Bills in the 2004–2005 Session, General Assembly.
Francis J. Blee
Sponsored
Became law3
Establishes "Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative" in Office on Minority and Multicultural Health. *
Permits a school district to use certain funds to establish a scholarship foundation.
Establishes Safe Haven Awareness Promotion Task Force.
Passed the General Assembly1
Provides immunity from civil liability for school personnel and school bus contractor employees who use reasonable force or restraint to stop fights on school property or to defend themselves against a student assault. **
Out of committee3
Provides that information about residence of persons licensed by certain professional boards shall not be disclosed to the public.
Prohibits students in interscholastic athletics from using certain substances; permits boards of education to offer instruction on the dangers of performance-enhancing substances.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
In committee34
Adds as an aggravating factor that the defendant used the internet to commit the offense against a child.
Establishes loan program to rehabilitate military monuments; appropriates $600,000.
Requires the Commission on Holocaust Education to monitor false information concerning the Holocaust disseminated over the Internet; appropriates $50,000.
Establishes the New Jersey Higher Education Internship Program; appropriates $5,000,000.
Establishes Violence Free School Zones for public elementary and secondary schools.
Requires review and approval by Local Finance Board of proposed monetary settlements between elected local officials and county or municipality.
Designates Atlantic City and Pleasantville, Atlantic County, as areas eligible for redemption of pinelands development credits.
Provides additional State school aid to school districts with significant enrollment growth and low per pupil property and income wealth.
Concerns pre-suit procedures and liability in medical malpractice actions.
Creates special education license plate.
Establishes advocacy pilot program for mentally ill offenders; appropriates $1.8 million.
Permits public school districts to include instruction on the problems of obesity as part of the Core Curriculum Content Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
Exempts drugs prescribed for mental illness and HIV/AIDS from restrictive mechanisms under Medicaid, NJ Family Care, PAAD and Senior Gold programs.
Makes position of treasurer of school moneys optional.
Supplemental appropriation of $2,800,000 to Judiciary to expand the drug court program Statewide.
Establishes "Governor's Advisory Council on Home and Community-Based Care."
Requires public school districts to provide instruction on "New Jersey Safe Haven Infant Protection Act" as part of core curriculum content standards.
Provides for payments in lieu of property taxes for certain municipalities in the Pinelands area.
Establishes designated driver license plates.
Increases amount of State payment for post-retirement health care benefits for certain retired police officers and firefighters.
Creates Division of Probation in DOC; transfers all probation functions and employees to DOC.
Provides additional State school aid to certain school districts with significant enrollment growth.
Prohibits Pinelands Commission from imposing fees for commercial development applications.
Clarifies requirement that new employers reimburse certain former employers for law enforcement training costs applies to provisional appointments.
Requires dissemination of organ and tissue donation by State Treasurer, Personnel Commissioner, State contractors, and preparers of advanced health care directives; designates April of each year as Donate Life Month.
Establishes demonstration needle exchange program in DHSS.
Requires the award of Outstanding Scholars Recruitment Program scholarships to home-schooled students and prohibits the denial of a scholarship due to a student's lack of class rank.
Increases annual funding of Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund.
Includes electronic communication in definition of public school "harassment, intimidation or bullying."
Establishes "Task Force on New Jersey's Public Health Workforce" in DHSS.
Establishes advocacy pilot program for mentally ill offenders.
Requires appropriations in the nature of grants-in-aid to include certain criteria in the act in which they are enacted.
Permits certain State employees to participate in donated leave program.
Requires line item disclosure of all State revenues and appropriations in the Governor's budget proposal, and in bills pending in the Legislature or enacted in this State; eliminates off-budget State spending.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 18
Provides for fast track permitting of biotechnology related industries.
Provides that intersections with non-operational traffic control signals are to be treated as stop intersections under certain circumstances.
Authorizes State Board of Education to issue technology education endorsement and endorsement for industrial arts. *
Designates State Highway No. 70 bridge over Manasquan River as the "September 11 Memorial Bridge;" appropriates $2,500.
Provides that information about location of a shelter for victims of domestic violence shall not be a public record.
"Statewide Immunization Registry Act."
Revises scope of practice of optometrists.
Supplemental appropriation of $3.6 million in State and federal funds to expand the Traumatic Brain Injury waiver.
