" means any oral, transdermal, or vaginal contraceptive product, including, but not limited to, birth control pills, vaginal rings, and diaphragms. "Standing order" means a prewritten medication order authorizing pharmacists in this State to furnish self-administered hormonal contraceptives to patients without an individual prescription. Currently, pharmacists are permitted, pursuant to P.L.2023, c.2 (C.45:14-67.9 et seq.), to furnish self-administered hormonal contraceptives pursuant to a standing order, in accordance with protocols established by Board of Pharmacy and Board of Medical Examiners. That law, in conjunction with this bill, would eliminate the need for Medicaid beneficiaries to get a prescription from a doctor for a self-administered hormonal contraceptive, as is the existing requirement, before going to have it filled at a pharmacy; thereby increasing access to these medications. | In Committee |
| A3567 | Requires each public institution of higher education to convene menstrual equity task force. | Requires each public institution of higher education to convene menstrual equity task force. | In Committee |
| A3908 | Increases personal needs allowance to $140 for low-income persons residing in certain facilities. | This bill increases the monthly personal needs allowance (PNA), from the current rate of $50, pursuant to the FY 2024 Appropriations Act, to $140 for residents of nursing homes, State and county psychiatric hospitals, and State developmental centers. This allowance is intended for residents to spend at their discretion on items such as telephone expenses, a meal out with friends, cards to send to family, reading materials, or hobbies. The PNA provides residents the opportunity to participate in activities beyond those provided by the facility, to remain connected with family and friends, and to obtain basic items such as clothing and shoes. The bill also stipulates that beginning January 1 of the following year after the bill's enactment, the PNA is to be increased annually by the same percentage as the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits for that year. In the case of residents eligible to receive SSI public assistance, a federal income supplement program designed to help aged, blind, and disabled people with little to no income, the federal government provides up to $30 a month for small comfort items not provided by the facility. The State currently supplements the federal allowance by $20 to ensure that SSI recipients residing in nursing facilities, State and county psychiatric hospitals, and State developmental centers receive a total PNA per month equal to that of Medicaid recipients, or $50. Under the bill, absent any changes in the federal allowance, the State would be responsible for a $90 per month supplemental payment for each SSI recipient. | In Committee |
| A4611 | Establishes survivor support liaison in Department of Treasury to assist beneficiaries of emergency responders who die in line of duty; "designated as Captain Augusto Acabou's, Wayne Brooks', and Plainfield Firefighter Marques Hudson's act"; appropriates $1,000,000. | This bill establishes in the Department of Treasury an Office of Emergency Responder Survivor Support and Navigation, which would be responsible for providing information concerning the available benefits to the beneficiaries of any emergency responder who has died in the line of duty. The bill defines "emergency responder" as a State, county, or municipal law enforcement officer, paid or volunteer firefighter, or other person who has been trained to provide emergency medical first response services in a program recognized by the Commissioner of Health and licensed or otherwise authorized by the Department of Health to provide those services The bill provides that the office would be led by a survivor support liaison and consist of at least an additional three employees, all of whom are to be beneficiaries of first responders who have died in the line of duty. The office would be responsible for providing beneficiaries with a summary of the nature and amount of benefits for which they are eligible. The bill also requires the office to maintain contact with the beneficiaries and assist with any questions or requests during the application process for available benefits. The bill is designated as the "designated as Captain Augusto Acabou's, Wayne Brooks', and Plainfield Firefighter Marques Hudson's act" in honor of Captains Acabou and Brooks who tragically lost their lives in the line of duty while responding to the cargo ship fire at Port Newark. The designation also honors firefighter, Marques Hudson, who died in a house fire in Plainfield, NJ. | 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 |
| A4594 | Requires DOH to evaluate technology uses in long-term care settings, implements certain technological requirements within long-term care settings, and clarifies existing telehealth reimbursement parity includes long-term care settings. | This bill implements a variety of provisions regarding technology in long-term care settings. As used in the bill, long-term care settings include home-based care, community-based care, and residential-based care. First, the bill requires the Department of Health (DOH), in collaboration with the applicable State entities and provider stakeholders, to evaluate, review, and provide recommendations for the use of technology in long-term care settings within the State, and to report the findings of the review, and subsequent department actions, to the Legislature within 18 months after the effective date of the bill. The goal of this review is to identify existing uses, and potential new and expanded uses, of technology within long-term care settings. Following the review, the department will encourage and support providers in implementing the department's recommendations regarding the uses of technology via the distribution of available federal and State funds, the establishment of grant or low interest loan programs, the implementation of performance incentives, or the provision of other aid deemed appropriate and necessary by the Commissioner of Health. Second, the bill expands an existing law requiring long-term care facilities to implement an electronic medical records requirement, and that provides need-based grants via the DOH to implement this requirement, to also include home and community-based service providers. The bill also requires the DOH to provide grants to long-term care providers to support the exchange of user-friendly clinical information via an electronic health record system with State hospitals. Third, commencing six months following the effective date of the bill, the DOH is to require each long-term care facility in the State, as a condition of licensure, to provide internet, television, and telephone services within each residential room. To the extent possible, the long-term care facility will also provide residents with the necessary equipment to utilize these services. The department will distribute federal and State funds to facilities in compliance with this provision, and to determine compliance with the provision during facility inspections. In addition to any other applicable penalties provided by law, a long-term care facility that fails to comply with these provisions is liable to pay an administrative penalty and may be subject to adverse licensure action. Finally, this bill amends section 11 of P.L.2021, c.310 to clarify that the provisions of that law requiring a health benefits plan to provide coverage and payment parity for health care services delivered to a covered person from December 31, 2023 to December 31, 2024 through telemedicine or telehealth at a provider reimbursement rate that equals the in-person provider reimbursement rate, includes those health care services provided in a long-term care setting. | In Committee |
| A4144 | "New Jersey Student Support Act"; establishes program in Department of Treasury to provide tax credits to taxpayers contributing to organization which awards scholarships to certain nonpublic school students. | This bill directs the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, to establish a program to provide tax credits to taxpayers that make contributions to a selected student support organization that awards scholarships for eligible students to attend participating nonpublic schools. The program established by the director would allow a taxpayer to claim a tax credit against the corporate business tax or personal gross income tax equal to 75 percent of any contribution made to a student support organization; in the case of the gross income tax credit, a taxpayer is required to contribute a minimum of $100 to a student support organization in order to claim a tax credit. The value of a credit for an individual taxpayer in a given year or privilege period is not permitted to exceed the lesser of 50 percent of the taxpayer's total tax liability or $1,000,000 for a tax credit against the corporate business tax or $100,000 for a credit against the personal gross income tax. The maximum amount of tax credits allowable in each State fiscal year may not exceed $37.5 million. The Director of the Division of Taxation, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, is responsible for the administration of the program. The Director of the Division of Taxation is to select one student support organization, draft regulations to implement the program, and submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature on the implementation and results of the program. The regulations are to include a requirement that tax credits issued under the provision of the bill will be issued equitably among the counties. The Director of Taxation, in consultation with the Commissioner of Education, is also required to establish a five-person oversight committee to oversee the operation of the student support organization. The student support organization would receive contributions made to the program, spending no more than five percent of contributions on administrative costs, and distributing the remaining 95 percent as scholarships for eligible families. The student support organization is required to verify student eligibility prior to awarding a scholarship, not limit scholarships to students in a certain school or region, award scholarships equally to all eligible students who apply in a given school year, and provide a student with a scholarship that is not less than the amount the student received in the prior school year. The student support organization is to publicize the program, carry forward no more than 20 percent of funds each year, and submit an annual report to the State Treasurer and the Commissioner of Education. The student support organization is required to contract annually for an independent financial audit of the program and transmit a copy of the financial audit to the Division of Taxation, the State Treasurer, and the Commissioner of Education no later than December 1 of each year. To be eligible for a scholarship from the student support organization, a student is to reside in New Jersey and intend to enroll in grades kindergarten through 12 in the next school year. A student is required to have a household income that does not exceed the federal income guidelines for reduced price lunch under the National School Lunch Program multiplied by 2.6. To participate in the program, a school is to: be located in New Jersey; be a nonpublic school that is eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program; comply with all federal and State anti-discrimination statutes; and comply with the "Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act," P.L.2002, c.83 (C.18:A37-13 et seq.). The bill also includes language requiring that the provisions of the bill not supersede, impact, or interfere with the full funding in each State fiscal year necessary to satisfy the requirement of the New Jersey Constitution that the Legislature provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of free public schools for the instruction of all children in the State between 5 and 18 years of age; the full funding of the veterans' $250 property tax deduction, required to be provided to eligible veterans pursuant to the State Constitution; the senior citizens' and disabled persons' $250 property tax deduction authorized by the State Constitution; the full payment of contributions required by law to be made to the State-administered retirement systems; and the full funding of the Stay NJ property tax credit program established in P.L.2023, c.75 (C.54:4-8.75a et seq.). No later than six months after the conclusion of the fourth school year in which scholarships are awarded under the program, the Department of the Treasury, in conjunction with the Department of Education, any relevant governmental organization, and stakeholders from the nonpublic school community, is required to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature that will include: information on the number of scholarships and the amount of tax credits awarded under the program; recommendations on improvements to the program; and the number of nonpublic school closures five years prior to awarding any scholarships under the program compared to closures after the implementation of the program. The Department of Education is required to establish a Student Support Grant Program to provide grants to school districts in which at least 50 percent of the student population is eligible for free or reduced price lunch under the National School Lunch Program. The grant funding is for student support services, including tutoring programs or opportunities, teacher retention bonuses, or the provision of mental health or counseling services. The department will establish an application process for the grants. As part of that process, the eligible school districts are required to demonstrate how the funding will assist the district in providing needed support to its students. The bill provides that the Legislature will annually appropriate from the General Fund to the Department of Education $37.5 million to fund the grant program. | Dead |
