Bills in the 2014–2015 Session, General Assembly.
Donna M. Simon
Sponsored
Out of committee1
Establishes pilot program to provide zero-interest loans to certain emergency shelters and food banks for purchase and installation of generator.
In committee39
Authorizes appointment of part-time county tax administrators.
Establishes Hunterdon-Somerset Flood Advisory Task Force.
Requires medical bills be standardized and accompanied by explanatory disclosure form.
Reduces number of rooms necessary for historic hotel to receive liquor license.
Tax Relief for New Jersey Families Act; provides income tax credits for property tax relief, quadruples the homestead property tax credit and increases the earned income tax credit.
Directs board of trustees of county college to post information on the compensation paid to college president on its website.
Directs Secretary of Higher Education to adopt guidelines for the employment contracts of county college presidents.
Criminalizes operation of school bus with suspended driver's license.
Requires school districts to allow home-schooled students to participate in school-sponsored extracurricular activities in the student's resident district.
Provides for permanent debarment from government contracting of any person who is convicted of certain crimes involving government contracts.
Requires sex offenders to note criminal status on social network accounts.
Requires eligibility checklist and audit for enrollment in PERS of certain public employees who provide professional services; imposes fine on certifying officer or supervisor for ineligible enrollments.
Requires criminal background check for name change and prohibits persons convicted of certain crimes from changing their name.
Requires certain health benefits coverage for diagnosing and treating autism and other developmental disabilities.
Requires public utility requesting rate increase to hold public hearings in every county.
Requires public utilities to meet with county emergency management coordinators during major catastrophic event.
Establishes "New Jersey Electromagnetic Infrastructure Advisory Commission."
Requires certain public contracts for insurance coverage and consulting services to be awarded through competitive contracting process.
Authorizes disclosure by DCF of child abuse and neglect information to religious institutions.
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.
Establishes death benefit for forest firefighters.
Creates special license plates supporting Autism Awareness.
Upgrades and expands crime of criminal mischief under certain circumstances.
Provides for the inclusion of home-schooled students in the NJ STARS Program.
Creates motor vehicle offenses related to special paratransit vehicles.
Requires special paratransit vehicles to display flashing warning lights while discharging or receiving passengers.
Modifies education requirement for licensure by the NJ State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling.
Requires display of State vehicle abuse hotline bumper stickers on all State vehicles.
Establishes Task Force on School District Regionalization.
Reduces number of and establishes usage requirements for State vehicles.
Requires certified animal control officers and animal cruelty investigators to engage in continuing education.
Eliminates requirement that school district grant up to two days with full pay for attendance at NJ Education Association convention; provides that granting of paid leave or reimbursement for professional development is subject to bargaining.
Provides that superintendent salary caps are applicable to charter school administrators and requires charter schools to annually submit list of employees subject to cap.
Establishes criminal penalties for violating quarantine orders.
Provides mandatory minimum term of imprisonment for certain crimes of domestic violence.
Upgrades certain offenses against persons with certain disabilities.
Amends definition of "harassment, intimidation, or bullying" in Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act."
Creates offense of inflicting corporal punishment under certain circumstances.
Concerns speech rights of student journalists at public schools and public institutions of higher education.
Filed1
Permits school boards and contracting units to disqualify public contract bidder with whom any school board or local contracting unit had prior negative experience; establishes prior negative experience database.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 21
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.
Requires training program for school bus drivers and school bus aides on interacting with students with special needs, and requires development and use of student information cards.*
Exempts Holocaust reparations payments from legal process, and from estate recovery under Medicaid program.
Authorizes court to order submission of DNA evidence to national database to determine whether evidence matches a known individual or DNA profile from an unsolved crime.*
Criminalizes bestiality.
Concerns authority of DOLWD to inspect prevailing wage public work projects.
Requires Commissioner of DOLWD to disseminate certain information to contractors who bid on or perform prevailing wage public work.
Allows gross income taxpayers to use their gross income tax returns to make voluntary contributions to ALS Association for services to New Jersey residents.
Allows military personnel and veterans to present certain identifying documents in lieu of municipal beach tags to gain admission to certain beaches.
Requires New Jersey School Report Card to include indicators of student career readiness.
Requires preparation programs for teachers and school counselors to include programming to improve student career readiness.*
Allows school districts and requires public colleges to enter into dual enrollment agreements to provide college-level instruction to high school students through courses offered on college or high school campuses.*
Provides that if a career and technical education program of a school district is taught in an industry setting, off-site location will be exempt from certain State regulations.*
Establishes Division of State Museum in Department of State; continues New Jersey State Museum within division; abolishes museum board of trustees.
