Bills in the 2020–2021 Session, General Assembly.
Edward H. Thomson
Sponsored
In committee49
Requires criminal history record background checks on certain volunteer sports personnel.
Exempts certain volunteer emergency service organizations from charitable contribution filing fees.
Provides that person who impersonates law enforcement officer and commits crime is guilty of third degree crime.
Criminalizes participation in criminal street gang.
Revises "Contractors' Registration Act" to include water remediation services.
Makes revisions to the "Contractors' Registration Act."
Requires AG to defend challenges to certain municipal ordinances that establish residency requirements for convicted sex offenders.
Eliminates statute of limitations in civil cases involving certain sexual offenses.
Allows planning and zoning board members to satisfy training requirements on Internet.
Permits municipalities to charge a fee to cover ancillary costs of traffic control; limits fee.
Regulates assignment and use of State vehicles.
Requires school district that includes grades kindergarten through six to offer Eddie Eagle Gunsafe Program.
Establishes "Ethanol Study Commission."
Allows certain sole proprietors to join a small employer health benefits purchasing alliance.
Establishes penalties for manufacture, purchase or possession of certain keys.
Requires public and nonpublic school to provide student with more information about NJ STARS Program and improve notification of potenial eligibilty.
Protects home addresses of law enforcement officers from being released by governmental entities.
Extends certain civil service and tuition benefits to family members of servicemembers who died while in service.
Limits long term tax exemptions in municipalities with school districts receiving certain State school aid.
Includes value of certain properties exempt from taxation in valuation used to calculate State school aid in SDA districts.
Requires DCA to provide certain long term tax exemption information on website.
Establishes Children's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.
Provides for identification and study of infant fatalities and near fatalities resulting from vaccination; requires inclusion of vaccination information in sudden infant death reports; and requires use of federal infant death reporting form.
Requires PFRS to attain and maintain target funded ratio prior to enhancement of member benefits.
Directs Division of Consumer Affairs to establish public information campaign concerning home improvement contractors.
Establishes "Subcommittee on Affordable Housing Needs" within "Joint Committee on Housing Affordability"; requires subcommittee to make determinations concerning affordable housing needs.
Provides for municipal review and submission of report opposing amendment to solid waste management plan; requires hearing and consideration by solid waste advisory council.
Allows school district to develop delayed building evacuation plan to investigate source of fire alarm activation prior to evacuation.
Requires mandatory minimum term of imprisonment for leaving scene of accident resulting in serious bodily injury.
Eliminates use of census-based funding of special education aid in school funding law.
Provides preference for in-State businesses in State contracting.
Requires contracted service providers who have access to school buildings or grounds when school is not in session to undergo criminal history record check.
Permits municipalities to charge reduced or no beach fee for children ages 12 to 17; revises law concerning beach fees for veterans.
Requires all public school teachers and paraprofessionals working with autistic students to possess Registered Behavior Technician credential by 2020-2021 school year.
Limits amount of real property that may be exempt from property taxation under "Long Term Tax Exemption Law."
Requires DCA to collect information about State residents seeking affordable housing in State and provide that information to COAH.
Allows municipalities to establish affordable housing preference for their residents.
Establishes training wage.
Designates portion of New Jersey Route No. 34 in Wall Township as the "Duncan Thecker Memorial Highway."
Prohibits public school fund-raising activities which include unsupervised door-to-door sales by students.
Grants full police status to special agents in the Department of the Treasury; authorizes special agents to carry firearms at all times.
Provides anti-stigmatization protections to public school student whose school breakfast or school lunch bill is in arrears.
Requires DOH to administer coronavirus disease 2019 antibody testing.
Requires State to purchase personal protective equipment from in-State companies.
Requires pharmacists to offer opioid antidote to individuals purchasing hypodermic needles.
Establishes municipal liability for gross negligence in failing to protect person and property during riots.
Prohibits State aid and grants to municipalities that reduce law enforcement budgets by certain amount.
Broadens offense of riot and disorderly conduct; enhances penalties for public monument destruction; addresses riot victim assaults; creates crime of promotion of violent, disorderly assembly.
