Bills in the 2008–2009 Session, General Assembly.
Caroline Casagrande
Sponsored
Became law1
Designates bridge carrying State Highway Route No. 9 over Throckmorton Street in Freehold Township as "Corporal Philip A. Reynolds Memorial Bridge."
Passed the General Assembly1
Requires State Treasurer to issue cost benefit analysis and security report for conversion of military housing to civilian housing at Earle Naval Weapons Station and places moratorium on issuance of certain State permits and plan approvals.
In committee49
Eliminates COAH requirement that municipality obtain initial plan endorsement from the State Planning Commission to retain substantive certification.
Permits regional contribution agreements through COAH bank; permits units transferred to be counted toward recipient municipality's fair share obligation.
Limits fair share affordable housing obligation in planning areas 4 and 5.
Restricts public employer health care benefits to full-time employees and appointees.
Establishes NJ Task Force on Records Privacy.
Prohibits payment of temporary disability benefits to incarcerated individuals.
Requires State Treasurer to post information about State contracts for $17,500 or more on special website.
Extends textbook sharing program to include all school equipment.
Reduces number of signatures required on petition to recall elected official.
Reduces number of paid holidays from 13 to 10 for all State and local government employees.
Establishes limits for certain damages in medical malpractice actions.
Imposes new criteria of $18,000 compensation and 30 hours weekly for TPAF and PERS membership as well as for TPAF and PERS credit after break in service.
Exempts child care centers operating in public schools from certain environmental review licensing requirements.
Requires weekly update of known contaminated site master list.
Limits tuition increase in district sending-receiving relationships to change in State aid and tax levy of sending school district.
Requires accident and injury data in NJ Transit annual report.
Makes it a crime to sell or possess products or materials designed to alter firearms to look like toy guns.
Subjects certain shared service agreements to review of Attorney General; requires Division of Local Government Services to provide assistance with shared service agreements.
Establishes penalty for suspension, by bus operator under contract with NJ Transit, of peak hour regular route service.
Requires COAH to subtract affordable units from municipality's fair share affordable housing obligation to reflect job loss upon closure of federal military installation.
Requires labeling of foods produced from cloned animals.
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 public notification indicating violation of certain motor fuel laws by retail dealer.
Prohibits public employers from reimbursing tuition or awarding promotions or compensation based on degrees or certifications obtained from unaccredited institutions.
Prohibits termination of certain telephone service.
Revises the law concerning hazing; upgrades criminal penalties, provides certain immunities, creates civil offense and requires written policies.
Provides for mandatory life imprisonment for aggravated sexual assault.
Prohibits use of wireless telephones or electronic communication devices while in charge of certain rail operations.
Establishes stricter limits on contributions to county committees of political parties and by county committees to candidates; prohibits contributions between county committees.
Prohibits member of Legislature from seeking certain grants or loans through annual appropriations act or legislatively-controlled program.
Provides full forfeiture of pension of elected or appointed official convicted of any crime touching office.
Provides for certain requirements concerning Independent Health Care Appeals Program.
Prohibits persons violating animal cruelty law from owning, keeping, or harboring animals; requires DHSS establish and maintain website list of such persons.
Requires Secretary of State to set standards for certification of electronic voting machines; permits voting machine examiners to request certain information and consults with experts as necessary.
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.
Requires disclosure to certain prison guards of AIDS status of inmates.
Modifies tax levy growth limitation for certain school districts in sending-receiving relationships.
Amends the "Public Corruption Profiteering Penalty Act."
Prohibits public institutions of higher education from increasing resident undergraduate tuition for four continuous academic years following student's initial enrollment.
Concerns unemployment benefits and work stoppages.
Requires environmental sustainability plan for State House Complex.
Prohibits investment by State of pension and annuity funds in companies with ties to terrorists.
Excludes certain contributions to deferred compensation plans and provides deduction for certain individual retirement savings under the gross income tax.
Creates TPAF and PERS new membership eligibility criteria of 20 or more hours weekly.
Allows gross income tax credit for certain contributions to New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust (NJBEST) Program and to certain other federally qualified tuition savings programs.