Requires BPU to provide links to pricing information to customers from electric and gas public utilities, and third-party electric power and gas suppliers.*
Requires BPU to establish procedures allowing electric power and gas supplier customers to switch energy suppliers.
Imposes contract standards between customers and third-party electric power and gas suppliers.
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 · 1
Requires Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development to review construction work on public utilities.*
Passed the General Assembly · 11
Permits new cigar lounges to be opened under certain circumstances.*
Designates bison as agricultural livestock.
Requires counseling for certain domestic violence offenders.
Creates self-defense justification for victims of domestic violence.
Requires law enforcement officers to search domestic violence restraining order registry upon conducting an arrest.
Permits a witness who is under the age of 16 or a victim of any age to testify by closed circuit television in prosecutions for crimes or offenses involving domestic violence.
Establishes the New Jersey Task Force on Domestic Violence and Abuse.
Allows parent, guardian, or adult student to prevent disclosure of student information to certain entities.
Requires written contract between customers and third-party electric power and gas suppliers.
Requires local governments and authorities to obtain financing cost estimate from NJ Environmental Infrastructure Trust for certain projects; revises bond maturities and sale of bonds by NJ Enviromental Infrastructure Trust.*
Requires public school students with concussion to be evaluated by licensed health care professionals before return to school; requires school districts to provide restrictions or limitations to student as needed.*
Out of committee · 13
Provides protections for individuals with developmental disabilities through accountability and transparency; designated as "Stephen Komninos' Law."
Allows certain emergency squad volunteers holding municipal elective office to vote on emergency squad concerns.
Designates State Route 173 between Clinton and Phillipsburg as "173rd Airborne Brigade Highway."
Directs the collection of recidivism data for adults sentenced to a period of probation.
Establishes publicly accessible domestic violence Internet registry.
"New Jersey Tuition Equality for America's Military (NJTEAM) Act;" provides in-State tuition at New Jersey public institutions of higher education to military veterans.
Concerns access to records of wages for prevailing wage public work projects.
Extends for five years expiration date of special appraisal process for Green Acres program and farmland preservation program for lands in Highlands Region; makes change to special appraisal process for certain farmers. *
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.
Conforms Megan's Law to requirements of federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.*
Expands number of safe havens for leaving newborn infants.
Revises laws concerning real estate licensees.
In committee · 132
"Transparency in Government Act;" provides for establishment of State public finance website.
Requires certain public entities to issue requests for proposals for purchase of certain insurance products and services; requires disclosure of commissions paid.
Requires certain contractors to verify work authorization of newly hired employees.
Eliminates seniority in Civil Service and other jurisdictions for reductions in force in certain circumstances.
Exempts employees and school board members of federal impact aid districts from certain out-of-state travel restrictions.
"Direct Tax Relief for New Jersey Families Act"; Establishes the New Jersey Direct Property Tax Relief Program; increases the renter's gross income tax credit for property taxes; and increases the earned income tax credit.
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.
Permits layoff plans as substitute for employment reconciliation plans for joint meetings or shared service agreements under certain circumstances.
Establishes measures to improve transparency and accountability of regional authorities of this State; enhances oversight of those authorities by Governor and State Comptroller.
"The Reliability, Preparedness, and Storm Response Act of 2012"; requires public utilities to file certain information concerning emergency preparedness with BPU and increases certain penalties.
Concerns repayment of unemployment insurance benefits obtained fraudulently.
Concerns eligibility for unemployment benefits for certain seasonal workers.
Prohibits dual government employment and office holding; requires pension forfeiture by convicted elected officials; bans use of campaign funds for criminal defense costs; revises legislative conflict of interest standards.
Provides public servant is guilty of official misconduct if he knowingly obtains, arranges or provides "no-show" job for himself or another.
"Historic Property Reinvestment Act"; provides credits against certain taxes for certain costs of rehabilitating historic properties.
Revises definition of "necessary care" in the State's animal cruelty law to include more specific requirements.
Disqualifies person named on federal Terrorist Watchlist from obtaining firearms identification card or permit to purchase handgun.
Prohibits plea bargain if sex offender who committed Megan's Law offense would not be required to register.
Requires Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards to maintain information on Internet; requires certain assistance to be provided to individuals filing complaints with the committee.
Establishes crime of participation in criminal street gang initiation ritual.
Expands duties of State Auditor to include performance audits at request of legislator; establishes Performance Audit Committee, consisting of eight public members, to help conduct performance audits.
