Bills in the 2008–2009 Session, General Assembly.
Gary S. Schaer
Sponsored
Became law9
Establishes pilot program in Department of Education to provide instruction in personal finance to high school seniors.
Provides that nursing home resident has right to receive food that meets resident's religious dietary requirements.
Establishes requirements concerning certain public contracts with private firms.
Abolishes Department of Personnel; transfers functions, powers, and duties primarily to new Civil Service Commission in but not of Department of Labor and Workforce Development; creates Civil Service Reform Task Force. *
Provides for adjustment and notice of date on which certain elections can occur if date coincides with period of religious observance.
Establishes the "Main Street Business Assistance Program;" appropriates $50 million.
Provides certain law enforcement officers and firefighters regain pay status when appeals of termination are not resolved within 180 days.
Makes technical correction to definition of "creditable coverage" in individual, small employer and larger group insurance laws.
Transfers management, administration and duties of "the workers' compensation security fund" to the New Jersey Property-Liability Insurance Guaranty Association.
Passed the General Assembly4
The "Foreclosure Rescue Fraud Prevention Act."
Requires DHSS to establish "New Jersey Autism Website."
Authorizes wiretap orders for investigation of luring or enticing a child, identity theft, stalking and harassment under certain circumstances.
Provides for appointment to board of directors of New Jersey Automobile Insurance Risk Exchange by Commissioner of Banking and Insurance.
Out of committee5
Requires alternative testing arrangements be provided to certain students unable to attend tests at their regular administration due to religious observance.
Extends range of investment vehicles in which Director of the Division of Investment and State Investment Council may invest moneys in the State of New Jersey Cash Management Fund and State pension funds.
Establishes a pilot program in DOE to address the State's shortage of mathematics and science teachers.
Prohibits misleading use of senior-specific certifications or professional designations in connection with sales of securities.
Increases and clarifies permissible categories of fees chargeable by residential mortgage lenders and brokers.
In committee16
Establishes pilot program in Department of Education to provide instruction in personal finance to high school seniors.
Provides certain law enforcement officers and firefighters cannot be suspended without pay for more than 120 calendar days.
Increases membership of PFRS board of trustees from 11 to 13 members.
Exempts Holocaust reparations payments from legal process, and from estate recovery under Medicaid program.
Provides employees and officers working fewer than 1,000 hours annually will be ineligible for TPAF or PERS membership and service credit but will be eligible for Defined Contribution Retirement Program.
Requires certain arbitrators to file financial disclosure statements.
Limits amount of contribution to legal defense fund of holder of elective public office and requires reporting thereof to ELEC.
Requires practitioners to disclose business relationship with out-of-State facilities when making patient referrals to those facilities.
Exempts New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority projects from Statewide non-residential development fee.
Prohibits stranger-originated life insurance contracts.
The "Health Care Provider Network Transparency Act"; establishes requirements for granting access to certain health care provider discounts.
Restructures ticket sales law.
Requires physicians, dentists and nurses to complete volunteer medical, dental and nursing services, as appropriate.
"Life Settlements Act"; regulates life settlement contracts and prohibits stranger-originated life insurance contracts; repeals "Viatical Settlements Act."
Makes supplemental appropriation of $7,000,000 to DOE to reinstate nonpublic technology initiative aid.
Requires contribution for health care benefits provided for certain local elected and appointed officials.
Carried from the Senate
Became law3
Requires alternative testing arrangements be provided to certain students unable to attend tests at their regular administration due to religious observance.
Extends range of investment vehicles in which Director of the Division of Investment and State Investment Council may invest moneys in the State of New Jersey Cash Management Fund and State pension funds.
Establishes a pilot program in DOE to address the State's shortage of mathematics and science teachers.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 49
Provides for automatic enrollment in PAAD and Senior Gold programs under certain circumstances.
Prohibits individuals from purchasing more than one handgun in a calendar month.
Repeals bidding requirement for local public contracts to allow bidders to avoid unresponsive bid if they inadvertently omit business registration from bid proposal provided that bidder was registered before bid submission deadline.
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. *
Requires developers to offer solar energy systems in certain new home construction. *
Revises eligibility for expungement of criminal and juvenile delinquency records.
Requires DHSS and DHS to establish autism and intellectual and other developmental disabilities awareness program for certain first responders. *
Permits surcharge of up to 22% to offset private collection fees for certain delinquent debts owed to courts, counties, and municipalities. *
Permits use of overseas absentee ballots for all elections; authorizes transmission of ballots by electronic means. *
Requires health benefits coverage for certain therapies for the treatment of autism and other developmental disabilities. *
"Self-Directed Support Services for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Rights Act."