Exempts from sales tax for two years certain hybrid and highly fuel efficient vehicles and energy efficient appliances.
"Tara's Law"; Establishes registry of offending community care residence providers and requires written monthly case manager reports of individuals with developmental disabilities residing in community care residences.
Provides State Comptroller with express authority to engage certified public accountants as independent contractors on contingency fee basis.
Penalizes permittees who acquire construction permits and certificates of occupancy by illegally influencing the permit procurement process; requires posting of bonds in certain situations; permits civil fines.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 12
Amends stalking law to broaden protections for victims.
Adds contact via electronic device to prohibited contact enumerated in permanent restraining orders for convicted stalkers. **
Permits use of overseas absentee ballots for all elections; authorizes transmission of ballots by electronic means. *
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."
Grants immunity to certain underage persons for unlawful possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Establishes the "New Jersey-Israel Commission" as a permanent commission in the Department of State.
Provides for adjustment and notice of date on which certain elections can occur if date coincides with period of religious observance.
Eliminates required mailing of sample ballots to inactive voters.
Establishes the Troops to College Program in the Commission on Higher Education to assist veterans in making the transition into the college classroom.
Permits standardbred permit holder at Meadowlands Racetrack to decrease annual number of race dates to no less than 141, and permit holders at Freehold Raceway to no less than 168, upon agreement with representative horsemen's organization.
Vetoed · 1
Lengthens service life of certain school buses to 15 years. **
Passed the General Assembly · 6
Establishes penalties for manufacture, purchase or possession of certain keys.
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.
Includes limitations on amount of retirement compensation which may be provided by a school board in the employment contracts of superintendents of schools, assistant superintendents of schools, and school business administrators.
Concerns continuing education for dentists. *
Requires that school districts use a model contract developed by the Commissioner of Education when employing a superintendent of schools.
Creates e-mail registration requirement for convicted stalkers.
Out of committee · 20
Requires alternative testing arrangements be provided to certain students unable to attend tests at their regular administration due to religious observance.
Provides for allocation of $25 million from available balances from societal benefits charge revenues for utility assistance grants for qualified households. **
Permits municipality to enact ordinance regulating where sex offenders may reside. *
Allows gross income tax deductions for contributions to the "NJBEST college savings program."
Enacts the "Jessica Lunsford Act;" increases sentences for sex offenders and persons who harbor them.
Increases funding of Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Program.
Appropriates $54,917,725 from various Green Acres funds for local government open space acquisition and park development projects.
"Public Access and Marina Safety Task Force Act." *
Provides that tuition assistance or additional compensation for graduate degree provided under employment contracts for certain school district administrators may only be provided if degree is conferred by accredited institution.
Enhances PFRS accidental death pension benefit for survivors of member serving in nonsupervisory rank.
Prohibits use of wireless telephones or electronic communication devices by operators of public transit vehicles while vehicles are moving. *
Requires certain conditions be met in order for school districts to provide their employees with tuition assistance for coursework or additional compensation upon acquisition of academic credits or completion of a degree program.
The "Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act."
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 $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.
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 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 · 63
Requires notification of rape care advocate under certain circumstances by law enforcement, prosecutors and medical providers.
Establishes the "Corrupt Gains Restitution Act."
Prohibits campaign contributions by certain individuals, businesses or other organizations that purchase or acquire property involved in eminent domain proceedings.
Requires forfeiture of public office upon conviction of fourth degree crime or higher; disqualifies person from future office upon conviction of fourth degree crime or higher or conviction of crime involving dishonesty.
Establishes new offenses concerning the unlawful possession and use of credit card scanners.
Abolishes legislative leadership committees; reduces contributions to State political party committees to $12,500 per year, to county committees to $10,000 per year and to municipal committees to $5,000 per year.
Requires filing of financial and conflict disclosure statements as condition of development approval.
Establishes Property Tax Impact Review Commission to review legislation potentially impacting property taxes.
Limits payment to $15,000 for accumulated sick leave upon retirement for local public employees.
Prohibits county committee of a political party from contributing to or accepting contribution from another such county committee.
Prohibits simultaneous holding of certain State, county and municipal elective and appointive positions.
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.
Increases statute of limitations for certain crimes involving political corruption from five years to seven years.
