Bills in the 2016–2017 Session, General Assembly.
Andrew Zwicker
Sponsored
Became law3
Authorizes New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2017.
Appropriates $2,988,859 from 2009 Historic Preservation Fund and constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to provide capital preservation grants for certain historic preservation projects.
Appropriates $7,500,000 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for planning incentive grants to municipalities for farmland preservation purposes.
Vetoed2
"New Voter Empowerment Act"; permits 17 year olds to vote in primary election if they turn 18 years old before next succeeding general election.
Allows county and municipal police departments to establish designated safe areas for Internet purchase transactions; establishes public awareness campaign.
Passed the General Assembly1
Concerns payment of freelance workers.
Out of committee3
Establishes program in EDA providing tax credits and exemptions to certain qualified data centers.
Amends list of environmental infrastructure projects approved for long-term funding for FY 2017 to include new projects and revise allowable loan amounts for already approved projects.
Appropriates $59,532,000 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for State acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including Blue Acres projects, and capital and park development projects.
In committee14
Establishes central registry of residents with special needs for use during emergencies.
Directs Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to forgive certain student loans in the event of student borrower death or total and permanent disability and grant deferment for temporary total disability.
Requires MVC to offer driver's license knowledge test in certain languages.
Requires DOH to establish comprehensive searchable website concerning educational programs and resources available to special education students.
Clarifies when penalty points are to be assessed for convictions of driving in an unsafe manner.
Requires municipalities, public utilities, and State to use LED technology in certain street lights.
Requires installation of smart thermostats in all new residential construction.
Provides for temporary travel license to practice chiropractic.
Requires Internet service providers to keep confidential and prohibit any disclosure, sale, or unauthorized access to subscriber's personally identifiable information unless subscriber authorizes Internet service provider in writing to disclose informatio
Eliminates 14-day and theater of war service requirements for eligibility for veterans' property tax deduction and exemption.
Establishes requirements for DOH to issue licenses to certain hospitals to perform elective angioplasty procedures.
Designates Bog Turtle as State Reptile.
Revises law concerning reciprocity for out-of-State professional and occupational licenses.
Revises law requiring health insurance coverage for certain contraceptives.
Carried from the Senate
Became law2
Amends list of environmental infrastructure projects approved for long-term funding for FY 2017 to include new projects and revise allowable loan amounts for already approved projects.
Appropriates $59,532,000 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for State acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including Blue Acres projects, and capital and park development projects.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 13
"New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act"; authorizes issuance of $125,000,000 in general obligation bonds to finance capital projects at public libraries; appropriates $5,000.
Permits a victim or witness of any age to testify by closed circuit television under certain circumstances in prosecutions for domestic violence, sexual assault, and certain other crimes.*
Establishes New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and Business Partnerships.
Authorizes virtual net metering for certain electric public utility customers connected to certain hydropower facilities and resource recovery facilities.**
Requires health insurance coverage for contraceptives to include prescriptions for 6 months.*
Directs Attorney General to develop plan to disseminate Amber and Silver Alert information through social media.
Allows NJ STARS and NJ STARS II scholarship recipients to maintain program eligibility in the event that medical condition or recent death of parent or spouse prevents enrollment as full-time student.
Extends health benefits coverage of a newborn infant.
Establishes Office of Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and their Families.
Establishes "High School to College Readiness Commission" to examine issues and develop recommendations to enhance student preparation for postsecondary education.
Provides for monitoring and evaluation of transition of mental health and substance use disorder treatment service system and developmental disability system to fee-for-service reimbursement model; makes appropriation.*
Allows minors 14 years of age or older to authorize organ donation; requires MVC to provide organ donation registration to certain minors.
Appropriates $32.5 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for county planning incentive grants.
Vetoed · 3
Requires Attorney General to establish Statewide gun buyback program.
