Bills in the 2014–2015 Session, General Assembly.
Caroline Casagrande
Sponsored
Out of committee1
Requires State agencies to periodically review administrative rules and regulations to ensure continued efficacy.
In committee71
Prohibits payment to public employees at retirement for certain unused sick leave, provides for forfeiture of payment for unused sick leave for certain criminal convictions, and requires documentation for use of sick leave.
Establishes the "Corrupt Gains Restitution Act."
Reduces number of paid holidays from 13 to 10 for all State and local government employees.
Requires investigating law enforcement officer to contact next of kin of unconscious motor vehicle accident victim who has been transported to hospital emergency room.
Prohibits public employers from reimbursing tuition or awarding promotions or compensation based on degrees or certifications obtained from unaccredited institutions.
Provides full forfeiture of pension of elected or appointed official convicted of any crime touching office.
Prohibits persons violating animal cruelty law from owning, keeping, or harboring animals; requires DHSS establish and maintain website list of such persons.
Amends the "Public Corruption Profiteering Penalty Act."
Concerns unemployment benefits and work stoppages.
Excludes certain contributions to deferred compensation plans and provides deduction for certain individual retirement savings under the gross income tax.
Prohibits payment of temporary disability benefits to incarcerated individuals.
Requires certain political subdivisions to grant employees only those holidays granted to State employees and standardizes amount of paid vacation and sick leave granted to employees of certain political subdivisions.
Prohibits certain political subdivisions from awarding longevity-based benefits to their employees.
Prohibits annual bonuses for perfect attendance and the non-use of sick leave.
Prohibits terminal leave compensation for local government employees.
Prohibits investment by State of pension and annuity funds in companies with ties to terrorists.
Prohibits member of Legislature from seeking certain grants or loans through annual appropriations act or legislatively-controlled program.
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 posting on State and local government websites information concerning assignment and use of vehicles.
Repeals statutory requirement of annual or biennial dog census.
Imposes mandatory forfeiture of public office, position or employment upon conviction of certain offenses.
Creates pilot program to allow wagering on horse races by means of certain patron-operated terminals.
Eliminates transfer inheritance taxes on brothers and sisters of a decedent.
Caps attorney fee awards in actions against public entities.
Upgrades penalties for certain criminal offenses committed against elderly and disabled persons.
Allows gross income tax deduction for expenses associated with enrollment in nonpublic schools.
Provides for regulation of modeling and talent marketing companies.
Provides gross income tax deduction for certain moving expenses for taxpayer moving to New Jersey to commence work in State.
Permits certain municipalities to issue additional plenary retail consumption licenses.
Requires tenure charges be filed against any public school employee found to have bullied a student and requires the employment of any nontenured public school employee be terminated for such activity.
Requires bars, restaurants, and liquor stores to post penalties for DWI.
Requires explanatory statement on ballot question for school district capital projects to include certain information.
Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for certain employer-provided child care expenditures.
Enacts the "NJ Family First Employer Act"; establishes award for certain employers.
Requires BPU to conduct biennial rate cases for public utilities; increases penalties for public utilities failing to comply with BPU orders.
Creates exemption from certain MVC fees for prisoners of war.
Prohibits sex offenders from holding any job, position, or type of employment that primarily consists of contact with children.
"Permit Transparency Act"; requires State entity to post on official website number of permits applied for and issued, revenue derived, number of employees involved, and salary of such employees.
Amends racketeering law to add solicitation and recruitment to join criminal street gangs, gang criminality and promoting organized street crime.
Upgrades certain penalties for gang criminality committed in a public place.
Creates crime of intentional discharge of firearm from vehicle.
Sets forth certain restriction regarding use of drones by law enforcement entities, forest fire departments, and entertainment venues.
Establishes time limit for retention of automated license plate reader data by law enforcement agency.
Increases length of time in which to file certain lien claim forms under "Construction Lien Law."
Allows gross income tax deductions totaling $300,000 over five taxable years for certain primary care physicians.
Permits landlords to take actions after death of tenant in certain situations.
Includes adjustment aid in calculation of districts' payments to charter schools under certain circumstances.