Allows certified public accountants licensed in other states to practice public accountancy and attest services in this State under certain circumstances.
Provides tax deduction from casino gross revenues for certain promotional gaming credits.
Authorizes the NJ Sports and Exposition Authority to undertake an aquarium project within or outside the meadowlands complex.
"Nursing Faculty Loan Redemption Program Act." *
Requires each general hospital and State psychiatric hospital to annually conduct public meeting for community it serves. *
Prohibits hospitals from charging certain uninsured persons more than 15% greater than applicable Medicare rate.
Enacts "Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children."
Broadens small qualified business exception under UEZ sales tax rebate program. *
Eliminates throwout of receipts in allocation of entire net income under the corporation business tax; eliminates "regular place of business" requirement to allocate less than 100% of income to New Jersey. *
Provides period of extension for repayment of introductory rate mortgages on residential property under certain circumstances.
Appropriates State and federal funds for the State budget for fiscal year 2008-2009.
Establishes a "Silver Alert System." *
The "Permit Extension Act of 2008."
"New Jersey College Student and Parent Consumer Information Act"; requires each four-year public institution of higher education to provide on its website certain information regarding its costs, faculty, and graduation rates.
Requires DHS to report physical assaults and deaths at State psychiatric hospitals on its website and report deaths to Public Advocate. *
Establishes the "New Jersey-Israel Commission" as a permanent commission in the Department of State.
Creates Solar and Wind Energy Commission.
Establishes the InvestNJ Business Grant Program in NJEDA to stimulate certain capital investment and job creation in New Jersey during a limited period, makes appropriations. *
Adds non-voting member to NJT board.
Establishes the Troops to College Program in the Commission on Higher Education to assist veterans in making the transition into the college classroom.
Makes FY 2009 supplemental appropriations totaling $22,500,000 to provide food, energy and legal aid assistance to individuals and families under the "New Jersey Economic Assistance and Recovery Plan."
Delays requirement that voting machines produce individual permanent paper record for each vote cast due to the State's critical economic situation and lack of appropriate technology.
Permits physicians to issue multiple prescriptions for total of up to 90-day supply of Schedule II drugs.
The "New Jersey Residential Mortgage Lending Act"; concerns certain licensed mortgage and consumer lending practices, supervision and enforcement.
Establishes certain electoral and campaign finance requirements for Lieutenant Governor candidates.
Concerns governmental unit public funds deposited in public depositories. *
Appropriates $28,990,484,000 in State funds and $13,859,752,122 in federal funds for the State budget for fiscal year 2009-2010. *
Directs NJHMFA to transfer up to $12 million in unencumbered reserves to the State for rental assistance program and makes appropriation.
Directs EDA to transfer up to $22 million in unencumbered reserves to qualifying capital investment grant component of InvestNJ Business Grant Program.
Establishes "Women and Families Strengthening Act."
Provides for programs and services for inmates and formerly incarcerated persons; and institutes certain administrative procedures. *
Concerns parole eligibility and supervision, prison visitation, and training and education standards for incarcerated persons.
Revises approval process for rate changes applicable to medical malpractice liability insurance.
Redirects appropriations in "Mortgage Stabilization and Relief Act" (2009) to provide more effective foreclosure relief to homeowners.
"New Jersey Basic Skills Training Program for Economic Growth Act."
Establishes NJ PLACE program to facilitate college credit for registered apprenticeship programs.
Requires additional information on State's long-term liabilities be presented in State annual debt report.
Extends pilot program in DOE to address State's shortage of mathematics and science teachers by 12 months.
Vetoed · 2
Expands scope of New Jersey Regulatory Flexibility Act dealing with economic impact of rules on small businesses.
The "Jobs, Trade and Democracy Act."
Passed the General Assembly · 34
Establishes innovation zone program to stimulate technology industry clusters around New Jersey's research universities, colleges or research hospitals.
Provides bill of rights for persons receiving services under Congregate Housing Services Program.
Requires weekly reporting of construction and building permit approvals to municipal tax assessor.
Allows State or State authority to terminate construction contract upon transfer of contractor's ownership or control; requires advance approval of subcontractor changes.
Requires that notice of hearing on certain zoning changes be by certified mail only.
Authorizes the court to credit an indigent person under certain circumstances.
