Bills in the 2016–2017 Session, Senate.
Christopher J. Connors
Sponsored
Became law1
Requires reservation of portion of tenant vouchers under State rental assistance program for veterans.
Passed the Senate2
Permits conversion of fines for violation of certain municipal ordinances into tax liens.
Permits certain portion of municipal development trust funds to be spent on housing affordability assistance to veterans.
Out of committee5
Requires State reimbursement to municipalities of cost of disabled veterans' total property tax exemption.
Extends veteran's property tax exemption to tenant shareholders in cooperatives and mutual housing corporations.
Makes annual compensation paid to surviving spouses of certain blind or disabled veterans payable from date of veteran's death.
Authorizes special Support Our Veterans license plate with proceeds supporting New Jersey homeless veteran's centers.
Exempts disabled veterans from beach buggy permit fees.
In committee65
Prevents use of condemnation to acquire residential and other private property under redevelopment laws.
Requires prosecutors to determine risk of re-offense under Megan's Law prior to offender's release from incarceration.
Excludes certain illegal aliens from workers' compensation and temporary disability benefits.
Bars companies which hire illegal aliens from public contracts, grants, loans, or tax incentives for seven years.
Authorizes free hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses and free admission to State parks and forests for individuals with certain types of military service.
Requires court to consider results of domestic violence assessment before dissolving certain domestic violence restraining orders.
Broadens eligibility for certain veterans' benefits by eliminating requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations.
Reestablishes senior citizen supplemental stabilization aid.
Establishes a New Jersey Coordinating Council on the Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Generating Facilities.
Requires local government notification of sex offender registration and prohibits sex offenders from living near schools, child care centers or playgrounds.
Requires certification that persons directly or indirectly receiving State monies or privileges are not unauthorized aliens.
Imposes mandatory term of life imprisonment without eligibility for parole on persons who commit particularly brutal sexual assaults.
Creates offense of financial exploitation of the elderly.
Requires use of electronic mail for community notification under Megan's law.
Increases penalties for identity theft when victim is a senior citizen or veteran.
Makes public officers or employees convicted of certain crimes or found at fault in certain civil actions liable and subject to pension garnishment for public legal expenses and illegally obtained funds.
Allows judgment for restitution of stolen public funds to be levied against convicted employee's retirement allowance or pension contributions.
Allows CRDA to finance certain highway projects outside of Atlantic City Tourism District.
Allows certain drug dealing offenses to be graded by "units," rather than weight, of controlled dangerous substances.
Creates New Jersey Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act.
Increases penalties for certain heroin offenses by revising threshold amounts for first, second, and third degree crimes of manufacturing, distributing, and dispensing heroin.
Provides for payment to small municipalities, in certain cases, of certain penalty moneys assessed for violations of fish and game laws.
Requires Department of the Treasury to calculate State motor vehicle fleet miles per gallon average and to increase it over four years.
Requires health insurers to cover Lyme disease.
"Breann's Law" requires health insurers, the State Health Benefits Program and NJ FamilyCare to provide "out of network" coverage for children with catastrophic illnesses.
Converts loan awarded to Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen's Museum from loan to grant.
Clarifies that punitive damages may not be awarded against public entities or public employees acting within the scope of their employment in any action.
Creates new offense of theft by financial exploitation of a vulnerable person.
Provides that civil actions concerning home improvement contracts for residential or non-commercial property may be brought in the county where the property is located.
Establishes civil action for damages against organizations that support terrorism.
Appropriates $26,140,000 for dredging projects and dredged material disposal projects related to navigational waterways.
Authorizes municipal dredging of lagoon community waterways and levying of special assessment or issuing of bonds to finance such dredging.
Establishes special dredging account; directs $5,000,000 of sales tax collected annually be deposited therein; directs DEP to administer account and dredging program with certain requirements.
Requires DEP assume responsibility for dredging of waterways providing boat access to lagoon communities; appropriates $6,000,000.
Authorizes municipalities to adopt ordinances requiring maintenance and repair of certain wharves, piers, docks and bulkheads.
Provides for discounted resident trapping license fees for senior citizens.
Dedicates up to $400,000 annually of fees collected at Island Beach and Liberty State Parks to special funds to be used to support certain park programs, and makes appropriations from the funds.
Requires assessment of bay scallop resource, and authorizes DEP to establish a bay scallop fishery.
Authorizes counties to reduce greenhead fly populations; appropriates $50,000.
Revises current law permitting paid leave of absence for municipal police officers.
Revises law concerning sexually oriented businesses.
Continues tax exempt status of certain real property owned by disabled veterans during reconstruction of homes destroyed by flood, storm, or other act of God.
Supplemental appropriation of $150 million to DOT for repair or construction of bridges on Route 72 connecting Long Beach Island to the mainland.