Establishes commercial deer harvesting license and allows commercial harvest of deer.
Increases State contract sum eligible for payment and performance bond waiver to not more than $300,000; provides for CPI inflation adjustment every four years.
Removes expiration of required payment by public employees of percentage of cost of health care coverage provided by public employers.
Revises 20% affordable housing set-aside requirement for newly-constructed housing developments within regional planning entities.
Authorizes free fishing licenses for persons with disabilities.
Requires law enforcement agencies, correctional facilities, and State Parole Board to adopt maternity policies.
Requires drivers to reduce speed when overtaking bicyclists or pedestrians.
Establishes a small business job creation and preservation account program to incentivize small business workforce expansion in New Jersey with income tax exclusions for interest.
Establishes young entrepreneurs program in EDA.
Establishes entrepreneur-in-residence pilot program.
Authorizes EDA to provide financial assistance to certain business incubator facilities.
"Innovate New Jersey Act"; establishes tax-free business incubators at institutions of higher education.
Establishes New Jersey Business Action Center in Department of State.
Creates pilot program concerning domestic violence; creates additional Superior Court judgeships.
Provides for a mandatory term of imprisonment for assault involving domestic violence.
Establishes minimum level of domestic violence training for judges and judicial personnel.
Requires environmental sustainability plan for State House Complex.
Requires DHS to prioritize placement of parents of children receiving services from DCPP in mental health and substance abuse treatment programs.
Requires law enforcement to obtain a warrant as the only means for accessing certain information from providers of electronic communication services.
Upgrades offense of endangering welfare of incompetent person; establishes new crime of enticing certain disabled persons to commit act likely to be injurious to their own welfare.
Establishes technology transfer assistance program in EDA.
Requires law enforcement agencies to obtain court order prior to use of imaging surveillance device.
Requires public hearings concerning public utility rate increase to be conducted within two years of public utility's application for rate increase.
Provides State Comptroller with express authority to engage certified public accountants as independent contractors on contingency fee basis.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 11
Requires Department of Agriculture to post on its website certain information regarding State's farm to school program.
Requires schools to maintain supply of epinephrine and permit administration of epinephrine to any student having anaphylactic reaction.
Designates May of each year "Military Appreciation Month" in New Jersey.
Enacts the "Jessica Lunsford Act;" imposes mandatory term of imprisonment; provides for negotiated reduction of mandatory term under certain circumstances.
Provides that crime victims do not have to pay fees to obtain records relating to the crime and that requests for such records are not public information.*
Establishes "Best in New Jersey 'Farm to School' Awards Program" to annually recognize the best farm to school programs implemented by a school or school district.
Directs the Dept. of Agriculture to establish a clearinghouse website for farmers to offer produce and dairy products for use by school breakfast programs, school lunch programs, and food banks.*
Establishes procedure for consolidating fire districts.
Authorizes New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2016.
Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2016.
Appropriates $88,592,361 from "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" and various Green Acres bond funds for local government open space acquisition and park development projects.
Vetoed · 2
Reinstates moratorium on imposition of Statewide non-residential development fees until January 2015.
Requires Medicaid coverage for diabetes self-management education, training, services, and equipment for patients diagnosed with diabetes, gestational diabetes, and pre-diabetes. *
Passed the General Assembly · 3
"Transparency in Government Act"; provides for establishment of State public finance website.
Exempts nursing mothers from jury duty.
Creates Education Reform Review Task Force; delays implementation of certain assessments and certain changes to teacher evaluation system.
Out of committee · 11
Requires labeling of foods containing genetically engineered material.*
Provides gross income tax credit for certain contributions to New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust (NJBEST) program.*
Creates New Jersey Cold War medal.
Establishes one-year moratorium on replacement of copper-based landline telephone service with wireless telephone service; requires BPU to report to Governor and Legislature. *
Appropriates funds to DEP for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2015.
Authorizes New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust to expend certain sums to make loans for environmental infrastructure projects for FY2015.
Authorizes youth camps to maintain supply of epinephrine and permit trained employees to administer epinephrine to camp members suffering from anaphylaxis.
Requires hospitals and birthing centers to provide parents of newborns with information on health insurance coverage for newborn children.