Establishes reporting requirements and permissive inference for violations by motor vehicle operators approaching or passing certain horses, ponies and mules.
"Transparency in Government Act;" provides for establishment of State public finance website.
Extends eligibility for veterans' property tax deduction to residents of continuing care retirement communities.
"Kyleigh's Law"; revises laws concerning provisional driver's licenses.
Caps bond counsel legal fees and costs on public issuers' bond transactions and requires a competitive selection process for retaining bond counsel.
Makes elected officials with compensation less than $50,000 ineligible for health care benefits on the 61st day after enactment.
Eliminates provision that permits current members of Legislature who hold more than one elective public office on February 1, 2008 to continue to do so if service is continuous.
Allows pension calculation to be based on compensation increase in excess of actuarially assumed experience only if employer pays unfunded liability.
Restricts use of accumulated sick leave by public employees in year prior to retirement.
Limits payment upon retirement to $10,000 to State and local public officers and employees for accumulated sick leave.
Requires NJ Transit to provide on-time performance data for bus passenger service in its annual report.
Authorizes special Gold Star Family license plates.
Eliminates 15% fee charged by cemetery company on transfer of graves, crypts and niches.
Establishes registry of community agency employees providing services to persons with developmental disabilities.
Clarifies that retention of unearned wages by a public servant is theft 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.
Repeals law providing benefits for family temporary disability leave.
Provides that municipalities may provide occupancy preferences in available COAH units to certain households participating in certain federal programs.
Upgrades lewdness to fourth degree crime if committed in public rest room.
Provides that municipalities with minimum amounts of developable land may file certification with the Council on Affordabe Housing, even if no petition for substantive certification is filed.
"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.
Creates incandescent light bulb replacement program in BPU.
Increases and revises membership of New Jersey Cemetery Board.
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%.
Authorizes DOT, NJ Turnpike Authority, and South Jersey Transportation Authority to permit BPU-certified persons to install and maintain solar photovoltaic panels on noise barriers erected on roads and highways.
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 procedures for crediting certain dwellings used by agricultural laborers in determination of municipality's fair share housing obligation.
Delays implementation of paid family leave for two years.
"Transparency in Government Act;" provides for establishment of State public finance website.
Abolishes Council on Affordable Housing for failure to comply with legislative directives.
Eliminates expansion of preschool education program in "School Funding Reform Act of 2008."
Appropriates $2,825,903 from the Clean Waters Fund for sewerage infrastructure improvements at the former Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital.
Requires legislators to designate one covered position of elected office or employment for PERS credit.
Prohibits local government officer or employee who recuses himself from matter in which he has interest from engaging in activity that might be construed as lobbying or advocating for interest.
Offers surviving spouse of TPAF or PERS member with 25 or more years of service choice of deferred pension instead of current return of contributions and non-contributory life insurance.
Provides for public comment period at certain sessions of each house of the Legislature.
Permits approval of certain regional contribution agreements through December 31, 2009.
Consumer Relief Act of 2009; establishes temporary sales and use tax rate reduction periods for sales of certain goods and services.
Establishes 18-month moratorium on promulgation of new administrative rules and issuance of new policy circular letters by State agencies.
Revises standards used by charitable organizations in determining permissible expenditures of endowment funds.
Removes authority of MVC to increase certain fees; sets certain fees by statute.
Requires sending districts to pay the tuition and provide certain transportation services for their students attending approved vocational programs at certain comprehensive high schools.
Regulates assignment and use of State vehicles.
Provides that deed restrictions on affordable housing units are not extinguished by foreclosure proceedings.
Makes members of county boards of taxation ineligible for membership in State-administered retirement system or for health care benefits coverage under plan for public employees.
Provides a gross income tax credit of up to $7,500 for qualified home purchases made by certain first-time homebuyers in the remaining portion of taxable year 2009, taxable year 2010 and taxable year 2011.
Reduces corporation business tax rate and provides an additional rate reduction for three years for taxpayers that relocate corporate headquarters to New Jersey.
Revises Business Employment Incentive Program to spur economic growth.
Regulates assignment and use of vehicles owned or leased by State authorities.