Bills in the 2016–2017 Session, Senate.
Raymond J. Lesniak
Sponsored
Became law5
Prohibits possession, transport, import, export, processing, sale, or shipment of parts and products of certain animal species threatened with extinction.
Prohibits possession and transport of parts and products of certain animals at PANYNJ airports and port facilities.
Establishes gubernatorial veto power over Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor's meeting minutes; expands gubernatorial oversight powers over commission.
Establishes criminal penalties for sale and possession of certain firearm components.
Revises animal cruelty law enforcement in NJ.
Vetoed5
Restricts use of isolated confinement in correctional facilities.
"Earn Your Way Out Act" ; requires DOC to develop inmate reentry plan; establishes administrative parole release for certain inmates;requires study and report by DOC on fiscal impact.*
"Nosey's Law"; prohibits use of elephants and other wild or exotic animals in traveling animal acts.*
Allows NJ gross income tax deduction for charitable contributions of food made from business inventory.
Revises "Pet Purchase Protection Act" to establish new requirements for pet dealers and pet shops.
Passed the Senate6
Adds two public members to NJT board and provides that all NJT board members are voting members. *
Revises "Pet Purchase Protection Act" to establish new requirements for pet dealers and pet shops.*
Removes certain bars to employment for convicted offenders.
Prohibits certain possession, sale, trade, distribution, or offering for sale of shark fins.*
Provides for cost of care of animals involved in animal cruelty violations while being held pending disposition of violation.*
Requires sending district to allow student to transfer to recovery high school alternative education program, provided placement is considered clinically appropriate by alcohol and drug counselor.
Out of committee15
Requires members of unitary business groups to file combined reports of corporation business tax.
Provides tax credits to developers for certain affordable housing projects.*
"New Jersey Residential Foreclosure Transformation Act."
Requires Division of Parole to offer parole services to certain defendants who have served their maximum sentence.
Prohibits State-sponsored travel to certain states without protections against discrimination based on sex, gender identity or expression, and affectional or sexual orientation.*
Establishes "Tiny Home Pilot Program" in three regions of State.
Concerns regulation of solid waste, hazardous waste, and soil and debris recycling industries.*
Directs DEP to adopt standards for drinking water contaminants based upon recommendations of Drinking Water Quality Institute.*
Establishes design-build delivery system for NJTA and DOT projects.*
"Pedal's Law," Prohibits hunting and establishes non-lethal control program for black bear for five years; prohibits actions that result in bear feeding; and requires use of bear-resistant containers, dumpsters, and food boxes in bear habitat.*
"Healthy Small Food Retailer Act"; provides funding to small food retailers to sell fresh and nutritious food; appropriates $1 million.
Appropriates $2,900,000 from "2009 Farmland Preservation Fund" for grants to certain nonprofit organizations for farmland preservation purposes.
Decreases annual thoroughbred race dates to 50 minimum upon written consent from New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.
"Tonka's Law"; changes perimeter for bow and arrow hunting around certain buildings; requires property owner to provide notice to adjacent properties of any hunting activity.
Provides tax credits for certain business headquarters located in State.
In committee45
Revises law concerning ticket sales.
Provides for presumptive parole; establishes parole compliance credits; requires inmate disciplinary database; bases commutation credits on custodial sentence.
Provides for issuance of certificate of rehabilitation to certain offenders with substance abuse disorders.
Requires use of bear-resistant containers, dumpsters, or food boxes in certain areas located in black bear habitat under certain circumstances, including garbage collection, and prohibits certain actions that would result in feeding of black bears.
Increases number of PANYNJ commissioners to 14; requires one commissioner from each state be appointed upon recommendation of American Automobile Association.
Ends the estate tax and raises the gross income tax rate on taxable income exceeding $350,000.
Eliminates requirement that public-private partnership agreements for construction of certain higher education facilities be submitted to EDA for review and approval by certain dates.
Establishes independent Office of Comptroller of Education and removes authority of State Comptroller with regard to oversight of boards of education.
Requires combined reporting of corporation business tax by certain members of unitary business groups.
Provides that two members of board of education of Type II school district will be appointed by mayor or other chief executive officer of municipality constituting district.