Conforms Megan's Law to requirements of federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.*
Establishes NJ Innovation and Research Fellowship Program in DOWLD.
Creates new criminal offenses concerning endangering another person; repeals N.J.S.2C:12-2 and N.J.S.2C:24-7.
In committee · 96
"Transparency in Government Act;" provides for establishment of State public finance website.
Removes authority of MVC to increase certain fees; sets certain fees by statute.
Suspends pension of any retired public employee who resumes public employment with compensation more than $15,000.
Eliminates expansion of preschool education programs in "School Funding Reform Act of 2008."
Permits layoff plans as substitute for employment reconciliation plans for joint meetings or shared service agreements under certain circumstances.
Limits compensation provided to presidents of public institutions of higher education.
Prohibits improper release of photographs or videos captured by public entities.
Prohibits governmental collection of biometric identifiers without consent.
Imposes criminal penalties for illegally obtaining or disclosing personally identifiable health information.
Increases penalties for the unlawful disclosure or use of taxpayer information by State tax officials.
Requires judge approval prior to installation of video camera by public entity.
Requires administrative agency to include privacy impact statement when adopting, amending, or repealing rule.
Requires judicial approval prior to installation or use of automated license plate reader by law enforcement agency.
Decriminalizes possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana, imposes civil penalties, and establishes fund for drug education.
Concerns eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits for certain seasonal employees.
Upgrades theft to a crime of the first degree if amount involved is $500,000 or more.
Requires public utility requesting rate increase to hold public hearings in every county.
Provides for public comment period at certain sessions of each house of the Legislature.
Phases out estate tax over five-year period.
Permits State Lottery Commission to authorize video lottery terminals at Meadowlands horse racetrack, subject to voter approval.
Permits State Lottery Commission to authorize video lottery terminals at Meadowlands racetrack, upon voter approval; dedicates 1/3 net proceeds to General Fund, 1/3 to State education aid, and 1/3 to horse racing industry.
Requires court to deny defendant's right to copy or reproduce images of child pornography as part of discovery.
Requires hiring preference for veterans in non-civil service jurisdictions.
Excludes gains on sales of certain real estate purchases from taxation under corporation business tax and gross income tax.
Prohibits awarding alimony to domestic violence offenders; permits termination of alimony based on conviction for crime or offense involving domestic violence.
Regulates assignment and use of State vehicles.
Expands number of safe havens for leaving newborn infants.
Requires health insurers to cover Lyme disease.
Criminalizes fifth or subsequent drunk driving offenses.
Provides a corporation business tax credit for certain investment in manufacturing equipment and manufacturing facility renovation, modernization and expansion.
Provides for mandatory forfeiture of retirement benefits of elected official convicted of crime involving office held.
Authorizes counties to participate in property tax appeals for real property having a value of $10 million or more.
Makes supplemental appropriation of $7,000,000 to DOE to reinstate nonpublic technology initiative aid.
Eliminates 15% fee charged by cemetery company on transfer of graves, crypts and niches.
Appropriates $3.963 million from General Fund to DOE for nonpublic nursing services aid.
Requires filing of financial and conflict disclosure statements as condition of development approval.
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.
Allows pension calculation to be based on compensation increase in excess of actuarially assumed experience only if employer pays unfunded liability.
Clarifies that retention of unearned wages by a public servant is theft under certain circumstances.
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.
Establishes moratorium on hydraulic fracturing for purpose of natural gas exploration or production until certain conditions are met.
Requires reporting of suspected abuse of institutionalized elderly to police and that facility employees receive notice of reporting requirement annually; designated as "Peggy's Law."
Requires municipalities to reimburse qualified private communities for street paving costs.
Eliminates transfer inheritance tax and increases filing threshold and applicable exclusion amounts under New Jersey estate tax in accordance with provisions of federal tax law.
Extends "whistleblower" protections to employee disclosure of governmental mismanagement, waste and abuse.
Grants credit against business taxes to developer of rental housing reserved for occupancy by veterans.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns to support NJ SHARES.
Concerns repayment of unemployment compensation overpayments.