Permits municipalities having population in excess of 100,000 to appoint up to five alternate deputy registrars.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 6
"Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights Act"; requires certain school meal information be provided to students' parents; establishes protocols for identifying eligible students for meal programs; prohibits stigmatizing student with bill in arrears.
Concerns delivery and sale of alcoholic beverages during declared state of emergency; requires ABC director to notify licensees of certain tax exemptions during emergency.**
Permits modification of scope of work or terms and conditions of contract between non-profit organizations and State agencies for failure to perform due to COVID-19 pandemic.*
Allows corporations and certain financial institutions to hold remote shareholder meetings. *
Provides for reorganization of health service corporation.
Permits volunteer paramedics to operate within mobile intensive care units.
Vetoed · 1
Establishes NJ Hospitality Emergency Loan Program in EDA to provide no-interest loans to qualified small hospitality businesses; makes $100 million appropriation to EDA from federal funds for qualified small business assistance.***
Passed the General Assembly · 6
Requires school districts to take certain actions in circumstances when school meal bill is in arrears; prohibits shaming students with school meal bills in arrears; prohibits certain district actions in collecting unpaid school meal fees.*
Expands indoor capacity for food or beverage establishments and banquet and wedding venues under certain circumstances during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.*
Allows continued use of heaters and tents by food or beverage establishments under certain circumstances during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.*
Includes use of physical barriers as social distancing measure for food or beverage establishments during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.*
Eases certain food and beverage establishment tent requirements during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.*
Permits counties to operate airports as county utilities; provides that bonds for county and municipal airport purposes be issued in accordance with provisions of "Local Bond Law."
Out of committee · 11
Authorizes creation of special license plates commemorating horse as State animal.
Excludes Armed Services combat zone pay from gross income taxation.
Concerns local taxation of business personal property of local exchange telephone companies.
Permits certain entertainment and retail activity during current public health emergency and state of emergency.
Authorizes NJ Infrastructure Bank to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2021.
Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2021.
Establishes requirements for sale of cottage food products. *
Establishes county-based mitigation plan to allow businesses to operate during pandemic.
Requires ABC to waive fee for alcoholic beverage COVID-19 Expansion Permit.
Allows deduction from tax of certain expenses when taxpayer's federal paycheck protection program loan is forgiven and excludes those forgiven loans from gross income tax.
Allows tax credits for nonresidential and multifamily building improvement expenses to reduce spread of COVID-19.*
In committee · 108
Revises and updates public utility franchise process; allows State's political subdivisions to revoke franchises; increases certain penalties.
Repeals surtax imposed on certain businesses.
Establishes "New Jersey Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act."
Provides that school district may not prohibit active or retired law enforcement officer or registered security officer from carrying firearm in performance of school security duties if authorized under State law to carry.
Provides small businesses with gross income tax or corporation business tax deduction for wages paid to minimum wage employees.
Excludes certain increases in school security expenditures from tax levy and appropriation cap, as applicable, for municipalities and counties.
Requires all new State buildings to have solar or geothermal energy systems, where feasible.
Provides free admission to State parks, forests, and beaches for certain veterans and military personnel.
Appropriates $10 million to the DEP for Black Creek and Wreck Pond dredging.
Upgrades theft to a crime of the first degree if amount involved is $500,000 or more.
Changes State assistance to urban enterprise zones over seven years by increasing reduced sales tax in enterprise zones and dedicating increase to zone municipalities.
"Opportunity Scholarship Act"; establishes pilot program in Department of Treasury providing tax credits to taxpayers contributing to scholarships for low-income children.
Permits municipality to use proceeds of beach access fees for areas near beach facilities that are significantly affected by beach tourism; requires municipality to provide explanation of expenditures on website.
Reauthorizes use of regional contribution agreements.
Makes supplemental appropriation of $2.125 million to Howell Township in Monmouth County for drinking water infrastructure project.
Directs COAH to adopt regulations to require municipalities to prioritize current residents in affordable housing applications.
Designates Earth Day week each year as Litter Law Enforcement Week for special effort to enforce littering laws.
Provides tax levy growth limitation adjustment for school districts experiencing reduction in State aid.
Establishes Office of Tourism Research; requires specific measures concerning tourism advertising, marketing, research, and tourism-related business training.