The "Consumer Telephone Records Protection Act of 2008." *
Requires certain elected officials and appointed officers eligible for dual health benefits coverage to choose coverage by one public entity. *
Establishes "New Jersey Council on Child Poverty."
Requires and permits preference in awarding certain contracts. *
The "Real Estate Installment Contract Act."
Requires interactive computer service to remove images, information, or data which depicts child engaged in prohibited sexual act from computer server or other storage device controlled or owned by the interactive computer service.
Permits in-person wagering at casinos on results of professional sports events, subject to voter approval.
Requires poll workers to have certain training in the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990".
Prohibits persons under age 19 from smoking or carrying a lighted tobacco product in an outdoor public place.
Provides for Autism Advocate in Division of Advocacy for the Developmentally Disabled. *
Requires Commissioner of Human Services to create identification card for use by persons with autism.
Provides that reports and publications produced by State be primarily available on Internet, provides for notice of availability of reports and publications.
Invalidates consumer contracts which require a waiver of right to file a consumer complaint.
Directs Chief Technology Officer to conduct study of costs and benefits of replacing the State's high-volume, basic computing systems with more cost-effective alternatives.
Establishes the "Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Compact."
Includes limitations on amount of retirement compensation which may be provided by a school board in the employment contracts of superintendents of schools, assistant superintendents of schools, and school business administrators.
Requires cemetery companies to file certain financial information with New Jersey Cemetery Board. *
Requires the adoption of nepotism policies by school districts and charter schools. *
Requires that school districts use a model contract developed by the Commissioner of Education when employing a superintendent of schools.
Expands parity between certain State-chartered financial institutions, and permits interstate banking by such institutions through de novo branching or expanded authority to acquire existing branches or institutions.
Increases statute of limitations and provides treble damages for certain violations of "Uniform Securities Law (1997)." *
Makes Housing Assistance and Recovery Program effective immediately.
Makes it a crime to communicate or transmit sexually suggestive communications to a minor under certain circumstances.
Upgrades certain sex crimes against minors.
Requires persons subject to Megan's Law registration to provide law enforcement with any Internet identifiers.
Provides that information technology professionals who find child pornography on computers must report the finding to law enforcement.
Expedites payment of PFRS accidental death benefit.
Creates self-defense justification for victims of domestic violence.
Out of committee · 32
Allows certain undocumented aliens to qualify for in-state tuition rates at public institutions of higher education.
Renames the Primary Care Physician and Dentist Loan Redemption Program and makes various other changes to the program.
Allows gross income tax deductions for contributions to the "NJBEST college savings program."
Consumer Electronics Warranty Lemon Law.
Requires DHSS to report certain patient safety indicators on a hospital by hospital basis and prohibits hospitals from charging for certain medical errors. *
Prohibits boards of education from charging students a fee to participate in extracurricular activities.
Provides triggers for reductions of employer unemployment insurance taxes.
Increases funding of Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Program.
Regulates certain credentialing and trade practices of insurance producers, and provides private cause of action for insurance producer violations.
Allows the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority to finance working capital loans for institutions of higher education and revenue-generating projects through institution affiliates. *
Prohibits legislative aide who works, or worked, directly for legislator in district office from making political contribution greater than $30 per election to that legislator; prohibits receipt of such contribution. **
Requires counties, municipalities, fire districts and boards of education to cooperatively develop and implement five-year financial plans.
Authorizes enhanced DHSS monitoring of hospital financial performance and intervention in management of identified distressed hospitals.
Revises calculation of Unemployment Trust Fund Reserve Ratio for experience rating year beginning July 1, 2008; appropriates $260,000,000 to unemployment compensation fund.
"Dietitian/Nutritionist Licensing Act."
Increases carryover period of net operating loss deduction under corporation business tax. *
Designates bridge carrying State Highway Route No. 3 over the Passaic River between the Borough of Rutherford and the City of Clifton as the "Chaplain Charles J. Watters Memorial Bridge."
Enhances PFRS accidental death pension benefit for survivors of member serving in nonsupervisory rank.
Provides statute of limitations for residential mortgage foreclosures.
Prohibits penalizing pharmacy for dispensing forged or fraudulent prescription approved by certain State prescription drug benefit programs. *
Creates permanent paper voting record pilot program; removes requirement that voting machines produce voter-verified paper record by January 1, 2009. *
Amends the Fiscal Year 2009 appropriation act to implement certain components of the Executive's plan to offset shortfalls in State revenues.
