Bills in the 2014–2015 Session, General Assembly.
Anthony M. Bucco
Sponsored
Became law1
Requires warning sign to be posted at pontoon boat rental businesses; designated as "Christopher's Law."
Out of committee1
Establishes DOT roadside memorial program for fallen police officers, sheriff's officers, EMS workers, and firefighters; designated as "Patrolman Joseph Wargo's Law.**
In committee54
Makes various changes to civil service; permits institution of temporary layoffs; permits government entities to opt-out of civil service; requires civil service examinations be offered on continual basis.
Requires HIV testing for pregnant women and marriage license applicants.
Eliminates general purpose, supplemental and mansion realty transfer fees.
Prohibits public and independent institutions of higher education from admitting any student who is not a United States citizen or who does not hold lawful immigration status.
Requires impact statement for any proposed regulation affecting volunteer ambulance squads and fire companies.
Allows for certain variances, exemptions, and waivers under "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act."
Restores the death penalty for persons who commit certain murders.
Revises certain exemptions to "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act."
Requires court to consider gang affiliation when making bail determinations.
Repeals the New Jersey estate tax.
Requires public school districts to provide instruction on "New Jersey Safe Haven Infant Protection Act" as part of core curriculum content standards.
Limits right of appeal of disciplinary action taken by employer against certain public employees.
Allows gross income tax refunds to be credited against a taxpayer's delinquent local property taxes.
Exempts contracting units who use cooperative purchasing agreements or cooperative pricing systems from price adjustments in local public contracts for asphalt cement and fuel.
Individual's status as minor may not disqualify him from bone marrow donation if medical criteria and informed consent requirements are met.
Permits municipalities to provide information on property tax bills concerning amount of local tax dollars saved through shared services.
Requires State agencies, when developing and proposing rules, to utilize approaches that will accomplish objectives of statutory law while minimizing adverse economic impact on municipalities.
Establishes public-private alternative fueling station pilot program.
Authorizes municipality to deliver property tax bills, construction permits, and receipts for payment via e-mail.
Exempts electric vehicle charging systems from real property taxation.
Provides tax credits to companies contributing to loan and loan redemption program for residents who attend institutions of higher education in the State and work at such a company upon graduation.
Repeals Highlands planning and environmental permitting provisions of "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act," and amends various statutes to reflect repeal thereof.
Extends time period for municipalities to commit to expend collected development fees and payments-in-lieu of constructing affordable units.
Prohibits residential development fees on reconstruction after natural disasters.
Increases penalties for injuring school crossing guard or student pedestrian in crosswalk.
Requires DCA to provide accounting of monies remitted to the "New Jersey Affordable Housing Trust Fund" by municipality and allows for municipal affordable housing credit for funds remitted.
Designates "Sweet, Sweet New Jersey" as State song.
Abolishes Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, transfers bridges to NJ DOT and Penn DOT, removes tolls.
Concerns workers' compensation insurance requirements for certain corporations and partnerships.
Clarifies that crime victim has a right to make a victim impact statement directly to the defendant at sentencing.
The "New Jersey Parental Rights and Property Tax Reduction Act."
Revises procedures for securing a permit to carry a handgun.
Requires fire districts, school districts, and county governments to share in burden of property assessment appeal refunds.
Permits juveniles to be admitted to drug court program under certain circumstances.
Revises application and issuance procedures for employment certificates for minors.
Increases number of votes needed to remove Director of Division of Investment in Department of Treasury from office.
Allows counties and municipalities to use open space trust funds for remediation of collapsed mine shafts and sinkholes on property owned by county or municipality.
Requires establishment of regulations for solar panel installation, maintenance, and education.
Increases amount of, and income limit for eligibility to receive, senior citizens' and disabled persons' property tax deduction.
Authorizes certain law enforcement officers and corrections officers to possess and use stun guns while on duty.
Increases filing threshold and applicable exclusion amount for the New Jersey estate tax to $5 million over period of five years.
Prohibits existing child care subsidy recipient from being treated as a new applicant for subsidy after moving to a new county of residence.