"Homestead School Property Tax Reimbursement Act"; provides State reimbursement for 50% of school property taxes paid by seniors, 65 years and older.
Increases fines for failing to have required markings on commercial vehicles.
Creates the crime of victimization of a senior citizen or a person with a disability.
Requires State parks, forests, State-owned beaches, and MVC offices to remain open to public if emergency is declared due to failure to enact general appropriation law as prescribed by NJ Constitution.
Provides that amounts remaining in inactive Internet gaming accounts will be abandoned property after three years under unclaimed property law.
Creates offense of making false child abuse report; permits assessment of penalty.
Prohibits candidates from nomination for more than one elective office at primary or general election.
Requires certain toll road operators and bi-state agency to allow drivers to choose towing company.
Makes it a crime of the first degree to coerce a patient to request medication pursuant to the "Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act" or to forge a patient's request for such medication.
Authorizes NJ Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend additional sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2018; allocates funds from Local Aid Infrastructure Fund for operating and administrative expenses for transportation
Increases amount annually credited to Shore Protection Fund to $50 million.
Provides gross income tax exemption for contributions made to qualified retirement plans.
Requires health insurers, SHBP and SEHBP to provide coverage for diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of lymphedema.
Requires DOT and OIT to develop materials concerning capabilities of airports in NJ and establishes "Public Use Airports Task Force."
Requires young children entering public schools or Head Start Programs for first time to have comprehensive eye examination completed.
Establishes Red Tape Review Commission.
Provides gross income tax deductions for contributions by certain taxpayers to the New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust (NJBEST) Program.
Excludes under gross income tax certain contributions to qualified pension plans, deferred compensation plans and provides deduction for certain individual retirement savings.
Authorizes State Auditor to conduct cost-benefit analyses of certain programs and initiatives.
Requires limited liability companies to make certain disclosures concerning ownership.
Prohibits campaign expenditures to entities whose principals cannot be readily identified.
Mandates that "Honor and Remember Flag" be displayed at certain public buildings.
The "New Jersey Right to Home Defense Law."
Requires testing for infectious disease for certain persons who have been administered opioid antidote by first responder.
Requires school districts take certain actions to increase participation in free or reduced priced meal programs; prohibits shaming students with school meal bills in arrears; prohibits certain district actions in collecting unpaid school meal fees.
Clarifies that chief of police or Superintendent of State Police has burden of proving applicant's disqualification for permit to purchase handgun or firearms purchaser identification card.
Provides mandatory minimum term of imprisonment for certain crimes of domestic violence.
Requires school district to allow graduating student to wear military sash while participating in high school graduation ceremony.
Requires additional credit against fair share obligation for abandoned property converted to affordable housing.
Requires COAH to administer affordable housing obligations of municipalities based on statewide obligation.
Authorizes municipal challenge to non-redevelopment housing projects ordered by COAH unless order is based on exclusionary zoning; excludes flood-prone land from affordable housing vacant land analysis; provides housing obligation cap.
Requires COAH to calculate affordable housing obligations on Statewide basis.
Establishes additional factors for municipal adjustment used in calculating fair share affordable housing obligations; provides population-based cap for these obligations.
Establishes procedures for disqualification from public office or employment upon conviction of certain crimes; creates registry.
Establishes Volunteer Emergency Responder Loan Redemption Program in Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.
Directs Attorney General to provide annual training to public and nonpublic school students and staff on roles and responsibilities before, during, and after school emergencies.
Requires school districts to institute policies to improve emergency communications to increase school security.
Requires State Police to maintain 24-hour hotline for receiving anonymous tips regarding potential threats to school safety and security.
Requires school district to submit emergency communication policies and protocols to Department of Education for review.
Requires DOE to establish online school security resource clearinghouse.
Requires Police Training Commission to adopt training course on school emergency response.
Requires Commissioner of Education to review school safety and security plans.
Affords civil immunity to private colleges and their police officers in certain cases.
Establishes program providing grants for Superstorm Sandy recovery in exchange for reduction of affordable housing obligation.
Provides gross income tax deduction for certain donated vehicles.
Establishes "Commission on Statewide Affordable Housing Obligations" to determine Statewide need for low and moderate income housing.