| A4584 | Establishes long-term services and supports workforce engagement and sustainability program in DOH. | This bill establishes a long-term services and supports (LTSS) workforce engagement and sustainability program in the Department of Health. The purpose of the program will be to employ various strategies to support, and increase the supply of, LTSS direct care workers in this State in both institutional and community-based settings. The program will, at a minimum, require the Department of Health to: (1) in collaboration with the Department of Human Services, conduct a periodic review of the impact of the State's Medicaid payment policies on LTSS direct care workers' total compensation, including paid time off; (2) identify any available federal COVID-19 funds that can be used to provide bonuses to individuals who worked in LTSS settings during the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) to the extent possible, develop a single curriculum and training program for LTSS direct care workers in both institutional and community-based system; (4) develop incentives for LTSS providers to establish advanced roles to facilitate career advancement for LTSS direct care workers; (5) adopt regulations to permit certified medication aides to work in nursing homes; (6) provide free or reduced tuition, award scholarships, or loan forgiveness to individuals interested in working in LTSS; (7) develop an online, hybrid approach to credentialing or certification for direct care workers; (8) develop additional testing sites for certified nurse aides and certified homemaker home-health aides; (9) identify opportunities to streamline the out-of-state reciprocity process for LTSS direct care workers and assess the feasibility of adopting interstate compacts to encourage LTSS direct care workers from other States to work in New Jersey; (10) conduct a public awareness campaign to inform the public about the positive and rewarding aspects of working in an LTSS setting; (11) in collaboration with the Department of Education, seek to establish credit programs for high school students interested in working in LTSS; (12) in collaboration with the Department of Education, encourage institutions of higher education in this State that provide medical education to require students to complete a clinical rotation through a LTSS setting and to include geriatric and palliative medicine into any applicable curriculum; and (13) develop incentives for nurses to become nurse instructors and assess whether the educational requirements for nurse instructors should be modified to fulfill the State's need for nurse instructors and nurses. The bill requires the Commissioner of Health, no later than one year after the effective date of this bill and annually thereafter, to prepare and submit to the Governor and the Legislature a report on the implementation of the program, which report will include any recommendations for administrative or legislative action that the commissioner deems necessary to implement the provisions of this bill and to support, and increase the supply of, LTSS direct care workers in this State. | In Committee |
| A4537 | Requires public institution of higher education to adopt withdrawal policy permitting refund for certain extenuating circumstances. | This bill requires each public institution of higher education to adopt a policy that permits a student to withdraw for an extenuating circumstance and receive a refund. Under the bill, the policy is required to: (1) define "extenuating circumstance," which is to include: illness; injury; hospitalization; and mental health and wellness; (2) include a provision to refund tuition and fees paid by the student for the semester in which the student withdraws if the extenuating circumstances inhibit the student's ability to acquire an education at the institution; (3) establish criteria to determine whether a student's ability to acquire an education has been inhibited by an extenuating circumstance; (4) include a provision that any student who withdraws in compliance with the policy and who has paid amounts for room, board, or fees is entitled to a refund of the portion of those charges attributable to the time period during which the facilities or services were not used by the student; and (5) explain that any refund payable to a student who is a financial aid recipient or State aid recipient is subject to the applicable State and federal laws and regulations regarding refunds. | In Committee |
| AR142 | Supports continued protection of federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. | This Assembly resolution supports the continued protection of the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). In 1986, Congress enacted EMTALA to ensure public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay. EMTALA provides that all individuals who present to a hospital emergency department are to be screened by qualified medical personnel to determine the presence or absence of an emergency medical condition. Under EMTALA, hospitals may not delay providing an appropriate medical screening examination or stabilizing medical treatment for any reason, including to ask about an individual's method of payment or health insurance status. EMTALA applies until either (1) the medical screening exam does not identify an emergency medical condition, or (2) the patient is provided with stabilizing treatment or an appropriate transfer. Under EMTALA, hospitals are required to provide a patient with stabilizing treatment that is within the capabilities of the hospital's staff and facilities before the hospital may initiate a patient transfer to another hospital or medical facility or before the hospital may discharge the patient. EMTALA provides that a patient with an emergency medical condition may only be transferred after screening and the provision of stabilizing treatment if: (1) the transferring hospital has minimized the medical risks of the patient; (2) the receiving medical facility has available space and qualified personnel for the treatment and agrees to accept the transfer; (3) the transferring hospital sends all medical records related to the emergency condition that are available at the time of the transfer and any other records not yet available as soon as practicable; and (4) the patient is transferred using appropriate personnel and transportation, including the use of necessary and medically appropriate life support measures during the transfer. It is vital that the provisions of EMTALA remain intact and that the federal government continues to enforce the provisions of this statute to ensure the public's continued access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay. | 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 |
| A4510 | Makes FY2024 supplemental appropriation of $500,000 to Judiciary to support expansion of Pretrial Services Program. | This bill supplements the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriation act to provide $500,000 in supplemental funding to the Judiciary's Statewide Pretrial Services Program. The Pretrial Services Program was established in New Jersey in 2017 pursuant to the Criminal Justice Reform Act. A 2023 Report of the Reconvened Joint Committee on Criminal Justice made a recommendation to provide additional funding to enable the Judiciary to increase Pretrial Services Program staffing in order to ensure adequate oversight of the large number of defendants on pretrial release. During a March 7, 2024 Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, a similar concern about the lack of adequate resources for pretrial services was raised during oral and written testimonies. The Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts reiterated the recommendation for increased funding and staffing for pretrial services. Furthermore, during oral testimonies, multiple county prosecutors also underscored the need for additional funding for pretrial services, particularly with regard to staff and equipment for electronic monitoring of defendants. The FY 2025 Governor's Budget recommends a $24.2 million for Statewide Pretrial Services Program, which is unchanged from the FY 2024 appropriation of the same amount. | In Committee |
| A1855 | Prohibits modification of mufflers and exhaust systems to produce audible sounds. | Prohibits modification of mufflers and exhaust systems to produce audible sounds. | In Committee |
| A4508 | Removes exclusion of affectional or sexual orientation and gender identity or expression from affirmative action programs under public works contracts. | This bill revises various sections of law to remove the exclusion of affectional or sexual orientation and gender identity or expression from affirmative action programs under public works contracts. | In Committee |
| A4511 | Requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for enrollment of student in recovery high school alternative education program. | This bill requires hospital, medical and health service corporations, commercial insurers, health maintenance organizations, health benefits plans issued pursuant to the New Jersey Individual Health Coverage and Small Employer Health Benefits Programs, the State Health Benefits Program, and the School Employees' Health Benefits Program, to provide coverage for benefits for the enrollment of a student in a recovery high school alternative education program established pursuant to State law. The bill requires health insurance coverage only if placement in the recovery high school alternative education program is determined to be clinically appropriate by a certified alcohol and drug counselor, licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor, treating physician, treatment facility, or district student assistance counselor using the criteria for substance use disorder or dependency as defined by the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Under current law, a "recovery high school alternative education program" means an alternative education program that serves students diagnosed with substance use disorder or dependency as defined by the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and that provides a comprehensive four-year high school education in an alternative public school setting and a structured plan of recovery that is aligned with the national framework of evidence-based practices for recovery high schools. | In Committee |
| A4030 | Regulates use of automated tools in hiring decisions to minimize discrimination in employment. | This bill regulates the use of automated employment decision tools during the hiring process to minimize employment discrimination that may result from the use of the tools. Under the bill, "automated employment decision tool" means any system the function of which is governed by statistical theory, or systems the parameters of which are defined by systems, including inferential methodologies, linear regression, neural networks, decision trees, random forests, and other learning algorithms, which automatically filters candidates or prospective candidates for hire or for any term, condition or privilege of employment in a way that establishes a preferred candidate or candidates. The bill prohibits the sale of automated employment decision tools in the State unless: (1) The tool is the subject of a bias audit conducted in the past year prior to selling the tool or offering the tool for sale; (2) The sale of the tool includes, at no additional cost, an annual bias audit service that provides the results of the audit to the purchaser; and (3) The tool is sold or offered for sale with a notice stating that the tool is subject to the provisions of the bill. In addition, the bill provides that any person who uses an automated employment decision tool to screen a candidate for an employment decision is required to notify each candidate of the following within 30 days of the use of the tool: (1) That an automated employment decision tool, which is subject to an audit for bias, was used in connection with the candidate's application for employment; and (2) The tool assessed the job qualifications or characteristics of the candidate. The bill provides for civil penalties to be collected for violations of its provisions. The bill is intended to affirm certain rights of candidates for employment under the circumstances specified in the bill, and will not be construed to reduce, limit, or curtail any rights of any candidate provided by law, or to limit the authority of the State or its agencies to investigate and enforce rights relating to bias and discrimination in employment, or to promulgate rules and regulations relating to bias and discrimination in employment. | In Committee |