Increases terms of various casino industry licenses and revises procedure for testing and approval of slot machines.
Transfers administration of certain casino taxes to Casino Control Commission; provides for phased elimination of casino complimentaries tax. *
Extends certain casino tax obligation to 50 years; gives CRDA general bonding authority; authorizes CRDA to bond for certain purposes; extends incentive program and adds five districts under CRDA Urban Revitalization Act; expands CRDA board. *
Appropriates $17,623,600 from "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" for local government open space acquisition and park development projects in southern NJ.
Appropriates $52,432,378 from "Garden State Farmland Preservation Trust Fund" for farmland preservation purposes.
Concerns regulation of certain agreements between casino and casino service industry licensees.
Revises eligibility criteria for two CRDA-administered programs: Atlantic City Expansion Fund and Urban Revitalization Act.
Establishes "New Jersey Disease Management Study Commission."
Approves $6,585,306 in grants for certain historic preservation projects in southern New Jersey.
Concerns availability, deductibles, and certain treatment under high deductible health plans paid through federally qualified health savings accounts.
Passed the General Assembly · 11
Establishes criminal penalties for operating or participating in pyramid promotional schemes.
Revises New Jersey Safe Haven Infant Protection Act.
Provides for attachment of real property relating to terrorism.
Authorizes payment of funeral expenses for certain public safety employees killed in line of duty.
Prohibits sale to minors of anabolic androgenic steroids prohibited by World Anti-Doping Agency. *
Establishes defibrillator grant program in DCA.
Creates "Task Force to Improve the Treatment of Offenders with Mental Illness."
"Bloodborne Disease Harm Reduction Act"; permits establishment of sterile syringe paccess programs, appropriates $10,000,000. *
The "Health Insurance Affordability and Accessibility Reform Act."
Concerns availability, deductibles, and certain treatment under high deductible health plans paid through federally qualified health savings accounts. *
Upgrades offense of simple assault to aggravated assault when victim is employee of DHS and clearly engaged in duties conducting investigation.
Out of committee · 32
Concerns workers' compensation for firefighters with cancer.
Establishes "Commission to Examine Strategies for Strengthening Familial Bond Between Children and Incarcerated Parents."
Authorizes special license plates for county and municipal emergency management volunteers. *
Establishes criminal penalty for Megan's Law registrant who gives false address; requires verification of address before registrant is released.
Revises statutory mental health coverage requirements and requires all health insurers and SHBP to cover treatment for alcoholism and other substance-use disorders under same terms and conditions as for other diseases or illnesses. *
Establishes limits on resident's hours in hospitals.
Provides for establishment of county offices for the disabled; making an appropriation.
Requires DHSS to use PAAD application information to enroll ineligible beneficiaries into Senior Gold. *
Establishes toll-free telephone hotline for reporting guns and other weapons in public schools.
Provides credit under gross income tax and corporation business tax for certain costs of rehabilitating historic properties.
Provides additional retirement benefits for certain police and firefighter members of PFRS.
Establishes civil action for damages against organizations that support terrorism.
Removes license suspension penalty for persons with only one outstanding parking fine; permits Motor Vehicle Commission to refuse registration to persons with only one outstanding parking fine. *
Includes local emergency management volunteers in Emergency Services Volunteer Length of Service Award Program.
Excludes veterans' entitlements from income for determination of PAAD eligibility.
Clarifies procedures for closing active child protective services cases.
Establishes "Alan M. Augustine Colorectal Cancer Research Fund"; appropriates $100,000. *
Revises pilotage laws.
Directs Attorney General to include information on criminal street gang activities in annual "Uniform Crime Report."
Upgrades the crime of criminal mischief under certain circumstances; creates new offense.
Requires municipalities appointing certain Class Two special officers to reimburse their former municipal employers for training costs.
Requires certain public entities to competitively bid in order to provide pupil transportation services to a local school district.
Adds member to Casino Revenue Fund Advisory Commission.
Creates credit card do-not-solicit list for certain persons.
Credits coverage under Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare towards employer's minimum participation rate under NJ Small Employer Health Benefits Program.
Deletes unintentional addition to statutes concerning workers' compensation.
Appropriates moneys from the "Dam, Lake, Stream, Flood Control, Water Resources, and Wastewater Treatment Project Bond Act of 2003" for loans for dams restoration and repair projects and to finance the costs of State dam restoration and repair projects.
