Bills in the 2010–2011 Session, General Assembly.
Gary S. Schaer
Sponsored
Became law4
The "Foreclosure Rescue Fraud Prevention Act."
Regulates captive insurers.
The "Reinsurance and Surplus Lines Stimulus and Enhancement Act."
Permits Commissioner of Banking and Insurance to waive statutory liability-to-policyholders' surplus ratio on application by mortgage guaranty insurance company.
Passed the General Assembly4
Provides for appointment to board of directors of New Jersey Automobile Insurance Risk Exchange by Commissioner of Banking and Insurance.
"Healthcare Transparency and Disclosure Act." *
Makes permanent certain temporary authorizations that expanded permitted investment by Director of Division of Investment of State of New Jersey Cash Management Fund and State pension funds.
Requires State to provide recipients of State tax refunds, unemployment insurance benefits and State employee compensation certain payment options.
Out of committee6
Prohibits misleading use of senior-specific certifications or professional designations in connection with sales of securities.
Restructures ticket sales law.
Limits amount of appeal bond in civil actions to $50 million. *
Provides parole board with discretion to reconsider parole eligibility for certain crimes after a certain period of time.
Revises method of regulation and collection of surplus lines insurance premium taxes.
Concerns rights of financial counterparties to terminate and settle certain agreements with certain insurers in the event of insolvency or liquidation.
In committee23
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.
Requires DHSS to establish "New Jersey Autism Website."
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.
Authorizes wiretap orders for investigation of luring or enticing a child, identity theft, stalking and harassment under certain circumstances.
Makes technical correction to definition of "creditable coverage" in individual, small employer and larger group insurance laws.
Increases and clarifies permissible categories of fees chargeable by residential mortgage lenders and brokers.
Prohibits stranger-originated life insurance contracts.
The "Health Care Provider Network Transparency Act"; establishes requirements for granting access to certain health care provider discounts.
Transfers management, administration and duties of "the workers' compensation security fund" to the New Jersey Property-Liability Insurance Guaranty Association.
"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.
Establishes that only non-violent offenders should have their cases reviewed by the parole board every three years.
Increases personal needs allowance to $50 for recipients of Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income who are veterans or spouses of veterans and provides for annual cost-of-living increase in allowance.
Establishes waiver, rebate or payment of insured's deductible, copayment, or coinsurance by health care practitioner as a form of insurance fraud subject to criminal and civil penalties.
Transfers Bureau of Securities to Department of Banking and Insurance.
Extends deadline for filing nominating petitions each year new legislative districts are established by Apportionment Commission.
Requires Commissioner of Education to change deadline for municipal review of defeated school budgets whenever he changes the annual school election date.
Requires child's religion not be changed due to foster care or adoption.
Filed1
Revises method of regulation and collection of surplus lines insurance premium taxes.
Carried from the Senate
Became law4
Prohibits misleading use of senior-specific certifications or professional designations in connection with sales of securities.
Removes certain required parole board reviews of parole eligibility dates; repeals early release law. *
Revises method of regulation and collection of surplus lines insurance premium taxes.
Concerns rights of financial counterparties to terminate and settle certain agreements with certain insurers in the event of insolvency or liquidation.
Vetoed1
Requires State to provide recipients of State tax refunds, unemployment insurance benefits and State employee compensation certain payment options.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 22
Establishes a permanent Interdistrict Public School Choice Program.
Disqualifies member of board of education or member of charter school board of trustees for conviction of certain crimes and requires member to undergo criminal history background investigation. *
Establishes the "Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Compact."
Provides bill of rights for persons receiving services under Congregate Housing Services Program.
Provides for equal opportunity for businesses that pay societal benefits charges to apply for certain energy-related incentives and funding. *
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.
Authorizes county colleges and county vocational school districts to establish green job certification programs.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns to the "American Red Cross-NJ Fund".
Eliminates use of rebate procedure for claims of sales and use tax exemption made in connection with certain sales to certain UEZ qualified businesses. *
Permits advertising on exterior of school buses.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns for New Jersey National Guard members and their families in need of assistance.
Encourages purchase of "Jersey Fresh" and other NJ agricultural products by State agencies, departments and facilities.
Exempts sales of certain homes and seasonal rentals from the bulk sale notification requirements. *
Streamlines process for State and local agency business permits related to economic development projects.
Authorizes sale and lease of unneeded public property to certain nonprofits for gardening and urban farming and exempts such urban farms from property taxation.
Requires Department of State to create uniform application form for use by small businesses to apply for certain State financial assistance programs.*
Provides corporation with right to renounce corporate opportunity doctrine.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns to support the Boys and Girls Clubs in New Jersey.
Creates State contract set-aside program for businesses owned and operated by veterans.
The "Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act."
Requires DCF to develop and adopt Statewide youth suicide prevention plan.
