Bills in the 2008–2009 Session, Senate.
Robert W. Singer
Sponsored
Became law4
Provides for promotion and sale of "Jersey Fresh" and other NJ agricultural or horticultural products at service areas along certain toll roads.
Requires nursing homes and assisted living residences to provide informational sheet concerning Medicaid eligibility to certain residents.
Establishes criteria municipalities and counties are to consider when establishing speed limits. *
Establishes "New Jersey Lung Cancer Research Fund"; provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns.
Out of committee15
Prohibits certain deceptive practices concerning certain shopping center leases.
Provides students using absentee ballots with application for absentee ballot for next election. *
Modifies reference from "substance awareness coordinator" to "student assistance coordinator" in substance abuse programs in public schools.
Establishes requirements for non face-to-face sales of cigarettes and tobacco products. *
Allows gross income tax credit for purchase of health club memberships by taxpayers 55 and older.
Allows application for PERS accidental disability benefit for injury sustained while employed at State psychiatric institution or correctional facility immediately prior to PERS membership.
Establishes Task Force to study the benefits of student recess and make recommendations on advisability of mandatory recess in school districts.
Requires pharmacists to include on prescription drug label name of brand name drug and generic drug when generic drug is dispensed. **
Excludes veterans' benefits from calculation of financial obligation for care at psychiatric facility.
Clarifies Bureau of Security jurisdiction over securities, including hedge funds. *
"Janet's Law"; requires public and nonpublic schools, recreational fields and youth camps to have defibrillators for youth athletic events, and public school to train pupils in use thereof and in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. *
Authorizes municipal planning boards to adopt green buildings and environmental sustainability municipal master plan element.
Permits State aid to fund start-up costs for local shared services projects.
Concerns regulation of court reporting firms. *
Revises procedure for reassessment of certain real property by assessor and appeal of assessment by certain property taxpayers. *
In committee54
Requires each board of education to employ a certain number of substance awareness coordinators.
Requires health insurers to provide coverage for hearing aids.
Revises eligibility to receive homestead property tax reimbursement.
Extends eligibility for certain veterans' benefits to veterans who served in combat operations.
Permits any full-time employee of school board to attend annual New Jersey Education Association convention without loss of pay.
Provides employment credit for military service for board of education employees.
Clarifies tenure protections for exempt firemen in public employment.
Permits certain vehicles operated by emergency response workers to use red lights and sirens.
Codifies relevant factors for hearings following custody determinations when one parent wants to move out-of-State with the children.
Concerns stewardship of forests; appropriates $650,000.
Makes it a disorderly persons offense to disrupt a funeral by picketing or conducting other protest activities within 300 feet.
Extends NJ STARS and NJ STARS II scholarship eligibility to disabled students not able to enroll in college on full-time basis.
Requires licenses to conduct business in tobacco products under the New Jersey Tobacco Products Wholesale Sales and Use Tax Act.
Creates New Jersey Public School Education License Plate.
Exempts handicapped spots from meters or fees.
Requires additional notices to governmental agencies upon termination of utility services to residential customers.
"Hybrid Swimming Pool Heating Act."
Directs Secretary of Agriculture to determine annually areas for gypsy moth control measures and implement control measures; specifies State pay full implementation cost; appropriates $5,500,000.
Designates Grove of Remembrance at Liberty State Park as official State memorial; appropriates $90,000 for benches and maintenance.
Establishes pilot program to allow the installation of video cameras on school buses used to transport classified students in the Jackson Township School District.
Requires candidates for teaching certificates and current teachers to receive instruction in autism awareness and methods of teaching students with autism.
Expands Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund Commission purpose to provide assistance for purchase of specialized vehicle to transport person over 21 years old with severe chronic disability.
Increases motor vehicle property damage reporting threshold to over $1,000.
Enhances penalties for provisional driver's license holders.
Increases penalties for underage drivers who have consumed alcohol.
Establishes Community Living Independently Program; appropriates $1.8 million.
Requires DHSS to request a minimum of $1,250,000 in annual funding for Tourette Syndrome Association of New Jersey.
Excludes military compensation of military personnel serving outside of this State from gross income tax.
Requires licenses for distributors, wholesalers and retailers to conduct business in tobacco products under the New Jersey Tobacco Products Wholesale Sales and Use Tax Act.
"Kyleigh's Law"; revises laws concerning provisional driver's licenses.
Changes calculation of PERS retirement allowances for certain members who receive significant compensation enhancement within five years of retirement.
Extends term of ELEC commissioners; requires Governor to fill expired term or vacancy within 90 days; provides for reappointment if expired term not filled.