Provides penalties for sexually offensive communication or harassing communication through social networking websites. *
Upgrades offense of harassment under certain circumstances.
Requires residential mortgage lenders to provide debtors with certain information about curing default prior to initiation of mortgage foreclosure action.
The "Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act."
Prohibits persons under age 18 from smoking or carrying a lighted tobacco product in an outdoor public place and establishes enforcement actions.
Appropriates $120,123,420 from various Green Acres funds for local government open space acquisition and park development projects.
Appropriates $19,919,700 from various Green Acres funds for grants to certain nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes.
Requires test agencies to offer post-examination products and services in a uniform manner to all test subjects.
Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects.
Modifies laws concerning inmate income and complaints; creates uniform identification cards for attorneys to enter State correctional facilities. *
In committee · 44
Provides for conscientious exemption to mandatory immunizations.
Creates Bergen County Transportation Trust Fund.
Designates "I'm From New Jersey" as the State song.
Prohibits the use or possession of cellular picture phones to invade another person's privacy and prohibits camera or picture cell phones in schools.
Permits pharmacies subject to Medicaid new-provider moratorium to post surety bond or other security in order to participate in Medicaid program.
Exempts comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilitites from ambulatory care assessment.
Permits adopted person and certain others access to adopted person's original birth certificate and other related information; appropriates $90,000.
Establishes school property tax freeze program for resident homeowners age 65 or older and disabled homeowners.
Allows veteran or personal representative to withdraw honorable discharge papers from county clerk.
Broadens eligibility for certain veterans' benefits by eliminating requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations.
"Electronic Waste Recycling Act."
Requires in-network hospitals to notify patients of out-of-network health care professionals who provide services in hospital.
Requires forfeiture of public office upon conviction of fourth degree crime or higher; disqualifies person from future office upon conviction of fourth degree crime or higher or conviction of crime involving dishonesty.
Requires annual review of all released sex offenders to determine if they were registered and tiered.
Establishes prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse public awareness campaign; designated Jason's Law.
Authorizes creation of urban enterprise zones in Garfield, Harrison, Keansburg, and two joint urban enterprise zones, one in Cliffside Park and Fairview, and one in Buena Vista Township and Buena Borough.
Exempts certain persons enrolled in public institutions of higher education from payment of undergraduate tuition at nonresident rates.
Exempts membership fees, initiation fees, or dues for access to health and fitness, athletic, or sporting clubs of certain charitable organizations from sales and use tax.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns for the Meadowlands Conservation Trust.
Lowers the minimum full-time jobs requirement for business relocation and retention tax credits.
Requires that public officers or public employees convicted of crimes involving their office or employment be sentenced to mandatory prison terms and forfeit pension benefits.
Authorizes civil action for certain economic damages against owner or keeper of pet animal that injures or kills another person's pet animal.
Restores point of sale sales tax exemption on purchases by businesses located in UEZ.
Establishes minimum registered professional nurse staffing standards for hospitals and ambulatory surgery facilities and certain DHS facilities.
Creates e-mail registration as part of Megan's law requirement and allows for supervision of certain sex offender's e-mail.
Requires county superintendent of schools to determine routes and bid and award contracts for all nonpublic school busing in the county.
Provides for decrease and eventual ban on use of non-compostable plastic grocery bags.
Provides that unused State real property will be offered for sale after three years.
Establishes Lane Splitting Task Force.
Prohibits cemetery company from charging additional fee for rendering certain services on Sunday.
Requires county board of elections to notify voters about procedure for changing political party affiliation before any primary election; changes date for publication of notice.
Authorizes State and local governments to enter into group purchasing agreement for alternative fueled vehicles.
Eliminates 15% fee charged by cemetery company on transfer of graves, crypts and niches.
Requires certain cemeteries to accept Work First New Jersey and SSI allowance for burial expenses.
Permits advertising on exterior of school buses.
Increases and revises membership of New Jersey Cemetery Board.
Provides for increased penalties for a crime committed in a church, synagogue, temple or other place of public worship.
Protects property owned by military personnel and first responders from condemnation.
Establishes do not leave list.
Provides prescriber or health care facility with discretion to number prescription blank forms consecutively.
Removes confidential employee status of certain Casino Control Commission employees.
Requires DHSS to prepare and distribute signs for display at public beaches advising patrons to protect their skin from sun exposure.
The "Residential Mortgage Satisfaction Act."
Permits surety companies to issue blanket bonds for municipal treasurers and tax collectors, and municipal court judges and administrators.