| A4375 | Directs Secretary of Higher Education to establish Legislative Youth Council and select institution of higher education in this State as host; makes changes to council's structure to provide flexibility in activities and operations. | This bill makes changes to the Legislative Youth Council to create flexibility and provide long-term support. The bill: Directs the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education to establish a Legislative Youth Council in collaboration with a college or university located in this State, for the engagement of youth in this State in the democratic process. Directs the college or university selected by the Secretary to provide support to council members so they can more effectively undertake their responsibilities and provide input to policymakers. Directs the college or university to designate a coordinator for the council to manage the day to day functions, including arranging for guest speakers and for opportunities to observe policymakers. Establishes a stipend, in an amount to be determined by the Secretary, for the coordinator. Removes the requirement that the members study particular subject areas, allowing the council to adapt over time and research issues of greatest concern to them as representatives of the youth in this State. Removes the requirement that the council provide regular reports to the Legislature on particular subjects but instead only requires that the coordinator report to the Legislature and the Secretary of Higher Education on the activities of the council once every two years. Aligns the term of the members with the two-year legislative term for overlap with the schedule of legislative activity in this State. Removes legislators from formal positions with the council, allowing for them and other policymakers to engage in a more advisory capacity. Requires the coordinator to develop the application for appointment to the council and removes the ability of the council to revise that application. Raises the minimum age for eligible applicants from 15 to 18 and the maximum age from 23 to 25 to create a cohort of council members who are closer in experience and college level of education to inform their activities. Lowers the number of years that a member has to have been a resident of this State to broaden the eligible pool of applicants. Requires the members of the Senate and General Assembly to appoint the members within 60 days after the start of a two-year legislative term. Removes the ability of the members of the Legislature to appoint members after that initial 60 days to ensure that there is no delay in participation for some of the members who are appointed later. Establishes a stipend for council members in an amount to be determined by the coordinator. Provides that all members who have been appointed prior to the enactment of the bill will constitute the inaugural council members, as long as they would also be eligible under the terms of this bill, and will begin their service with the new legislative term commencing on January 9, 2024. This bill also repeals several provisions of law that require the council to maintain an executive board, that require a certain schedule of meetings for the council, and that limit the payments received by members to reimbursements for expenses already incurred. | In Committee |
| A4059 | Requires Commissioner of Education to permit certain school districts losing State school aid to submit budgets after enactment of FY 2025 appropriations act. | An Act concerning budget submissions for certain school districts. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| ACR105 | Reconstitutes the "Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity." | Reconstitutes "Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity." | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A3980 | Requires DHS to establish system to ensure distribution of funds for certain support services for General Assistance beneficiaries ceases upon beneficiary's exit from support service. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services to establish a process to ensure that any funding distributed by the Division of Family Development or a county welfare agency to a provider of substance use disorder treatment or housing for support services rendered to a beneficiary of General Assistance cash benefits ceases on the date in which the beneficiary is discharged from the provider or is otherwise no longer receiving services from the provider. Under the bill, the commissioner is authorized to: contact a provider or a beneficiary to determine the date on which services ceased to be provided to the beneficiary and on which funding for services provided by the division or a county welfare agency are to discontinue; and require a provider to repay the division or a county welfare agency for any funding received by the provider for a beneficiary that was discharged from the provider or was otherwise no longer receiving services from the provider. | In Committee |
| A2198 | Clarifies DHS authority to regulate sober living homes and halfway houses as residential substance abuse aftercare facilities; requires background checks and other protections for residents of residential substance abuse facilities. | This bill would amend the State's substance abuse treatment laws in relation to the regulation of sober living homes and halfway houses. In particular, the bill would expressly clarify that the existing statutory authority of the Department of Human Services (DHS) to license and regulate residential substance abuse facilities, pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1975, c.305 (C.26:2B-7 et seq.) which concerns alcohol and P.L.1970, c.334 (C.26:2G-21 et seq.) which concerns narcotic drugs, includes the authority to license and regulate residential substance abuse aftercare facilities such as transitional sober living homes and halfway houses. The bill also provides for criminal history record background checks of a person employed or seeking employment as an administrator of these residential substance abuse facilities, or as a representative payee who receives government benefits on behalf of an individual residing in a facility. The background checks are also to be conducted on a person who is the owner of the physical plant on which a facility is located. A person would be disqualified from securing or maintaining a license pursuant to P.L.1975, c.305 (C.26:2B-7 et seq.) or certificate of approval pursuant to P.L.1970, c.334 (C.26:2G-21 et seq.), if the criminal history record background check of the person who is the owner of the physical plant of the facility or a person employed as an administrator or representative payee at the facility reveals a record of conviction of the crimes or offenses enumerated in the bill. If a person refuses to consent to, or cooperate in, securing a criminal history record background check, DHS is to suspend, deny, revoke, or refuse to renew the license or certificate of approval of the facility. The criminal history record background checks are to be processed by the Division of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the person who undergoes the background check is to assume the cost of the background check. The bill also provides that the facilities are not to remove a resident from a facility until at least one week following the date of delivery by the facility to the resident of a written notice advising that the resident is to be removed. However, this provision would not apply if the resident poses an immediate and serious threat to other residents or the facility. DHS is also required to conduct inspections every two weeks if there is an investigation for a violation of the laws and regulations governing these facilities or under any other authority. Additionally, the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in DHS is to oversee the development and maintenance of a registry to collect and track information about the number of openings available for persons seeking residency in these facilities. The facilities are required to submit to the registry, no less than once a day, information as to the number of openings that are available on that day. The registry would contain, by county, the following information: the name, address and telephone number of the facility; the type of services provided; the maximum occupancy; and the number of openings available. The registry would: be prominently displayed on the DHS website; provide for a search by county or name; be made available to the public, upon request, through the addictions telephone hotline and the Statewide 2-1-1 telephone system; and also be made available using any other means that the Commissioner of Human Services deems appropriate. Lastly, the bill would update the language used in this area of law, in order to ensure grammatical correctness, maintain consistency with current rules of statutory drafting, and correctly reference the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in DHS, which is the agency and division currently responsible for the regulation of substance abuse treatment facilities. | In Committee |
| A3977 | Concerns State regulation of boarding houses, including cooperative sober living residences. | The bill amends the "Rooming and Boarding House Act of 1979" to strengthen the State's regulation of cooperative sober living residences, as defined in the bill. Specifically, the bill increases the maximum civil penalty for certain licensing violations for a rooming or boarding house, including cooperative sober living residences. The bill requires the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to maintain a list of licensed cooperative sober living residences on its Internet website including the location and contact information for each licensed cooperative sober living residence. The bill also establishes reporting requirements for incidents affecting the safety or welfare of cooperative sober living residence residents or staff, which includes an immediate notification to DCA and a written report of the incident within five working days of the incident. Incidents for which the bill's reporting requirements would apply include: (1) fire, flood, disaster, accident, or other unanticipated event that results in the serious injury or death of a resident or staff member, or the evacuation of residents from the cooperative sober living residence, or closure of the cooperative sober living residence for six or more hours; (2) serious injury or death of a resident of the cooperative sober living residence, including overdose; (3) outbreak of a communicable disease or other condition that adversely affects multiple residents or staff; (4) alleged or suspected crimes that endanger the life or safety of residents or staff, or which jeopardize the operations or fiscal stability of the cooperative sober living residence; (5) disciplinary actions concerning staff, including termination, resulting from inappropriate staff interaction with residents; and (6) criminal convictions or disciplinary sanctions imposed on staff or board members or representatives of the governing authority by licensing or credentialing boards since the prior application for licensure. | In Committee |
| AJR177 | Urges Congress and President to enact "Do Not Disturb Act." | This joint resolution urges Congress to pass, and for the President to sign, the "Do Not Disturb Act." American citizens receive over 2 billion spam and scam calls per month. This inundation of spam and scam calls led to over 195 million hours of wasted time answering these calls in 2023. These spam and scam calls are dangerous and abusive fraud tactics that affect every American citizen with a phone, particularly senior citizens. The United States Supreme Court's decision in Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid, 141 S. Ct. 1163 (2021) held that the definition of "automatic telephone dialing system" as defined in the Telephone consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) only includes devices that have the capacity to either store a telephone number using a random or sequential generator or to produce a telephone number using a random or sequential generator, which definition excludes a bulk of robocalls taking place today. Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. introduced a bill package known collectively as the "Do Not Disturb Act," to protect consumers from the bombardment of dangerous and unwanted calls and texts by expanding anti-robocall protections, combatting the use of artificial intelligence for scams, and alleviating the cost of robocall blocking technology for consumers. | In Committee |
| A4329 | Requires court to consider certain factors in appointing guardian and to justify guardianship appointment on record. | This bill establishes factors a court is required to consider when making a guardianship determination for an individual. This bill would apply to general and temporary guardianship, guardianship for the person, guardianship for the estate, or both. Under the bill, the court is required to consider, but is not limited to, the following factors: 1) the safety and the well-being of the individual; 2) the ability of the potential guardian to care for the individual; 3) any pre-established relationship between the potential guardian and the individual; 4) any affidavits or certifications provided by physicians evidencing the individual's incapacity; 5) any report provided to the court by a court-appointed counsel for the alleged incapacitated individual in an incapacity hearing; and 6) any issue relevant to the care of the alleged incapacitated individual or the management of the individual's estate. The bill requires any determination for guardianship to be based on clear and convincing evidence. Finally, the court is required to specifically place on the record the factors and evidence which justify the appointment of a guardian for an individual. | In Committee |