Makes FY 2017 supplemental appropriation of $7,453,000 to DOH for family planning services.*
Requires State's full participation in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Passed the General Assembly · 12
Requires independent State authority member to disclose contractual relationship between authority and authority member's relatives.
Establishes Behavioral Health Insurance Claims Advocacy Program.
Requires public institutions of higher education to waive or reimburse application fees and transcript fees for veterans and members of the military.
Allows tax credits for development of qualified wind energy facilities in certain portfield sites.
Prohibits firearm possession by persons convicted of certain offenses.*
Extends post-military service protection against mortgage foreclosure.
Establishes "Blue Alert System."*
Establishes "Succeed in New Jersey" student loan reimbursement program for certain New Jersey residents employed in designated fields.
Eliminates use of standardized assessments as measure of student growth or progress in evaluations of teachers, principals, assistant principals, and vice-principals.
Permits voter to take photograph of own voted ballot and share it on Internet-based social media.
Bars public entities and public employees from entering into confidential settlements of "whistleblower" claims; provides that such settlements constitute public records.
Includes crime of creating false public alarms as form of bias intimidation.
Out of committee · 64
Creates "New Jersey Life Sciences Internship Challenge" program.
Establishes solar power incentive program.
Establishes certain requirements for use of restraint and seclusion on students with disabilities in school districts, educational services commissions, and approved private schools for students with disabilities.*
Restricts use of isolated confinement in correctional facilities.
Establishes NJ STEM Entrepreneur Fellowship Program in DOLWD.
Implements 2014 constitutional dedication of CBT revenues for certain environmental purposes; revises State's open space, farmland, and historic preservation programs.
Prohibits investment of pension and annuity funds by state in companies that boycott Isreal or Israeli businesses.*
Requires Commissioner of Community Affairs to compile and annually update list of all unfunded State and federal mandates on municipalities and counties.
Revises certain laws concerning domestic violence and firearms.
Authorizes health care providers to engage in telemedicine and teleheath. *
Requires installation of operational automatic rain sensor on lawn sprinklers as condition of sale and on lawn sprinklers on commercial, retail or industrial property and in common interest communities within specified timeframes.
Clarifies intent of P.L.2007, c.340 regarding NJ's required participation in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Requires Commissioner of DCA to promulgate rules and regulations providing for veterans' affordable housing assistance preference.
Authorizes special emergency appropriations for the payment of certain expenses incurred by municipalities to implement a municipal consolidation.
Requires health insurers to limit patient cost-sharing and provide appeal process concerning certain prescription drug coverage.
Revises "Electronic Waste Management Act."
Establishes public-private pilot program for level 3 electric vehicle charging stations.
Permits small businesses to qualify for loans from NJEDA for costs of energy audit and making energy efficiency or conservation improvements.
Concerns equal pay for women and employment discrimination.
Directs Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to forgive certain student loans in the event of student borrower's death or total and permanent disability and grant deferment for temporary total disability.*
Amends Fiscal Year 2016 budget to provide one-half of certain environmental damage amounts recovered are appropriated for costs of remediation, restoration, and clean up.
Concerns victim's right to rape care advocate under certain circumstances.
Concerns NJ Transit's treatment of people with guide or service dogs; establishes Access Link Customer Service Group.
Requires pesticide applicator to notify beekeeper when applying pesticide within three miles of registered honey or native beehive or beeyard.
Exempts hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles from certain labeling requirements.
Establishes "Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Program."
Upgrades assault on victims who are elderly or disabled.
Permits holding companies of eligible New Jersey emerging technology companies to receive investments under "New Jersey Angel Investor Tax Credit Act."
Provides gross income tax deduction for certain home elevation expenses.
Concerns unemployment compensation and labor disputes.
Establishes Hunterdon-Somerset Flood Advisory Task Force.
Establishes procedures for pharmacists to seek approval to dispense alternative product in place of prescribed epinephrine auto-injector device.