Revises effects of delinquency and insolvency proceedings against insurer-members of federal home loan banks.
Requires interior light of motor vehicle be turned on when stopped by law enforcement under certain circumstances.
Revises gross income tax rates for joint filers and similar taxpayers and designated as Marriage Penalty Elimination Act.
Allows gross income tax deduction for functional improvements and home repairs made to taxpayer's primary residence.
Reduces taxable wage base applied to certain tax contributions.
"Microphone-Enabled Devices Act"; requires user consent before enabling device microphone.
"Innovate New Jersey Act"; establishes tax-free business incubators at institutions of higher education.
Allows person calling certain State or local government entities to have option of speaking or leaving a recorded message with a human telephone operator during normal business hours.
Permits board of education to accept donations for purpose of providing property tax relief.
Provides for public comment period at certain sessions of each house of the Legislature.
Clarifies law on ethical conduct of board of education members and school administrators and provides specific requirements for boards invoking doctrine of necessity.
Requires telemarketers to provide name, mailing address, and telephone number of person on whose behalf call is made.
Requires board of education to provide civics instruction in middle schools and requires DOE to provide funding to NJ Center for Civic Education at Rutgers to help prepare civics teachers.
Requires DCA to verify income of low-income home energy assistance benefit applicants.
Clarifies scope of affordable housing obligations.
"Barnegat Bay Protection Act"; establishes Barnegat Bay Protection Fund, dedicates portion of sales tax on fertilizer, authorizes special license plates, and provides for donations.
Grants immunity from civil liability to persons reporting information concerning crimes related to terrorism.
"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.
Permits taxpayers to deduct the total amount of State property taxes paid on principal residence from gross income tax obligation.
Establishes certain protocols for prescribing and dispensing benzodiazepine.
Allows CBT and GIT tax credits to certain taxpayers that retain employees during COVID-19 pandemic.
Designates Howell House in Cape May as Harriet Tubman Museum in New Jersey.
Limits to 14 days effective period of certain emergency orders, rules, or regulations.
Establishes immunity for businesses against damage claims for COVID-19 exposure; excludes reckless or intentional conduct.
Allows commercial property owners to claim certain amounts of commercial tenant rent forgiveness during COVID-19 emergency as deduction against property owner's income under CBT or GIT.
"Murphy's Law"; nullifies Governor's order, rule, or regulation to address declared emergency, or relevant portion thereof, when Governor violates same; creates affirmative defense to prosecution for same violation committed by Governor.
Establishes general immunity for entities, including non-profits and governments, and institutions of higher education, and their officers, employees, and agents, against actions relating to Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic or related viral strain in sub
Requires use of annual baseline concussion testing for student-athletes and cheerleaders in grades six through 12.
Authorizes any member of the Legislature to perform all functions of notary public.
Limits "tobacco and vapor products tax" on cigars to up to $0.50 per cigar.
Establishes New Jersey Veteran Grant Program in Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.
Establishes NJ Military Family Relief Fund; provides for designation on State gross income tax return to permit taxpayers to make voluntary contributions to military family relief fund.
Provides additional home ownership assistance for certain military service members.
Increases from $750 to $3,000 annual State payment made to certain veterans and their surviving spouses.
Establishes "Bring Veterans to New Jersey Program."
Requires EDA to establish program providing grants to qualified veterans purchasing franchises.
Exempts qualified veterans from paying certain firearm related fees.
Authorizes proportional property tax exemption for honorably discharged veterans having a service-connected permanent disability.
Requires public institutions of higher education to waive tuition and fees for Medal of Honor and Purple Heart Medal military recipients.
Requires biennial inspection of nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Provides that if minor under age 18 unlawfully buys or possesses alcoholic beverages or cannabis and receives written warning from law enforcement, the minor's parent or guardian would be notified in writing.
Removes criminal liability for law enforcement officers who have investigative encounter with underage person for possession of alcohol or cannabis unless civil rights are violated.
Provides gross income tax credits to taxpayer who purchase certain low-speed electric bicycles.
Filed · 1
Creates monetary penalty for violating social mitigation strategy of barring or limiting social gatherings, implemented pursuant to "Emergency Health Powers Act," or government order issued pursuant to act, during declared public health emergency under ac