| A4205 | Permits use of tents and other fixtures for outdoor dining on certain property. | This bill would permit the use of tents and other fixtures for outdoor dining on certain property. The bill would allow the owners and operators of restaurants, bars, distilleries, or breweries to use outdoor spaces which they own or lease and which are located on, or adjacent to, their business premises, as an extension of their business premises for the purpose of conducting sales of food and beverages, including alcoholic beverages if so licensed. The bill defines outdoor spaces as including patios and decks, both covered and uncovered, yards, walkways, and parking lots, or a portion thereof. The bill would also allow the owners and operators of those establishments to use public sidewalks, as defined in the bill, as an extension of their business premises for that purpose, as well. The bill requires owners and operators of those establishments seeking to utilize outdoor spaces or public sidewalks as extensions of their business premises pursuant to the provisions of the bill to file an application with the municipal zoning officer, including information concerning the use of the outdoor spaces or public sidewalks, as appropriate, pursuant to the requirements set forth in the bill. The bill allows the use of tents, canopies, umbrellas, tables, chairs, and other fixtures on these premises as long as the tent, canopy, umbrella, table, chairs, or other fixture conforms to all applicable fire safety and construction code provisions. The bill specifies that these tents, canopies, umbrellas, tables, chairs, and other fixtures would be deemed a permitted use for the time period encompassing the first day of April through the first day of December of each year. The bill, further clarifies that any administrative rule or regulation which governs the use of tents, canopies, umbrellas, tables, chairs, and other fixtures during the winter, specifically the time period encompassing the second day of December through the last day of March, would not be impacted by the provisions of the bill. The bill is to take effect immediately and follows expiration of sections 1 through 8 of P.L.2021, c.15. P.L.2021, c.15 was enacted on February 5, 2021, in part, to temporarily expand opportunities for restaurants, bars, distilleries, and breweries to provide outdoor dining in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. This bill would make several provisions of that law permanent. | In Committee |
| A4257 | Concerns applicability of sales tax to certain horse-boarding charges in New Jersey. | This bill clarifies the sales tax collection responsibilities of horse-boarding businesses in New Jersey by providing an exemption from tax for the lease or rental of certain stable stalls and charges for horse boarding and certain other relate services. Under the bill, the taxable service of "furnishing space for storage" is redefined to exclude from tax charges for the lease or rental of certain stable stalls. The bill provides that the service of "furnishing space for storage" does not include, and the taxable service therefore does not apply to, charges for the lease or rental of a stall in a barn, stable, or other similar structure or facility for the boarding or stabling or for the keeping or holding of a horse, pony, mule, donkey, or hinny. The bill exempts from tax certain charges for boarding a horse. The bill provides that charges for storing a horse, pony, mule, donkey, or hinny in a barn, stable, or other similar structure or facility by a person engaged in the business of boarding or stabling or otherwise keeping or holding horses, ponies, mules, donkeys, or hinnies are exempt from the sales tax. The bill also exempts from tax certain services provided for the care of horses boarded by persons engaged in the business of boarding horses. The bill provides that charges for maintaining or servicing a horse, pony, mule, donkey, or hinny that is boarded or stabled or that is kept or held in a barn, stable, or other similar structure or facility by a person engaged in the business of boarding or stabling or otherwise keeping or holding horses, ponies, mules, donkeys, or hinnies are exempt from the sales tax. This bill provides that the tax exemptions established by the bill would apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1 next following the bill's date of enactment. | In Committee |
| S1313 | Establishes procedure for certification of LGBTQ+ business. | An Act concerning the certification of businesses owned by LGBTQ+ persons and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes. | Signed/Enacted/Adopted |
| A4169 | Establishes task force to study and make recommendations concerning health care service needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer or questioning individuals, and persons with intersex conditions in the State. | This bill establishes the nine-member New Jersey Task Force on Health Care Services for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex Persons in the Department of Health (DOH). The purpose of the task force would be to develop and issue recommendations concerning the health care service needs of the State's LGBTQI community. Specifically, the task force would: review current State and federal policies and laws as they relate to LGBTQI-related health care services; determine what existing resources are currently being utilized Statewide for the provision of health care services to members of the LGBTQI community, examine the quality and accessibility of those services, and investigate whether there is a need for improving the quality and accessibility of such services; evaluate research and literature concerning the removal of barriers faced by members of the LGBTQI community when accessing health care services and obtaining health insurance coverage; examine the current curricula of the State's medical schools and schools of public health to determine whether they provide instruction on how to address the specific health care needs of the LGBTQI community; and develop and issue recommendations to improve the quality and accessibility of LGBTQI-related health care services in the State and to remove current and emerging barriers faced by members of the LGBTQI community when accessing health care services and obtaining health insurance coverage. The membership of the task force would include: the Commissioner of Health or a designee; four members of the public appointed by the Governor representing Garden State Equality, the New Jersey Hospital Association, a federally qualified health center, and the LGBTQI community; and four members of the public, one each appointed by the Senate President, the Speaker of the General Assembly, and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate and General Assembly. Under the provisions of the bill: DOH would provide professional and clerical staff to the task force as necessary to carry out its duties; the task force would report to the Governor and the Legislature on its findings, recommendations, and activities no later than one year after its organization of the task force; and the task force would expire upon the issuance of its report. | In Committee |
| A4135 | Requires counties to establish crisis intervention services programs for law enforcement officers, firefighters, and sheriff's officers. | Current law permits the governing body of any county to establish a law enforcement crisis intervention services program for the provision of debriefing and counseling services for law enforcement officers and sheriff's officers who have been involved in incidents which may produce personal or job-related depression, anxiety, stress or other psychological or emotional tensions, traumas, pressures or disorders. This bill, which is designated as the "Craig Tiger Act," requires that each county establish such a program. This bill also makes firefighters in the county eligible for the debriefing and counseling services of a program, and makes law enforcement officers who are employed by a State department or agency eligible for the debriefing and counseling services of a program when the officer resides in the county or when the officer's primary work location is in the county. The bill makes volunteer firefighters and 9-1-1 first responder dispatchers eligible for the program as well. The bill expands the definition of critical incident to include: (1) the visual or audible witnessing of the death or maiming, or the visual or audible witnessing of the immediate aftermath of such a death or maiming, of one or more human beings; (2) the response to or direct involvement in a criminal investigation of an offense involving dangerous crimes against children; (3) the need for rescue in the line of duty where one's life was in danger; and (4) the response to or direct involvement in an investigation regarding the drowning or near drowning of a child. This bill prohibits an employer from requiring a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or sheriff's officer who is receiving services to use accrued paid vacation leave, personal leave, or sick leave if the law enforcement officer, firefighter, or sheriff's officer leaves work to attend these counseling sessions. In addition, this bill provides that, if a provider of the crisis intervention services program determines that the law enforcement officer, firefighter, or sheriff's officer is not fit for duty while the law enforcement officer is receiving debriefing or counseling services, the employer must ensure that the law enforcement officer has no loss of pay and benefits for up to 30 calendar days per incident after the date the provider determines that the employee is not fit for duty if certain criteria are met. This bill will provide qualified officers and firefighters with up to 12 counseling sessions, which can be provided in person or by telehealth. If the provider determines that the officer or firefighter requires additional counseling sessions, the program will provide up to an additional 24 counseling sessions, if the sessions occur within one year after the first session. In addition, this bill requires each county crisis intervention services advisory council to compile data regarding the program and, on or before September 1 of each year, submit the data to the Department of Community Affairs. On or before October 1 of each year, the department is required to compile the data into a report and submit the report to the Governor and the Legislature. Finally, this bill requires the State to reimburse a county for the costs of the crisis intervention services program it is required to establish pursuant to this bill. | In Committee |
| ACR129 | Proposes constitutional amendment to permit Legislature to extend eligibility to receive veterans' property tax deduction to surviving spouse of nonresident veteran in certain circumstances. | If approved by the voters of the State, this proposed amendment to the State Constitution would authorize the Legislature to provide an annual property tax deduction of $250 to the surviving spouse of a person honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, but who was not a citizen and resident of the State at the time of his or her death. The proposed amendment would require that the deceased had lived in New Jersey for any period of time both prior to, and subsequent to, his or her service in the Armed Forces of the United States, in order for the surviving spouse to be eligible for this deduction. | In Committee |
| A4136 | Provides additional State school aid to certain school districts; makes an appropriation. | This bill provides that certain school districts that are subject to a reduction in State school aid under P.L.2018, c.67 (commonly referred to as "S2") for the 2024-2025 school year will receive Supplemental Stabilization Aid. A district would receive Supplemental Stabilization Aid if the district's reduction in State school aid for the 2024-2025 school year under S2 is greater than one percent of the district's total operating budget in the 2023-2024 school year. The aid provided under the bill would ensure that no district receives a reduction in aid from the 2023-2024 school year that is greater than one percent of the district's total operating budget in the 2023-2024 school year. To receive the aid provided under the bill, a school district is required to submit to the Commissioner of Education, in a manner and form to be prescribed by the commissioner, a written plan explaining how the district intends to fund operations in future school years in which the district does not receive Supplemental Stabilization Aid or similar supplemental State school aid. A county vocational school district that receives vocational expansion stabilization aid in the 2024-2025 school year is not eligible to receive Supplemental Stabilization Aid under the bill. The bill appropriates such amounts as are required from the Property Tax Relief Fund to the Department of Education. | In Committee |
| A3330 | Establishes procedure for certification of LGBTQ+ business. | Establishes procedure for certification of LGBTQ+ business. | In Committee |