Supplemental appropriation of $4,998,581 to DHSS for AIDS Drug Distribution Program and other AIDS services.
Appropriates moneys from the "Dam, Lake, Stream, Flood Control, Water Resources, and Wastewater Treatment Project Bond Act of 2003" to finance the costs of State flood control projects.
Appropriates $46.225 million from "Garden State Farmland Preservation Trust Fund" for farmland preservation purposes.
Appropriates $13,845,980 from "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" and various Green Acres bond funds for local government open space acquisition and park development projects in southern NJ.
Appropriates $65,822,075 from "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" and various Green Acres bond funds, and appropriates or reappropriates certain other moneys, for local government open space acquisition and park development projects in "ur
In committee · 145
Establishes a grant program for school districts to establish substance abuse prevention programs for eighth grade students; appropriates $2,500,000.
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.
Requires coverage for certain nonprescription formulas under certain health benefits plans, including SHBP.
Permits municipality to enact ordinance to curb gang related loitering and criminal activity.
Clarifies that the term "deadly weapon" includes an animal.
Establishes Intercoastal Waterway and Back Bay Dredging Fund; dedicates $2,000,000 of motor fuels tax to the fund; and prohibits collection of realty transfer fees if that amount is not appropriated to the fund.
Directs New Jersey Highway Authority to designate Garden State Parkway as memorial highway to ex-POWs.
Allows a gross income tax deduction for certain higher education loan payments.
Requires State to reimburse counties for housing juvenile offenders at rate equal to their actual cost.
Requires reporting by certain persons of attemped or completed suicides by youth and establishes NJ Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council.
Establishes procedures for court and DYFS to determine safety of minor child whose child's caretaker is incarcerated.
Allows certain corporations to file consolidated corporation business tax returns.
Excludes Armed Services combat zone pay from gross income taxation.
Death Tax Phase-Out Act; phases out the transfer inheritance tax over three years.
"The 10-20-Life Law."
Provides tax credits for certain participants in federal Environmental Performance Track Program.
Eliminates the alternative minimum assessment under the corporation business tax.
Exempts boat and marine product sales from certain retail sales tax exemptions.
Provides funding mechanism for Fiscal Year 2004 business employment incentive program grants using certain unanticipated Fiscal Year 2003 State corporation business tax revenues.
Provides that area surrounding a playground be designated as a drug free zone.
Creates a civil rape shield law.
Concerns errors in estimating income for certain programs for aged and disabled persons.
Provides procedures for payment to out-of-network dentists when covered person receives payment directly from dental insurer.
Creates the Medical Care for Persons with Developmental Disabilities Commission.
Supplemental appropriation of $2 million to DHSS to expand the Alzheimer's Disease Demonstration Adult Day Care Center Program.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns for certain literacy advocacy programs.
Requires health benefits coverage for certain therapies and applied behavioral analysis for the treatment of certain autism disorders.
Creates defibrillator grant program in DHSS for municipalities; appropriates $1.7 million.
Provides for annual deposit of 20% of county forfeiture funds by county prosecutor in county fund for alcohol and drug abuse programs.
Designates "I'm From New Jersey" as the State song.
Provides gross income tax deduction for three years of nursing pay for new enrollees in nursing education programs.
Establishes low interest mortgage program in HMFA for volunteer fire and rescue squad members.
Provides PFRS members in federal or State military service who is injured or killed with disability or death benefits.
Extends textbook sharing program to include all school equipment.
Reduces minimum age of a person to whom a prescription drug price may be discounted from 62 to 60 years of age.
Exempts qualified investment clubs from certain partnership fee and payment requirements.
Prohibits penalizing pharmacist for dispensing fraudulent prescription approved by Medicaid, PAAD or Senior Gold.
Requires all EMTs to be trained and certified in the performance of cardiac defibrillation.
Requires wanted person check before release or transfer of inmates or suspects.
Increases drunk driving enforcement surcharge.
Provides options for municipalities wishing to dispose of inexpensive police held tangible property.
Provides a gross income tax deduction from the State gross income tax for donations of certain environmentally sensitive or undeveloped lands, or an interest therein, to the State of New Jersey.
Eliminates the New Jersey inheritance tax and repeals chapters 33 through 37 of Title 54 of the Revised Statutes.