Authorizes special plate for holders of Combat Action Ribbons.
Authorizes "Severely Disabled Veteran" license plates for qualified veterans; entitle holders to handicapped parking privileges.
Requires motorists to submit to drug tests in accidents resulting in death or bodily injury.
Requires $10 of penalty for unlawful wireless telephone use in motor vehicle be paid to Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf.
Clarifies that car pools are not subject to regulation as school buses.
Creates non-State funded dispute resolution program for common interest community associations.
Requires that victims of sex offense be informed of offender's risk of re-offense upon release.
Exempts adult care facilities that own or lease onmibuses from certain registration requirements.
Eliminates award of attorneys' fees, filing fees and costs of suit for technical violation of the consumer fraud act.
Requires DCF to post summary of child care center inspections and complaint investigations on its website.
Provides for grants to essential hospitals for technology upgrades funded by health service corporation conversion monies.
Establishes procedures to prevent and eradicate bedbug infestations in certain residential property.
Exempts developments for which construction permits were issued prior to the effective date of P.L.2008, c.46 from the imposition of Statewide nonresidential development fees; provides for refund of funds paid.
Allows medical expenses deduction in income eligibility calculation under pension exclusion of gross income tax.
Requires and permits preference in awarding certain contracts.
Lifts cap on ticket resale prices.
Requires physician practices that provide intravenous therapies in medical office to register with DHSS.
Establishes three-day grace period for performing artists to cancel contract with entertainment agency.
Restricts occupancy of dwelling unit in age-restricted community to older adults following resale.
Authorizes COAH to credit municipalities 1.5 units of fair share affordable housing obligation for each housing unit occupied by member of the armed forces or veteran; permits satisfaction of fair-share obligation through 20 percent set aside.
Concerns penalties for illegally passing school bus.
Requires State entities to purchase biofuels in place of fossil fuels when it is reasonable, prudent and cost effective to do so.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 11
Expands consumer protections under New Jersey's motor vehicle "lemon law."
Revises criteria for eligibility to receive senior and disabled homestead property tax reimbursement.
Establishes forest stewardship and forest certification programs in DEP; establishes Forest Stewardship Incentive Fund. *
"New Jersey Hero Act"; concerns organ and tissue donation.**
Provides marketing, information disclosure, and suitability requirements for certain annuities directly solicited to consumers. *
Regulates impoundment of shopping carts.
Expands NJ FamilyCare, establishes mandate for health care coverage of children, makes various reforms to individual and small employer insurance markets and certain dependent coverage; appropriates $1 million. **
"Mortgage Stabilization and Relief Act"; creates Mortgage Stabilization Program and Housing Assistance and Recovery Program; imposes additional requirements on lender foreclosing mortgage; appropriates $40 million from the "Long Term Obligation and Capi
Allows UEZ municipalities to include certain homeland security expenses as eligible for funding from enterprise zone assistance fund.
Authorizes New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects.
Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects.
Passed the Senate · 3
Permits adopted person and certain others access to adopted person's original birth certificate and other related information. *
Permits NJ courts to not enforce defamation judgments from foreign countries under certain circumstances.
Makes technical corrections to individual health coverage and small employer health benefits programs and to NJ FamilyCare.
Out of committee · 24
Requires all automobile passengers to wear seat belts.
Permits real estate brokers to provide rebates to purchasers. *
Provides for automatic enrollment in PAAD and Senior Gold programs under certain circumstances.
Authorizes imposition of additional fines for overcrowding.
Revises statutory mental health coverage requirements and requires all health insurers and SHBP to cover treatment for alcoholism and other substance-use disorders under same terms and conditions as for other diseases or illnesses.
Requires consumer complaints to licensing boards of regulated professions to be resolved within 120 days. *
Limits motor bus owner responsibility for no-fault medical expense benefits coverage for certain injured passengers.
Provides for county welfare agency monitoring of welfare emergency assistance motel placements, annual inspection of hotels used for emergency assistance recipients and notice of mobile health van services.
Establishes New Jersey Task Force on Coordinating and Funding Programs for the Homeless.
Provides that nursing home resident has right to receive food that meets resident's religious dietary requirements.
Imposes moratorium on harvest and possession of horseshoe crabs.
Extends payment of accidental death benefit in PFRS, SPRS, PERS and TPAF to survivors of certain members of reserve component of Armed Forces and National Guard. *
"Urban Enterprise Zone Jobs Scholarship Act"; establishes pilot program in Department of the Treasury to provide tax credits for contributions to entities which provide tuition scholarships to children in certain urban enterprise zone municipalities.