| A3825 | Requires Department of Agriculture to establish program to make grants available to certain non-profit organizations for seafood gleaning operations; appropriates $250,000. | This bill would direct the Department of Agriculture ("department") to establish a program, subject to the availability of appropriated funds, to provide grants to support seafood gleaning programs operated by eligible non-profit organizations in the State. A nonprofit organization would be eligible for a grant under the program, in a maximum amount of up to $250,000 per program year, if the organization operates a seafood gleaning program, pursuant to which, gleaned seafood received from commercial fishermen, are donated, by the receiving nonprofit organization, to emergency feeding organizations and local distribution agencies for further distribution, thereby, to food insecure and low-income individuals and families in the State. In order to effectuate the grant program, the bill would require the department to: establish criteria, supplemental to, but consistent with, the basic eligibility criteria set forth in the bill, to be used in qualifying an eligible non-profit organization for a program grant award; adopt guidelines and procedures for the submission of grant applications; establish criteria for the evaluation and prioritization of program grant applications; identify the seafood gleaning-related project costs eligible for grant funding and the specific factors that will be considered, by the department, in determining the appropriate dollar amount of each grant award issued under the program; and identify the terms and conditions for the awarding and use of program grant funds, including, at a minimum, conditions requiring a grant recipient to report relevant information, to the department, regarding the recipient's expenditure of awarded grant funds. The bill would also require the department to submit a written report, to the Governor and the Legislature, identifying the name of each nonprofit organization awarded a program grant in the annual reporting period and providing, for each such grant recipient, a description of the organization's seafood gleaning program and identify the total amount of seafood donated, per year, through the gleaning program, the total number of employees and volunteers participating in the seafood gleaning program, and the total number, and location, of recipients of seafood that has been donated, under the gleaning program, during the reporting period. The bill would appropriate $250,000 from the General Fund, to the Department of Agriculture, to finance initial program grants and administrative costs. The bill would additionally require the Secretary of Agriculture to annually request additional appropriations, as part of the department's yearly budget proposal, as may be necessary to fund the grant program on an ongoing basis. | 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 |
| A3685 | Establishes pilot program in Office of Planning Advocacy to reimburse municipalities for certain expenditures concerning warehouse development; appropriates $1 million. | This bill establishes a pilot program in the Office of Planning Advocacy (office) for the purpose of reimbursing a municipality for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in reexamining and updating municipal zoning ordinances, and conducting certain mitigation studies, concerning warehouse development. The bill defines "warehouse" to mean any site, building, room, structure, or facility used primarily for the storage of goods intended for sale or distribution. The pilot program is to offer grant funding to reimburse a municipality for: 1) a reexamination of the municipality's master plan and adoption a warehouse-specific zoning ordinance consistent with the office's guidance on warehouse development and compatible with a model ordinance developed pursuant to the bill; or 2) a mitigation study on the potential effects of pending warehouse development site plan applications and, regardless of the results of the mitigation study, adoption of a warehouse-specific zoning ordinance consistent with the office's guidance on warehouse development and compatible with a model ordinance developed pursuant to the bill. The bill provides that a municipality may submit to the office an application, in a form and manner to be determined by the office, for a funding reimbursement grant for expenses incurred consistent with the provisions of the bill. The application is to require a municipality to demonstrate that the municipality has enacted an ordinance consistent with the office's guidance on warehouse development and compatible with a model ordinance developed pursuant to the bill as a condition of receiving a reimbursement grant. The office is to develop criteria to prioritize reimbursement grant applications from municipalities that are in most need of financial assistance. The bill provides that the office is to promulgate one or more model zoning ordinances detailing different regulatory options for the siting of warehouses that may impose a negative impact on land use, traffic volume, infrastructure, storm water runoff, public health, or any other impact category determined by the office, and direct development towards areas ideally suited to handle warehousing impacts. The bill further provides that the office, upon the exhaustion of funds allocated to the pilot program, is to submit a report to the Governor and to the Legislature evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program, detailing the expenditure of the appropriated funds, and making any recommendations on the feasibility of implementing the pilot program on a permanent basis. The bill appropriates from the General Fund the sum of $1,000,000 to the Office of Planning Advocacy for the purposes of the pilot program. The pilot program is to expire upon the submission of the report required by the bill. | In Committee |
| A3588 | Provides for certain pediatric NJ FamilyCare beneficiaries to maintain private duty nursing hours when transitioning to Managed Long Term Services and Supports; codifies and expands appeals provisions for private duty nursing services. | This bill provides that a NJ FamilyCare beneficiary transitioning from the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program for children under age 21 to the Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) program for people of all ages with long-term care needs will automatically receive coverage under the MLTSS program for no less than the number of weekly private duty nursing service hours that the beneficiary was eligible to receive pursuant to the most recent nursing assessment completed under the EPSDT program. Moreover, the bill requires that such beneficiaries will be allowed to carry forward unused private duty nursing service hours from week to week. A managed care organization may decrease the number of covered private duty nursing service hours for such a beneficiary only based on a change in medical necessity, as determined by an authorized provider. The MLTSS program currently limits the number of weekly private duty nursing hours to 16. By contrast, there is no cap on such services under the EPSDT program. Furthermore, the bill directs the Department of Human Services to review the records of all beneficiaries who have transitioned from the EPSDT program to the MLTSS program in the five years preceding the bill's enactment to determine if any beneficiaries may be eligible for coverage of an increased number of private duty nursing services hours pursuant to the provisions of the bill. The bill also codifies and expands certain provisions in the contract between the Medicaid managed care organizations and the State for all private duty nursing services appeals. Under the bill, a managed care organization is required to automatically continue a beneficiary's provider-authorized private duty nursing services benefits during an appeal of a change of previously authorized private duty nursing services, provided that the appeal request is made by an eligible entity within 30 calendar days of the date of notification of the adverse benefit determination. These provisions reflect existing contract elements, except that currently an appeal request must be made within 10 calendar days, rather than 30. The bill also requires managed care organizations to continue the beneficiary's private duty nursing services benefits while an appeal is pending until 30 days after either the beneficiary withdraws the appeal or the appeal results in a decision adverse to the beneficiary. Currently, the managed care organizations can discontinue benefits upon the date of either of these two events. | In Committee |
| A3491 | Requires certain animals used in testing to be offered for adoption; requires establishment of procedures for assessment and disposition of animals; establishes penalties for noncompliance. | This bill requires any cat, dog, or ferret used for product testing or research conducted or contracted by a company, corporation, manufacturer, or contract testing facility in the State to be offered to an animal rescue organization or private individual for adoption when the testing or research is concluded, if the animal is assessed to be suitable for adoption. Current law limits circumstances under which animal product testing or research may be conducted by manufacturers and contract testing facilities. Current law also requires, pursuant to the "Homes for Animal Heroes Act," P.L.2019, c.414 (C.18A:3B-85), that cats and dogs used for educational, research, or scientific purposes by an institution of higher education or a research institution that contracts with an institution of higher education for such use of cats and dogs, to be assessed for the suitability of adoption, and if suitable, to be offered for adoption. The bill expands the "Homes for Animal Heroes Act" to include testing or research using ferrets and to provide for adoption of ferrets used in that way. The bill directs the Office of Veterinary Public Health (OVPH) in the Department of Health (DOH) to establish procedures for documenting the assessment and disposition of any cat, dog, or ferret used by a company, corporation, manufacturer, contract facility, institution of higher education, or a research institution for such purposes. The bill authorizes the OVPH to monitor compliance with the procedures and enforce the provisions of section 1 of the bill and section 1 of P.L.2019, c.414 (C.18A:3B-85), concerning the assessment of the suitability of animals for adoption and the requirements to offer suitable animals for adoption. The bill further requires that each company, corporation, manufacturer, or contract testing facility that is subject to the bill, and each institution of higher education and research institution that is subject to the "Homes for Animal Heroes Act" to register with the OVPH when undertaking animal testing with cats, dogs, or ferrets, and to report to the OVPH: 1) the type and number of animals being used; 2) the date on which the testing or research is completed or upon which the animal is no longer being used in the testing or research; 3) an assessment of the condition of any animal no longer being used in the testing or research and its suitability for adoption; 4) the disposition of the animal, including the name and contact information of the animal rescue organization with which, or the animal rescue organization facility in which, the animal is placed; and 5) if an animal assessed as suitable for adoption is not adopted, documentation of the good faith effort to place the animal with an animal rescue organization or in an animal rescue organization facility, and any effort to offer the animal for private adoption. The bill provides that private individuals who have adopted animals would not have to be identified but requires documentation of which animals were adopted by private individuals. The bill establishes civil penalties for noncompliance with the bill's provisions and requirements, and the provisions of the "Homes for Animal Heroes Act." The bill provides for a civil penalty of $10,000 for a first offense, and $50,000 for a second offense, to be collected in a summary proceeding brought by the DOH pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). Upon finding of a third offense, the DOH is required to institute an action for an injunction to prohibit the company, corporation, manufacturer, contract testing facility, institution of higher education, or research institution from conducting animal testing. The bill provides that the Superior Court would have jurisdiction for enforcing the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999" and for imposing an injunction for a third violation. Finally, the bill requires the DOH to maintain a registry of animal rescue organizations and animal rescue organization facilities, directs the DOH to establish a database of those animal rescue organizations and facilities that accept animals that have been used in testing or research, and requires a company, corporation, manufacturer, contract facility, institution of higher education, or research institution, as applicable, to contact an animal rescue organization or animal rescue organization facility listed in the database whenever a cat, dog, or ferret used in testing or research is determined to be suitable for adoption. | In Committee |
| AJR122 | Designates last weekend in October as "Honor Your Hometown Weekend." | This joint resolution designates the last weekend in October every year as "Honor Your Hometown Weekend" in New Jersey to recognize and appreciate the towns, cities, communities, and neighborhoods that have shaped the bonds between people, with the State, and with the nation. The resolution respectfully requests the Governor to annually issue a proclamation and to call upon public officials and all citizens of the State to observe "Honor Your Hometown Weekend" with appropriate programs and activities. The resolution also respectfully requests the Governor to, until so designated, call upon Congress and the President of the United States to designate a national weekend of celebration to honor America's hometowns for the reasons set forth in this resolution. | In Committee |
