Bills in the 2014–2015 Session, Senate.
Thomas H. Kean Jr.
Sponsored
Became law3
Establishes crimes of dog fighting and leader of a dog fighting network, and updates crime of animal fighting; amends RICO concerning dog fighting.*
Establishes NJ Innovation and Research Fellowship Program in DOWLD.
Requires MVC conduct study and make recommendations concerning electronic driver's licenses and mobile applications.
Passed the Senate3
Transfers responsibility for establishment and enforcement of ethical standards for local officials to State Ethics Commission.**
Establishes "New Jersey Higher Education Funding Formula Commission."
Directs MVC to establish driver's license endorsement for autonomous vehicles.
Out of committee4
Expands crime of invasion of privacy to include "upskirting"; photographing or filming the image of the undergarment-clad intimate parts of another.*
Requires a board of education to consult with appropriate nonpublic school representatives prior to any change in the provision of nursing services.
Provides gross income tax credit for A-list performing artists for income derived from certain live performances contracted for and rendered within the Atlantic City Tourism District on a recurring basis and within the State.
Requires DOH to provide information about crib safety on its Internet website.
In committee40
Increases penalty for harboring or concealing certain sex offenders.
Allows charitable contribution tax deductions under New Jersey gross income tax.
"The 10-20-Life Law."
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.
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.
Amends State college law to remove certain employees from civil service system and allow boards of trustees to conduct collective bargaining.
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.
Expands domestic violence protection for adoptive parents.
Establishes "Government Functions and Services Study Commission."
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.
"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.
Allows military member to qualify for resident tuition rate at county college.
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.
Creates crime of home invasion; makes crime subject to No Early Release Act.
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.
Establishes New Jersey General Accounting Office.
Expands registration requirements under Megan's Law to include persons committing human trafficking crimes or engaging in prostitution, when crimes involve minors.
Allows jurors to designate donation of their jury duty fees to various charitable funds.
Establishes a Medical Malpractice Court.
Permits boards of education to convey certain school property to nonprofit senior citizen organizations for nominal consideration.
Modifies spousal or civil union partner privilege against testifying in criminal actions to prevent invoking of privilege under certain circumstances.
Grants discretion to Parole Board in determining whether inmate should be released on parole.
Establishes trunk fighting as animal cruelty offense and crime of the third degree.
Concerns stalking and related restraining order protections for adoptive children and their adoptive parents victimized by persons whose parental rights to the adoptive children have been terminated.
Ends the estate tax and increases the gross income tax's retirement income exclusions.
Implements certain governance and transparency reforms at PANYNJ.
Eliminates requirement for State residency for public officers and employees with limited historic exceptions.
Establishes New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and Business Partnerships.
Permits certain breweries to sell beer at community farm markets.
Allows consumption of food on limited brewery premises.
Authorizes restricted breweries to annually sell up to 1,000 barrels of beer to in-State and out-of-state retailers.
Establishes task force to study issues and make recommendations related to use of educational technology in public school classrooms.
Provides governance, transparency, and accountability reforms at PANYNJ.
Makes reforms to mental health treatment; clarifies law governing purchase of firearms by persons with history of mental illness.
Requires certain common interest community associations to publish certain information; requires that homeowners' association contracts for management and maintenance include 24-hour emergency services.
Carried from the General Assembly
Became law1
Requires DOH to provide information about crib safety on its Internet website.*
Co-sponsored
Became law · 7
Authorizes institutions of higher education to grant college credit to high school students who complete the Jersey Boys State or Jersey Girls State program.
Designates Black Swallowtail butterfly as State Butterfly.
Establishes additional requirements, and penalties for failure to comply, concerning information to be provided to persons purchasing cats or dogs from pet shops. *
Prohibits insurers from setting prices for non-covered dental services.
Provides up to $25 million in tax credits under Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant Program for certain infrastructure at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
Prohibits Division of Developmental Disabilities from compelling transfers of individuals with developmental disabilities from out-of-State to in-State facilities unless certain exceptions apply.
Limits liability of caregivers when facilitating normalcy for children in foster care.
Vetoed · 2
Permits two or more candidates for school board to circulate petitions jointly and be bracketed together on ballot for same term; permits short nonpolitical designation of principles on petitions and ballots.*
Establishes innovation zone program to stimulate technology industry clusters around New Jersey's research institutions; allows certain technology businesses located in certain innovation zones to receive certain tax credits under Grow New Jersey Assistan
Passed the Senate · 2
Establishes Class Three special law enforcement officers to provide security in public and nonpublic schools.