Limits number of bills member of Legislature may introduce; requires every bill to be heard in committee; requires estimate be prepared of cost of drafting and considering each bill.
Upgrades burglary of a residence as a crime of the second degree; upgrades it to a crime of the first degree if committed while armed.
Provides sales and use tax exemption for sales of certain services performed to manufacturing equipment.
Requires MVC to accept death certificate as proof of name change.
Exempts transfers of property to Class C beneficiaries from transfer inheritance tax and increases filing threshold and applicable exclusion amount under estate tax to $5,000,000 over five-year period.
Allows municipalities to acquire and sell inactive plenary retail consumption licenses.
Establishes Class Three special law enforcement officers to provide security in public and nonpublic schools.
Requires condemnor to acquire road access easement for property owner if condemnation eliminates road access.
Establishes criminal penalties for unlawful control over weapons of any law enforcement officer and interface with equipment or duties of law enforcement officers and emergency services personnel.
Establishes Office of Economic Research in Department of State.
Requires local units to recover contributions under Emergency Services Length of Service Award Program paid in excess of statutory limit; requires annual audits.
Expands acceptable military separation forms for county veteran identification card; allows issuance to National Guard veterans of other states; allows issuance only for certain classifications.
Carried from the Senate
Became law1
Establishes DOT roadside memorial program for fallen police officers, sheriff's officers, EMS workers, and firefighters; designated as "Patrolman Joseph Wargo's Law."*
Co-sponsored
Became law · 8
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns for development of Northern New Jersey Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
Enacts the "Jessica Lunsford Act;" imposes mandatory term of imprisonment; provides for negotiated reduction of mandatory term under certain circumstances.
Provides that crime victims do not have to pay fees to obtain records relating to the crime and that requests for such records are not public information.*
Requires issuance of one free copy of a veteran's death certificate to certain authorized persons upon request.
Dedesignates portions of Route 24.
Provides that if a career and technical education program of a school district is taught in an industry setting, off-site location will be exempt from certain State regulations.*
Expands scope of law governing registration of security guards; designated as " Detective Vincent Santiago's Law." *
Revises definition of all-terrain vehicles.
Vetoed · 1
Prohibits health insurance carriers from requiring optometrists to become providers with vision care plans as condition of becoming providers in carriers' panel of providers.
Passed the General Assembly · 3
Requires Adjutant General of DMVA to issue State flag to resident enrolling in federal service academy.
Requires public school students with concussion to be evaluated by licensed health care professionals before return to school; requires school districts to provide restrictions or limitations to student as needed.*
Requires DMAVA to develop online historic tour identifying locations of war battles and places of significance to war efforts in State. *
Out of committee · 19
Authorizes Sunday bow hunting on federal military installations and William J. Hughes Technical Center.*
Designates State Route 173 between Clinton and Phillipsburg as "173rd Airborne Brigade Highway."
Prohibits bad faith assertion of patent infringement.
Designates Black Swallowtail butterfly as State Butterfly.
Extends for five years expiration date of special appraisal process for Green Acres program and farmland preservation program for lands in Highlands Region; makes change to special appraisal process for certain farmers. *
Requires DCA to post on its website information about inspection reports for residential health care facilities, boarding homes, and emergency shelters for the homeless, and requires notifications to DHS and counties.*
Appropriates $22,463,000 in 2003 bond act monies for loans to fund dam restoration projects.*
Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2015.
Authorizes New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2015.
Directs Governor to withdraw from compact establishing Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor; dissolves compact and commission; transfers commission's NJ operations to State Police.
Requires interior light of motor vehicle be turned on when stopped by law enforcement under certain circumstances.*
Provides for licensure of ambulatory care facilities to provide integrated primary care services including behavioral health care.
Upgrades simple assault to aggravated assault if committed against certain law enforcement officers and employees because of job status.
Provides gross income tax exclusion for capital gains from sale of certain employer securities by qualified business that result in net positive benefit to the State.
Designates State Highway Route 15 in Sussex County as "Senator Robert E. Littell Memorial Highway."