| ACR110 | Proposes constitutional amendment authorizing municipalities to provide partial property tax exemption of up to 15 percent of assessed value for primary residence of certain volunteer first responders. | If approved by the voters, this proposed constitutional amendment would require the Legislature to enact a law permitting municipalities to provide a partial property tax exemption of up to 15 percent of the assessed value of a home for certain volunteer first responders. A municipality would have to pass an ordinance in order to provide the exemption. The exemption would mean that the volunteer first responder would not pay property taxes on a portion of the home's assessed value. Each municipality would decide whether to allow the exemption and decide the percentage amount of the exemption, however the exemption could not be more than 15 percent of the assessed value of the property. The Legislature would be required to pass a law authorizing the exemption. To be eligible for the exemption, a first responder would have to be an active member of a volunteer fire department or a volunteer first aid or rescue squad that serves the municipality. The home would also have to be the volunteer's primary residence and be located in the municipality in which the volunteer serves. | In Committee |
| A3536 | Requires certain issuance standards and open enrollment for Medicare supplement policies. | This bill requires certain issuance standards for Medicare supplement policies, and provides that those policies must have a continuous open enrollment period. Specifically, the bill prohibits issuers of Medicare supplement policies from denying or conditioning the issuance or effectiveness of a policy or discriminating in the pricing of a policy because of the health status, claims experience, receipt of health care, or medical condition of an applicant. The bill also requires applicants to be accepted at all times throughout the year for any Medicare supplement policies available from an issuer. The requirements of the bill are applicable to applicants enrolled in Medicare whether enrolled by reason of age or by reason of disability. | In Committee |
| A547 | Requires public agency receiving State funds to post on website use of State funds for public work contracts with minority, women, and veteran owned businesses. | This bill requires a public agency that is receiving State funds for the purpose of public work to post on its main website for public inspection an accounting of how much of those funds were used for public work contracts in which the public agency contracted with businesses to owned by minorities, women, and veterans. The accounting will also provide how much of those funds were used for public work contracts in which the public agency contracted with other businesses that are not owned by minorities, women, or veterans, and the accounting is required to be updated monthly. Whenever a public agency does not maintain a website, the information shall be forward by the public agency to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and posted on that department's main website, which shall be updated monthly. The bill also requires the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, on an annual basis, to submit a report that summarizes each public agency's use of State funds for public work and how much of those funds went to contracts with businesses owned by minorities, women, and veterans. | In Committee |
| A3535 | Provides sales and use tax exemption for sales of books at school book fairs. | This bill provides a sales and use tax exemption for the sale of books at school book fairs. The bill defines "school book fair" as a fair held at an elementary or secondary school, at which the sale of books is offered exclusively to the students at that school and to the parents and guardians of those students. | 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 |
| A1667 | Prohibits DHS from deeming certain teachers and school employees ineligible for child care subsidies due to number of hours worked when school is not in session for students. | This bill prohibits the Department of Human Services (DHS) from deeming certain teachers and school employees ineligible for child care subsidies due to number of hours worked when school is not in session for students. The Division of Family Development in the DHS administers the State's child care subsidy program, which provides low-and moderate-income working parents with subsidies for child care, including preschool instruction, after-school programs for children up to age 13, and care for children and teens with special needs. In order to be eligible for the program, a parent must be a New Jersey resident, work a minimum of 30 hours per week or be enrolled in a school or training program for a minimum of 20 hours, and meet certain income requirements. This eligibility criteria regarding number of weekly hours worked is challenging for teachers and school employees, who are otherwise eligible for subsidies, but who are not employed 30 hours or more a week during certain times of the year when schools are not in session for students. Currently, a teacher or other school employee, deemed eligible for subsidies initially, may be determined ineligible during the redetermination process due to non-compliance with the weekly work requirement. This bill mandates that an applicant or participant in the State' s child care subsidy program who is a teacher or other school employee is not to be determined ineligible for subsidies due to number of hours worked during weeks that fall outside of the school year. As used in the bill, "school year" means the part of the year in which a school or school district is in session for students. Moreover, a teacher or other school employee who qualifies for subsidies under the bill are not required to report to the DHS changes in the number of hours worked during weeks that fall outside of the school year, but are required to participate in any redetermination process required by the commissioner of all participants. | In Committee |
| A494 | Requires additional credit against fair share obligation for abandoned property converted to affordable housing. | This bill requires additional credit against a fair share obligation for abandoned property converted to affordable housing. This bill seeks to incentivize the rehabilitation of abandoned property, and facilitate the establishment of affordable housing in locations that benefit surrounding neighborhoods. Under this bill, a municipality may receive two units of credit towards its fair share obligation for each unit of housing that is restricted for use by low and moderate income households. The additional credit would apply so long as the housing unit is established on a property that has been on an abandoned property list, established by the municipality pursuant to section 36 of P.L.1996, c.62 (C.55:19-55), and the property has subsequently been removed from the abandoned property list following its rehabilitation. | In Committee |
| A1801 | "Stephanie's Law"; Requires AOC to establish publicly-accessible domestic violence registry; requires law enforcement officer to search State's domestic violence registries when conducting arrest. | This bill establishes "Stephanie's Law," to require the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), in conjunction with the Attorney General, to develop and maintain a publicly-accessible domestic violence Internet registry, and require law enforcement officers to search the State's domestic violence registries upon arresting a person. This registry established under the bill is to be separate from the domestic violence central registry maintained by the AOC pursuant to N.J.S.A.2C:25-34, which is not accessible to the public. Under the bill, the public is to be able to access the registry to obtain all available information concerning any person who has been convicted of a crime or offense involving domestic violence; has had a final domestic violence restraining order issued against them; or has committed contempt of a temporary or final domestic violence restraining order. The Internet registry is to contain the following information for any person to be included in the registry: (1) the person's name and any aliases the person has used or under which the person may be or may have been known; (2) a brief description of any crime or offense involving domestic violence for which the person was convicted; the date and location of each disposition; and a general description of the person's modus operandi, if applicable; (3) the person's age, race, gender, date of birth, height, weight, hair, eye color, and any distinguishing scars or tattoos; (4) a photograph of the person and the date on which the photograph was entered into the registry; (5) the make, model, color, year, and license plate number of any vehicle operated by the person; (6) and the person's last known address. A person whose name is erroneously included in the registry established under the bill may petition the AOC for removal of the person's name. The AOC is required to remove the person's name from the registry if the person has not had a final domestic violence restraining order entered against them, has not been found guilty of contempt of a temporary or final domestic violence restraining order, or has not been found guilty of a crime or offense involving domestic violence. Within five days of a change of address, a person whose name is included in the registry is required provide the AOC with the new address. On the website through which a person may search the registry established under the bill, the AOC is required to include information regarding: the manner in which a person may petition the AOC to remove their name; the circumstances under which the AOC would grant a petition to remove their name; and the manner in which a person may provide an updated address to the AOC. In addition, the provisions of the bill require a law enforcement officer to determine, upon an arrest, if there is a domestic violence restraining order entered against the person. This determination is to include a search of the central domestic violence registry maintained by the AOC established pursuant to N.J.S.A.2C:25-34, as well as the publicly-accessible central registry established under the bill. This bill, designated "Stephanie's Law," is named after a domestic violence victim, Stephanie Nicole Parze, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. The Stephanie Nicole Parze Foundation was created in her memory to provide support to victims of domestic violence. This bill, which is intended to provide additional protections for victims of domestic violence, is named in her honor. | In Committee |
| A2807 | Requires mail-in ballot applications to include prepaid postage. | Under current law, a voter may complete and return to the county clerk by regular mail an application requesting to receive a mail-in ballot. This bill requires the mail-in ballot application form to include prepaid postage, to be paid by the State. | In Committee |
| A2508 | Revises certain provisions of film and digital media content production tax credit program. | The bill revises certain provisions of the Garden State Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program, which provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for expenses incurred for the production of certain films and digital media content. The total annual amount of tax credits authorized by the program is portioned among three categories of qualifying taxpayers: New Jersey studio partners, New Jersey film-lease production companies, and taxpayers other than New Jersey studio partners and New Jersey film-lease production companies. For each fiscal year, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) is required to certify the amount of tax credits that were previously approved for qualifying taxpayers, but that the taxpayers were not able to redeem or transfer to other taxpayers in that fiscal year. The authority is also required to certify the amount of tax credits that were not approved for qualifying taxpayers in that fiscal year. The bill clarifies that the EDA is permitted to reallocate some or all of those remaining tax credits in the subsequent fiscal year across the three categories of qualifying taxpayer, in the authority's discretion. | In Committee |
| A936 | Establishes four-year Career and Technical Education Partnership Grant Program. | This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to establish a four-year Career and Technical Education Partnership Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to create an incentive program in which grants are awarded to county vocational school districts and other school districts that operate approved career and technical education programs or programs of study, to partner with urban districts, other school districts, county colleges, and other entities to create high-quality career and technical education programs in existing facilities. Under the bill, the commissioner will develop and administer the grant program. The commissioner will award grants, within the limit of State appropriations, to selected county vocational school districts and other school districts that operate approved career and technical education programs or programs of study to support the development and implementation of a career and technical education program in an existing school or college facility that is not owned or leased by the grant recipient. The commissioner will determine the amount of each grant awarded under the program and may award multi-year grants. The bill specifies the information that will be included in the grant application. Four years following the grant program's establishment, the commissioner will submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature on the outcomes of the grant program that includes a recommendation on the establishment of a permanent source of funding for such career and technical education partnership programs. The grant program established pursuant to this bill is modeled on the County Vocational School District Partnership Grant Program established pursuant to P.L.2014, c.73 (C.18A:6-132 et seq.). Grants were provided pursuant to that four-year grant program in FY 2015 through FY 2018 and were available only to county vocational school districts. The grant program established under this bill would permit school districts that operate approved career and technical education programs or programs of study to also be eligible to receive the grants. | 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 |