Modifies State's solar renewable energy portfolio standards.*
Revises penalties for drunk driving and ignition interlock device violations.
Requires Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to establish income-driven repayment option and loan rehabilitation program for borrowers under New Jersey College Loans to Assist State Students (NJCLASS) Loan Program.
Establishes "New Jersey College Ready Students Program Act"; provides tuition-free dual enrollment opportunity at county college for certain high school students.
Extends senior freeze benefits to certain disabled persons.
Requires certain schools to maintain supply of opioid antidotes and permits emergency administration of opioid antidote by school nurse or trained employee.
Requires compilation of, and public access to, tests of soil lead levels.
Requires DEP to adopt Statewide plan to reduce lead exposure from contaminated soils and drinking water.
Allows certain emergency squad volunteers holding municipal elective office to vote on emergency squad concerns.
Requires minimum of one school bus aide for every 15 special needs students on school bus.
"Nosey's Law"; prohibits use of elephants and other wild or exotic animals in traveling animal acts.*
Directs Dept. of Agriculture to develop and implement beginning farmer mentoring program in cooperation with certain agricultural and educational organizations and entities.
Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits to persons hiring beginning farmers to perform custom farming.
Establishes "New Farmers Improvement Grant Program" to provide matching grants for farm improvements to beginning farmers.
Requires NJEDA to establish loan program to assist beginning farmers in financing capital purchases.
Establishes Garden State Young Farmers Loan Redemption Program in Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.
Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits to persons leasing agricultural land to beginning farmers.
Requires DCA to verify income of low-income home energy assistance benefit applicants.
Requires DCA to provide certain information on low-income home energy assistance program, annually update its low-income home energy assistance program handbook, and provide quarterly training sessions on administering program.*
Requires DCA to verify that low-income home energy assistance benefits are not awarded to deceased individuals.
Encourages local units to plan for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Establishes State food waste reduction goal of 50 percent by 2030.
Clarifies and expands liability protections for food donations and gleaning activities.
Makes FY 2018 supplemental appropriation of $7,453,000 to DOH for family planning services.
Requires BPU and electric public utilities to conduct energy storage analysis. *
Provides gross income tax credit for costs to purchase and install smart thermostats.
Establishes "Volkswagen Settlement Utilization Fund for Motor Vehicle Emissions Reduction and Air Pollution Control"; directs DEP to use moneys in fund to establish and implement certain air pollution control programs.
Requires NJ to join U.S. Climate Alliance to uphold Paris Climate Accord.
Prohibits DEP from amending certain regulations to be less stringent than certain federal regulations.
Appropriates $7.5 million for constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to State Agriculture Development Committee for county planning incentive grants for farmland preservation purposes.
Appropriates $19,266,145 to State Agriculture Development Committee for farmland preservation purposes.
Appropriates $4,990,934 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to NJ Historic Trust for grants for certain historic preservation projects.
In committee · 47
Exempts military personnel receiving combat zone pay from the gross income tax.
Provides gross income tax credit for certain contributions to New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust (NJBEST) program.
Permits developer to qualify for low-interest loan from NJEDA when building a high performance green building.
"Plastic Container Recycling Enhancement Act."
The "Green Building Tax Credit Act."
The "Renewable Energy District Financing Act."
Clarifies procedures for closing active child protective services cases.
Establishes renewable energy portfolio standards.
Requires DOH license additional angioplasty facilities, with at least one facility in each county.
Provides for transfer and sale of inactive liquor licenses for use in qualifying smart growth municipalities.
Establishes requirements for provision of energy from Class I renewable energy sources.
Establishes public-private alternative fueling station pilot program and requires DOT to conduct study.
Provides for decrease and eventual ban on use of non-compostable plastic grocery bags.
Provides purchasing preference to local and environmentally responsible businesses in awarding of State contracts.
Requires large food waste generators to separate and recycle food waste and amends definition of "Class I renewable energy."
Creates Office of Clean Energy in BPU.
