Bills in the 2008–2009 Session, General Assembly.
Alex DeCroce
Sponsored
Passed the General Assembly5
Establishes State Capital Coordinating Council on Emergency Evacuation Routes and Procedures.
Increases income eligibility limit for reduction or abatement of municipal or county authority fees.
Creates alternate voting members on county agriculture development boards.
Permits installation of GPS navigation devices which do not obstruct a motor vehicle operator's vision.
Exempts use of citizen's band and two-way radios by operators of commercial motor vehicles from prohibition on use of hand-held wireless telephone or electronic communication devices while driving. *
In committee25
Directs State acquisition of Troy Meadows Natural Area, Morris County, for recreation and conservation purposes and designates it as natural area and wildlife sanctuary.
Provides single sales fraction for corporation business tax income allocation formula, eliminates "regular place of business" requirement to allocate less than 100% of income to New Jersey, provides airline-specific sales fraction.
Requires Department of Education to encourage boards of education to offer instruction in media literacy.
Concerns Turnpike Authority's contracts for towing.
Authorizes comparable sales as primary appraisal method for assessment of county or municipally owned watershed lands.
Concerns affordable housing in the Highlands Region.
Standardizes maximum fine for violation of municipal and county ordinances and resolutions at $1,250.
Supplemental appropriation of $3.1 million to Division of State Police for additional police recruit classes.
Prohibits local governments from acquiring by condemnation any airport that has had its development rights purchased.
Establishes New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center and authorizes establishment of Foundation for the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center.
Repeals Highlands planning and environmental permitting provisions of "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act," and amends various statutes to reflect repeal thereof.
"Transportation Trust Fund Renewal and Enhancement Act."
Requires Attorney General to defend certain local law enforcement officers.
Reconstitutes membership of Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards to eight public members only.
Requires in public schools instruction on the contributions of United States veterans and the observance of patriotic exercises on certain holidays.
Requires electric utility bills to separately list the amount of State sales and use tax, societal benefits charge and transitional energy facility unit rate assessment surcharge.
Decreases rental motor vehicle surcharge from $5 per day to $2 per day.
Decreases rental motor vehicle surcharge from $5 per day to $2 per day for temporary replacement rental motor vehicles.
Lowers number of signatures required for recall petition.
Requires genetic testing to determine paternity in non-dissolution cases.
Exempts certain motor vehicle repair dealers from consumer fraud law and regulation under certain circumstances.
Establishes a pothole repair and research program in the Department of Transportation and provides funding from new motor vehicle tire fee revenue.
Concerns dissolution of free public libraries.
Provides that certain permits and approvals for critical infrastructure projects must be acted upon within 45 days.
Establishes new limits for campaign contributions by individuals, certain groups and campaign committees.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 4
Changes deadline for voter-verified paper record of votes cast on voting machines to January 1, 2009.
Changes Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards from 16 to eight members; makes various procedural changes; requires annual ethics training for legislators.
"Tree Experts and Tree Care Operators Licensing Act."
Allows membership of Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards to include certain full-time State college and university faculty members.
Passed the General Assembly · 5
Establishes a "State Authorities Review Commission."
Requires that notice of hearing on certain zoning changes be by certified mail only.
Requires certain elected officials and appointed officers eligible for dual health benefits coverage to choose coverage by one public entity. *
Prohibits certain persons convicted of certain crimes from serving as governmental affairs agents.
Enhances crime victims' rights under the "Crime Victim's Bill of Rights."
Out of committee · 12
Enacts the "Jessica Lunsford Act;" increases sentences for sex offenders and persons who harbor them.
Appropriates $1,068,921 from "Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund" to provide historic site management grants for certain historic preservation projects.
Appropriates $54,917,725 from various Green Acres funds for local government open space acquisition and park development projects.
Permits student whose high school special education program requires instruction beyond four years to participate with his class in graduation ceremony and to receive certificate of attendance.
Provides manufacturers a single sales fraction corporation business tax income allocation formula.
Increases carryover period of net operating loss deduction under corporation business tax. *
Enhances PFRS accidental death pension benefit for survivors of member serving in nonsupervisory rank.
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 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 · 34
Prohibits certain contributions by certain entities and individuals doing business with counties or municipalities; limits amount of contribution by principals and officers of such entities.
Establishes a "Local Authorities Review Commission."
Modifies rule governing decisions under the "Municipal Land Use Law."
Prohibits sale of gasoline containing MTBE; directs DEP to seek waiver from EPA oxygen requirements for purpose of discontinuing use of MTBE; and establishes Transportation Energy Security Council to monitor good faith compliance effort.
Requires DEP to refund application fee to certain persons exempt from Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act.
Includes same sex marriages among marriages declared void; provides that New Jersey will not recognize marriages in other jurisdictions which are void in New Jersey.
Designates "I'm From New Jersey" as the State song.
Revises Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act; repeals law expediting certain State permits.
Requires school districts to inform the parent or guardian of a student recommended to use certain medications of the possible side effects and potential negative consequences of those medications.
Allows a corporation business taxpayer recognizing income, gain or loss pursuant to a plan of complete liquidation to deduct its net operating loss carryovers notwithstanding the limitations on such deductions during the 2002-2005 tax years.
Prohibits candidates and elected public officials charged with crimes from using campaign contributions for their legal defense.
Creates defibrillator grant program in DHSS for municipalities; appropriates $1.7 million.
Prohibits contributions by certain entities doing business with State; limits amount of contributions by principals and officers of such entities.
Clarifies procedures for closing active child protective services cases.
Eliminates the alternative minimum assessment under the corporation business tax.
Provides that no more than four of the seven public members appointed to the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council may be of the same political party.
Exempts construction, expansion or renovation of buildings or other structures for police departments, fire departments, and volunteer first aid, emergency, ambulance or rescue squads from "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act."
Clarifies that Fish and Game Council has sole authority to regulate freshwater fishing, hunting, and trapping.
Requires insurers and State health care coverage programs to cover cost of HPV vaccine.
Caps bond counsel legal fees and costs on public issuers' bond transactions and requires a competitive selection process for retaining bond counsel.
Requires use of highest appraisal value as acquisition offer price for land acquisitions by Green Acres and farmland preservation programs in Highlands Region.
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.
Excludes certain federal employee Thrift Savings Fund contributions from gross income under the gross income tax.
"The New Jersey Healthcare Choice Act"; permits health insurers licensed in other states to provide coverage in New Jersey under certain circumstances.
Provides for priority consideration, by State, of permit applications by counties and municipalities with 10 or more shared services.
Restores the death penalty for certain murders.
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.
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%.
Allows vendors to retain 1% of sales tax collected as consideration for collecting and promptly remitting the same.
Provides sales tax exemption for sales of prepared foods.
Abolishes Council on Affordable Housing for failure to comply with legislative directives.
Removes authority of MVC to increase certain fees; sets certain fees by statute.
Appropriates $17.45 million in 1992 and 2003 bond act monies for loans to fund dam restoration projects.