Requires ballot question on approval of State bond issue to disclose total amount of debt of State or other entity, debt service on which is funded through annual State appropriation.
Creates the "Local Unit Audit Teams" program in the Department of the Treasury.
Phases out estate tax over five-year period.
Permits boards of education to convey certain school property to nonprofit senior citizen organizations for nominal consideration.
Makes all persons convicted of sexual assault subject to the No Early Release Act; specifies that any use of force elevates sexual assault to aggravated sexual assault.
Reduces gross income tax rates by ten percent over three years.
Broadens eligibility for certain veterans' benefits by eliminating requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations.
Repeals the New Jersey estate tax.
Clarifies that crime victim has a right to make a victim impact statement directly to the defendant at sentencing.
Revises child pornography law.
Allows victims and relatives to witness parole hearings.
Clarifies that first aid, ambulance or rescue squads, as entities, have immunity from civil damages in certain circumstances.
Authorizes special Support Our Veterans license plate with proceeds supporting New Jersey homeless veteran's centers.
Designates "I'm From New Jersey" as the State song.
Exempts disabled veterans from certain fees at State parks and forests.
Requires Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to provide information on life insurance plans to borrowers of student loans and requires authority to contract with life insurance company to offer policies to borrowers.
Provides for priority consideration, by State, of permit applications by counties and municipalities with 10 or more shared services.
Requires interpretive statements of State general obligation bond act public questions to include certain fiscal information.
"The New Jersey Healthcare Choice Act"; permits health insurers licensed in other states to provide coverage in New Jersey under certain circumstances.
"Education Investment Act"; establishes an equity financing for education program at certain public institutions of higher education.
Regulates assignment and use of State vehicles.
Requires prosecutor to determine risk of re-offense under Megan's Law prior to offender's release from incarceration.
Bars companies which hire illegal aliens from public contracts, grants, loans, or tax incentives for seven years.
Establishes criminal penalties for killing, injuring or interfering with a service animal or guide dog; designated as "Dusty's Law."
Provides for mandatory forfeiture of retirement benefits of elected official convicted of crime involving office held.
Increases penalty for harboring or concealing certain sex offenders.
Makes a $3 million supplemental appropriation for increased Per Capita Library Aid.
Establishes Common Core State Standards Evaluation Task Force; delays use of assessments developed by Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers until task force submits final report.
Doubles amount of certain retirement income that may be excluded from gross income under gross income tax, eliminates income cap on exclusion.
Prohibits certain energy suppliers from making false and misleading claims to potential customers; prohibits suppliers' calls to customers where no business relationship exists.
Provides for licensure of pediatric respite care facilities.
Provides for mandatory imprisonment and forfeiture of retirement benefits for public officers or employees convicted of certain crimes.
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.
Expands definitions of "abused child" or "abused or neglected child" to include prenatal exposure of child to controlled substances.
Authorizes special emergency appropriations for the payment of certain expenses incurred by municipalities and counties to implement municipal consolidation, the sharing of services, and the creation of a joint meeting under certain circumstances.
Specifies conditions under which State, county, municipality, independent authority, school district, or higher education institution can grant unpaid or paid leave of absence to public employee to perform work for labor organization.
Establishes offense of advertising commercial sexual abuse of minor.
Directs removal or enhancement of electric public utility infrastructure located in flood hazard area.
Directs public utilities and pipeline operators to reimburse municipalities for certain emergency services.
Provides for disclosure of person's medical records related to AIDS or HIV infection for investigations or prosecutions of crime of diseased person committing act of sexual penetration; makes crime ineligible for expungment.
Establishes NJ Animal Abuser Registry.
Establishes bribery in official and political matters applies to person soliciting, accepting, or agreeing to accept benefit as consideration to act even though not yet in office or otherwise qualified to act.
Prohibits public utility from filing rate increase petition under certain circumstances.
Increases criminal penalties if leaving loaded firearm within easy access of minor results in injury or death.
Eliminates dual governmental pay to members of Legislature for legislative duties.
Excludes certain out-of-State businesses and employees from certain taxes, fees, and business registration requirements when temporarily performing in-State work or services during declared disaster or emergency.
Establishes pilot program to utilize value-based benefit design in SHBP to increase health benefits coverage for certain employees concerning chronic health conditions.
Exempts military personnel receiving combat zone pay from the gross income tax.
Adds child molestation and endangerment to crimes that subject public school employee offender to pension and retirement benefit forfeiture.
Requires screening of certain high-risk pregnancies and reporting of fetal deaths.
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.