Prohibits baiting for black bear during authorized bear hunt and requires use of bear-resistant dumpsters and food boxes at certain campgrounds and camping facilities.
Provides tax credit to developers for affordable housing projects in certain neighborhoods.
Authorizes PANYNJ to partially fund trans-Hudson rail tunnel and to participate in project to develop trans-Hudson rail tunnel.
Concerns arbitration for certain non-teaching school staff.
Requires health insurance coverage for amino acid-based elemental formula.
"Comprehensive Regulated Grease Recycling Act."
Directs Governor to withdraw from compact establishing Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor; dissolves compact and commission; transfers commission's NJ operations to State Police.
Designated the Equitable Disclosure Act of 2016, modifies provisions of MLUL concerning objectors to applications for development.
Allows for assessment of civil and criminal penalties for violations of "Uniform Securities Law (1997)" even if violations were not knowingly or recklessly committed.
Directs PANYNJ to establish requirements concerning business operations, safety requirements and violations, and emissions standards for motor carrier operations in NJ portion of port district.
Replaces Parole Board members with certain retired judges.
Provides 6.8 cents-per-gallon petroleum products gross receipts tax rate for aviation fuel and removes the "burn out" limitation.
Terminates the New Jersey estate tax and increases New Jersey gross income tax rate on income over $1 million.
Increases petroleum products gross receipts tax.
Upgrades criminal contempt under certain circumstances.
Establishes DEP program to reduce heavy-duty diesel truck emissions from trucks operating in the ports of Bayonne, Elizabeth, Jersey City, and Newark.
Requires retirement benefits of certain PANYNJ employees to be based on salary during certain years of service.
Provides for reduction in suspended sentence, probation, or parole based on compliance with conditions of sentence; requires report on effect on recidivism.
Restricts medical expense coverage for opioid drugs unless prescribing health care professional follows certain guidelines.
Bans manufacture, sale, possession, importation, transportation, or use of certain traps.
Establishes animal cruelty offense of cruel confinement of a gestating pig.
Requires appointment of special prosecutor to investigate and prosecute any criminal complaint against New Jersey Governor.
Prohibits use of lapse in automobile insurance coverage as rating factor in automobile insurance underwriting under certain circumstances.
Allows owner of hotel in Atlantic City to lease portion to casino operator under certain circumstances.
Limits "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act" exemption for certain forestry activities to privately owned lands.
Prohibits certain activities impacting animal and plant species that are of special concern, rare, threatened, or endangered on State-owned lands, and codifies DEP's "Landscape Project" concerning critical habitat.
Establishes DEP Statewide program to reduce heavy-duty diesel truck emissions.
Repeals law establishing Annual Transportation Capital Program Approval Committee.
Removes and repeals all prohibitions, permits, licenses, and authorizations concerning wagers on professional, collegiate, or amateur sport contests or athletic events.
"TrumpCare Nullification Act"; establishes "Affordable Health Care Fund" and State replacement taxes to replace federal taxes and funding provided under Affordable Care Act.
"Voter Privacy Act"; establishes protections for privacy of voters; prohibits automated programs to remove names of ineligible voters from official lists of eligible voters; prohibits sharing of certain voter information with federal government.
Prohibits certain pet dealers from selling dogs or cats obtained from certain breeders and brokers; requires submission of annual report.
Allows Internet gaming equipment to be located outside Atlantic City for certain international gaming purposes, subject to Division of Gaming Enforcement approval.
Changes membership of Fish and Game Council.
Clarifies provisions concerning expungement of certain criminal records.
Carried from the General Assembly
Became law3
Decreases annual thoroughbred race dates to 50 minimum upon written consent from New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.
Appropriates $2,900,000 from "2009 Farmland Preservation Fund" for grants to certain nonprofit organizations for farmland preservation purposes.
Provides tax credits for certain business headquarters located in State.
Vetoed2
Requires Division of Parole to offer parole services to certain defendants who have served their maximum sentence.
"Healthy Small Food Retailer Act"; provides funding to small food retailers to sell fresh and nutritious food; appropriates $1 million.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 13
Establishes "Small Business Bonding Readiness Assistance Program" in EDA to assist certain small businesses meet State or federal contract surety bond requirements.*
Permits DHS to request waiver of time limits for certain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients under certain circumstances.*
Expands infertility coverage under certain health insurance plans.
