Bills in the 2010–2011 Session, Senate.
M. Teresa Ruiz
Sponsored
Became law5
Authorizes formation of State college risk management groups and joint liability funds. *
Limits amount of time a vacant teaching position can be filled by certain teachers employed in a temporary capacity.
Concerns creation of benefit corporations.
"Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment Act"; provides for use of Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment forms and requires physicians and advanced practice nurses to pursue continuing education in end-of life care. *
Establishes NJ Advisory Council on End-of-Life Care in DHSS.
Out of committee4
Authorizes county colleges and county vocational school districts to establish green job certification programs.
Provides for designation of new charter school authorizers. *
Requires New Jersey institutions of higher education to disseminate fire safety information about their facilities to students, parents or guardians, and employees.
Requires DOE to include cheerleaders in the student-athlete head injury safety program.
In committee11
Permits payments in subsidized adoption until child becomes 21 years of age under certain circumstances.
Concerns on-site generation facilities.
Revises the representation of proprietary schools on New Jersey Presidents' Council and on its executive board.
Creates program for installing standby emergency power generators in new senior housing.
Requires members of governing boards of public institutions of higher education to complete a training program developed by the Commission on Higher Education.
Amends Fiscal Year 2011 annual appropriations act to require filing of application for expansion of Medicaid coverage for family planning services.
Authorizes executive county superintendent of schools to require implementation of shared services arrangements.
Expands jurisdiction of municipal arson investigators.
"Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for the Children of New Jersey (TEACHNJ) Act."
Modifies various aspects of charter school program including student enrollment procedures, revocation of charter, monitoring of charter schools, and collaboration between school districts and charter schools.
Requires each public institution of higher education to post its budget on the institution's website.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 28
Makes various pension system changes concerning eligibility, retirement allowance formula, compensation definition, position eligible for service credit, non-forfeitable rights, prosecutors part, PFRS special retirement, employer contributions. *
Makes various changes to SHBP and SEHBP concerning eligibility, cost sharing, plan choice, benefit change application, coverage waiver, multiple coverage; requires contributions toward health care benefits by public employees and certain retirees. *
Makes various changes concerning payments to public employees for unused sick leave, sick leave injury in State service, and PERS and TPAF disability retirement.
Requires the New Jersey Schools Development Authority to biannually compile information on school facilities project contracts awarded to minority and female contractors.
Authorizes marriage and entry into a civil union by proxy for certain persons serving overseas in the Armed Forces or National Guard. *
Concerns dispensation by an optometrist or ophthalmologist to a patient of drugs delivered to the eye through a contact lens.
Requires signs posted by retail motor fuel dealers to indicate motor fuel prices for cash and credit card customers; establishes additional $1,000 penalty for violations.
Renames "New Jersey Trauma Center" at University Hospital as "Eric Munoz Trauma Center."
Establishes task force to study treatment of veterans diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder in judicial proceedings.
Concerns gender equity in the workplace. *
Establishes "New Jersey Property Assessment Clean Energy (NJ PACE) Municipal Financing Program."
Establishes ovarian cancer public awareness campaign in DHSS.
Requires certain public officers and employees to reside in State. *
Establishes "Veteran to Veteran Peer Support Program" telephone helpline. *
Appropriates $1,279,941 from various historic preservation funds to provide historic site management grants for certain historic preservation projects.
Changes references of "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability" or "developmental disability" and uses person-first language for persons with disabilities.
Phases out cosmetic medical procedure gross receipts tax.*
Provides for development of searchable "Bulletin NJ" local public bidding and employment database.
Authorizes special Gold Star Family motor vehicle license plates for certain family members of military personnel who died while on active duty. *
Permits appointment of certain EMT's laid off for reasons of economy to vacant paid positions.
Requires services be provided for sexually exploited juveniles charged with certain offenses; creates an affirmative defense regarding prostitution.*
Repeals obsolete statutes concerning the status of women.
Appropriates $84,495,199 from "2009 Green Acres Fund" and "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" for local government open space acquisition and park development projects.
Appropriates $14,818,787 from "2009 Green Acres Fund" and "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" for grants to certain nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes.
Appropriates $45 million from "2009 Green Acres Fund" and $12 million from "2009 Blue Acres Fund" for State acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including Blue Acres projects.
