Bills in the 2020–2021 Session, General Assembly.
Pedro Mejia
Sponsored
Became law1
Authorizes State Treasurer to sell and convey certain surplus real property located in Town of Secaucus, Hudson County.
Passed the General Assembly1
Requires DHS to review various aspects of Medicaid managed care program.
Out of committee2
Establishes Task Force to Promote Employment by State Agencies of People with Disabilities.
Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2021.
In committee2
Prohibits no-poaching agreements in franchise arrangements.
Establishes law enforcement procedures for responding to immigration detainers and certain requests issued by federal immigration authorities.
Carried from the Senate
Became law2
Establishes Task Force to Promote Employment by State Agencies of People with Disabilities.
Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2021.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 52
Requires certain retailers to train employees on gift card fraud.
Enhances homeowner notification of foreclosure mediation program requirements.
Upgrades certain crimes of misrepresenting oneself as member or veteran of US Armed Forces or organized militia.
"Daniel's Law" prohibits disclosure of certain personal information of active, formely active, and retired judicial officers, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers, and their family members; establishes crime and civil action for disclosing such infor
Requires provider of electronic communication service to preserve information reported to law enforcement related to endangerment of children for 180 days.
Requires Commissioner of Human Services to streamline SNAP application process for senior citizens and conduct outreach regarding senior SNAP participation.
Requires health benefits coverage for adolescent depression screenings.
Requires certain family or household members and victims be notified when firearms are returned to persons charged with domestic violence or subject to extreme risk protection order.
Requires health insurance and Medicaid coverage for testing of coronavirus disease 2019 and for telemedicine and telehealth during coronavirus disease 2019 state of emergency.
Authorizes EDA to make grants during periods of emergency declared by Governor and for duration of economic disruptions due to emergency; allows EDA to grant certain business documentation submission deadline extensions.
Concerns time off from work in connection with infectious disease.
Modifies deadline by which public agency is required to respond to request for government record during period of emergency.
Allows public bodies to conduct meetings, and provide notice, by electronic means during periods of emergency.
Authorizes all licensed health care facilities and laboratories to collect specimens to test for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); allows waiver of staffing ratio requirements.
Requires food access information be displayed on websites of 2-1-1 system and executive branch departments during public health emergencies to the extent practicable.
"Defense Against Porch Pirates Act"; amends theft statute.
Requires person taking written examination for permit to watch video of rights and responsibilities of driver stopped by law enforcement.
Extends certain permits, approvals, and deadlines during COVID-19 emergency.*
Requires hospital to permit individual to accompany woman during childbirth.
Extends eligibility for accidental disability and accidental death benefits to certain PFRS, SPRS and PERS members who contract COVID-19 and test positive for SARS-CoV-2.**
Authorizes the issuance of "coronavirus relief bonds" by municipalities and counties.
Permits local units and authorities to waive interest and lien enforcement for certain delinquent water and sewer utility payments during emergency circumstances.
Requires DOH to establish sanitization guidelines for hotels operating in State.
Establishes requirements for copies of medical and billing records to be provided without charge to Social Security Disability benefits applicants and recipients.*
Ensures insurance coverage for certain persons attending school graduation exercises in July and August of 2020.*
Requires long term care facilities and hospitals to maintain minimum supply of personal protective equipment.*
Requires cost savings study of compassionate release program and elimination of mandatory minimum terms; establishes "Corrections Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention Fund."
Establishes Community College Opportunity Grant Program in Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to provide last-dollar financial aid grants to county college students and Student Success Incentive funding to county colleges.
Requires State to enter into contract and coordinate with certain cooperative purchasing systems for procurement of COVID-19 related goods and services by school districts.***
Revises licensure, operational, and reporting requirements for nursing homes.*
Establishes additional requirements for DOH to assess sanctions and impose penalties on nursing homes; revises reporting requirements for nursing homes.*
Establishes New Jersey Task Force on Long-Term Care Quality and Safety.
Requires State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to establish long-term care advocacy and educational training program.
Requires disclosure letter be included with mail falsely implying State government connection.
