Bills in the 2008–2009 Session, General Assembly.
Neil M. Cohen
Sponsored
Became law3
Requires bittering agent to be added to certain engine coolants and antifreeze to render it unpalatable.
Prohibits unfair discrimination in the issuance, renewal or rating of life insurance policies based on future foreign travel.
Provides period of extension for repayment of introductory rate mortgages on residential property under certain circumstances.
Passed the General Assembly3
Concerns homeowners insurance coverage with respect to dogs.
Concerns access to physical therapy services, and insurance claims handling following access to those services.
Allows certain National Guard and United States Reserve members on federal active duty to receive temporary suspension of payment of interest on mortgage loan.
Out of committee5
Limits motor bus owner responsibility for no-fault medical expense benefits coverage for certain injured passengers.
Expands NJ FamilyCare, establishes mandate for health care coverage of children, makes various reforms to individual and small employer insurance markets and certain dependent coverage; appropriates $1 million. *
Increases power of judges of compensation to enforce workers' compensation law.
Revises membership of Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau and clarifies its authority. *
Requires proof of workers' compensation coverage with certain legally required annual reports of employers.
In committee126
Provides for attachment of real property relating to terrorism.
Regulates captive insurers.
Prohibits certain provisions in employment contracts.
Prohibits purchase and resale of certain animals for experimentation.
Requires licensing of mortgage originators; revises "New Jersey Licensed Lenders Act."
Establishes the "Celebrity Image Protection Act."
Creates tax exemption for public parks and recreational facilities owned, maintained, or operated by joint municipal recreation commission.
Establishes "Victim-Witness Scholarship Fund;" establishes "Witness Protection Fund;" and concerns State forfeiture funds.
Upgrades penalties for tampering with witnesses and informants.
Creates the "Criminal Street Gang Violence Prevention Act."
Gives membership in PERS Prosecutors Part to DLPS employees with title of assistant director, deputy director, assistant attorney general or deputy attorney general.
Establishes $1 municipal court surcharge for all violations; creates grant program for animal shelters and pounds funded by surcharge.
Requires State to contract with pharmaceutical companies to purchase influenza vaccine for high-risk persons and their care providers.
"Distressed Cemetery Maintenance and Preservation Act."
Revises qualifications for licensure for land surveyors and for certificates of registration for surveyors-in-training.
Allows members of PERS Prosecutors Part to establish purchased PERS credit in the Part at additional cost.
Requires certain Internet operators to remove defamatory materials and to disclose account information to defamed individuals.
Prohibits sale of any dog by kennel, pet shop or other retail establishment without name, address and phone number of person providing dog thereto; establishes $500 fine for each violation.
Requires offering homeowners and private passenger automobile insurance policies under certain circumstances.
Prohibits sale of asbestos or asbestos-containing products.
Prohibits retail mercantile establishment from selling prepaid cellular telephones unless establishment first makes and retains photocopy of purchaser's driver's license or non-driver identification card.
Prohibits electronic mail service providers from implementing an electronic mail postage system.
Provides for an extended term of imprisonment, supervision for life and sex offender registration for the crime of human trafficking under certain circumstances.
Provides for certain ex-spouses to receive a widows' pension.
Provides for civil action and treble damages for a violation of the "New Jersey Trademark Counterfeit Act."
Allows application for PERS accidental disability benefit for injury sustained while employed at State psychiatric institution or correctional facility immediately prior to PERS membership.
Establishes the crime of negligent homicide.
Designated Kevin Apuzzio's Law; allows municipalities to provide increased survivor pensions for certain volunteer emergency workers and requires municipalities to provide health and life insurance coverage to volunteer firefighters.
Prohibits charging of unauthorized fees by bail agents or agencies.
Provides for identity theft verification passports under certain circumstances.
Makes it an unlawful employment practice to subject an employee to a hostile work environment.
Requires health care providers to obtain informed consent from patients for use of certain reprocessed medical devices.
Provides that the State pay health care coverage for certain survivors of members of PFRS and SPRS.
Requires certain persons seeking license to operate facility to provide magnetic resonance imaging services to undergo criminal history record background checks.
Prohibits use of education and occupation as rating factors in automobile insurance underwriting.
Establishes maximum premium rate for certain dependent health benefits coverage at 45% of single coverage.
Concerns third party payment for neurosurgery services.
Prohibits participating providers under managed care plans from charging certain fees; establishes penalties therefor.
Concerns third party payment for maternity services.
Concerns burden of proof standards for certain securities violations.
Authorizes civil action for certain damages when a pet animal becomes ill, is injured, or dies from consuming or coming into contact with adulterated pet food.
Provides premium assistance to certain small employers who purchase health benefits plans; appropriates $10 million.
Modifies application of certain homeowners insurance deductibles in certain urban areas.