Authorizes Department of Agriculture to implement mobile fresh produce markets for residents of urban "food desert" communities. *
Vetoed · 8
Provides single sales fraction for corporation business tax income allocation formula and establishes airline-specific sales fraction.
Permits developer to qualify for low-interest loan from NJEDA when building a high performance green building.
Expands treatment of mixed use projects under urban transit hub tax credit. *
Authorizes zero-interest loans to local governments for certain brownfield remediations; changes priorities for financial assistance from Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund. *
Establishes a closing fund to provide financial resources for certain economic development projects.
Establishes the Workforce Shortage Loan Redemption Program.
Creates "Back to Work NJ Program"; makes an appropriation.
Authorizes local public contract set-aside program for employers who hire former prisoners.
Passed the General Assembly · 12
Requires that school districts use a model contract developed by the Commissioner of Education when employing a superintendent of schools.
Prohibits sending unsolicited advertising by text messaging, and requires companies offering text messaging services to allow customers to block all incoming and outgoing text messages. *
Requires retailers to post warnings of lead poisoning from improper paint removal.
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.
Invalidates consumer contracts which require a waiver of right to file a consumer complaint.
Includes reverse rate evasion as form of insurance fraud and provides for civil and criminal penalties.
Requires audits of managed care plan provider networks.
Maintains right of corporate directors and officers to indemnification under certain circumstances.
Allows licensing authorities to grant a license to certain child support obligors under certain circumstances.*
Revises the period of time required for a State or county college faculty member to receive tenure. *
Requires the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to develop and distribute a document containing student loan repayment information for school districts and nonpublic high schools to disseminate to students.
The "Market Competition and Consumer Choice Act," alters State regulation of competitive services provided by telecommunications and CATV companies.
Out of committee · 38
Creates offense of financial exploitation of the elderly.
Requires the adoption of nepotism policies by school districts and charter schools.
Establishes innovation zone program to stimulate technology industry clusters around New Jersey's research universities, colleges or research hospitals.
Provides alternative annual reorganization meeting date for county political committees if regular date coincides with period of religious observance.*
Provides for increased penalties for a crime committed in a church, synagogue, temple or other place of public worship.
Permits adoptees and certain others access to adoptee's original birth certificate and other related information. *
Requires members of governing boards of public institutions of higher education to complete a training program developed by the Commission on Higher Education.
Establishes a gross income tax credit for full time enrollment at four year institutions of higher education, county colleges and accredited post-secondary schools in New Jersey.
Concerns access to certain job training courses for employees affected by plant closings, mass layoffs or transfer of operations.
Requires BPU to increase credit provided when issuing Solar Renewable Energy Certificates for solar energy produced by equipment manufactured in NJ. *
Provides unemployment benefits for certain spouses of National Guard members.
Clarifies that sexual assault victims are not responsible for any costs of forensic sexual assault examinations or related services.
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.
"Opportunity Scholarship Act"; establishes pilot program in Department of Treasury providing tax credits to entities contributing to scholarships for low-income children. *
Expands existing film and digital media production tax credit programs; designated as the Garden State Film and Digital Media Jobs Act.
Permits sale of motorcycles on Sunday.
Provides for development of searchable "Bulletin NJ" local public bidding and employment database.
Allows for five years corporation business tax and gross income tax deductions for net interest amount received on loans to certain qualified UEZ businesses.
Expands availability of general development plan approvals and long-term vesting of preliminary and final site plan approvals in Smart Growth areas.
Allows gross income tax deductions for contributions to the New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust (NJBEST) Program.
Requires public institutions of higher education to waive application fees and transcript fees for veterans and members of the military.
Authorizes formation of State college risk management groups and joint liability funds.
Revises financial assistance under Business Retention and Relocation Assistance Grant Program; repeals requirement to study implementation.
Expands gross income tax exclusion for pensions, annuities and other retirement income for certain taxpayers.
Allows corporation business tax credit and gross income tax credit for certain wages paid to qualified interns in tax years 2012 and 2013.
Allows for unemployment insurance beneficiaries to file, reopen, cancel or close claims online.
Consolidates certain business-related categories of gross income and provides 20 year carryforward of certain net losses under gross income tax.
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.
"New Jersey Angel Investor Tax Credit Act;" provides credits against corporation business and gross income taxes for investing in New Jersey emerging technology businesses.
Directs New Jersey Economic Development Authority and Commission on Higher Education to promote the establishment of higher education and business partnerships.
Creates grant program for newly established small businesses engaged in life sciences.
Requires NJ Environmental Infrastructure Financing Program to give additional weight in ranking system to projects including green or blue roofs.
Requires construction of certain new State buildings, facilities, and structures to include green or blue roofs.
Designates entire length of New Jersey Route No. 19 in Passaic County as "Congressman William J. Pascrell, Jr. Highway."
