Bills in the 2008–2009 Session, General Assembly.
David W. Wolfe
Sponsored
Became law1
Provides that assisted living resident's security deposit is refundable if resident leaves facility.
Out of committee2
Authorizes special license plates with proceeds to the families of NJ troops overseas.
"Public Access and Marina Safety Task Force Act." *
In committee40
Requires that new teachers hired by licensed child care centers to provide preschool classes to Abbott district students be certified.
Creates new $100 assessment for convictions of certain sexual offenses to fund counseling for victims and their families; establishes Sexual Offender Victim Counseling Fund.
Requires candidates for teacher certification to complete technology training program.
Provides New Jersey certification as a school administrator or principal to any applicant with similar certification in another State.
Allocates at least $100 million from the Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund for coastal and inland Blue Acres land acquisition projects in flood-prone areas.
Revises certain endorsements to the instructional certificate, requires certified teachers in licensed child care centers located in Early Childhood Program Aid districts, and establishes a loan program to assist in the attainment of certification.
Denies custody and visitation rights to minor child by family members of individuals convicted of certain crimes.
Increases income eligibility limit for homestead property tax reimbursement program beginning in tax year 2002.
"Homestead School Property Tax Reimbursement Act"; provides State reimbursement for 50% of school property taxes paid by seniors, 65 years and older.
Allows gross income tax deduction for charitable contributions made for efforts in relief of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Allows adopted person access to his original birth certificate and other related information; appropriates $90,000.
Concerns telemarketing political calls.
Provides for the election of school board members at November general election.
Prohibits members of the Legislature from acting on certain bills in which they have personal interest; redefines personal interest.
Concerns sale or rental of video games rated for mature and adults only audiences.
Eliminates the public vote on a school district budget which is within cap.
Eliminates remarriage prohibition for PFRS death benefits; provides retirement allowance to certain survivors of PFRS members.
Requires private vocational schools to provide adequate written notification when planning to close facilities.
Increases annual income limits for eligibility to receive homestead property tax reimbursement.
Authorizes criminal history record background checks of employees and volunteers of nonprofit domestic violence victim serving organizations.
Establishes Autism Education Council.
Provides that PFRS definitions of widow, widower and spouse will include domestic partners of all PFRS members.
Requires members of NJ Legislature to file statement of financial affairs.
Requires that high school students receive instruction in credit and personal money management as part of Core Curriculum Content Standards.
Supplemental appropriation of $5 million to DHS to develop community residences for Division of Developmental Disabilities clients on the waiting list.
Provides NJ STARS II Program eligibility to certain students who attained an associate's degree through a joint program offered by a school district and a county college.
Increases penalties for violations committed by provisional driver's license holder.
Permits voter registration up to 29 days before an election; reduces polling place hours by one hour in the morning.
Requires school districts to disseminate information that stresses the importance of rigorous coursework.
Changes political party affiliation deadline from 50th to 21st day before primary; changes date after which absentee ballots must be available from 40th to 21st day before any election.
Restricts gifts to certified homemaker-home health aides from patients.
Requires home health agencies and health care service firms to place certified homemaker-home health aides to perform certain home-based services.
Requires school districts to identify in the school budget question presented at annual school election the percentage change in school tax levy between the prebudget and budget years.
Enhances penalty for leaving the scene of a boating accident.
Revises voting requirement necessary for the dissolution of a limited purpose regional school district.
Requires certain public restrooms to be equipped with baby-changing stations.
Revises voting requirement necessary for the dissolution of a limited purpose regional school district.
Consolidates various municipalities into new municipalities of Pennington Township and Princeton Township.
Requires each school district to adopt a dating violence policy to prevent and address incidents involving dating violence.
Requires certain veterinarians to provide written notification to animal owner if boarded animal will not be subject to 24-hour supervision; "Betsy"s Law."
Carried from the Senate
Became law1
"Public Access and Marina Safety Task Force Act." *
Co-sponsored
Became law · 11
Provides for automatic enrollment in PAAD and Senior Gold programs under certain circumstances.
Authorizes public entities to implement energy savings improvement programs. *
Establishes pilot program in Department of Education to provide instruction in personal finance to high school seniors.
Imposes moratorium on harvest and possession of horseshoe crabs.
Authorizes New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects.
Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects.
The "Permit Extension Act of 2008."
Establishes Commissioner of Education as the rule-making authority under several school district accountability statutes.
"Ricci's Law;" revises ignition interlock device requirements for certain drunk driving offenders. *
Revises the NJ STARS and NJ STARS II Programs.
The "Green Acres, Water Supply and Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2009," authorizes bonds for $400 million; appropriates $5,000. **
Vetoed · 1
Lengthens service life of certain school buses to 15 years. **
Passed the General Assembly · 7
Provides for the election of school board members at November general election and eliminates vote on school budgets except for separate proposals to spend above cap which will also occur at general election.
Requires certain elected officials and appointed officers eligible for dual health benefits coverage to choose coverage by one public entity. *
Requires and permits preference in awarding certain contracts. *
Requires retail mercantile establishment to provide manufacturer's rebate at time of consumer purchase.
