Bills in the 2014–2015 Session, Senate.
M. Teresa Ruiz
Sponsored
Became law8
Requires school districts to adopt policies concerning electronic communications between employees and students.
Establishes Office of the Special Education Ombudsman in DOE.
Permits students made homeless by act of terrorism or natural disaster to attend tuition-free the school district in which they resided prior to being homeless for two school years after the event.
Requires DOE on its website to link to Department of Treasury's website where list is maintained of all third party individuals and vendors employed or retained for work associated with State assessments.*
Requires school district or charter school to provide notification to parent or guardian of enrolled student on upcoming administration of State assessments or commercially-developed standardized assessments.
Appropriates $4,750,000 from various Green Acres funds for grants to certain nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes.
Delays certain documentation submission deadlines under certain business tax credit programs.*
Eliminates cap on cost of SDA district school facilities projects that may be constructed by district and included in capital outlay budget.
Vetoed3
Requires that school district's request for permission to use unrecognized position title include list of abolished positions and positions in which there have been layoffs and detailed job descriptions for them.
Permits municipal land banking in conjunction with online property database development.
Eliminates school district budget per pupil administrative cost limits.
Passed the Senate5
Prohibits contribution action against local public entity for cleanup and removal costs or any other damages associated with discharge of hazardous substances.*
Establishes Response to Intervention initiative in DOE to support and encourage school districts in implementation of Response to Intervention framework.
Establishes pilot program in DOE to recruit disadvantaged or minority men to teach in certain failing schools under alternate route program.
Requires that if a school district satisfies 80% or more of the required NJ Quality Single Accountability Continuum standards in an area of district effectiveness under State intervention, the State must return that area to local control.
Prohibits the DOE from regulating the maximum salary amount a school district may pay its superintendent of schools.
Out of committee20
Requires each public institution of higher education to post its budget on the institution's website.
Allows municipalities to designate redevelopment entities and certain non-profits to act as land bank entities.*
Directs DOE to make database of special education decisions available on website.
"The New Jersey Social Innovation Act"; establishes social innovation loan pilot program and study commission within EDA.
Prohibits charging fee to stop publishing personal identifying information obtained through the criminal justice system.*
Requires teacher preparation program for instuctional certificate to include certain amount of instruction or clinical experience in special education and for students with disabilities endorsement to include credit hours in autism spectrum disorder.*
Establishes loan redemption program for teachers in certain fields to redeem loan amounts received under New Jersey College Loans to Assist State Students Loan Program through employment in certain failing schools.
Provides that beginning with the 2016-2017 grade nine class, Advanced Placement computer science course may satisfy a part of the mathematics credits required for high school graduation.*
Requires New Jersey School Report Card to include indicators of student career readiness.
Requires preparation programs for teachers and school counselors to include programming to improve student career readiness. *
Allows school districts and requires public colleges to enter into dual enrollment agreements to provide college-level instruction to high school students through courses offered on college or high school campuses.*
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.*
Establishes four-year County Vocational School District Partnership Grant Program in DOE.
Provides additional State school aid to county vocational school districts in which enrollment increases by more than 10%.
Provides State aid for certain adult education programs.
Requires each school district with middle school or high school to establish food services advisory committee to consider menu options that reflect students' cultural, traditional, and dietary preferences.
Requires public schools to weight courses in visual and performing arts equally with other courses worth same number of credits in calculating grade point average.
Requires insurance producer licensing examination and registration materials to be offered in English and Spanish, and examination instructional materials to be available in Spanish.
Makes FY 2016 supplemental appropriations of $6,500,000 and adds language provision.
Requires State to reimburse counties for portion of holiday pay to county employees performing State services on certain holidays.
In committee37
Permits payments in subsidized adoption until child becomes 21 years of age under certain circumstances.
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.
Provides for designation of new charter school authorizers.
Authorizes executive county superintendent of schools to require implementation of shared services arrangements.
Expands jurisdiction of municipal arson investigators.
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.
Broadens municipal arson investigators' powers.
Permits a child who moves out of a school district due to a family crisis to remain enrolled in that district until the end of the school year.
"Higher Education Citizenship Equality Act;" defines domicile for dependent students for the purpose of eligibility for State student loans, grants, or scholarships and in-State tuition rate.
Establishes a pilot program in DOE to increase the length of the school day and school year and provides tax credits for corporate contributions to fund the program.
Requires DOE to train teachers and administrators and monitor districts on bias and discrimination in special education classification.
Requires each school district to annually submit interscholastic athletic opportunity report to the Commissioner of Education.