Requires annual evaluation reports by Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development on survey responses to be obtained from certain employers that end operations in this State.*
Establishes "New Jersey Business Advisory Council" in Business Action Center.
Expands scope of New Jersey Regulatory Flexibility Act dealing with economic impact of rules on small businesses.
Allows businesses due to receive grant under Business Employment Incentive Program to receive tax credit instead of grant.
In committee · 87
"New Jersey Jobs Protection Act;" requires verification of employment.
Requires certain contractors to verify work authorization of newly hired employees.
Prohibits payment to public employees at retirement for certain unused sick leave, provides for forfeiture of payment for unused sick leave for certain criminal convictions, and requires documentation for use of sick leave.
Establishes the "New Jersey Right to Work Act"; prohibits payroll deduction of union dues from wages or salaries of public employees.
Concerns eligibility for unemployment benefits for certain seasonal workers.
Increases maximum penalty under "Local Government Ethics Law."
"Historic Property Reinvestment Act"; provides credits against certain taxes for certain costs of rehabilitating historic properties.
Makes desecration of a military monument a crime of the third degree.
Phases out estate tax over five-year period.
Allows charitable contribution tax deductions under New Jersey gross income tax.
Increases maximum penalty for attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder in certain cases.
Reduces gross income tax rates by ten percent over three years.
Creates first degree crime of home invasion, makes crime subject to No Early Release Act, and upgrades burglary of a residence to a second degree crime under certain circumstances.
Broadens eligibility for certain veterans' benefits by eliminating requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations.
Establishes a grant program for school districts to establish substance abuse prevention programs for eighth grade students.
Decreases membership of county boards of taxation to 2004 level.
Phases out the transfer inheritance tax over two years.
Clarifies that first aid, ambulance or rescue squads, as entities, have immunity from civil damages in certain circumstances.
Authorizes special Support Our Veterans license plate with proceeds supporting New Jersey homeless veteran's centers.
Requires third-party disbursement service organization that contracts with local government unit or board of education to post bond against failure to meet obligations.
Establishes special motorcycle license plates for veterans.
Provides one-third of motor vehicle fine moneys generated through State Police issued tickets go to municipality where violation occurred.
Excludes gains on sales of certain real estate purchases from taxation under corporation business tax and gross income tax.
Clarifies "knockout game" assault as third-degree aggravated assault; permits juvenile offender 14 years of age or older committing such assault to be tried as adult offender.
"Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act in New Jersey."
Provides civil immunity to licensed health care professionals who provide care at health care facilities for no compensation.
Concerns credit card interchange fees and consumer protection.
Expands number of safe havens for leaving newborn infants.
Extends veterans' property tax exemption to tenant shareholders in cooperatives and mutual housing corporations.
Bars companies which hire illegal aliens from public contracts, grants, loans, or tax incentives for seven years.
Establishes criminal penalties for killing, injuring or interfering with a service animal or guide dog; designated as "Dusty's Law."
Exempts homestead from attachment in medical malpractice judgment.
Prohibits insurers from raising medical malpractice liability insurance premiums under certain circumstances.
Doubles amount of certain retirement income that may be excluded from gross income under gross income tax, eliminates income cap on exclusion.
Allows certain fuel dealers and distributors refunds of petroleum products gross receipts tax and credits against motor fuel tax for certain bad debts from sale of fuel.
Replaces TPAF, PERS, PFRS and SPRS accidental disability benefits with reduced work-related disability benefit; modifies JRS disability benefit.
Repeals traffic control signal monitoring system pilot program; prohibits future use of red light cameras in State.
Requires certain elected officials and appointed officers eligible for dual health benefits coverage to choose coverage by one public entity.
Expands definitions of "abused child" or "abused or neglected child" to include prenatal exposure of child to controlled substances.
Directs removal or enhancement of electric public utility infrastructure located in flood hazard area.
Revises law concerning ticket sales.
Eliminates transfer inheritance tax and increases filing threshold and applicable exclusion amounts under New Jersey estate tax in accordance with provisions of federal tax law.
Provides for conscientious exemption to mandatory immunizations.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns for pediatric cancer research.