Creates new liquor licenses for certain restaurants and permits the issuance of additional liquor licenses; provides tax credit under corporate business tax and gross income tax for fair market value of certain alcoholic beverage licenses.
Revises procedure for issuance of amended birth certificate for person who has undergone change in sex.
"Combat to College Act"; grants priority course registration to military service members and veterans attending public institutions of higher education.
Requires public institutions of higher education to grant academic credit to certain veterans.
Modifies education requirement for licensure by the NJ State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling.
Temporarily maintains property tax exemption for previously exempt non-profit hospital properties; establishes "Non-Profit Hospital Property Tax Exemption Study Commission."
Permits registered voters to receive mail-in ballots automatically for all elections under certain conditions.
Prohibits certain light frame residential construction in densely populated census tracts; establishes construction requirements for certain light frame residential construction in other census tracts.
Clarifies scope of affordable housing obligations.
Establishes Clean Energy Technology Center and Alternative and Clean Energy Investment Trust Fund for purposes of creating clean energy-related employment opportunities; allocates revenues from societal benefits charge to support its activities.
Requires disclosure by independent expenditure committees; raises certain campaign contribution limits; repeals ban on certain intraparty fund transfers.
Increases disclosure of political contributions by business entities with public contracts; creates uniform law for contributions by such entities; repeals local option to set contribution limits for business entities.
Requires issues related to prescription opioids to be included in continuing education courses for certain health care professionals.
Requires all prescriptions be transmitted electronically, subject to certain exceptions.
Requires opioid antidote dispensation to be monitored under Prescription Monitoring Program, and authorizes certain entities to submit info regarding opioid antidote administration for inclusion in secondary, linked database; designated as "John Wagner's
Requires institutions of higher education to send out annual student debt letters; requires students enrolled in public institutions of higher education to complete course on student loan debt repayment.
Requires new voting machines purchased or leased for use in elections in this State to produce paper record of each vote cast.
Establishes standards for food date labeling; requires Commissioner of Health to establish public education program and promulgate guidelines related to food safety.
Allows 50 percent credit against societal benefits charge to local governments that utilize traffic signals that use light emitting diode technology.
Directs State Auditor to conduct performance review audits of public institutions of higher education.
Requires that school counselor preparation programs include credits on college and financial planning and that school districts provide professional development opportunities to school counselors on these topics.
Directs Secretary of Higher Education to establish communication campaign to encourage students to enroll in 30 credits per year and institutions to report to secretary on strategies and incentives to accomplish this goal.
Requires BPU to conduct study concerning zero emission credits.
Allows 50 percent credit against societal benefits charge to electric or gas public utility customers who install and maintain publicly available zero emission vehicle charging stations.
Directs DEP to use 25 percent of any moneys received by NJ from settlement between EPA and Volkswagen, Inc. to promote hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and supporting infrastructure.
Dedicates $140,000 from NJ Brain Injury Research Fund for community based services provided by Statewide alliance dedicated to assisting persons with brain injury through advocacy, education, information and resources, outreach, and support services.
Establishes New Jersey Civic Information Consortium; transfers $20 million annually from New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority to consortium over five-year period.
Permits certain firefighter training courses to be taken online.
Requires State to uphold goals of Paris Climate Agreement.
Establishes NJ's right of first refusal regarding conveyance of certain federal lands.
"Voter Privacy Act"; establishes protections for privacy of voters; prohibits automated programs to remove names of ineligible voters from official lists of eligible voters; prohibits sharing of certain voter information with federal government.
Filed · 3
Amends Fiscal Year 2018 annual appropriation act to ensure involuntarily furloughed State employees receive retroactive salary payments for State government budget shut down.
Appropriates $8,992,898 to DEP from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues and various Green Acres funds for grants to certain nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes.
Appropriates $71,700,224 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues and various Green Acres funds to DEP for local government open space acquisition and park development projects.