Creates corporate business tax and gross income tax credits to fund education enrichment demonstration program.
Authorizes public schools to serve to students certain produce grown in community garden.
Directs DOH to develop plan to phase out use of latex gloves in health care facilities and food establishments.
Requires registration of certain vacant and abandoned properties with municipalities and provides enforcement tools related to maintenance of these properties.
Establishes the four-year "New Jersey Early Innovation Inspiration School Grant Pilot Program" in DOE to fund non-traditional Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics programs for students in grades K through 8.
Allows school districts to enter into school construction public-private partnership agreements with private entities.
Establishes a loan redemption program for public school teachers who meet certain academic requirements and teach Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics subjects or special education.
Establishes task force to study issues related to the establishment of full-day kindergarten.
Requires State Board of Education to adopt standards and benchmarks of performance for the improvement of teacher preparation programs and teacher certification candidates who complete the programs, and develop a program rating system.
Establishes Statewide Assessment Review Task Force.
Authorizes the EDA to issue additional $50,000,000 in bonds to provide grants for certain county vocational school district facilities projects and increases debt service district aid percentage for such projects.
Modifies various aspects of charter school program, including authorization, regulation, and monitoring; appropriates $250,000 to DOE for expenses of charter school authorizing board.
Allows certain students including undocumented immigrants who meet certain criteria to qualify for State student financial aid programs.
The "Full Marriage Recognition for Civil Union Couples Act"; recognizes certain civil unions as marriages dating back to inception of such civil unions.
Requires labeling of foods containing genetically engineered material.
Provides additional State aid to county colleges for students enrolled in postsecondary career and technical education certificate programs.
Establishes red light camera program in DOT; requires one-half of red light camera ticket revenue be used to improve highway traffic safety.
"Port Support Zone Act of 2015."
Requires employees of private entity with access to student information under contract with DOE, school districts, or charter schools to undergo criminal background check.
Authorizes local tax on storage of empty shipping containers.
Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for value of certain fruit and vegetable donations made by commercial farm operators.
Requires registration, inspection, testing, cleaning, and disinfection of cooling towers to control outbreaks of Legionnaire's Disease.
Allows gross income tax credit for certain child and dependent care expenses.
Requires Commissioner of Education to declare educational state of emergency for certain districts with low proficiency rates in language arts and literacy and provides for corrective measures.
Filed1
Increases number of arbitrators on panel determining contested cases involving tenured employees in school districts and gives Commissioner of Education discretion on setting fees.
Carried from the General Assembly
Became law4
Requires public schools to weight courses in visual and performing arts equally with other courses worth same number of credits in calculating grade point average.
Provides that beginning with the 2016-2017 grade nine class, Advanced Placement computer science course may satisfy a part of the mathematics credits required for high school graduation.*
Requires insurance producer licensing examination and registration materials to be offered in English and Spanish, and examination instructional materials to be available in Spanish.
Increases number of arbitrators on panel determining contested cases involving tenured employees in school districts and gives Commissioner of Education discretion on setting fees.
Vetoed3
"The New Jersey Social Innovation Act"; establishes social innovation loan pilot program and study commission within EDA.
Requires each school district with middle school or high school to establish food services advisory committee to consider menu options that reflect students' cultural, traditional, and dietary preferences.*
Makes FY 2016 supplemental appropriations of $6,500,000 and adds language provision.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 25
Authorizes a teacher leader endorsement to the instructional certificate.
Requires annual physical examination of child 19 years of age or younger include certain questions related to cardiac health.*
Requires certain information regarding Down syndrome be provided to certain parents and families.
Requires president of public institution of higher education to regularly report on-campus criminal and fire events to the institution's governing board.
Requires that certain health care facilities be generator ready; allows health care facilities to qualify for NJEDA loans for cost of generators.
Permits adoptees and certain others to obtain adoptee's original birth certificate and other related information.
Designates Black Swallowtail butterfly as State Butterfly.
Establishes "College Affordability Study Commission" to examine issues and develop recommendations to increase the affordability of higher education in New Jersey.
Authorizes fine for failure to maintain certain vacant properties; requires out--of-state creditors to designate in-State representative.
Requires issuance of construction permits for installation of wheelchair ramps on residential real property within 5 business days of application. *
Establishes penalty for failure to include bittering agent in antifreeze.
Recognizes American Sign Language as a world language for meeting high school graduation requirements.
Authorizes counties to establish mosquito control reserve fund.
Requires Secretary of Higher Education to adopt new comprehensive master plan within six months and every seven years thereafter.
Eliminates consumer data collection requirements for certain gift cards.