Establishes penalties for manufacture, purchase or possession of certain keys.
Upgrades lewdness to fourth degree crime if committed in public rest room.
Criminalizes participation in criminal street gang.
Requires electric public utilities to file with BPU and implement distribution infrastructure protection plans; prohibits rate increase pending implementation of plans.
Provides that certain permits and approvals for critical infrastructure projects must be acted upon within 45 days.
Provides gross income tax deduction for costs of purchasing and installing battery backups for certain home solar electrical generators.
Requires screening of certain high-risk pregnancies and reporting of fetal deaths.
Permits temporary casino gaming at Meadowlands Complex for 2014 Hambletonian Race.
Extends eligibility for veterans' property tax deduction to residents of continuing care retirement communities.
Prohibits good faith allegations of child abuse from being used against the accuser in a child custody proceeding; makes it a disorderly persons offense to file a false allegation of child abuse.
Establishes animal cruelty offense of cruel confinement of a gestating pig.
Encourages local unit sharing of services; makes appropriations.
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.
Requires certain user fees for the provision of traditional municipal services to be included within the 2% municipal and county property tax levy cap.
Expands notification when an offender is released from custody or transferred within the criminal justice system.
Requires Commissioner of DHSS to assess how to increase number of teaching hospitals and medical residency programs throughout State.
Provides immunity from civil liability for person who sends text message to motor vehicle operator.
The "Safe Playing Fields Act"; restricts use of lawn care pesticides at child care centers and certain schools, playgrounds, and recreational fields.
Requires fire districts, school districts, and county governments to share in burden of property assessment appeal refunds.
Makes various changes to interest arbitration procedures; repeals sunset provision.
Provides corporation business tax and the gross income tax credits for insourcing business to New Jersey.
Eliminates general purpose, supplemental and mansion realty transfer fees.
Schedules the termination of the realty transfer fees.
Authorizes slot machine gambling to be conducted at horse racetracks; dedicates State's share of revenues for open space preservation.
Allows gross income tax deductions totaling $300,000 over five taxable years for psychiatrists.
Increases filing threshold and applicable exclusion amount for the New Jersey estate tax to $5 million over period of five years.
Concerns Superstorm Sandy recovery.
Limits certain unused sick leave pay and vacation leave carry-forward for school and local employees; limits sick leave use by new public employees before retirement.
Provides courts with sentencing discretion for certain convictions concerning possession of a firearm.
Prohibits MVC from imposing duplicate license or identification card fee and digitized picture fee if duplicate is requested to reflect change in organ donor status.
Requires institutions of higher education to provide greater assistance to certain students with military obligations.
The "Motherhood Violence Act;" creates the offense of fetal homicide.
Enhances "Crime Victim's Bill of Rights"; prohibits defendant from entering crime victim's home throughout criminal justice process, including in relation to any investigation or discovery.
Requires State to recognize permits to carry handguns issued to certain New Jersey residents by other states.
Limits authority of court to order one or both parents to pay post-high school education expenses on behalf of a child if both parents agree that they will not pay such expenses.
Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for businesses that employ apprentices in DOL registered apprenticeships.
Establishes workforce training program for underemployed individuals.
Allows individual appointed as State monitor to remain employed for more than two years without cancellation of retirement benefits.
Revises definition of "antique firearm" to include handguns.
Provides that unlawful use, manufacture, or distribution of controlled dangerous substance by parent or caregiver in presence of child constitutes crime of endangering welfare of that child.
Upgrades domestic violence-related assault to crime of the fourth degree; upgrades second or subsequent offense to crime of the third degree.
Prohibits local units of government from adopting increased minimum wage and mandatory paid sick leave for private employers.
Revises definition of "antique handgun;" provides exceptions to certain firearm laws.
Authorizes executive county superintendent of schools to solicit proposals from school districts willing to be certified as district of residence for students who reside on certain federal property.
Establishes "Superstorm Sandy Homeowners Protection Act."
Gives priority to applicants for firearms purchaser identification card and permits to purchase handguns when domestic violence restraining order is in effect.
Links police and fire interest arbitration base salary cap to property tax levy; makes cap permanent.