Adds fraud via telecommunication or electronic means to list of prohibited activities for certain security transactions; increases penalties.
The "New Jersey Consumers Terrorism Protection Insurance Coverage Act;" establishes minimum terrorism insurance policy provisions.
Includes hedge fund fraud as consumer fraud act violation.
Lowers minimum participation rate of small employer health benefits plans to 50% for groups with two to 10 persons.
Requires reporting and review of insurance carriers' health care claims processing and payment histories.
Requires certain employers to pay $500 to defray State costs of providing health coverage for uninsured employees.
Includes security fraud as violation of consumer fraud act.
Requires each public school to observe a period of silence on September 11 of each school year.
Requires certain disclosures from carriers; establishes new health care claims payment and appeals process; limits use of utilization management under certain circumstances.
Provides for stacking of uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance coverage for insured covered under multiple vehicles or policies.
Increases New Jersey Property-Liability Insurance Guaranty Association payment cap to $500,000; immunizes policyholders protected by association from certain liability.
Amends and supplements the "New Jersey Parentage Act;" requires blood and genetic testing under certain circumstances.
Provides tax credit for certain taxpayers that provide health care benefits to employees.
Requires managed care companies to pay health care claims based on assignment of benefits and disclosed fee schedules; requires coverage under certain conditions; authorizes civil actions against violators.
Provides refundable gross income tax credit for certain in-State toll payments.
Provides statute of limitations for residential mortgage foreclosures.
Restricts sale or lease of ultrasound equipment.
Clarifies type of liability insurance coverage certain licensed auto body repair facilities must carry.
"The Muhammad Ali/Rocky Marciano Boxing Reform Act"; enhances regulation of boxing.
Prohibits sale or distribution of computer software under certain circumstances.
Increases income eligibility limits for PAAD program and Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program.
Prohibits penalizing pharmacist for dispensing fraudulent prescription approved by Medicaid, PAAD or Senior Gold.
Permits certain minors to consent to forensic care or treatment.
Allows a gross income tax deduction for certain higher education tuition and fee expenses.
Requires fee-for-service prescription drug benefits for NJ FamilyCare.
Concerns child performers and creates a child performer trust account.
Establishes the "Premium Support Program" for NJ FamilyCare and Medicaid.
Provides for assignment of certain homeowners insurance policies under certain circumstances.
Requires certain nongovernmental employers to provide health care premium conversion plans for employees; excludes certain employee health care premium conversions from taxation under the gross income tax.
Excludes from income for gross income tax and PAAD eligibility purposes victims' remuneration for involuntary internment received under judgments or settlement agreements.
Clarifies that additions and improvements omitted from the property assessment list may be assessed as omitted assessments.
Requires insurers to cover treatment for sickle cell anemia; requires DHSS to prepare and distribute informational booklet about sickle cell anemia; appropriates $95,000.
Provides that property owner who negligently contaminates or neglects property shall be assessed property taxes at value of property without consideration of effects of contamination or neglect.
Extends the statute of limitations for certain sexual abuse cases.
Authorizes proportional property tax exemption for honorably discharged veterans having a service-connected permanent disability.
Provides for residency requirement for name change applications.
Authorizes tax assessor at his or her own discretion to file cross-petition of appeal with county tax board or counterclaim with Tax Court.
Authorizes payment of added and omitted assessments by property taxpayers over 12-month period.
Reduces interest rate charged to senior citizen delinquent property taxpayers to 5%.
Lowers maximum interest rate that municipalities can charge on first $1500 of unpaid municipal taxes, assessments, liens or other charges.
Requires small employer health insurance carriers to offer coverage for treatment of infertility.
"Potential Life Protection Act."
Requires physician supervision of nurse anesthetists.
Requires criminal background check for name change and prohibits persons convicted of certain crimes from changing their name.
Permits certain retired justices and judges to retain special license plates.
Imposes liability insurance requirement on alcoholic beverage licensees and provides penalties for occupancy and fire code violations.
Authorizes special American Legion license plates for motorcycles.
Authorizes reimbursement for EMT training from EMT Training Fund for certain volunteer firefighters.
Prohibits false or secret compartments in motor vehicles under certain circumstances.
Provides for increased penalties for a crime committed in a church, synagogue, temple or other place of public worship.
Requires general hospitals to submit certain financial data to DHSS concerning third party payments for services rendered.
Exempts certain professionals from liability for advice rendered in relation to classification of construction employees.
Establishes the Criminal Code Review Commission.
Clarifies that the definition of "racketeering activity" in the RICO statute includes securities fraud offenses.
Creates six additional Tax Court judgeships.
Requires insurers to provide coverage for medications and dose-intensive chemotherapy/bone marrow transplants and umbilical cord blood transplants for treatment of sickle cell anemia.