Provides for Autism Advocate in Division of Advocacy for the Developmentally Disabled. *
Requires that school districts use a model contract developed by the Commissioner of Education when employing a superintendent of schools.
Makes Housing Assistance and Recovery Program effective immediately.
Out of committee · 17
Establishes Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program in DEP and appropriates $200,000 therefor from Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund.
Confers civil service status on police officers employed by UMDNJ, Rutgers University, and NJIT. *
Renames the Primary Care Physician and Dentist Loan Redemption Program and makes various other changes to the program.
Requires water purveyors and licensed operators to notify municipalities they service regarding water supply and water quality issues. *
Requires DHSS to report certain patient safety indicators on a hospital by hospital basis and prohibits hospitals from charging for certain medical errors. *
"Grace's Law;" requires health insurers, State Health Benefits Program and NJ FamilyCare to provide coverage for hearing aids for covered persons 15 and younger.
Enacts the "Jessica Lunsford Act;" increases sentences for sex offenders and persons who harbor them.
Permits municipality to determine permissible parking distance from intersection, crosswalk or "stop" sign.
Regulates certain credentialing and trade practices of insurance producers, and provides private cause of action for insurance producer violations.
Provides manufacturers a single sales fraction corporation business tax income allocation formula.
Enhances PFRS accidental death pension benefit for survivors of member serving in nonsupervisory rank.
Establishes a pilot program in DOE to address the State's shortage of mathematics and science teachers.
Appropriates $120,123,420 from various Green Acres funds for local government open space acquisition and park development projects.
Appropriates $19,919,700 from various Green Acres funds for grants to certain nonprofit entities to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes.
Requires school districts to provide for the safe operation of electrically operated partitions in classrooms or other school facilities.
Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects.
Authorizes New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects.
In committee · 93
Provides that PERS member holding more than one position covered by PERS has to designate one position as the basis for enrollment.
Prohibits elected officials and public employees from enrolling for health benefits with more than one public entity; provides civil action for treble expenses by public entity providing additional coverage.
Designated "New Jersey Economic Development Promotion Act"; streamlines and reorganizes State economic development statutes in order to promote administrative efficiency.
Establishes pilot program in Department of Education to provide instruction in personal finance to high school seniors.
Increases membership of PFRS board of trustees from 11 to 13 members.
Requires DEP to assume responsibility for dredging of waterways providing boat access to lagoon communities; appropriates $6,000,000.
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.
Appropriates $26,140,000 for dredging projects and dredged material disposal projects related to navigational waterways.
Requires public hearings on proposed off-track wagering facilities to be held in municipalities contiguous to site where proposed facitities will be located.
Ends the transitional energy facilities assessment, caps the State use portion of State energy tax revenues and ensures the balance of such State revenues are paid annually as municipal aid.
Eliminates statute of limitations in wrongful death actions arising out of murder, aggravated manslaughter or manslaughter where a conviction was not obtained.
Establishes criminal penalties for operating or participating in pyramid promotional schemes.
Permits municipality to enact ordinance to curb gang related loitering and criminal activity.
Requires health care facilities to report certain information about their health care staff to their respective professional boards or DHSS.
Requires joint municipal planning board review of long-range facilities plans developed by regional school districts.
Authorizes the appointment of an independent counsel to investigate allegations concerning the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation.
The "Public Surface Water Supply Protection Act."
Directs Drinking Water Quality Institute to reevaluate maximum contaminant level for arsenic, MTBE and radium in drinking water; appropriates $300,000.
Prohibits sale of gasoline containing MTBE; directs DEP to seek waiver from EPA oxygen requirements for purpose of discontinuing use of MTBE; and establishes Transportation Energy Security Council to monitor good faith compliance effort.
Imposes mandatory minimum term of 10 years on defendant convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 13.
Establishes the "Veterans Home Health Care Demonstration Program"; appropriates $1 million.
Establishes defibrillator grant program in DHSS for placement of defibrillators in senior citizen centers.
Designates "I'm From New Jersey" as the State song.
Permits adopted person and certain others access to adopted person's original birth certificate and other related information; appropriates $90,000.
Increases personal needs allowance to $50 for those persons currently residing in nursing facilities, State hospitals or State developmental centers.
Broadens eligibility for certain veterans' benefits by eliminating requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations.
Broadens eligibility for certain veterans' benefits by eliminating requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations.
Eliminates smoking ban exemption for casinos and simulcasting facilities.
Doubles amount of certain retirement income that may be excluded from gross income under the gross income tax.
Includes screening for toxoplasmosis in newborn screening program.
Recodifies offenses against animals under State criminal code; increases degree of crime for certain offenses.
Establishes offense of soliciting image of minor with unlawful purpose.
Establishes animal cruelty offenses pertaining to chaining or other restraint of animals.
Provides grants and tax credits for school districts and private contractors for installing cameras on school buses.
Exempts initiation fees, membership fees, and dues of certain golf clubs and organizations from sales and use tax.
Establishes pilot program in Department of the Treasury to provide tax credits for contributions to entities which provide tuition scholarships to children residing in Camden, Elizabeth, Lakewood, Newark, Orange, Paterson and Trenton.