Requires Medicaid managed care organizations to meet certain conditions prior to reducing reimbursement rates for personal care assistant services and home-based supportive care services.
Requires local unit approval of applications for participation in federal 1033 program.
Directs certain four-year public institutions of higher education to establish substance abuse recovery housing program.
Establishes NJ Innovation and Research Fellowship Program in DOWLD.
Authorizes certain county veteran identification cards to serve as proof of status for veteran designation on driver's license or identification card.
Removes presumption of nonimprisionment in certain assault cases involving domestic violence victims; expands criminal coercion statute; revises Pretrial Intervention procedures in certain criminal cases.*
Permits municipality with UEZ to participate in Downtown Business Improvement Zone Loan Fund.
Increases maximum legal fee to represent victims from $1,000 to $3,000.
Limits liability of caregivers when facilitating normalcy for children in foster care.
Clarifies best interests of the child should be primary consideration in actions undertaken by State governmental entities and courts of law.
Vetoed · 23
"Property Tax Lien Pilot Program," establishes pilot program to allow certain municipalities greater control over sale of tax liens.
Establishes "New Jersey Out-of-School Time Advisory Commission" to review before-school, after-school, and summer programs.*
Establishes innovation zone program to stimulate technology industry clusters around New Jersey's research institutions; allows certain technology businesses located in certain innovation zones to receive certain tax credits under Grow New Jersey Assistan
"Unfair Wage Recovery Act"; provides that unlawful employment practice occurs each time individual is affected.
Establishes procedures for the approval of the closure of a public school.
Establishes in DOC, supervised community reintegration program for certain victims of domestic abuse.*
Prohibits treatment, discharge, disposal, application to roadway, or storage of wastewater, wastewater solids, sludge, drill cuttings or other byproducts from natural gas exploration or production using hydraulic fracturing.*
Revises procedure for issuance of amended birth certificate for person who has undergone change in sex.
Makes FY 2016 supplemental Grants-in-Aid appropriation of $10 million to DCA for Lead Hazard Control Assistance Fund.**
Establishes "Police Officer, Firefighter, Public School Teacher, Corrections Officer, and Sanitation Worker Home-buyer Assistance Act."; appropriates $5 million.*
Requires use of goods made in the United States for public contracts; requires disclosures by businesses that receive public contracts or development assistance.**
Requires Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission to use certain products manufactured in U.S.
Requires Delaware River and Bay Authority to use certain products manufactured in U.S.
Requires PANYNJ to use certain products manufactured in US.
Requires DRPA to use certain products manufactured in U.S.
Requires necessary services and supports to be provided to former residents of developmental centers transitioning to community placements.*
Requires State to pay its pension contributions quarterly on July 15, October 15, January 15 and April 15.
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 AG oversight of transfer of federal surplus military equipment to local law enforcement agencies; establishes review and reporting requirement.
Requires law enforcement agencies in this State to establish minority recruitment and selection programs; establishes reporting requirement.
Removes restrictions on convicted drug offenders receiving general assistance benefits under Work First New Jersey program.
Requires State to pay its pension contributions on quarterly basis by August 1, November 1, February 1 and May 1 of each year.
Requires firearm retailers to sell personalized handguns.
Passed the Senate · 20
The "New Jobs for New Jersey Act."
Establishes the four-year "New Jersey Innovation Inspiration School Grant Pilot Program" in DOE to fund non-traditional science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.
Revises Newborn Screening program in DHSS.
Requires institutions of higher education to provide to prospective students certain cost, loan, and debt information in financial aid shopping sheet.
Increases criminal penalties if leaving loaded firearm within easy access of minor results in injury or death.
Prohibits employers from obtaining, requiring, or discriminating on the basis of credit reports.*
Establishes microenterprise training program and assistance for micro entrepreneurs.
Establishes "New Jersey Higher Education Funding Formula Commission."
Makes FY 2014 supplemental appropriation to DOH for $7,453,000 for family planning services.*
Establishes public awareness campaign advising pregnant women and new parents of the benefits of breasfeeding.*
Provides for licensure of human milk banks.
Requires housing authority to advertise when applications are being accepted for housing assistance waiting lists on its Internet website or webpage.
Requires Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with various entities, to design a manufacturing career pathway to provide students with skills necessary to gain employment in manufacturing sector.
Creates pilot program to fund adult education programs for residents of certain communities.
Creates Foreclosure Prevention and Neighborhood Stabilization Revolving Trust Fund; places temporary surcharge on mortgage foreclosure complaints.