Revises certain provisions of "Insurance Premium Finance Company Act."
Requires carrier offering managed care plan to make certain contract disclosures to participating health care providers; provides procedures for contract amendment and renewal.
Establishes fee schedule requirements for certain network-based health or dental benefits coverage regarding reimbursement for out-of-network, non-hospital provider claims.
Changes composition of board of directors of health service corporations.
Supplemental appropriation of $30 million to various research facilities for adult stem cell research.
Provides for registration and regulation of athlete agents.
Increases workers' compensation benefits for dependents.
Concerns jurisdiction over claims for reimbursement of certain payments or services related to workers' compensation injuries and illnesses.
Establishes the "Healthy New Jersey Labor-Management" demonstration program.
Establishes Workers' Compensation Review Commission.
Appropriates $10,000,000 to the Department of Agriculture for grants in support of horse breeding in New Jersey.
Broadens power to adjust principal and income for trusts administered in New Jersey; restores "safe harbor" threshold to between four and six percent.
Eliminates requirement that insurance producers licensed in other states be fingerprinted when applying for license in NJ under certain circumstances.
Prohibits charging of municipal, county or State beach fees; establishes fund for beach maintenance; requires annual appropriation of $20 million from realty transfer fees into fund; restricts other appropriations contingent on such funding.
Requires owner to immediately report loss or theft of firearm to police.
Provides certain requirements for donation container solicitations by charities.
Establishes Sorry Works! pilot program in certain hospitals.
Increases the maximum amount of bonds issued by the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority for the Public Library Project Fund from $45 million to $95 million to provide library construction and technology grants.
Concerns eligibility for Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief fund assistance when more than one child in family has catastrophic illness.
Requires study of availability of certain health care services by independent entity.
Establishes Criminal Sentencing Commission to study and review the criminal law and recommend revisions; repeals existing commissions.
Concerns the issuance and forfeiture of bail bonds.
Expands parity between certain State-chartered financial institutions, and permits interstate banking by such institutions through de novo branching or expanded authority to acquire existing branches or institutions.
Prohibits retail dealer from selling or offering to sell motor fuel at different price to cash and credit customers.
Clarifies intent of Legislature to protect certain senior tenants; aligns housing age restrictions with federal law.
Requires DHSS to establish emergency action plan for hospitals.
Requires signs posted by retail motor fuel dealers to indicate motor fuel prices for cash and credit card customers; establishes additional $500 penalty for violations.
Carried from the Senate
Became law4
Expands NJ FamilyCare, establishes mandate for health care coverage of children, makes various reforms to individual and small employer insurance markets and certain dependent coverage; appropriates $1 million. **
Increases power of judges of compensation to enforce workers' compensation law.
Requires proof of workers' compensation coverage with certain legally required annual reports of employers. *
Revises membership of Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau and clarifies its authority. *
Co-sponsored
Became law · 7
Requires licensing of genetic counselors.
Permits nonpartisan municipal elections to be held on same day as general elections. **
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. *
Permits surcharge of up to 22% to offset private collection fees for certain delinquent debts owed to courts, counties, and municipalities. *
Imposes moratorium on harvest and possession of horseshoe crabs.
The "Permit Extension Act of 2008."
Establishes Ellis Island Advisory Commission.
Passed the General Assembly · 6
Prohibits use of certain underwriting guidelines by insurers pertaining to guide dogs, service dogs, or hearing assistance dogs harbored on the insured property.
Requires retail mercantile establishment to provide manufacturer's rebate at time of consumer purchase.
Provides additional enforcement provisions under "Health Care Quality Act"; allows certain private causes of action for violations; expands administrative remedies; establishes enforcement fund.
Permits in-person wagering at casinos on results of professional sports events, subject to voter approval.
Requires sports and entertainment facilities to submit evacuation plan with municipal emergency management coordinator.
Requires account numbers to be truncated on certain sales receipts. *
Out of committee · 6
Requires alternative testing arrangements be provided to certain students unable to attend tests at their regular administration due to religious observance.
Upgrades penalties for tampering with witnesses and informants; upgrades hindering apprehension or prosecution under certain circumstances. *
Regulates certain credentialing and trade practices of insurance producers, and provides private cause of action for insurance producer violations.
Strengthens enforcement against employers for failure to provide workers' compensation coverage.
Concerns emergent medical care under workers' compensation.
Requires Insurance Fraud Prosecutor to establish liaison with DOLWD and authorizes its investigation of cases of failure to provide workers' compensation coverage. **
In committee · 4
Creates emergency alert plan for missing elderly people.
Establishes the "New Jersey False Claims Act."
Authorizes payment options for certain motor vehicle fines and fees.
Establishes the "New Jersey False Claims Act."