Establishes task force to evaluate quality, efficacy, costs, and educational outcomes of online courses offered by public and independent institutions of higher education and degree-granting proprietary institutions during COVID-19 pandemic. *
Requires Internet websites and web services of school districts, charter schools, renaissance schools, and the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf to be accessible to persons with disabilities. *
Makes FY 2021 supplemental appropriation of $3,000,000 to DHS for temporary 25 percent increase to certain assisted living resident provider in Medicaid.*
Updates 2-1-1 telephone system information to include all current modes of public transit and information on access and usage.
Makes $35 million in federal funds available to EDA to support food and beverage establishments in need.*
Requires law enforcement to provide written notificaion to parent or guardian of person under age 18 who commits first offense of unlawfully possessing or consuming alcoholic beverage, cannabis, marijuana, or hashish.**
Requires Division of Consumer Affairs to publish retail price of certain opioid antidotes.
Establishes order of protection for current or former judge; upgrades and clarifies harassment against current or former judge; bars firearms possession by persons against whom current or former judge order of protection is entered.
Appropriates $120 million from General Fund to EDA to support microbusinesses impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.
Appropriates $10 million from General Fund to EDA to support child care providers impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.
Appropriates $20 million from General Fund to EDA to support food and beverage establishments impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.
Appropriates $50 million from General Fund to EDA to support businesses and nonprofit organizations impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.
Requires administrator and assistant administrator at State veterans' memorial home have prior work experience in clinical setting.
Requires Director of Division of Veterans' Healthcare Services in DMVA to have prior clinical and long-term care experience.
Amends list of environmental infrastructure projects approved for long-term funding for FY2022; makes various changes to FY2022 environmental infrastructure funding program.
Appropriates $37,174,636.71 from "New Jersey Library Construction Fund" to provide grants for construction, reconstruction, development, extension, improvement, and furnishing of New Jersey's public libraries.
Appropriates $49.932 million from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues to DEP for State acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including Blue Acres projects, and Green Acres Program administrative costs.
Appropriates $80,539,578 from constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues and various Green Acres funds to DEP for local government open space acquisition and park development projects.
Vetoed · 3
Permits use of virtual or remote instruction to meet minimum 180-day school year requirement under certain circumstances.
Makes FY 2020 supplemental appropriations of $15 million for grants to food banks.
Postpones New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC) review for certain school districts to accommodate disruption due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Passed the General Assembly · 31
Establishes Disparity in Treatment of Persons with Disabilities in Underrepresented Communities Commission in DCA.
Requires telecommunications companies to provide prorated refunds for service outages of longer than 72 hours.
Clarifies that persons may execute legal signatures through handwriting, electronic signing, or use of fingerprint, thumbprint, or other identifying mark.*
Prohibits disqualification of certain minority-owned and women-owned businesses for certification.
Criminalizes fraudulently pretending to be transportation network company driver.
Exempts discharge of student loan debt of certain veterans through the federal Total and Permanent Disability discharge process from taxation under the gross income tax.
Requires DHS to develop outreach plan to inform certain students about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Establishes the "New Jersey Residential Foreclosure Transformation Act."
Establishes five-year community schools pilot program.
Requires discrimination prevention training for certain providers of services to senior citizens.
Requires domestic violence orders to be issued in other languages in addition to English under certain circumstances.
Regulates pay-off of trade-in vehicles and certain vehicle title releases.
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.*
Requires school district to establish "School Meal Fund" to assist students with school meal bill in arrears.
Requires signs to be posted and pamphlets to be distributed in emergency rooms regarding VCCO.
Prohibits commercial mobile service providers from disclosing customer's geolocation data to third parties.*
Increases allowance paid to war veterans with certain service-connected disabilities. *
Provides for immediate issuance of marriage and civil union licenses; provides for 72 hour waiting period prior to ceremony.
Criminalizes failure to return erroneous person-to-person electronic payments following proper notification.
Requires firearm owners who become New Jersey residents to obtain firearm purchaser identification card and register firearms acquired out-of-State.
Makes it aggravated sexual assault or sexual contact for transportation network company or taxicab driver to commit act of sexual penetration or sexual contact using coercion or without permission on passenger.
Makes supplemental appropriation of up to $20 million from General Fund to DOE to support school facility cleaning and sanitization.
Provides paid leave without utilizing accumulated leave time for local government employees under certain circumstances.
Permits remote application for marriage and civil union license for patients with certain life-threatening symptoms during period of Executive Order 103 of 2020; eliminates waiting period.