Eliminates use of vaccines containing mercury over three years.
Requires the reporting of criminal offenses occurring on school property to law enforcement authorities.
Repeals cosmetic medical procedure gross receipts tax.
Prohibits contributions by certain entities doing business with State; limits amount of contributions by principals and officers of such entities.
Limits contributions by certain public contractors; limits contributions by county and municipal political party committees.
Prohibits enrollment in PERS of public employee who is also public contractor; requires member to designate only one position as basis of enrollment.
Limits payment to $15,000 for accumulated sick leave upon retirement for local public employees.
Provides for mandatory imprisonment and forfeiture of retirement benefits for public officers or employees convicted of certain crimes.
Increases enrollment threshold in PERS and TPAF to $10,000; requires assessment of adding annual minimum hour requirement to qualify for service credit.
Requires in public schools instruction on the contributions of United States veterans and the observance of patriotic exercises on certain holidays.
Establishes New Jersey Rx Program to reduce prescription drug prices.
Prohibits the use of certain fishing gear on artificial reefs.
Clarifies procedures for closing active child protective services cases.
Eliminates the alternative minimum assessment under the corporation business tax.
Clarifies that Fish and Game Council has sole authority to regulate freshwater fishing, hunting, and trapping.
"Transparency in Government Act;" provides for establishment of State public finance website.
Establishes "Matthew's Law Limiting the Use of Restraints."
"Kyleigh's Law"; revises laws concerning provisional driver's licenses.
Eliminates supplemental realty transfer fee.
Permits use of overseas absentee ballots for all elections.
Permits any full-time employee of school board to attend annual New Jersey Education Association convention without loss of pay.
Prohibits sale of food and beverage packaging and containers made with bisphenol A.
Allows TPAF retiree to be employed as certificated superintendent or administrator for limited time frame due to critical need without TPAF reenrollment.
Caps bond counsel legal fees and costs on public issuers' bond transactions and requires a competitive selection process for retaining bond counsel.
The "Toxic-free Children's Products Act."
Requires hearing loss sensitivity training for public school pupils and teaching staff members.
Revises membership and duties of Pension and Health Benefits Review Commission.
Decreases BPU membership from five to three members.
Reduces number of paid holidays from 13 to 10 for all State and local government employees.
Limits payment upon retirement to $10,000 to State and local public officers and employees for accumulated sick leave.
Prohibits certain public officers and employees from receiving dual health care benefit coverage.
Requires certain offenders to register under Megan's Law; upgrades the crimes of invasion of privacy and peering into a window of a dwelling for a second or subsequent offense.
Expands eligibility under the Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit Act by broadening certain municipal qualifier provisions.
Eliminates PERS credit and health care benefits for appointees to State or local agency, board, commission, authority or instrumentality with annual compensation less than $20,000 and weekly hours fewer than 35.
"The New Jersey Healthcare Choice Act"; permits health insurers licensed in other states to provide coverage in New Jersey under certain circumstances.
Requires prospectively that public employees, appointees and elected officials work 35 or more hours per week with annual compensation equivalent to 1820 times State minimum wage for health care benefits.
Requires State agencies to review operations and to implement use of Internet to conduct public business when cost savings may be realized, with certain exceptions.
Restores the death penalty for certain murders.
"Urban Enterprise Zone Jobs Scholarship Act"; establishes pilot program in Department of the Treasury to provide tax credits for contributions to entities which provide tuition scholarships to children in certain urban enterprise zone municipalities.
Requires investigating law enforcement officer to contact next of kin of unconscious motor vehicle accident victim who has been transported to hospital emergency room.
Requires proposed State budgets be balanced against recurring revenues and places related constraints on budget messages.
Designated the Shop Here, Save Money, Secure Jobs Act of 2008; establishes sales and use tax rate reduction period from November 28, 2008 through January 4, 2009, sets reduction period tax rate at 3.5%.
Delays implementation of paid family leave for one year.
Provides sales tax exemption for sales of prepared foods.
Provides full forfeiture of pension of elected or appointed official convicted of any crime touching office.
Revises laws governing provision of affordable housing; reestablishes regional contribution agreement as method of meeting affordable housing obligation; repeals Statewide non-residential development fee.
Delays implementation of paid family leave for two years.
Protects property owned by military personnel and first responders from condemnation.
Revises and expands duties and responsibilities of State Auditor in performance of certain audits and reviews.
Abolishes Council on Affordable Housing for failure to comply with legislative directives.
Requires public body to publish notice of public meeting on official Internet website.
Establishes in DEP the Environmental Science Review Board and Environmental Policy Review Board to review proposed environmental regulations for consistency with planning policies and science.
Establishes "Smart Housing Incentives Act."
Requires DHSS to report certain patient safety indicators on a hospital by hospital basis and prohibits hospitals and physicians from charging patient for certain medical errors.
Removes authority of MVC to increase certain fees; sets certain fees by statute.
Permits certain persons holding elective public office to remain eligible for enrollment in PERS.
Permits county board of chosen freeholders to appoint interim member of county tax board under certain circumstances.