Establishes Grow New Jersey Assistance Program to provide tax credits to certain businesses; changes eligibility and certain other requirements for other business assistance programs; authorizes transfer of certain real property.*
Restores eligibility of New Jersey Health ACCESS recipients for NJ FamilyCare effective August 1, 2011.
Establishes Small Business Loan Program in EDA allowing certain small businesses to be eligible for low interest rate loans of up to $250,000 to expand their businesses.
Vetoed · 12
Permits adoptees and certain others access to adoptee's original birth certificate and other related information. *
Permits small, women or minority owned businesses located in designated regional centers to qualify for loans from EDA as if located in designated urban center.
Requires that the monetary equivalent of any wage or benefit concession agreed to by a collective bargaining unit be used by the school district to offset any reduction in force initiated for economic reasons.
Prohibits new employees of certain organizations from enrolling in State-administered retirement system or health care plan of public employer. *
Supplemental appropriation of $24.6 million in State funds and $45.7 million in federal funds to the DHS.
Concerns outreach and training for minorities and women in the construction industry.
Makes FY 2011 supplemental appropriation of $7,453,000 for Women's Health and Family Planning Services, reduces FY 2011 appropriation for State Employees' Prescription Drug Program by $7,453,000, and requires filing of application for expansion of Medica
Establishes NJ Center for Oral Health at UMDNJ Dental School.
Provides supplemental appropriation of $4.141 million from Property Tax Relief Fund to DOE for aid to school districts with significant enrollment growth.**
Extends certain business tax credit programs to the gross income tax.
Directs New Jersey Economic Development Authority and Commission on Higher Education to promote the establishment of higher education and business partnerships.
Establishes New Jersey Food Access Initiative; funds initiative with certain sales tax revenue from urban enterprise zones for fives years.*
Passed the Senate · 20
Requires additional public participation and health impact study as conditions of conversion of health service corporation to domestic stock insurer; dissolves the Health Service Corporation Conversion Temporary Advisory Commission. **
Allocates Amistad Commission in the DOE, designates Commissioner of Education as chair and Secretary of State as vice-chair, and requires DOE to serve as staff.
Clarifies intent of Legislature to protect certain senior tenants; aligns housing age restrictions with federal law.
Provides for the continuation of health insurance coverage for certain employees and their dependents when an employer ceases to exist. *
Allows corporation business tax and gross income tax credits to businesses providing employment to certain National Guard or reservists.
Requires issuance of construction permits for installation of wheelchair ramps on residential real property within 3 business days of application.
Authorizes public institutions of higher education to establish textbook rental programs.
Provides civil service preference to veterans of Operation "Noble Eagle."
Establishes Interagency Council on Preventing and Reducing Homelessness. *
Expands type of school bus driver required to undergo DOE criminal record check process and requires matching of data files to ensure school bus drivers remain qualified pursuant to records maintained by DOE and MVC.
Allows for five years corporation business tax and gross income tax deductions for . net interest received on loans to certain qualified UEZ businesses.*
Provides partial sales tax exemption for energy and utility service to certain manufacturers. *
Requires each general hospital that accepts public funds to hold quarterly board meetings that include time for public participation. *
Requires school buses transporting certain disabled persons to use flashing lights and establishes penalties for drivers who fail to yield.
Establishes task force to study various issues related to improving special education programs and services for public school students.
Exempts senior citizens, disabled persons and veterans from E-ZPass account monthly service charge.
Requires private entity primarily engaged in business of providing transportation for passengers in wheelchairs to secure passengers in wheelchairs using four-point securement system and to secure unoccupied wheelchairs. *
"New Jersey Angel Investor Tax Credit Act;" provides credits against corporation business and gross income taxes for investing in New Jersey emerging technology businesses.
"Garden State Film and Digital Media Jobs Act"; expands existing film and digital media production tax credit programs.
Permits small, women owned, or minority owned businesses located in designated regional centers or planning areas to qualify for loans from EDA as if located in designated urban center. *
Out of committee · 42
Increases gross income tax rate on income exceeding $1,000,000 for taxable year 2010.
Supplements the State annual appropriations act for the State fiscal year 2010-2011, makes appropriations for Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled Programs and the Homestead Rebate/Credit Program.
Regulates captive insurers.
"Historic Property Reinvestment Act"; provides credits against certain taxes for certain costs of rehabilitating historic properties.