Requires DEP to assume responsibility for dredging of waterways providing boat access to lagoon communities; appropriates $6,000,000.
Establishes special dredging account; directs $5,000,000 of sales tax collected annually be deposited therein; directs DEP to administer account and dredging program with certain requirements.
Appropriates $26,140,000 for dredging projects and dredged material disposal projects related to navigational waterways.
Clarifies that punitive damages may not be awarded against public entities or public employees acting within the scope of their employment in any action.
Exempts veterans' discharge certificate from State's open public records law.
Requires candidates for teacher certification to complete technology training program.
Increases income eligibility limit for Homestead Property Tax Reimbursement Program beginning in tax year 2002.
Establishes the level of State school aid for the 2002-2003 school year; establishes the Save Our Schools Fund to finance increased State aid.
Provides for the election of school board members at November general election.
Prohibits member of Legislature from holding more than one elective office, any appointed public office or employment or any public contract.
Prohibits members of the Legislature from acting on certain bills in which they have personal interest; redefines personal interest.
Exempts police from jury duty.
Increases penalties for committing serious offenses while released on bail.
Broadens eligibility for certain veterans' benefits by eliminating requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations.
Provides for a mandatory minimum term without eligibility of parole for sexual assault.
Establishes the New Jersey Aquaculture Assistance Program.
Authorizes the New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission to establish New Jersey Corporate Overseas Network Program.
Revises provisions of the consumer fraud act.
"Family Home Occupation Act;" classifies certain home-occupations as accessory uses needing no use variances in residential zone; authorizes municipalities to limit or exclude certain warehousing, manufacturing or retailing activities.
Establishes an "Export Mentor and Matchmaker Program;" appropriates $250,000.
Expands mission of NJ organized militia in DMVA and increases size and rank of leadership.
Provides civil service preference to veterans of global war on terror.
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.
Revises notification process for suspending license for failure to pay parking ticket.
Requires insurers to inform insureds whether certain coverages extend to rental automobiles.
Establishes and allocates funds for program to provide capital grants to veterans' organizations; appropriates $250,000.
Provides incentive grants for school districts to establish educational foundations.
Provides grants to educational technology training centers to establish satellite facilities and maintain and upgrade equipment; appropriates $2.8 million.
Provides employment credit for military service for Board of Education employees.
Increases pharmacy dispensing fees under Medicaid and PAAD by $1.00 over three-year period; appropriates $6,481,000 in State funds and $3,325,000 in federal funds.
Exempts certain investment clubs from certain partnership fee and payment requirements.
Requires the placement of defibrillators in a public school complex.
Provides $3,000 income tax deduction for certain families providing home care for an elderly relative.
Establishes Autism Registry in DHSS; appropriates $500,000.
Provides early childhood program aid to certain school districts contiguous to Abbott districts.
Provides increased demonstrably effective program aid to school districts contiguous to Abbott districts.
Establishes "weapons free" school zones.
Provides that total annual out-of-state travel expenses of a board of education shall not exceed $3,000.
Establishes a grant program in the Department of Human Services to provide start-up funding for the creation of after-school programs; appropriates $1,500,000.
Waives fee for volunteers and affiliates of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America to obtain State and national criminal history record background checks.
Provides for recoupling of the computation of the New Jersey estate tax in accord with the federal estate tax.
Increases personal needs allowance to $50 for those persons currently residing in nursing facilities, State hospitals or State developmental centers.
Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for employers who allow their employees to telecommute.
Authorizes municipalities to establish commercial incentive zones and sharing of retail sales tax proceeds therein.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns for hospice and palliative care programs.
Provides for expungement of certain records of victims of identity theft.
Allows PAAD recipents margin of error in estimating income.
Provides gross income tax credit for certain first-time home buyers.
Provides that assisted living resident's security deposit is refundable if resident leaves facility.
Provides for extended terms of imprisonment for certain crimes committed in places of worship and cemeteries.
Upgrades crime of unauthorized practice of medicine and law.
Regulates Internet pharmacies and electronic prescriptions.
Limits contributions by certain public contractors; limits contributions by county and municipal political party committees.
Makes supplemental appropriation of $90,000 to the DMVA for the Veterans' Oral History program to record veterans' account of war experiences.