Establishes requirements concerning necessary care of dogs, domestic companion animals, and service animals, and for tethering of dogs.*
Prohibits investment of pension and annuity funds by State in companies that boycott Israel or Israeli businesses.
Allows existing rural development areas zoned for industrial use under pinelands comprehensive management plan to be included as eligible areas under certain business incentive programs.*
Requires health insurers, SHBP and SEHBP to provide coverage for digital tomosynthesis for screening and diagnostic purposes related to breast cancer.
Creates "Nourishing Young Minds Initiative Fund" in Dept. of Agriculture to help pay for child food and nutrition programs.
Prohibits certain employment discrimination based upon expunged criminal record.
Revises procedures for expunging criminal and other records and information, including shortening of certain waiting periods for expungement eligibility and increasing number of convictions which may be expunged.
Decreases waiting period to expunge entire juvenile record from five to three years.
Designates Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City as "Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall" to commemorate his outstanding service to Atlantic City and State.
Directs Governor to withdraw from compact establishing Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor; dissolves compact and commission; transfers commission's NJ operations to State Police.
Vetoed · 2
Concerns equal pay for women and employment discrimination.
Provides that AG handle investigation and prosecution of crime involving person's death by law enforcement officer while acting in officer's official capacity or while in custody; requires trial in venue outside county where incident occurred.
Out of committee · 10
Requires liability insurance for permit to possess certain dangerous animals.
Requires review of Core Curriculum Content Standards to ensure guidance for substance abuse instruction provided to public school students incorporates most recent evidence-based standards and practices.
Provides $21 minimum annual energy assistance to qualified families; qualifies families to receive additional nutritional assistance.
Requires law enforcement agencies in this State to establish minority recruitment and selection programs; establishes reporting requirement.
Requires public school student with concussion to be evaluated by physician or other licensed health care provider before return to school and return to physical activity at school.*
Concerns earned sick leave.
"New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act"; authorizes issuance of $125,000,000 in general obligation bonds to finance capital projects at public libraries; appropriates $5,000.
Establishes additional requirements for operation and oversight of animal shelters, pounds, kennels operating as shelters or pounds, and veterinary holding facilities.
"Safe Transportation Jobs and Fair Employment Rules Act."
Establishes Nuclear Diversity Certificate program.
In committee · 20
Requires court to consider gang affiliation when making bail determinations.
Requires labeling of foods containing genetically modified material.
Requires establishment of processes to identify Medicaid eligible incarcerated individuals who are awaiting pre-trial release determinations, are being released following period of incarceration, or are undergoing inpatient hospital treatment.
Requires disclosures of out-of-network services performed by health care providers under certain circumstances.
Establishes driver's license for residents who cannot prove lawful presence in US.
Requires health insurance coverage for hair headpieces for patients receiving chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
Allows application for PERS accidental disability benefit for injury sustained while employed at State psychiatric institution or correctional facility immediately prior to PERS membership.
Establishes "The Democracy Act" to modify various voter registration and voting procedures.
Requires law enforcement officers to wear body cameras.
Requires health care practitioners to inform patients of addiction potential of controlled dangerous substances prior to issuing prescription.
Requires expenses incurred by Governor during out-of-State travel for political activities not be paid with or out of public funds.
Prohibits business receiving State development subsidies from making certain campaign contributions.
Provides gross income tax credit for certain expenses paid or incurred for care and support of qualifying senior family member; designated as Caregiver's Assistance Act.
"Garden State Film and Digital Media Jobs Act"; expands existing film and digital media production tax credit programs.
Provides full forfeiture of pension of elected or appointed official convicted of any crime touching office.
Authorizes wiretap orders for investigation of luring or enticing a child, identity theft, stalking and cyber-harassment under certain circumstances.
Adds two student representatives to board of governors of Rutgers University.
Prohibits surgical declawing of cats and other animals.
Requires individual health benefits plans to be offered solely through the federally-facilitated Health Insurance Marketplace for New Jersey.
Revises definition of destructive device to include certain weapons of 50 caliber or greater.