Bills in the 2008–2009 Session, Senate.
Kevin J. O'Toole
Sponsored
In committee43
Requires line item disclosure of all State revenues and appropriations in the Governor's budget proposal, and in bills pending in the Legislature or enacted in this State; eliminates off-budget State spending.
Imposes mandatory terms of imprisonment on persons convicted of certain sex crimes against minors.
"Tabitha's Law"; requires parent or guardian to notify school administrators if pupil will be absent; requires school to notify parent in event of unexcused pupil absence.
Replaces preference based upon race, ethnicity, national origin or gender in affirmative action programs with preference for persons who are economically disadvantaged.
Limits contributions to certain candidates and elected officials by certain public contractors; limits contributions by certain political party committees; repeals certain campaign contribution prohibitions.
Prohibits campaign contributions between county party committees; makes such contributions a third degree crime; increases to third degree crimes certain other campaign finance offenses.
Exempts certain lake association membership fees and dues from sales and use tax.
Provides that public official may refuse to solemnize civil unions if solemnization conflicts with public official's conscience or sincerely held moral or religious beliefs.
Designates highway ramp off of State Highway Route No. 23 at Alps Road in Wayne Township as "Gregory F. Velardi, Sr., Ramp;" appropriates $1,000.
Clarifies authority of municipalities to utilize zoning authority to regulate billboards or outdoor advertising bearing commercial advertisements.
Prohibits posting of certain personal information on the Internet or misrepresentation of identity on the Internet for the purpose of harassment of a minor child.
Makes certain changes to State Health Benefits Program.
Eliminates legislative leadership committees.
Establishes stricter limits on contributions to county committees of political parties and by county committees to candidates; prohibits contributions between county committees.
Prohibits candidates and elected public officials charged with crimes from using campaign contributions for their legal defense.
Limits payment upon retirement to $10,000 to State and local public officers and employees for accumulated sick leave.
Increases various penalties for violations of the pension laws.
Prohibits enrollment in PERS of public employee who is also public contractor; requires member to designate only one position as basis of enrollment.
Revises benefits calculation for PERS and TPAF members retiring after certain date to average of five highest-paid years, and for JRS members retiring after certain date to average of three highest-paid years.
Requires that SHBP prescription drug plan use bulk purchasing.
Requires State Auditor to conduct performance review audit of SHBP at least every three years and to annually conduct limited audit to ensure that only eligible persons are receiving benefits.
Requires that ordinary disability retirement in certain State-administered retirement systems be granted only if member has qualified for federal Social Security Disability benefits.
Allows pension calculation to be based on compensation increase in excess of actuarially assumed experience only if employer pays unfunded liability.
Increases enrollment threshold in PERS and TPAF to $10,000; requires assessment of adding annual minimum hour requirement to qualify for service credit.
Revises membership and duties of Pension and Health Benefits Review Commission.
Requires local officer or employee employed by more than one local unit to submit combined timesheet to discourage double billing; increases certain fraud penalties; establishes biometric fingerprint scanner grant program.
Limits payment upon retirement to $15,000 to local public officers and employees for accumulated sick leave.
Requires SHBP to provide for program to inform physicians about use and cost savings of generic prescription drugs.
Conforms voter identification procedures to requirements of Statewide voter registration system; permits use of provisional ballots for voters who move to different counties; revises certain penalty provisions.
Exempts Holocaust reparations payments from legal process, and from estate recovery under Medicaid program.
Allows successful bidder on State contract additional time to provide required document in certain circumstances.
Increases regulatory oversight and consumer protections concerning certain mortgage products, mortgage lending, and mortgage foreclosure practices.
Limits payment for accumulated sick leave to $10,000 to State and local public officers and employees upon retirement.
Prohibits New Jersey sports teams from issuing personal seat licenses.
Allows independent institutions of higher education to be eligible for NJ alternative fuel vehicle rebate and alternative fuel infrastructure programs.
Prohibits member of Legislature from seeking certain grants or loans through annual appropriations act or legislatively-controlled program.
Provides that municipalities with minimum amounts of developable land may file certification with the Council on Affordable Housing, even if no petition for substantive certification is filed.
Provides that municipalities may provide occupancy preferences in available COAH units to certain households participating in certain federal programs.
The "New Jersey Right to Home Defense Law."
Establishes mandatory term of imprisonment for unlawful sales, purchases, and transfers of firearms.
Prohibits persons convicted of certain crimes from serving on political party committees.
Prohibits misleading use of senior-specific certifications or professional designations in connection with sales of securities.
Restructures ticket sales law.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 18
Requires local government officer to file financial disclosure statement within 30 days of taking office.
Centralizes non-tax debt management functions for State government in Division of Revenue.
Appropriates $33 million from "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" for State acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes.
Authorizes deer hunting with bow and arrow on Sundays.
Makes changes to PERS and TPAF concerning retirement age, eligibility, purchase of service credit; makes various changes to SHBP administration; merges Washington and Lincoln holidays for State employees in Presidents Day. *
Abolishes NJ Commerce Commission; establishes Division of Business Assistance, Marketing and International Trade in NJEDA; transfers functions, powers and duties of commission to division.