| ACR58 | Proposes constitutional amendment to increase amount of veterans' property tax deduction from $250 to $2,500 over four years. | If approved by the voters of the State, this proposed constitutional amendment would increase the amount of the veterans' property tax deduction from the current $250 to $2,500. The increase would occur over four years. Veterans who are honorably discharged from active service in a branch of the United States Armed Forces qualify for the deduction. A qualified veteran's surviving spouse would receive the deduction after the qualified veteran dies. The amendment would increase the amount of the deduction to $1,000 in tax year 2024, $1,500 in tax year 2025, $2,000 in tax year 2026, and $2,500 in tax year 2027, and every tax year thereafter. The voters of the State last approved an increase in the amount of the deduction in 1999, from $50 to $250, over four years. The amount of the deduction has been $250 since 2003. | In Committee |
| 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 |
| A892 | Expands liability of certain individuals associated with limited liability companies and other commercial entities, when acting as residential landlord. | This bill expands the liability of certain individuals associated with limited liability companies and other commercial entities in relation to residential properties that they lease. Specifically, the bill provides that, in addition to retaining the ability to hold a commercial entity itself liable for housing, building, and health code charges, and charges issued under the "Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law," ("HMDL") P.L.1967, c.76 (C.55:13A-1 et seq.), a court may hold certain members of a member-managed limited liability company, the managers of a manager-managed limited liability company, and the directors and officers of a corporation, jointly and severally liable for such charges, so long as:(1) there are at least three charges concerning the property leased by the entity for residential purposes;(2) at least three charges remain unpaid on the first day of the thirteenth month following the due date of the first charge;(3) notice of the charge and impending enforcement has been issued to the address of the record owner, the registered agent, the managing agent, the members in the case of a limited liability company, the directors and officers in the case of a corporation, and each holder of a recorded mortgage and other existing lienholders, if provided within the landlord's registration information. If the landlord is not registered, in violation of section 2 of P.L.1974, c.50 (C.46:8-28), then this notice requirement would not apply. The notice provided to an individual would be sufficient even if the commercial entity ceases to own the property, so long as the same individual has a role as a registered agent, managing agent, member, manager, director, or officer of the property's new owner;(4) the individual, if a member of a member-managed limited liability company, possesses at least a 10 percent interest in the business and(5) the defendant does not successfully assert an affirmative defense showing a lack of ability to ensure payment of the charge. Additionally, landlord registration requirements, under section 2 of P.L.1974, c.50 (C.46:8-28), currently require submission of the name and address of a registered agent who may accept service of process if the landlord is a corporation. This bill requires a landlord organized as any other legal or commercial entity, to also submit of the name and address of a registered agent, as well as the name and address of the members a member-managed limited liability company who possess at least a 10 percent interest in the business, and the officers and directors in the case of a corporation, when registering as a landlord. Upon filing this information, the bill requires the municipal clerk to notify the construction official of the name and address of the record owner, and registered agent as applicable. Finally, this bill allows municipalities to amend their housing, building, and health codes to direct that any charge issued to a landlord for violating the code may, after serving notice, be enforced as a lien on the property. However, enforcement as a lien would only be permitted if the charge remains unpaid on the first day of the thirteenth month following the due date of the charge. | In Committee |
| A2110 | Exempts 100 percent disabled veterans from payment of motor vehicle registration fees; requires notification of eligible motorists. | This bill exempts from motor vehicle registration fees one passenger motor vehicle owned by any resident who has been honorably discharged or released under honorable circumstances from active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States who is adjudicated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or its successor, as being permanently 100 percent disabled. The bill also requires the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs, in consultation with the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, to notify all eligible motorists of the availability of the fee exemption. | In Committee |
| A1532 | "Madalyn's Law"; requires school districts to incorporate age-appropriate instruction on toxic shock syndrome and requires installation of signage in certain women's rooms to enhance public awareness of toxic shock syndrome. | This bill requires each school district, beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, to incorporate instruction on toxic shock syndrome in grades 4 through 12 as part of the district's implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education. The bill directs the Commissioner of Education to provide school districts with age-appropriate sample learning activities and resources designed to implement this requirement. This bill would also require the owner of a group A or M occupancy, that maintains a public restroom available for use by women, to ensure the installation and maintenance of a sign in the restroom alerting women to the warning signs, causes, and dangers of toxic shock syndrome. This requirement would only apply to restrooms that include two or more toilets. The bill would require the Department of Health to adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of the bill. The bill would require the toxic shock syndrome signs to be installed in the necessary restrooms on or before the first day of the sixth month following the adoption of rules and regulations by the department. Failure to comply with the provisions of this bill would result in liability for a penalty of not more than $100 for each violation. Under the bill, "group A or M occupancy" means an Assembly Group A occupancy or a Mercantile Group M occupancy, as defined in chapter 3 of the 2015 New Jersey International Building Code. Under the bill, locations within elementary schools that do not include grades above grade 5 are excluded from the "group A or M occupancy" definition. This bill is intended to enhance public awareness of toxic shock syndrome, a potentially serious illness that can develop quickly. Anyone can contract toxic shock syndrome, but women using tampons and similar devices have a higher risk. Early symptoms may include a low fever, muscle aches, chills, fatigue, and headaches. As toxic shock syndrome progresses, symptoms may include a high fever, vomiting, rashes, redness of the eyes, lips and tongue, low blood pressure, and mental confusion. Toxic shock syndrome is generally treated with antibiotics. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Health to prepare and make available on its website informational literature concerning the signs, causes, and dangers of toxic shock syndrome. This bill is named in honor of Madalyn "Maddy" Massabni, who tragically passed away on March 30, 2017 just days after contracting Toxic Shock Syndrome. Maddy was a 2016 graduate of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School and was just beginning her academic career at Lynn University in Florida. | In Committee |
| A2867 | Increases annual income limitation to receive senior and disabled citizens' property tax deduction to $15,000. | This bill would amend current law to increase the annual income threshold for eligibility to receive the senior and disabled persons $250 property tax deduction from $10,000 to $15,000 once that increase is authorized by constitutional amendment. | In Committee |
| A456 | Authorizes proportional property tax exemption for honorably discharged veterans having service-connected permanent disability; extends eligibility to veterans suffering from mental illness; establishes eligibility of property owned by disabled veteran with surviving partner for exemption. | This bill revises current law regarding the property tax exemption provided to totally disabled, honorably-discharged veterans who incur a 100 percent service-related disability during their service in the United States Armed Forces. Proportional Property Tax Exemption Under current law, veterans who are not 100 percent totally and permanently disabled are not eligible to receive a proportional property tax exemption. This bill allows all honorably-discharged veterans who have a service-related disability rating resulting from their service in the United States Armed Forces, including those who receive a 100 percent disability determination, to receive a proportional property tax exemption in an amount equal to the degree of their service-connected, permanent disability, as determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). A veteran who was determined by the VA to be 100 percent totally and permanently disabled due to a service-related disability would continue to receive the full property tax exemption under the current exemption statute. Broadening of Eligibility The bill extends eligibility for the property tax exemption to veterans granted a disability rating due to mental illness. The bill broadens the eligibility criteria for the property tax exemption granted to surviving civil union partners and domestic partners of disabled veterans. The bill extends the property tax exemption to the surviving civil union partner or domestic partner of a disabled veteran until such time as the surviving partner enters into a new civil union, establishes a new domestic partnership, or remarries. The bill also allows the surviving civil union partner or domestic partner to receive the property tax exemption when a disability declaration is granted after the veteran's death. Under current law, only the surviving spouse of a veteran who at the time of death was entitled to the exemption is entitled to receive the same exemption. This bill provides that an eligible surviving spouse, surviving civil union partner, or surviving domestic partner of a deceased disabled veteran, after filing a proper claim with the municipal tax collector, shall be exempt from all property taxation in the succeeding year. | In Committee |
| A1163 | Establishes guardianship monitoring program in Office of Public Guardian for Elderly Adults. | This bill establishes a guardianship monitoring program within the Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults to monitor court-appointed legal guardians of elderly adults to detect abuse, neglect, or exploitation. P.L.1985, c.298 (C.52:27G-20 et seq.), which established the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults, provides for guardianship services to be provided to elderly persons when private guardianship is not feasible. Under the bill, the Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults is designated as an "interested party" that must be served with the periodic reports that must be filed by a court-appointed guardian. The bill provides for review of these reports and accompanying documentation through the guardianship monitoring program. | In Committee |