Prohibits annual bonuses for perfect attendance and the non-use of sick leave.
Prohibits terminal leave compensation for local government employees.
Prohibits member of Legislature from seeking certain grants or loans through annual appropriations act or legislatively-controlled program.
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.
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.
Prohibits boards of education from charging students a fee to participate in extracurricular activities.
Renames Mountainview Youth Correctional Facility as "William H. Fauver Youth Correctional Facility."
"Opportunity Scholarship Act"; establishes pilot program in Department of Treasury providing tax credits to entities contributing to scholarships for low-income children; appropriates $1,500,000 to Treasury.
Increases penalties for luring a child and kidnapping.
Requires Commissioner of Community Affairs to compile and annually update list of all unfunded State and federal mandates on municipalities and counties.
Requires condominium and homeowners' associations to provide information to federal home loan insurance providers at no cost to potential buyers.
Requires all campaign contributions to be reported to ELEC.
Permits juveniles to be admitted to drug court program under certain circumstances.
Establishes a fixed term for Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director of PANYNJ; requires approval from Governors of New Jersey and New York prior to employment of directors.
Requires State Comptroller to receive and provide certain independent authority employee information on State Comptroller's website.
Establishes various good governance requirements at State and local authorities.
Requires any POW-MIA flag purchased with State funds be manufactured in United States.
Eliminates presumption of non-imprisonment for theft of a firearm.
Establishes crimes of operating school bus with suspended or revoked driving privileges and being involved in accident causing bodily injury; permanently prohibits passenger and school bus CDL endorsements for persons convicted of those crimes.
Establishes "State Vehicle Reduction Task Force."
Makes various changes to interest arbitration procedures; repeals sunset provision.
Allows county sheriffs to issue firearms identification cards and permits to purchase handguns; authorizes county sheriffs to accept applications for permits to carry handguns.
Permits municipalities to reject proposed off-track wagering facility; removes five-year tax exemption, abatement, or payment in-lieu-of taxes for off-track wagering facilities.
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.
Eliminates general purpose, supplemental and mansion realty transfer fees.
Schedules the termination of the realty transfer fees.
Revises exemption from "unemployment compensation law" for operators of certain motor vehicles.
Removes expiration of required payment by public employees of percentage of cost of health care coverage provided by public employers.
Requires State arts, historical, and cultural grant recipients to offer information on food and lodging in vicinity of event funded.
Establishes "County Career Technical Education Annual Recognition Awards" to annually recognize best programs implemented by county vocational school districts.
Dedicates $140,000 of revenue from motor vehicle violations to DHS for brain injury services.
Requires 10 percent bail; prohibits installment payments.
Provides courts with sentencing discretion for certain convictions concerning possession of a firearm.
Establishes veterans' preference for affordable housing in certain housing projects.
Requires institutions of higher education to provide greater assistance to certain students with military obligations.
"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.
Permits increase in municipal free public library tax upon voter approval.
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.
Prohibits homeowners insurance premium increase based on first claim during coverage period.
Requires evaluation of appropriateness of light frame construction for multiple dwellings and imposes moratorium on light frame construction until determination and recommendations are adopted.
Requires MVC to accept death certificate as proof of name change.
Requires reimbursement of certain Casino Reinvestment Development Authority grants and payment of those grants to Atlantic County for property tax relief.
Prohibits transfer of individuals with developmental disabilities from out-of-State to in-State placements under certain conditions.
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 defense against exclusionary zoning litigation seeking builder's remedy.
Clarifies five-month window established by Supreme Court begins after trial court establishes standards.
Requires DOH license additional angioplasty facilities, with at least one facility in each county.
Authorizes Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy to calculate affordable housing obligations.
Directs COAH to use growth share methodology to calculate fair share affordable housing need.
Establishes Class Three special law enforcement officers to provide security in public and nonpublic schools.
Reforms procedures concerning provision of affordable housing.
Refines five-month window established by Supreme Court begins after trial court establishes standards.
Provides for DOH to issue identification card to person with autism or intellectual or developmental disability to help emergency responders with recognition and response techniques.
Gives priority to applicants for firearms purchaser identification card and permits to purchase handguns when domestic violence restraining order is in effect.
Allows shore municipalities to provide spouse and dependent children of veterans free or reduced cost access to beaches.
Prioritizes application for firearms purchaser identification cards, permits to purchase a handgun, and permits to carry a handgun under certain circumstances.
Permits Adjutant General to authorize members of NJ National Guard to carry firearm at recruiting centers.
Links police and fire interest arbitration base salary cap to property tax levy; makes cap permanent.