Requires BPU to provide funding for purchase and installation of photovoltaic technologies for age-restricted community clubhouse facilities from societal benefits charge.
Establishes NJ Task Force on Heating Oil and Propane Reserves.
Requires public hearings on proposed off-track wagering facilities to be held in municipalities contiguous to site where proposed facilities will be located.
Requires account numbers to be truncated on certain sales receipts.
Criminalizes fifth or subsequent drunk driving offenses.
Increases prison time for certain persons convicted of a motor vehicle offense when license suspended for DUI.
Requires additional fines for certain crimes against minors to fund Amber Alert system.
Establishes "Internet Predator Investigation and Prosecution Fund" with $200 assessment on persons convicted of certain offenses.
Prevents intoxicated employees from receiving workers' compensation.
Excludes value of certain manufacturer rebates from sales price of motor vehicles taxable under sales and use tax.
Exempts transfer of ownership of real property between individual and business entity controlled by that individual from realty transfer fee and one percent assessment on transfer of ownership of certain real property.
Provides temporary period for making certain estate tax refund claims and directs notice be given to certain affected parties.
Caps State use portion of energy tax revenues and ensures balance of such revenues are paid annually as municipal aid.
Eliminates the New Jersey Transfer Inheritance Tax and repeals parts of chapters 33 through 37 of Title 54 of the Revised Statutes.
Clarifies that non-credit courses are eligible courses under the volunteer tuition credit program.
Permits municipalities impacted by Hurricane Sandy to borrow for current expenses through December 31, 2017, and repay special emergency notes over a 10-year period.
Authorizes "100 percent Disabled Veteran" license plates for qualified veterans; entitles holders to handicapped parking privileges.
Establishes forest firefighter death benefit.
Provides gross income tax deduction for New Jersey fuel taxes paid through purchases of motor fuel for personal use of motor vehicles.
Prohibits issuance or renewal of real estate license under certain circumstances.
Provides that trespassing in nuclear power plant is third degree crime.
Allows persons diagnosed with autism to voluntarily enter medical information in MVC database and make notation on driver's licenses, permits, and non-driver identification cards.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 3
Limits application of DEP shellfish habitat rules for certain dredging activities.
Authorizes NJ Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2018.
Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2018.
Vetoed · 1
Requires hospital patient's medical record to include notation if patient is at increased risk of confusion, agitation, behavioral problems, and wandering due to dementia related disorder.*
Passed the Senate · 7
Requires public bodies under Open Public Meetings Act to display U.S. flag and recite Pledge of Allegiance at beginning of meeting.
"Combat to College Act"; grants priority course registration to military service members and veterans attending public institutions of higher education.
Provides for representation of certain regions of State on New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
Requires New Jersey Turnpike Authority to hold regular meetings in various counties in the State.
Requires nursing home facility operated by DMVA for veterans to provide State-funded transportation to health care services outside of facility.
Provides State aid to counties and municipalities to fund transportation services for veterans to VA facilities; appropriates $500,000. *
Permits short-term tax exemption for certain improvements to dwellings damaged by natural disasters.
Out of committee · 7
Requires Dept. of Agriculture and DEP to work with US Army Corps of Engineers to establish joint permit application process for aquaculture projects.
Requires Dept. of Agriculture and DEP to adopt coordinated permit application and review program for aquaculture projects.*
Allows "100 percent Disabled Veterans" to receive parking privileges reserved for persons with disability.
Requires DMVA to create registry for organizations providing services to veterans.
Authorizes New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2017.
Establishes task force to study technology and other methods used to reduced or eliminate telemarketing harassment intimidation.
Establishes process for recovery of Superstorm Sandy aid overpayments and makes General Fund appropriation.*
In committee · 16
Requires mortgage lenders to maintain vacant, age-restricted dwelling units during foreclosure.
Provides courts with sentencing discretion for certain convictions concerning possession of a firearm.
Appropriates $1.6 million to Dept. of Agriculture for Jersey Fresh program.
Establishes requirements for training programs for homemaker-home health aides in care of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.
Authorizes special license plates with proceeds to the families of NJ troops overseas.
Phases out estate tax over five-year period.
Extends eligibility for veterans' property tax deduction and veterans' property tax exemption to residents of continuing care retirement communities.
Establishes a formula for the distribution of State aid to school districts.
Requires certain health care facilities to provide information concerning palliative care and hospice care services.
Concerns telemarketing political calls.
Establishes $250 qualified caregiver rebate program.
Establishes recreational fishing license plate; dedicates fees to coastal fishing research.
Creates striped bass license plates.
Requires that certain information be redacted from motor vehicle accident reports submitted to the public.
"Consumer Freedom From Unwanted Expense in Health Insurance Coverage Act."
Requires public utility to charge veterans' organization residential rate for service delivered to property at which veterans' organization primarily operates.