Directs Medicaid to establish medical home demonstration project.
Establishes a permanent Interdistrict Public School Choice Program.
Expands "Jersey Fresh" program to include "Made With Jersey Fresh" designation of certain baked goods and other food products.*
Provides for educational stability of children placed in resource family homes and that school district of residence for the child shall be present district of residence of parent or guardian.
Encourages purchase of "Jersey Fresh" and other NJ agricultural products by State agencies, departments and facilities.
Establishes a loan redemption program for teachers under which they are permitted to redeem loan amounts received under the New Jersey College Loans to Assist State Students Loan Program through employment in public schools in New Jersey.
Includes midwives within definition of "licensed person" for purposes of affidavits of merit in certain actions filed on or after effective date.
Establishes Statewide database of beds in shelters for the homeless.
Creates Juvenile Transfer Task Force.
The "Foreclosure Rescue Fraud Prevention Act."
Provides loan redemption for certain physicians who work in State 10 years.*
Provides an additional month for the completion of a school district's annual audit.
Extends time period during which municipal fire departments may hire certain laid off firefighters.
Permits hiring of certain laid off law enforcement officers without utilizing Civil Service lists. *
"Sara's Law;" requires Motor Vehicle Commission to establish next-of-kin program.
Establishes "Blue Ribbon Panel to Review New Jersey's Inmate Policy."
Authorizes sale and lease of unneeded public property to certain nonprofits for gardening and urban farming and exempts such urban farms and gardens from property taxation.
Authorizes New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects.
Jaden's Law; requires DHSS to prepare online brochure about the option to donate bone marrow.
Prohibits certain private transfer fees and imposes disclosure requirements.
Establishes State Mental Health Facilities Evaluation Task Force.
Directs the Department of Education to develop a school district dating violence policy and requires school districts to provide dating violence education in the health curriculum.
Establishes "Jersey Fresh Farm to School Week."
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns for New Jersey National Guard members and their families in need of assistance.
The "Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act."
Authorizes local public contract set-aside program for employers who hire former prisoners.
Codifies responsible contractor requirements for contractors bidding for work through the Weatherization Assistance Program.
Imposes certain bail restrictions on persons charged with violating domestic violence restraining orders.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns to support the Boys and Girls Clubs in New Jersey.
Authorizes Department of Agriculture to implement mobile fresh produce markets for residents of urban "food desert" communities.
Restores benefit under State earned income credit program to 25 percent of federal credit beginning in Tax Year 2011.
Authorizes New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2012.
Permits institutions of higher education to make supplemental contributions to ABP.
Requires municipalities to submit economic growth plans to DCA for approval of continued participation in the urban enterprise zone program.
Allows all municipalities to sell and lease unneeded public property for "urban" farming and gardening purposes.
Increase gross income tax rate on income exceeding $1,000,000 for taxable years 2011 and 2012 and expands gross income tax exclusion for pensions, annuities and other retirement income for certain taxpayers beginning in 2011.
"Caylee's Law;" upgrades penalties for failing to report a death; criminalizes failure to report disappearance of child within 24 hours.
Eliminates the term "mentally defective" from the Criminal Code.*
In committee · 12
Authorizes certain municipalities to impose a tax on the storage of empty shipping containers to fund redevelopment plan activities.
Exempts sales to homeowner assistance and recovery programs from realty transfer fees.
Authorizes special Gold Star Family license plates.
Requires written residential leases to be provided in both English and Spanish in certain municipalities.
Designates "I'm From New Jersey" as State song.
Authorizes Commissioner of Education to increase the State share of certain county vocational school district school facilities projects.
Clarifies the responsible planning entity for provision of fair share housing.
Reduces drug free school and public property zones to 200 feet.
Requires member of New Jersey National Guard to apply for all tuition benefits available through U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in order to qualify for tuition-free enrollment at a public institution of higher education.
Enacts "Truth in Caller Identification Act"; prohibits manipulation of certain telephone caller identification information.
Amends FY 2011 appropriations act to provide supplemental appropriation of $5,599,000 to the Department of Human Services for orthodontic care for children and kinship care initiatives.
Establishes "VETeach Pilot Program" in DOE to facilitate the teacher certification of veterans.
Filed · 1
Requires insurers to cover treatment for sickle cell anemia; requires DHSS to provide information to public about sickle cell anemia.