Provides for life imprisonment without parole for killing an emergency responder.
Provides sales and use tax exemption for sales of services performed to certain prewritten computer software delivered electronically.
Requires condominium and homeowners' associations to provide information to federal home loan insurance providers at no cost to potential buyers.
Requires Division of Travel and Tourism to develop online historic tour identifying locations of war battles and places of significance to war efforts in NJ.
Restricts sale and use of remaining State-owned portion of Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital property in Morris County.
Repeals all prevailing wage laws.
Requires beneficiary photo to be included on State-issued benefit debit cards.
Authorizes imposition of additional fines for overcrowding.
Requires bail agencies to collect at least 10 percent of bail bond amount.
Eliminates restriction on placement of special education students in sectarian schools.
Requires State, local, and school appointed and certain elected officials to report behavior that may violate criminal laws or ethics statutes.
Allows county sheriffs to issue firearms identification cards and permits to purchase handguns; authorizes county sheriffs to accept applications for permits to carry handguns.
Authorizes chiefs of part-time municipal police forces to issue firearms ID cards and handgun purchase permits.
Reduces number of manufacturing jobs required to qualify for NJEDA financing and incentive programs.
Provides partial sales tax exemption for energy and utility service to certain manufacturers.
Creates special license plates supporting Autism Awareness.
Increases annual property tax deduction for senior citizens and disabled persons from $250 to $500.
Expands EMT and first responder scopes of practice to include the administration of opioid antidotes, and extends immunity under Overdose Prevention Act to such actors, thereby making permanent a DOH waiver that was issued on March 20, 2014.
Establishes Partners for Growth Council in DOLWD.
Upgrades penalties for assaulting licensed bounty hunters.
Revises exemption from "unemployment compensation law" for operators of certain motor vehicles.
Authorizes certain law enforcement officers to administer opioid antidotes to overdose victims in an emergency, and extends immunity under Overdose Prevention Act to such officers.
Amends and repeals certain parts of New Jersey firearm statutes.
Expands exemption to wage and hour requirements for certain summer camp workers.
Dedicates $140,000 of revenue from motor vehicle violations to DHS for brain injury services.
Requires display of State vehicle abuse hotline bumper stickers on all State vehicles.
Revises requirements and training standards for first responders under New Jersey Highway Traffic Safety Act of 1987.
Requires school districts to provide listing of bus stops near residence of sex offender to law enforcement.
Prohibits MVC from imposing duplicate license or identification card fee and digitized picture fee if duplicate is requested to reflect change in organ donor status.
"Volunteer Medical Professional Health Care Act."
Requires institutions of higher education to provide greater assistance to certain students with military obligations.
Authorizes free admission to State parks and forests for active and retired members of U.S. Armed Forces and their immediate family members.
Eliminates transfer inheritance tax on Class C beneficiaries and increases filing threshold and applicable exclusion amount for New Jersey estate tax to $1,500,000.
Provides assistance to manufacturing businesses by having certain State agencies promote economic development and identify credentials needed for careers in modern manufacturing.
Requires State to recognize permits to carry handguns issued to certain New Jersey residents by other states.
Allows municipality to establish reserved parking zone on property adjacent to disabled person's residence.
Requires safeguards for anonymity and confidentiality with respect to communications presented through phone lines, electronic communication systems, or websites dedicated to accepting anonymous tips for use by law enforcement in criminal investigations.
Permits volunteer fire company or volunteer first aid or rescue squad licensed to conduct bingo games to use public building for operation of bingo games under certain circumstances.
Provides PERS or PFRS member who continues to be volunteer firefighter after retirement with employer from whom member retires has bona fide severance from employment for compliance with NJ regulations and Internal Revenue Code.
Revises definition of "antique handgun;" provides exceptions to certain firearm laws.
Gives priority to applicants for firearms purchaser identification card and permits to purchase handguns when domestic violence restraining order is in effect.
Requires municipalities comprised within regional school districts to share certain payments received in lieu of taxes with counties and regional school districts.
Enhances consideration of fire safety issues during review of development applications.