Dedicates personal protective equipment to long-term care facilities, home health agencies, hospice care providers, health care service firms, PACE programs, and certain community-based providers during public health emergency.***
Requires pharmacies to provide certain information regarding insulin manufacturer assistance programs.
Establishes certain guidelines for health insurance carriers concerning step therapy protocols.
Provides comprehensive Medicaid benefits to certain individuals formerly in foster care.
Requires group homes and other community-based residential programs, as condition of licensure, to implement policies to prevent social isolation of residents.
Requires certain transportation research to consider needs of individuals with physical, sensory, intellectual, and developmental disabilities.
Requires request for proposal to establish project to evaluate and make recommendations for realignment of correctional facilities and other efficiency measures.
Out of committee · 42
Concerns arbitration for certain non-teaching school staff.
Directs Juvenile Justice Commission to establish arts education pilot program for juvenile offenders.
Prohibits sale of cosmetic products that have been tested on animals.
Extends veterans' property tax exemption to tenant shareholders in cooperatives and mutual housing corporations.
Raises pay for election workers to $300 per day; appropriates $7,000,000 to Department of State. *
Allows termination of motor vehicle lease in event of death; prohibits imposition of fee for early termination.
Requires certain student identification cards to contain telephone number for suicide prevention hotline.
Establishes "Security Deposit Assistance Pilot Program" in Passaic, Union, Essex, Hudson, Gloucester, Atlantic, Camden, and Mercer counties, appropriates $400,000.*
Requires Silver Alert System receive same broadcast alerts as Amber Alert System.
Permits physical therapists to perform dry needling under certain circumstances.
"Dominick Marino PFRS Enhanced Benefits for Surviving Spouses Act"; enhances PFRS accidental death benefit for surviving spouse who becomes eligible after effective date by providing for minimum of $50,000 annually.*
Requires DHS to employ Transportation Planning Coordinator to oversee provision of transportation services. *
"Healthy Terminals Act"; requires certain airport and train station workers to be paid certain wage rates and benefits.
"Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act"; requires institutions of higher education to implement mental health programs and services.
Establishes certain minimum and maximum temperatures in rooming and boarding houses, dementia care homes, and certain nursing homes and residential health care facilities.*
"New Jersey Ticket Consumer Choice Act."
Requires parent or guardian to notify child care centers if child will be absent; requires child care centers to notify parent or guardian in event of unexcused child absence.
Concerns business interruption insurance during coronavirus disease 2019 state of emergency.
Establishes "2020 New Jersey Emergency Rental Assistance Program"; appropriates $100 million.
Requires Medicaid and health insurance coverage for certain refills of prescription drugs during state of emergency.
Limits service fees charged to restaurants by third-party food takeout and delivery applications during COVID-19 state of emergency.*
Concerns employment benefits and coronavirus disease 2019 infections contracted by essential employees.
Concerns certain Medicaid and health insurance audits and health care provider claims payment and denial during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Establishes Employment and Business-Related Tax Deferral Assistance Program in EDA to allow small businesses to defer the payment and remittance of certain employment and business-related taxes during COVID-19 public health emergency.
Authorizes Governor to permit mortgage forbearance and rent payment Provides mortgage payment relief, consumer reporting protection, and eviction protection for resident property owners, tenants and other consumers, economically impacted during time of co
Appropriates $30 million to EDA from federal "Coronavirus Relief Fund" to assist food establishments impacted by Executive Order No. 158.
Revises requirements for long-term care facilities to establish outbreak response plans.*
Requires certain provisions in State contracts for delivery of publicly financed mental health, behavioral health, and addiction services.
Provides supplemental payments to long-term care facility staff providing direct care services during COVID-19 pandemic.
Establishes minimum direct care staff-to-resident ratios in nursing homes.
Requires DOH to develop Statewide plan for infection control and prevention infrastructure improvements in nursing homes.
Establishes immunity relating to COVID-19 spread in planned real estate developments.
Eliminates mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment determined by Legislature to be of non-violent nature.
Makes $25 million in federal funds available to EDA to support microbusinesses in need.*
Makes $15 million in federal funds available to EDA and New Jersey Council on the Arts to support arts and culture organizations in need.**
Eliminates mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment determined by Legislature to be of non-violent nature.
Requires water purveyors and owners of public wastewater collection or treatment systems to consider climate change-related issues in asset management planning.