Requires uniform billing and reporting of infection rates by ambulatory surgical centers and requires DHSS to make reported information public. **
Establishes pilot program in Gloucester County, transferring municipal tax assessment function to county through appointment of a county assessor and deputy county assessors.*
Extends range of investment vehicles in which Director of the Division of Investment and State Investment Council may invest moneys in the State of New Jersey Cash Management Fund and State pension funds.
Appropriates $27.75 million from "2007" Farmland Preservation Fund" and "Garden State Farmland Preservation Fund" for planning incentive grants to municipalities for farmland preservation purposes.
Appropriates $49.65 million from "2007" Farmland Preservation Fund" for farmland preservation purposes.
Appropriates $6.45 million from "2007" Farmland Preservation Fund" and "Garden State Farmland Preservation Trust Fund" for grants to certain nonprofit organizations for farmland preservation purposes.
Appropriates $11,293,478 from various farmland preservation bond funds and "Garden State Farmland Preservation Trust Fund" for farmland preservation purposes.
Appropriates $66 million from "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund," "2007 Green Acres Fund," and "2007 Blue Acres Fund" for State acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including Blue Acres projects.
Appropriates $15,557,201 from various historic preservation funds to provide grants for certain historic preservation projects, and appropriates $574,805 from certain historic preservation bond funds for associated administrative expenses.
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.
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.
Passed the Senate · 1
Requires Treasurer and Division of Pensions and Benefits and Investment Directors to report on status of State-administered pension plans to Legislature by May 15 and November 15 each year. **
Out of committee · 14
Eliminates throwout of receipts in allocation of entire net income under the corporation business tax; eliminates "regular place of business" requirement to allocate less than 100% of income to New Jersey.
Requires governmental affairs agents to disclose on notice of representation form compensation amount received from State or local government entities; requires notice to be posted on Internet site of Election Law Enforcement Commission.
Establishes Task Force to study the benefits of student recess and make recommendations on advisability of mandatory recess in school districts.
Requires certain elected officials and appointed officers eligible for dual health benefits coverage to choose coverage by one public entity. *
Extends payment of accidental death benefit in PFRS, SPRS, PERS and TPAF to survivors of certain members of reserve component of Armed Forces and National Guard. *
Changes prospectively definition of compensation used to calculate benefits in PERS and TPAF to average of five highest-paid years from average of three highest-paid years. *
Abolishes Department of Personnel; transfers functions, powers, and duties primarily to new Civil Service Commission in but not of Department of Labor and Workforce Development; creates Civil Service Reform Task Force. *
Provides increased time frame for issuing summons pursuant to traffic control signal monitoring systems and for destruction of records; establishes certain payment methods. **
Authorizes creation of non-lapsing Attorney ID Card Program trust fund by counties.
Creates voter-verified paper record pilot program; removes requirement that voting machines produce voter-verified paper record by January 1, 2009.
Appropriates funds to DEP for clean water environmental infrastructure projects.
Authorizes State Treasurer to sell surplus real property in City of Trenton and Township of Ewing, Mercer County, to winning auction bidder.
Reduces threshold value of surplus State-owned real property and easements above which legislative review and approval is required before sale.
Clarifies the procedure for the elimination of non-operating school districts.
In committee · 29
Prohibits members of the Legislature from holding other elective public offices.
Designates "I'm From New Jersey" as State song.
Decreases sales and use tax rate from 7% to 6%.
Provides for reduced sales tax imposition on certain sales in certain Highlands Region Preservation Area municipalities.
Requires Police Training Commission to develop accelerated training course for certain corrections officers.
Prohibits simultaneous holding of certain State, county and municipal elective and appointive positions.
Provides for conscientious exemption to mandatory immunizations.
Prohibits employment of unauthorized aliens.
"Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act."
Abolishes Department of the Public Advocate.
Excludes certain federal employee Thrift Savings Fund contributions from gross income under the gross income tax.
Eliminates throwout of receipts in allocation of entire net income under the corporation business tax.
Authorizes special Gold Star Family license plates.
Concerns pre-delivery communications regarding individual life insurance policies and effective date of delivered policies.
"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.
Revises and expands duties and responsibilities of State Auditor in performance of certain audits and reviews.
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%.
Revises laws governing provision of affordable housing; reestablishes regional contribution agreement as method of meeting affordable housing obligation; repeals Statewide non-residential development fee.
Provides full forfeiture of pension of elected or appointed official convicted of any crime touching office.
Authorizes hunting of game animals every day of the week during hunting season.
Eliminates general purpose, supplemental and mansion realty transfer fees.
Prohibits use of "build-out" approach to determine fair share of affordable housing need in given region.
Consumer Relief Act of 2009; establishes temporary sales and use tax rate reduction periods for sales of certain goods and services.
Allows only one PERS-covered position for PERS membership, contributions and service credit; provides for PERS designation of maximum compensation position among multiple positions held.
Removes authority of MVC to increase certain fees; sets certain fees by statute.
Provides that MIA-OON flag be displayed at certain public buildings annually for 30 days beginning September 11.
Creates bistate commission to coordinate management and flood prevention of waterways flowing between Bergen County, NJ and Rockland County, NY.
Imposes a one-year moratorium on the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association reorganization of certain school athletic conferences under certain circumstances.
Renames "New Jersey Trauma Center" at University Hospital as "Eric Munoz Trauma Center."
Filed · 1
Delays requirement that voting machines produce individual permanent paper record for each vote cast due to the State's critical economic situation and lack of appropriate technology.