Bills in the 2000–2001 Session, Senate.
Leonard T. Connors Jr.
Sponsored
Became law6
Requires criminal history record checks for all certified nurse aides, personal care assistants and homemaker-home health aides; requires plan for similar checks to be conducted on other providers of home care services.*
Permits municipalities to enact ordinance prohibiting possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages on private property by underage persons.*
Establishes Homeowners Insurance Availability Advisory Committee.
"Health Care Carrier Accountability Act."*
Directs assessor to reassess or revalue complete taxing district in certain circumstances.
Designates State Highway Route No. 72 bridge over Manahawkin Bay as the "Dorland J. Henderson Memorial Bridge"; appropriates $2,500.
Vetoed1
Revises eligibility criteria for senior citizen stabilization aid and increases the per pupil aid amount to $500.
Passed the Senate7
Increases value of Legislative Initiative Municipal Block Grant Program by $100,000,000 over three years.
Permits certain charities to renew registration by verification statement.
Provides for special Bronze Star license plates.
Authorizes special Distinguished Flying Cross license plates.
Requires municipal budgets to include fund for certain separation benefits; appropriates $50,000.
Concerns donations to certain charitable organizations.
Establishes two categories of senior citizens stabilization aid and increases the per pupil aid amounts to $500 and $300.
Out of committee37
Increases cost of living adjustment in pension allowances and survivor benefits payable to certain former public safety officers and their survivors.
Supplemental appropriation of $75,000 to Department of the Treasury to fund payment to Egg Harbor City for Pinelands Area Municipal Aid.
Revises laws restricting operation of personal watercraft and permits local police enforcement.*
Extends veteran's property tax exemption to tenant shareholders in cooperatives and mutual housing corporations.
Requires casinos to report to the Attorney General the granting of credit for purpose of gambling to any officer of a municipality or county.
"Polygraphist Licensing Act."
Appropriates $1,350,000 to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.*
Prohibits certain deceptive written advertising concerning merchandise offered with a guarantee.
Authorizes special license plate for distinguished service medal recipients.
Establishes "Seniors Helping Seniors Who are Blind or Visually Impaired Demonstration Program" in DHS; appropriates $300,000.
Increases pensions of certain retired public safety officer members of PERS, CPFPF and PFRS.
Requires State reimbursement to municipalities of cost of disabled veterans' total property tax exemption.
Requires tax delinquencies, including unpaid property taxes and tax sale certificates, be satisfied prior to appealing assessment in accordance with R.S.54:3-27 or R.S.54:51A-1.
Provides State aid to municipalities for certain tax-exempt group homes.*
Requires DOT to bear complete cost of supplying electricity to traffic control signals on State highways.
Allows gross income tax filers to designate contributions to VetGroup, Inc. for services for veterans.
Allows certain volunteer firefighters, rescue and first aid squad members to claim $5,000 income tax deduction. *
Exempts medical alarm equipment, services and telecommunications costs from the "Sales and Use Tax Act."
Extends certain veterans' benefits to persons who performed active service in U.S. Armed Forces during Cold War.*
Establishes certification program for persons who install, service, repair, inspect and maintain fire protection equipment; provides oversight by Department of Community Affairs.*
Provides sales tax exemption for certain home improvement materials purchases.
Amends "The New Home Warranty and Builders' Registration Act" to enhance oversight and accountability.
Increases number of members of fire safety commission to include representative of installers or manufacturers of fire suppression systems.
Requires local authorities to prepare an annual employee compensation expenditure report and provide copies of same to governing body of each local unit that created the authority.*
Increases income eligibility limit for homestead property tax reimbursement program by $10,000 beginning in tax year 2002. *
Authorizes certain municipalities to hold regular municipal elections in November instead of May.
Supplemental appropriation of $500,000 to Division of Housing and Community Resources in DCA to fund Grant to Saint Francis Center, located in Long Beach Township, to construct a new swimming pool.
Permits local unit to assume outstanding debt of dissolved authority.
Expands law enforcement powers of certain DEP personnel.