Modifies lists of projects eligible to receive loans for environmental infrastructure projects from NJ Infrastructure Bank for FY2022.
"Motorbus and Passenger Rail Service Employee Violence Prevention Act."
Revises gross income tax credit for child and dependent care expenses.
Establishes county college-based adult centers for transition for individuals with developmental disabilities; makes annual appropriation of $4.5 million.
Establishes Direct Support Professional Career Development Program; appropriates $1,000,000. *
In committee · 42
Permits application for PERS accidental disability benefit for injury sustained after January 2003 while employed at State psychiatric institution or correctional facility immediately prior to PERS membership.
Establishes minimum certified nurse aide-to-resident ratios in nursing homes.
Permits certain physical therapists to perform dry needling.
Allows local contracting unit to accept bid up to five percent more than lowest responsible bid under certain circumstances.
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.
Requires certain toll road operators and bi-state agency to allow drivers to choose towing company.
"Pet Groomers Licensing Act;" designated as "Bijou's Law."
Authorizes special "We Support the Arts" license plates with proceeds to New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Requires halfway house employees to complete police training course.
Revises laws concerning real estate licensees.
Adds 9-1-1 system regionalization costs to funds appropriated from "9-1-1 System and Emergency Response Trust Fund Account."
Requires certain health care plans to be offered by SEHBP and local boards of education; requires SEHBP commission to establish employee contribution rates for certain plans; requires local boards of education provide certain information on health care be
Revises health care levy adjustment for school districts; makes various changes for health care benefits for school employees; requires certain information in school budgets; imposes cap on contributions by all public employees for health care benefits.
Requires young children entering public schools or Head Start Programs for first time to have comprehensive eye examination completed.
Establishes annual cost of living adjustment based on Consumer Price Index for certain children, youth and family services organizations.
Concerns credit card interchange fees and consumer protection.
"Consumer Access to Health Care Act"; eliminates requirement of joint protocol with physician for advanced practice nurses to prescribe medication.
Establishes presumption of joint legal and physical custody in child custody matters.
Directs certain unclaimed electric and gas utility deposits in Unclaimed Utility Deposits Trust Fund and societal charge revenues to be paid to Statewide nonprofit energy assistance organizations meeting certain eligibility criteria.
Requires school bus driver's complete motor vehicle driving record be shared with board of education or school bus contractor and local police.
The "Liberty State Park Protection Act"; establishes Liberty State Park Advisory Committee and requirements concerning DEP actions related to Liberty State Park.
Makes certain for-profit debt adjusters eligible for licensing to conduct business in State.
Clarifies that age restrictions may not be imposed to exclude disabled persons from housing.
Prohibits the restraint of prisoners during and immediately after childbirth.
Permits person with special needs to voluntarily make notation on driver's license and identification card.
Provides that manipulation of certain caller identification information may constitute cyber-harassment and stalking.
Revises tenure for public school janitors and establishes tenure for certified educational facilities managers.
Prohibits State from disclosing New Jersey driver's license holders' personal information to other states seeking to issue speed camera or red light camera citations.
Establishes loan redemption program for health care professionals who provide health care services or health care-related administrative services at approved sites during COVID-19 pandemic.
Extends time period for filing and processing certain property tax appeals in 2020.
Requires licensed providers of long-term skilled nursing care to establish permanent morgue for use in non-emergent periods and supplemental morgue space for use in public emergencies.
Establishes one-time payment program in Department of Treasury for aid for certain eligible taxpayers; appropriates $35 million.
Limits height of new construction in area below cliffs east of Palisade Avenue.
Requires driver education courses to include instruction on appropriate actions for driver to take when stopped by law enforcement officer.
Bars certain public officials from holding elective office and participating in political activities for certain time periods.
Repeals provision that requires court-ordered pension forfeiture upon conviction of public employee for certain crimes; requires retirement system to consider for pension forfeiture length and duration of misconduct or crime in relation to public employee
"Reproductive Freedom Act."
"Palisades Cliffs Protection Act," limits height of new construction in area below cliffs east of Palisades.
Bars certain public officials from holding elective public office and participating in political activities for three years.
Authorizes proportional property tax exemption for honorably discharged veterans having a service-connected permanent disability.
Prohibits tourist helicopter operations in New Jersey.