Requires establishment of processes to identify Medicaid eligible incarcerated individuals who are awaiting pre-trial release determinations, are being released following period of incarceration, or are undergoing inpatient hospital treatment.*
Establishes program allowing certain applicants to perform community service in lieu of paying motor vehicle surcharges.
Requires school districts and DOE to post on their websites information regarding student participation in certain assessments.*
Ensures equal rights and opportunities for pregnant graduate students in institutions of higher education.
Provides tuition benefits at public institutions of higher education to New Jersey residents who are members of reserve component of Armed Forces of United States.
Out of committee · 55
Requires public school students in grades 9 through 12 to receive instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use of an automated external defibrillator prior to graduation*
Establishes telemarketing fraud investigation unit.
Requires training program for school bus drivers and school bus aides on interacting with students with special needs, and requires development and use of student information cards.*
Authorizes municipalities to impose penalties on creditors that fail to timely remedy code violations of certain properties in foreclosure.*
Establishes State Transportation Infrastructure Bank within New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust.
Establishes loan redemption program for teachers to redeem loan amounts received under the New Jersey College Loans to Assist State Students Loan Program through employment in public or nonpublic schools in New Jersey.
Raises age requirement of compulsory school attendance from 16 to 18 years old.
Requires schools to maintain supply of epinephrine and permit administration of epinephrine to any student having anaphylactic reaction.
Provides Medicaid coverage for family planning services to individuals with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
Extends Right to Farm Act protections to commercial beekeepers, with some restrictions.
Prohibits certain unsolicited checks.
Provides $21 minimum annual energy assistance to qualified families; qualifies families to receive additional nutritional assistance.
Encourages the establishment of "breakfast after the bell" programs in school districts, public school, and nonpublic schools participating in the federal school breakfast program.
Requires Department of Agriculture to post on its website certain information regarding State's farm to school program.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns to support farm to school and school gardens programs.
Establishes "Best in New Jersey 'Farm to School' Awards Program" to annually recognize the best farm to school programs implemented by a school or school district.
Allows contributions to "New Jersey Farm to School Program."
Directs the Dept. of Agriculture to establish a clearinghouse website for farmers to offer produce and dairy products for use by school breakfast programs, school lunch programs, and food banks.
Provides that eligibility for NJ STARS Program be based on class rank at completion of student's junior year or senior year of high school.*
Prohibits school district from denying student school breakfast or school lunch because payment is in arrears without prior notice to parent.
Requires Division of Local Government Services to include certain property tax information on division's web page.
Requires school buildings to be equipped with emergency light and panic alarm linked to local law enforcement.
"The Opportunity to Compete Act;" establishes certain employment rights for persons with criminal record.
Establishes certain requirements for hospitals regarding patient-designated caregivers.
Requires elevators in new buildings be at least a certain size.
Permits a child whose parent or guardian is ordered into active military service to remain enrolled in the school district where the child's parent or guardian resided prior to active military service.
Permits Newark to use rental car tax proceeds over three-year period to help reduce its "cash deficit for preceding year" appropriation and operational deficit.
Authorizes special Alpha Kappa Alpha license plate.
Requires DOC to make reports containing information concerning treatment and reentry initiative participation; requires AOC to establish program that collects recidivism data and make reports concerning adults sentenced to period of probation.*Requires DO
Establishes Task Force on Engineering Curriculum and Instruction.
Requires Adjutant General to create informational webpage for female veterans.
Allows student with disability to bring service animal on school bus.
Dedicates 30 percent of all UEZ sales tax revenues to respective UEZ account and 70 percent of UEZ sales tax revenues to General Fund.
Authorizes county vocational school district to request county improvement authority to construct and issue bonds to finance school facilities project.
Shortens waiting periods for expungement of criminal and other records and information; makes various changes to other expungement procedures and requirements.*
"Sexual Assault Survivor Protection Act of 2015"; authorizes the court to issue protective orders for victims of certain nonconsensual sexual conduct.
Requires school business administrator to annually report to board of education on district contracts.
Provides for notification of next-of-kin in event of death of senior citizen in senior housing facility.
Prohibits administration of standardized assessments in kindergarten through second grade.
Permits municipal, county, and regional police and fire forces to establish five-year residency requirement for police officers and firefighters; allows exceptions to requirement under certain circumstances.*
Revises certain laws concerning domestic violence and firearms.
Establishes task force to study issues related to sexual assault on college campuses.
Directs Department of Agriculture to publish on its website "New Jersey Gleaning Week" and "Farmers Against Hunger Day" page.
"New Jersey Secure Choice Savings Program Act"; establishes retirement savings program for certain workers.
