Bills in the 2012–2013 Session, Senate.
Thomas H. Kean Jr.
Sponsored
Became law2
Revises penalties for animal cruelty, increasing degree of certain offenses; designated as Patrick's Law.
Prohibits State and local public contracts with persons or entities engaging in certain investment activities in energy or finance sectors of Iran. *
Out of committee8
Increases penalty for harboring or concealing certain sex offenders. *
Revises privileges of limited and restricted breweries. *
Expands domestic violence protection for adoptive parents.
Reduces period of time that member of Legislature may be absent, without excuse, before member's seat is deemed vacant.
Reorganizes Department of Children and Families.
Reorganizes and renames DHSS as Department of Health; establishes Division of Aging Services in DHS.
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.
Establishes "New Jersey Higher Education Funding Formula Commission."
In committee42
Establishes New Jersey General Accounting Office.
Establishes a Medical Malpractice Court.
Limits contributions by certain public contractors; limits contributions by county and municipal political party committees.
Allows charitable contribution tax deductions under New Jersey gross income tax.
"The 10-20-Life Law."
"Judy and Nikki's Law"; provides for life imprisonment without parole for persons convicted of murder of a child 16 years of age or younger.
Requires notification of certain domestic violence victims through the Victim Information and Notification Everyday System (VINE).
Establishes new limits for campaign contributions by individuals, certain groups and campaign committees.
Requires sex offender's tier designation to be completed and reviewed by the court prior to release from incarceration.
Grants discretion to Parole Board in determining whether inmate should be released on parole.
Directs Attorney General to publicize information about human trafficking hotlines; mandates law enforcement training on responding to the needs of victims of the crime of human trafficking.
Designated "New Jersey Economic Development Promotion Act"; streamlines and reorganizes State economic development statutes in order to promote administrative efficiency.
Prohibits good faith allegations of child abuse from being used against the accuser in a child custody proceeding; makes it a disorderly persons offense to file a false allegation of child abuse.
Requires training and registration for in-house security officers.
Prohibits the sale of certain children's products containing lead, mercury, or cadmium.
Permits a waiver for high-performing school districts from the State system for monitoring school districts.
Amends State college law to remove certain employees from civil service system and allow boards of trustees to conduct collective bargaining.
Concerns collective negotiations for public institutions of higher education.
Creates advisory council to oversee revision of core curriculum content standards.
Enacts the "Jessica Lunsford Act": imposes mandatory term of 25 years to life for aggravated sexual assault against a child under the age of 13 and increases penalties for harboring certain sex offenders.
Permits high performing school districts to be monitored by the DOE under the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJ QSAC) every seven years rather than every three years.
Amends "Law Against Discrimination" to provide every person engaged in raising a dog for guide or service the right to access public facilities.
Establishes "Government Functions and Services Study Commission."
Requires suspension of local elected and appointed officers and employees indicted for certain offenses that, upon conviction, require forfeiture of office or position.
Appropriates $5 million to Cranford Township for flood control projects.
Expands duties of State Auditor to include performance audits at request of legislator; establishes Performance Audit Committee, consisting of eight public members, to help conduct performance audits.
Expands eligibility under the Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit Act by broadening certain municipal qualifier provisions.
Establishes innovation zone program to stimulate technology industry clusters around New Jersey's research universities, colleges or research hospitals.
Permits boards of education to convey certain school property to nonprofit senior citizen organizations for nominal consideration.
"Opportunity Scholarship Act"; establishes pilot program in Department of Treasury providing tax credits to taxpayers contributing to scholarships for low-income children.
Restricts certain campaign contributions by public employee labor organizations.
Transfers responsibility for establishment and enforcement of ethical standards for local officials and school officials to the State Ethics Commission.
Allows military member to qualify for resident tuition rate at county college.
Eliminates mortgage guaranty insurance coverage cap of 25% of outstanding balance of insured loan.
Revises various provisions of Megan's Law and enhances penalties for certain violations.
Enacts the "Jessica Lunsford Act"; imposes mandatory term of imprisonment; provides for negotiated reduction of mandatory term under certain circumstances.
Directs MVC to establish driver's license endorsement for autonomous vehicles.
Modifies spousal or civil union partner privilege against testifying in criminal actions to prevent invoking of privilege under certain circumstances.
Creates crime of home invasion; makes crime subject to No Early Release Act.
Creates first degree crime of home invasion, makes crime subject to No Early Release Act, and upgrades burglary of a residence to a second degree crime under certain circumstances.
Establishes crimes of dog fighting and leader of a dog fighting network; amends RICO to add leader of a dog fighting network.
Clarifies that encouraging another person to cause bodily injury, by filming, photographing, or otherwise recording injury-causing act for circulation, publication, or distribution, is form of crime of endangering an injured victim.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 12
Revises the NJ STARS and NJ STARS II Programs.