Establishes "New Jersey Task Force on Expanding Health Care Coverage."
Provides immunity from liability for certain recreational activities and from injuries caused by acts of God.
Prohibits pharmacists from disclosing certain information concerning prescription purchases for use in commercial solicitations unless authorized by consumers.
Authorizes DMV to offer a red heart-shaped identifying symbol on personalized license plates.
Provides that new ratables will be phased into the calculation of equalized valuation over a ten-year period in determining eligibility for State school aid.
Appropriates $2,431,028 to AOC to implement a program to identify and divert certain chronic juvenile offenders from court system to alternative dispositions.
Supplemental appropriation of $1 million to the Department of State for model youth programs.
Provides State tax credit allotments for wages paid to youths employed through the Youth Employment and After School Incentive Pilot Program.
Establishes 5-year "Breast Cancer Screening Grant Fund Program" in DHSS; appropriates $3.8 million from Tobacco Settlement Fund each year for 5 years.
Upgrades tampering generally; upgrades tampering with prescribed medicine to second degree crime.
Increases SPRS cost of living adjustment from 60% to 100% of Consumer Price Index.
Allows a corporation business taxpayer that dissolves and completely liquidates during the 2002-2003 suspension of net operating loss deductions to use that deduction.
Eliminates awards of punitive damages against municipalities and boards of education, and against employees of municipalities and boards of education acting within the scope or under color of their office, employment or agency.
Includes security fraud as violation of consumer fraud act.
Establishes "Medicare Rx Savings Fund" and specifies use of savings to State from Medicare prescription drug benefit.
Allows gross income tax deduction for purchase of residential fire safety equipment.
Requires State Treasurer to post information about State contracts for $17,500 or more on special website.
Provides for automatic enrollment in PAAD and Senior Gold programs under certain circumstances.
Requires health insurers to provide coverage for certain infant formulas.
Increases maximum death benefit of group life insurance policies paid for by fire district or municipality maintaining volunteer fire department.
Permits municipalities to offer prescription drug benefit to certain retired volunteer firefighters and other emergency aid volunteers.
Excludes Armed Services combat zone pay from gross income taxation.
Requires funding of casino regulation during period when annual appropriations act is not in effect.
Appropriates $300 million in FY 2005 to the Department of Education to make the June 22, 2005 State aid payment.
Regulates the level of State debt service payments on bonds issued by the State or State entities and prohibits the use of bond proceeds to pay interest on bonds.
Clarifies powers of public safety directors.
Extends senior citizen and handicapped citizen reduced fare program for travel at all peak and offpeak hours.
Provides certain protections to persons who purchase or lease motorized recreational conveyances.
Directs State Athletic Control Board to provide for a medical insurance plan for certain professional boxers and to promote professional boxing.
Supplemental appropriation of $2.0 million for grants to certain nursing schools to address shortage of nursing faculty.
Authorizes Commissioner of DHSS to permit out-of-State emergency health care providers to practice in State during public health emergency.
Clarifies and expands duties and powers of Office of the Child Advocate and makes child advocate member of certain State child welfare boards.
Requires school districts annually to measure the body mass index of public school pupils.
Prohibits Turnpike Authority from discontinuing peak-period discounts for E-Z Pass users.
Broadens eligibility for certain veterans' benefits by eliminating requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations.
Broadens eligibility for various veterans' benefits by eliminating requirement of service during specific dates or specific locations.
Establishes defibrillator grant program in DHSS for placement of defibrillators in senior citizen centers.
Eliminates cosmetic dentistry from the cosmetic medical procedures gross receipts tax and subjects tattooing procedures to the tax.
Exempts manufacturers of marine equipment from air toxics surcharge.
Creates the offense of fetal homicide.
Requires school bus drivers to wear and visibly display photo identification.
Requires State budget to include funds for annual cost-of-living adjustment to certain contracted providers of services.
Prohibits possession of ammunition capable of penetrating body armor.
Expands eligibility criteria for disabled veteran's property tax exemption.
Upgrades crime of soliciting or recruiting for criminal street gang while on school property.
Requires DEP to approve water usage certification for water diverted on farmland enrolled in a State or local farmland preservation program.
Establishes special license plates supporting Autism Awareness.
Establishes the authority of the court to order electronic monitoring of certain convicted domestic violence offenders.