Prohibits investment by State of pension and annuity funds in companies that boycott Israel or Israeli businesses.
Out of committee · 18
Requires certain bidders for prevailing wage public work to provide proof that the prevailing wage will be paid.
Enacts the "Jessica Lunsford Act"; imposes mandatory term of imprisonment; provides for negotiated reduction of mandatory term under certain circumstances. *
Establishes State Transportation Infrastructure Bank within New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust.
Reinstates moratorium on imposition of Statewide non-residential development fees until January 2015.*
Provides that crime victims do not have to pay fees to obtain records relating to the crime and that requests for such records are not public information.*
Makes construction work on public utilities subject to "The Public Works Contractor Registration Act."
Eliminates duplication and redundancy in registration of certain apartments.
Requires DOT, NJTA, and SJTA to use only native vegetation for landscaping, land management, reforestation, or habitat restoration.
"Art Therapist Licensing Act."
Allows reemployment by school district of TPAF retiree as coach of athletic activity when compensation is under $10,000.
Exempts school district employees in certain counties from requirement to reside in State as pilot project; requires DOE report.
Prohibits existing child care subsidy recipient from being treated as a new applicant for subsidy after moving to a new county of residence.
Codifies "Project Medicine Drop" program; requires Division of Consumer Affairs to maintain secure prescription medicine drop-off receptacles at certain law enforcement agencies.*
Requires public schools to weight courses in visual and performing arts equally with other courses worth same number of credits in calculating grade point average.
Authorizes operators of motor vehicles to display electronic proof of insurance.
Authorizes New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2016.
Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2016.
Requires health benefits coverage for synchronization of prescribed medications under certain circumstances.
In committee · 31
Requires certain user fees for the provision of traditional municipal services to be included within the 2% municipal and county property tax levy cap.
Requires prosecutors to determine risk of re-offense under Megan's Law prior to offender's release from incarceration.
Expands civil rights protections to include pregnancy and breast-feeding; requires employers to provide daily break to breast-feeding mothers.
Increases the penalty for certain gang related crimes.
Concerns sale of cemetery, grave, monument and historical markers.
"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.
Reduces gross income tax rates by ten percent over three years.
The "Safe Playing Fields Act"; restricts use of lawn care pesticides at child care centers and certain schools.
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.
Provides that President of Municipal Clerks' Association of New Jersey and one additional public member serve as members of Government Records Council.
Provides protections for individuals with developmental disabilities through accountability and transparency; designated as "Stephen Komninos' Law."
Revises "Contractors Registration Act" to include water remediation services.
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.
Eliminates transfer inheritance tax and increases filing threshold and applicable exclusion amounts under New Jersey estate tax in accordance with provisions of federal tax law.
Eliminates power of DRPA to finance economic development; changes composition of board; imposes restrictions regarding financing, contract procedures, conflicts of interest, and review audits; creates commuter's council.
Requires certain parking garages to have on-site emergency vehicle capable of accessing low-clearance areas.
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.
Creates the "Mold Safe Housing Act."
Requires release of bid list prior to bid date under "Local Public Contracts Law."
Allows public contractors paying benefits under collective bargaining agreements to count benefit costs toward compliance with local "living wage" ordinances.
Makes revisions to the "Contractors' Registration Act."
Revises requirements and training standards for first responders under New Jersey Highway Traffic Safety Act of 1987.
Dedicates $140,000 of revenue from motor vehicle violations to DHS for brain injury services.
Phases out ambulatory care facility assessment over five years.
Reforms procedures concerning provision of affordable housing; reinstates moratorium on Statewide non-residential development fees until January 2015.
Extends eligibility to participate in Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program to areas located in municipality in which casino gaming is authorized.
"New Jersey International Arbitration, Mediation, and Conciliation Act."
Requires public school students with concussion to be evaluated by licensed health care professionals before return to school; requires school districts to provide restrictions or limitations to student as needed.
Requires inspection of nail salons by NJ State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling.
Filed · 1
Increases number of arbitrators on panel determining contested cases involving tenured employees in school districts and gives Commissioner of Education discretion on setting fees.