Permits three year payoff of accumulated deficits of municipal health insurance funds.
The "Permit Extension Act of 2008."
Requires health insurers and SHBP to provide certain mental health benefits for eating disorders under same terms and conditions as for other illnesses and diseases.
Requires and permits preference in awarding certain contracts.
Establishes the "New Jersey-Israel Commission" as a permanent commission in the Department of State.
Permits counties to create County Homelessness Trust Funds.
Requires DHS to report physical assaults and deaths at State psychiatric hospitals on its website and report deaths to Public Advocate.
"Tree Experts and Tree Care Operators Licensing Act."
Requires confirmation of financial assistance for eligible homeowners voluntarily closing or replacing petroleum underground storage tanks, and expands eligibility for financial assistance. *
Requires health care service firms to file annual cost report with DHS as condition of Medicaid reimbursement. *
Permits adult with an autism spectrum disorder to voluntarily register with the State registry of reported diagnoses in children.
In committee · 40
Ends the transitional energy facilities assessment, caps the State use portion of State energy tax revenues and ensures the balance of such State revenues are paid annually as municipal aid.
Revises the definition of nonpublic school to include preschools under chapter 192 and chapter 193 State aid programs for nonpublic students.
Requires dissemination of organ and tissue donation by State Treasurer, Personnel Commissioner, State contractors, and preparers of advanced health care directives; designates April of each year as Donate Life Month.
"Jessica Lunsford Act;" concerns sentencing of sex offenders and persons who harbor them; requires electronic monitoring for certain sex offenders and creates child protection zones.
Limits liability of physicians to their medical malpractice insurance coverage.
Requires that each school district receive a minimum of 35% State support of its net budget and that a minimum of 35% of the net budget be supported through local tax levy.
Implements the economic indicator recommendations of the Commissioner of Education on Abbott district designation.
Increases annual income limits for eligibility to receive homestead property tax reimbursement.
Eliminates use of vaccines containing mercury over three years.
Establishes a joint legislative and executive branch State Revenue Forecasting Integrity Commission to provide a revenue forecast for annual State budget purposes.
Designates "I'm From New Jersey" as State song.
Provides $100,000 military death benefit to State citizens killed on federal active duty; establishes "Fallen Patriots Memorial Fund."
Repeals law expediting certain State permits.
Establishes New Jersey Rx Program to reduce prescription drug prices.
Eliminates ambulatory care facility gross receipts assessment.
"Thomas P. Canzanella Twenty First Century First Responders Protection Act"; concerns workers' compensation for public safety workers.
Removes limousine services from sales and use tax imposition.
Provides for State income tax deduction to private well owners for water testing costs.
Requires licensed home inspector to report an energy rating for each home inspected for buyer in contemplation of purchase.
Requires insurers and SHBP to provide coverage for expenses incurred in screening for ovarian cancer.
Establishes registry of community agency employees providing services to persons with developmental disabilities.
Broadens eligibility for certain veterans' benefits by eliminating requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations.
Provides for conscientious exemption to mandatory immunizations.
Requires certain off-track wagering licensees or assignees to pay 4% of net wagering revenues to host municipality.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Concerns eligibility for Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief fund assistance when more than one child in family has catastrophic illness.
Grandfathers use of certain dry cleaning equipment and machinery and perchloroethylene by dry cleaners.
Prohibits employment of unauthorized aliens.
The "Toxic-free Children's Products Act."
Requires Superintendent of State Police to conduct study prior to closing road station.
Authorizes special Gold Star Family license plates.
Extends Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance Premium Assistance Fund and collection of annual surcharges for 5 years.
"Dietitian/Nutritionist Licensing Act."
Requires all new State buildings to have solar or geothermal energy systems, where feasible.
Designated the Shop Here, Save Money, Secure Jobs Act of 2008; establishes sales and use tax rate reduction period from November 28, 2008 through January 4, 2009, sets reduction period tax rate at 3.5%.
Revises laws governing provision of affordable housing; reestablishes regional contribution agreement as method of meeting affordable housing obligation; repeals Statewide non-residential development fee.
Authorizes credit unions to serve as depositories of public funds.
Makes Housing Assistance and Recovery Program effective immediately.
Increases the application fee and provides for an admission fee to pre-trial intervention; dedicates fee increase for victim services.
Authorizes Council on Affordable Housing to enter into memoranda of understanding with certain planning entities; establishes presumption of compliance with council's regulations; establishes moratorium on builder's remedy.