Clarifies and revises certain aspects of the "Hackensack Meadowlands Agency Consolidation Act."
Requires county and municipal police departments to establish cultural diversity training course and plan.
Raises the gross income tax rate on taxable income exceeding $1,000,000 to 10.75 percent for a temporary four-year-period and restores the State earned income tax credit to 25 percent of the federal credit.
Requires DOH to provide information about crib safety on its Internet website.
Allows certain businesses to qualify as mega projects under the "Grow New Jersey Assistance Act."
Appropriates $88,592,361 from "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" and various Green Acres bond funds for local government open space acquisition and park development projects.
Provides that strangulation of victim resulting in bodily injury during commission of act of domestic violence constitutes aggravated assault.
Increases tax credit cap by $165 million for certain qualified residential projects under Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant program and restricts increase to certain projects.*
Establishes Child Advocacy Center-Multidisciplinary Team Advisory Board and certification program for child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams; appropriates $10 million.
Requires Commissioner of Education to include data on chronic absenteeism and disciplinary suspensions on School Report Card and requires public schools to make certain efforts to combat chronic absenteeism.
Establishes State Seal of Biliteracy to recognize high school graduates who have attained a high level of bilingual proficiency.
In committee · 37
Provides loan redemption for certain physicians who work in State 10 years.
Requires labeling of foods containing genetically modified material.
Revises statutes concerning firearms purchaser identification cards and handgun purchase permits; makes handgun purchase permit valid for four years.
Establishes "Commission on College Tuition."
Establishes small business loan guarantee program in EDA to support capital purchases and operating expenses and permits certain qualified businesses in regional centers to qualify for certain EDA loans.
Prohibits retail mercantile establishments from imposing surcharges on consumer credit card purchases.
Provides gross income tax credits to support development of New Jersey-based small business start-ups.
Establishes special license plates for honorably discharged veterans.
Establishes one-year moratorium on replacement of copper-based landline telephone service with non-copper-based landline or wireless telephone service; requires BPU to report to Governor and Legislature.
Authorizes certain municipalities to impose a tax on the storage of empty shipping containers to fund redevelopment plan activities.
Provides that a school district may be placed under full or partial State intervention pursuant to the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) for no longer than five years.
Reduces drug free school and public property zones to 200 feet.
"The Opportunity to Compete Act;" establishes certain employment rights for persons with criminal histories.
Prohibits investment by State of pension and annuity funds in companies manufacturing, importing, and selling assault firearms for civilian use.
Designates "I'm From New Jersey" as State song.
Enacts "Truth in Caller Identification Act"; prohibits manipulation of certain telephone caller identification information.
Requires insurers to cover comprehensive ultrasound breast screening if a mammogram demonstrates certain dense breast tissue and requires certain mammogram reports to contain information on breast density.
Requires Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development to develop career exploration report for students in grades 7 through 12.
"Dietitian/Nutritionist Licensing Act."
Establishes process for county colleges to offer baccalaureate degree nursing programs.
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.
"The Opportunity to Compete Act;" establishes certain employment rights for persons with criminal histories.
Establishes driving privilege cards for New Jersey residents who cannot prove lawful presence in United States.
Upgrades penalty for unlawful possession of certain firearms on grounds of an educational institution.
Requires Department of Education to encourage boards of education to offer instruction in media literacy.
Allows individual appointed as State monitor to remain employed for more than two years without cancellation of retirement benefits.
Requires candidates for teacher certification to complete technology training program.
Eliminates power of DRPA to finance economic development; changes composition of board; imposes restrictions regarding financing, contract procedures, conflicts of interest, and review audits; creates commuter's council.
Revises exemption from "unemployment compensation law" for operators of certain motor vehicles.
Prohibits cloud computing service providers from disclosing data collected from public, private, or charter school.
Requires annual suicide prevention instruction for public school teaching staff members as part of professional development requirement.
Establishes "breakfast after the bell" incentive fund.
Allows parent, guardian, or adult student to prevent disclosure of student information to certain entities.
Establishes driver's license for residents who cannot prove lawful presence in US.
Criminalizes possession and sale of alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (alpha-PVP) commonly known as "flakka," or "flocka."
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.
Allows installment payments for senior and disabled property taxpayers to repay overpayments of homestead credits and homestead property tax reimbursements.
Filed · 3
Establishes "The Democracy Act" to modify various voter registration and voting procedures.
Designates May of each year "Military Appreciation Month" in New Jersey.
Extends use of stored driver's license picture for person undergoing chemotherapy or other treatment for certain medical illnesses.