| A3089 | Authorizes pharmacists to dispense HIV prophylaxis without individual prescription under certain circumstances; mandates prescription benefits coverage. | This bill authorizes pharmacists to dispense HIV prophylaxis without an individual prescription under certain circumstances, and requires prescription benefits coverage for prophylaxis furnished under the bill. HIV prophylaxis is a course of treatment involving certain drug combinations that can prevent HIV infection notwithstanding exposure to the virus under circumstances in which it is normally transmitted, such as through unprotected sexual contact, sharing needles, or other contact with an infected person's blood or bodily fluids. HIV prophylaxis includes both HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which is taken by a person who anticipates engaging in conduct that risks HIV infection, and HIV postexposure prophylaxis (PEP), which is taken by a person who may have been exposed to HIV. Under the bill, pharmacists will be permitted to furnish PrEP and PEP to patients without an individual prescription pursuant to a standing order issued by the Commissioner of Health or, if the commissioner is not a duly licensed physician, the Deputy Commissioner for Public Health Services. A standing order will be issued to a pharmacist upon request, provided that the pharmacist completes a training program approved by the State Board of Pharmacy in consultation with the Department of Health, and certifies that the pharmacist will meet the requirements set forth in the bill to furnish PrEP and PEP without an individual prescription. The training program is to include information about financial assistance programs available to patients to assist with the costs of PrEP and PEP. The bill allows a patient to receive up to a 60-day supply of PrEP without an individual prescription in any given two-year period. Thereafter, to continue receiving PrEP, the patient will be required to obtain a prescription for the drugs. A pharmacist furnishing PrEP to a patient without an individual prescription will be required to document that the patient is HIV negative, as demonstrated by a test administered in the past seven days, and that the patient does not report any signs or symptoms of acute HIV infection. If the patient does not have a current HIV test, the pharmacist may order a test. If the patient tests positive for HIV, the pharmacist will be required to provide the patient with information and resources concerning HIV treatment and comply with State and federal requirements for a positive HIV test, which includes certain reporting requirements. Additionally, the pharmacist will be required to confirm that the patient is not taking any contraindicated medications, provide the patient with counseling on the ongoing use of PrEP, advise the patient that the patient will require a prescription to continue receiving PrEP, confirm the patient has not already been provided with a 60-day supply of PrEP without an individual prescription in the past two years, document the services provided, and notify the patient's primary care provider that the patient was furnished with PrEP, unless the patient does not consent to the pharmacist providing this notice. Pharmacists may furnish a complete course of PEP to a patient who may have been exposed to HIV if the pharmacist confirms with the patient that the exposure to HIV occurred within the previous 72 hours, the patient otherwise meets the clinical criteria for PEP consistent with guidelines published by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the pharmacist tests the patient for HIV, the pharmacist counsels the patient on the use of PEP consistent with CDC guidelines, the pharmacist informs the patient of the availability of PrEP, and the pharmacist notifies the patient's primary care provider the patient was furnished with PEP, unless the patient does not consent to the pharmacist providing this notice. If a patient being furnished with PrEP or PEP does not have a primary care provider, or refuses to consent to the pharmacist providing notice to the primary care provider, the pharmacist will be required to provide the patient with a list of health care providers to contact regarding ongoing treatment using PrEP or follow-up care for PEP, as applicable. The DOH will be required to publish and maintain a current list of providers for pharmacists to use for this purpose, which list may be made available on the department's Internet website. In no case will a patient be authorized to waive the consultation required under the bill to receive PrEP or PEP without an individual prescription. The bill requires health benefits plans that include prescription benefits, as well as the State Employee's Health Benefits Plan, the School Employees' Health Benefits Plan, and Medicaid, to provide coverage for PrEP and PEP furnished under the bill without any prior authorization or step therapy requirements. If therapeutic equivalents to prevent HIV and AIDS are approved, the health plans may apply prior authorization or step therapy requirements to other versions of the treatment, provided at least one version is covered without prior authorization or step therapy. Health plans will not be authorized to prohibit a pharmacist from dispensing PrEP and PEP. Health plans will not be required to provide coverage for PrEP furnished without an individual prescription in a quantity that exceeds a 60-day supply within a given two-year period. Health plans will not be required to cover PrEP or PEP furnished by a pharmacist at an out-of-network pharmacy unless the plain includes an out-of-network pharmacy benefit. | In Committee |
| A116 | Requires State department, agency, authority, or instrumentality thereof to provide link on its website for members of public to submit complaints. | This bill requires each State government department, agency, authority, or instrumentality thereof to make available on a prominent location on its Internet site a link to allow any member of the public to submit a complaint to the State entity. Under the bill, the complaints could be concerning that entity's performance, customer service, or similar matter of interest to the entity. The head of the State entity would periodically review the complaints received through the website, and would be required to assess in what manner appropriate actions may be taken to remedy matters that caused the complaint. | In Committee |
| A1856 | Requires driver's manual to include information on driver's rights and responsibilities during police stop. | This bill requires the driver's manual to include information on a driver's rights and responsibilities during a police stop. Under the provisions of this bill, the Chief Administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission, in consultation with the Attorney General, is required to include in the driver's manual information regarding the rights and responsibilities of a driver when the driver is stopped by a law enforcement officer. | 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 |
| 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 |
| A1872 | Revises reporting requirements for nursing homes concerning financial disclosures and ownership structure. | This bill revises certain reporting requirements for nursing homes. Specifically, the bill requires nursing home owners and operators, as well as applicants for a transfer of ownership of a nursing home and third party entities exercising substantial management control over the nursing home, to provide an organizational chart identifying parent corporations, wholly-owned subsidiaries, related parties, and unrelated parties that provide a service, facility, or supplies to the nursing home that are paid $200,000 or more by the nursing home. In the case of an applicant for a transfer of ownership of a nursing home, these disclosures will be based on expectations with regard to services, facilities, supplies, and payments. The bill defines "related party" to mean any organization, either directly or through contracts with a third party entity exercising substantial management control over the nursing home, providing or expected to provide a service, facility, or supplies to the nursing home or that otherwise, either directly or through contracts with a third party entity exercising substantial management control over the nursing home, does, or is expected to do, business with the nursing home: 1) in which organization an owner or principal of the nursing home, an applicant for transfer of ownership, or a third party managing entity, has an ownership or control interest of five percent or more; 2) which is an organization in which an immediate family member of the owner, principal, applicant, or third party managing entity is an owner or principal; or 3) which is an organization that is under common ownership or control with the owner, applicant, or third party entity. The bill additionally revises the financial disclosures required for nursing home owners and operators, as well as applicants for a transfer of ownership and entities to which substantial management control over the nursing home would be delegated, to require the submission of a consolidated financial statement that: 1) is reviewed or audited by a certified public accountant in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; and 2) includes: a balance sheet detailing the assets, liabilities, and net worth that the end of the reporting entity's fiscal year; a statement of income, expenses, and operating surplus or deficit for the annual fiscal period, and a statement of ancillary utilization and patient census; a statement detailing patient revenue by payer, including, but not limited to, Medicare, NJ FamilyCare, and other payers, and revenue center; a statement of cash flows, including, but not limited to, ongoing and new capital expenditures and depreciation; and a combined financial statement that includes all entities reported in the consolidated financial report. For nursing homes that are part of a chain or group of nursing homes owned by the same parent or holding company, the parent or holding company will be permitted to submit a single consolidated financial statement for all nursing homes in New Jersey that are owned, operated, or controlled by the parent or holding company. For applicants for a transfer of ownership and entities seeking to delegate management of a nursing home, this information will be included with certain materials that current law requires be provided to the Department of Health (DOH); in the case of a transfer of ownership application, the information will be made available on the DOH's Internet website, with certain personal identifying and proprietary material excised. For current nursing home owners and operators, the following materials are to be annually posted on the nursing home's internet website, submitted to the DOH, and linked through the DOH's website: 1) the nursing home's ownership information; 2) the financial information for the nursing home, for certain parties providing services to the nursing home, and for a third party exercising substantial management control over the nursing home; and 3) the organizational chart for the nursing home and for any third party exercising substantial management control over a nursing home. Current law provides that the financial disclosures required for a transfer of ownership application vary, depending on whether the transfer involves a controlling interest in the nursing home and whether the prospective new owner has previously owned, operated, or managed a nursing home in New Jersey. The bill revises these requirements to require audited consolidated financial statements for all prospective new owners and operators who will be acquiring an interest of five percent or more in the nursing home. The bill removes an existing requirement for nursing homes to post the cost reports submitted to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on their Internet websites. Current law allows nonprofit nursing homes to submit their Internal Revenue Service Form 990 in lieu of an owner-certified financial statement. The bill removes this language, thereby requiring nonprofit nursing homes to submit the same audited consolidated financial statements as are required of for profit nursing homes under the bill. Current law requires nursing homes to annually disclose certain ownership interests of 10 percent or more in the nursing home's mortgage, note, deed of trust, or other obligation appearing on the nursing home's books. The bill makes these disclosures applicable to ownership interests of five percent or more. The bill additionally requires nursing homes to annually provide to the DOH: 1) a disclosure of any person who owns or operates a sister company, holding company, or parent company, or who is a member of the board of trustees or the board of directors of the nursing home; 2) a disclosure of any person who has an ownership interest in a private equity pool that funds the nursing home; 3) information identifying 100 percent of the current owners of any third party entity exercising substantial management control over the nursing home, including all principals and interested parties and including 100 percent of the owners, principals, and interested parties in a third party entity identified as a principal or interested party; and 4) a copy of any lease agreements for the nursing home's use of land, buildings, facilities, or other real property. Current law establishes certain monetary penalties for nursing homes that fail to make the required disclosures. The bill grants the DOH the authority to additionally curtail new admissions at a nursing home that fails to make the required disclosures or that files false disclosures. The bill grants the Commissioner of Human Services the discretion to accept a consolidated financial statement that meets the requirements of the bill as satisfying the requirement that nursing homes report revenues and expenditures for the purposes of establishing and enforcing a direct care loss ratio, as required under current law. | In Committee |
| A5936 | Establishes various requirements for charter schools, charter school board of trustees members, and charter management organizations. | Establishes various requirements for charter schools, charter school board of trustees members, and charter management organizations. | Introduced |
| A5935 | Concerns charter school enrollment, student placements, reporting, and athletics. | Concerns charter school enrollment, student placements, reporting, and athletics. | Introduced |
| A5913 | Permits farm brewery licensees to sell products to consumers for consumption on licensed premises. | Permits farm brewery licensees to sell products to consumers for consumption on licensed premises. | 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: Suspend Rule 22:5b | 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 |
| State | District | Chamber | Party | Status | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | New Jersey Assembly District 11 | Assembly | Democrat | In Office | 01/09/2024 |