Establishes the "New Jersey Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act."
Concerns voluntary contributions through gross income tax returns to support New Jersey athletes participating in 2014 Special Olympics USA Games.
Designates portion of U.S. Route 206 bypass in Hillsborough Township as "Peter J. Biondi Bypass."
Appropriates $8,930,975 from "2009 Green Acres Fund" for grants to certain nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes.
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.
"Higher Education Epinephrine Emergency Treatment Act."
"Building Our Future Bond Act"; authorizes the issuance of $750,000,000 in general obligation bonds to finance higher educational capital projects for increasing of academic capacity; appropriates $5,000.
Establishes new public-private partnership agreement option for construction of State and county college facilities and changes reference from "Commission on Higher Education" to "Secretary of Higher Education" in higher education construction Educationa
Requires dental plans to make out-of-network payments based on assignment of benefits.
Clarifies charitable contributions are not a factor in determining where person is domiciled under New Jersey gross income tax.
Designates State Highway Route 53 as "Alex DeCroce Memorial Highway."
Passed the Senate · 2
Enacts the "Jessica Lunsford Act;" imposes mandatory term of 25 years to life for aggravated sexual assault against a child under 13 and increases penalties for harboring certain sex offenders.**
Requires certain user fees for the provision of traditional municipal services to be included within the 2% municipal and county property tax levy cap.
Out of committee · 13
"Historic Property Reinvestment Act"; provides credits against certain taxes for certain costs of rehabilitating historic properties.
Requires State Treasurer to disseminate information about organ and tissue donation; designates April each year as "Donate Life Month."
Provides partial sales tax exemption for energy and utility service to certain manufacturers.
The "Safe Playing Fields Act"; restricts use of lawn care pesticides at child care centers and certain schools.*
Concerns penalties for illegally passing school bus.
Eliminates duplication and redundancy in registration of certain apartments.
The "Human Trafficking Prevention, Protection, and Treatment Act."
Provides that President of Municipal Clerks' Association of New Jersey shall serve as member of Government Records Council.
Expands notification when an offender is released from custody or transferred within the criminal justice system.
Establishes pediatric respite care program licensure requirements.
Authorizes institutions of higher education to grant college credit to high school students who complete the Jersey Boys State or Jersey Girls State program.
Provides that President of Municipal Clerks' Association of New Jersey and one additional public member serve as members of Government Records Council.
Establishes Innovation Grant Program; appropriates $5 million to DOE.
In committee · 26
Requires DHS to establish training, educational assessment, and remedial instruction programs, and minimum educational standards for staff at State psychiatric hospitals.
Establishes Inspector General of Statewide Interscholastic Sports to monitor the operating and financial activities of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Permits farm wineries to create alternating proprietorship for production of wine.
Restores the death penalty for certain murders.
Requires prosecutors to determine risk of re-offense under Megan's Law prior to offender's release from incarceration.
"Zero-Based Budget Act;" requires State Treasurer to develop and integrate certain zero-based budgeting practices and procedures in preparation and submission of Governor's annual budget message.
Permits ambulatory care facility to deduct Medicaid payments when calculating gross receipts assessments.
Permits ambulatory care facility to deduct up to $125,000 in Medicare reimbursements when calculating gross receipts assessment.
Requires a board of education to consult with appropriate nonpublic school representatives prior to any change in the provision of nursing services.
Revises statutes concerning crematories and the cremation of human remains.
Clarifies that retention of unearned wages by a public servant is theft under certain circumstances.
Allows tax credits for development of qualified wind energy facilities in port district of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Increases the penalty for certain gang related crimes.
Establishes Governor's authority over approval of minutes of certain regional commissions.
The "Market Competition and Consumer Choice Act;" alters State regulation of competitive services provided by telecommunications and CATV Companies.
Expands civil rights protections to include pregnancy and breast-feeding; requires employers to provide daily break to breast-feeding mothers.
Provides a plan to rebalance State resources to provide community services and supports for persons with developmental disabilities.
Prohibits board of education or local governing body from providing health insurance to employees who work less than 35 hours a week
Concerns sale of cemetery, grave, monument and historical markers.
Increases the State earned income tax credit from 20 percent to 25 percent of the federal earned income tax credit over two taxable years.
Reduces gross income tax rates by ten percent over three years.
Repeals the New Jersey estate tax.
Clarifies that crime victim has a right to make a victim impact statement directly to the defendant at sentencing.
Upgrades theft to a crime of the first degree if amount involved is $500,000 or more.
Requires PANYNJ to conduct noise and land use compatibility survey.
Provides protections for individuals with developmental disabilities through accountability and transparency; designated as "Stephen Komninos' Law."