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.
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 $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 $30,609,343,000 in State funds and $12,128,463,665 in federal funds for the State budget for fiscal year 2011-2012.
In committee · 61
Requires that notice of hearing on certain zoning changes be by certified mail only.
Establishes Lane Splitting Task Force.
Clarifies certain standards for regulation of recreational vehicles as housing.
Expedites payment of PFRS accidental death benefit.
Provides for conscientious exemption to mandatory immunizations.
Creates Bergen County Transportation Trust Fund.
Provides for Autism Advocate in Division of Advocacy for the Developmentally Disabled.
"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.
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.
The "Consumer Telephone Records Protection Act of 2008."
Establishes minimum registered professional nurse staffing standards for hospitals and ambulatory surgery facilities and certain DHS facilities.
Upgrades certain sex crimes against minors.
Requires persons subject to Megan's Law registration to provide law enforcement with any Internet identifiers.
Designates "I'm From New Jersey" as the State song.
Requires certain persons to report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation against vulnerable adults.
Requires annual review of all released sex offenders to determine if they were registered and tiered.
Permits in-person wagering at casinos on results of professional sports events, subject to voter approval.
Authorizes the court to credit an indigent person under certain circumstances.
Permits surcharge of up to 22% to offset private collection fees for certain delinquent debts owed to courts, counties, and municipalities.
Provides prescriber or health care facility with discretion to number prescription blank forms consecutively.
Requires the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners maintain minutes of meetings; provides Governor veto over minutes.
Provides for automatic enrollment in PAAD and Senior Gold programs under certain circumstances.
Provides enhanced penalties for certain crimes when victim is 65 years of age or older, or disabled.
Revises approval process for rate changes applicable to medical malpractice liability insurance.
Requires in-network hospitals to notify patients of out-of-network health care professionals who provide services in hospital.
Prohibits cemetery company from charging additional fee for rendering certain services on Sunday.
Prohibits penalizing pharmacy for dispensing forged or fraudulent prescription approved by certain State prescription drug benefit programs.
Upgrades offense of harassment under certain circumstances.
Modifies laws concerning inmate income and complaints; creates uniform identification cards for attorneys to enter State correctional facilities.
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.
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.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns for the Meadowlands Conservation Trust.
Increases funding of Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Program.
Requires counties, municipalities, fire districts, and boards of education to cooperatively develop and implement five-year financial plans.
Authorizes State and local governments to enter into group purchasing agreement for alternative fueled vehicles.
Allows gross income tax deductions for contributions to the "NJBEST college savings program."
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.
Requires weekly reporting of construction and building permit approvals to municipal tax assessor.
Enhances PFRS accidental death pension benefit for survivors of member serving in nonsupervisory rank.
Requires DHSS to prepare and distribute signs for display at public beaches advising patrons to protect their skin from sun exposure.
Eliminates 15% fee charged by cemetery company on transfer of graves, crypts and niches.
Prohibits the use or possession of cellular picture phones to invade another person's privacy and prohibits camera or picture cell phones in schools.
Exempts comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilitites from ambulatory care assessment.
Requires and permits preference in awarding certain contracts.
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.
Prohibits boards of education from charging students a fee to participate in extracurricular activities.
The "Real Estate Installment Contract Act."
Removes confidential employee status of certain Casino Control Commission employees.
Limits scope of inmates whose cases must be reviewed for parole eligibility every three years.
Provides for conscientious exemption to mandatory immunizations.
Permits State Lottery Commission to authorize video lottery terminals at Meadowlands horse racetrack, subject to voter approval.
Changes "board of chosen freeholders" to "board of county commissioners" and "freeholder" and "chosen freeholder" to "county commissioner" in new sections of law and revisions to current law; requires counties to change terms on website.
Permits State Lottery Commission to authorize video lottery terminals at Meadowlands racetrack, upon voter approval; dedicates 1/3 net proceeds to General Fund, 1/3 to State education aid, and 1/3 to horse racing industry.
Provides energy and utility service sales tax relief benefit to certain manufacturers throughout the State.
"Tara's Law"; provides protections for individuals with developmental disabilities residing in community care residences and for investigations of abuse of individuals with developmental disabilities.
Exempts sales of certain homes and seasonal rentals from the bulk sale notification requirements.
Permits voter registration of certain persons at age 17 for voting at next election occurring on or after 18th Birthday.
Allows corporation business tax and gross income tax deductions for the amount of net interest received on loans to certain qualified UEZ businesses.
Provides that settlement agents are not responsible for transmitting estimated gross income tax payment and forms for certain nonresident real estate transactions unless so responsible pursuant to contract.
Requires that police obtain warrant to seize cell phone data.
Requires that police obtain warrant to attach GPS device to suspect's motor vehicle.