Authorizes Naval combat service license plate.
Designated the "Ombudsman for Abused and Neglected Children Act."
Establishes Task Force on the Oversight of DYFS.
Authorizes extension of municipal employee health care waiver program to other coverage.
Makes annual compensation paid to surviving spouses of certain blind or disabled veterans payable from date of veteran's death.
Provides temporary local budget cap exceptions for certain insurance costs and domestic security preparedness and public safety costs; permits three-year payoff of accumulated deficits of local employee group insurance programs. *
Adds site and utility work to list of categories of work for which separate plans and specifications may be prepared under the "Local Public Contracts Law" and the "Public School Contracts Law." *
Provides up to 13 weeks of emergency unemployment benefits.
In committee91
Increase minimum amount of PFRS ordinary disability retirement allowance from 40% to 50% of average final compensation.
Increases cost of living adjustment in pension allowances and survivor benefits payable to certain former public safety officers and their survivors.
Directs State acquisition of Heritage Minerals tract in Ocean county for new State park.
Establishes the Public School Educational Funding Commission.
Establishes a New Jersey Coordinating Council on the Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Generating Facilities.
Permits a hospital authorized to operate a mobile intensive care unit to expand number of vehicles and hours of service without obtaining a certificate of need.
Prohibits use of property tax for school funding in 1998-99 and thereafter.
Prohibits lobbyists or legislative agents from providing benefits to legislators, staff and legislative candidates and prohibits those officials from accepting such benefits.
Allows judgment for restitution of stolen public funds to be levied against convicted employee's retirement allowance or pension contributions.
Limits certain campaign contributions to $100 per year or per election; abolishes legislative leadership committees; makes various other changes to campaign finance law.
Appropriates $890,000 to ELEC for full computerization of campaign reports, electronic filing thereof and public access thereto.
Increases membership of Board of Public Utilities from three to five members.
Increases income limits for Home Care Expansion Program; appropriates $8 million.
Prohibits State from utilizing State Plan in permitting and funding determinations.
Establishes State aid program to reimburse CAFRA municipalities for property tax revenue losses due to new CAFRA rules; appropriates $10 million.
Eliminates strict liability for property owners who set controlled fires under the authorization of the DEP.
Revises "Municipal Landfill Site Closure, Remediation and Redevelopment Act" to include certain municipal landfills.
Authorizes local review of dock construction or alteration.
Regulates power vessels in certain environmentally sensitive areas.
Authorizes counties to create environmental commissions.
Provides immunity from civil liability for persons performing animal rescue and authorizes formation of emergency animal rescue response units.
Prohibits the taking of Atlantic sturgeon for sale or barter or as part of commercial fishing operation.
Prohibits regulations allowing increased discharge of hazardous pollutants.
Provides that DEP may only assess direct program costs in permit fees.
Appropriates $4.9 million from "1996 Economic Development Site Fund" to DEP for Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen's Museum/Tuckerton Seaport project.
Requires credit for customers who experience electric power outages one or more hours in duration.
Allows certain local authorities to recoup costs of "One Call" compliance and to be reimbursed by State with reimbursements applied as user utility credit.
Requires preparation and implementation of emergency electric power plans.
Clarifies that tort option provisions of no-fault insurance law do not apply to motor vehicles other than automobiles.
Reallocates to local courts one-half of fines from traffic citations issued by State troopers.
Makes suspension of driving privileges mandatory for persons, including juveniles, who are diverted for drug offenses.
Requires permanent driver's license suspension for third drunk driving offense.
Corrects statute concerning emergency management coordinators.
Exempts senior citizens who qualify for Medicaid from certain motor vehicle registration fees.
Increases penalties for driving while under the influence.
Provides for interlock devices to curb drunk driving.
Permits municipalities to purchase and issue certain surplus retail alcoholic beverage licenses.
Exempts home health care services provided by hospital to its discharged patients from certificate of need requirement.
Supplemental appropriation of $150,000 from DHSS to Hackensack University Medical Center for the Angelman Project.
Appropriates $100 million from the General Fund to the New Jersey ACCESS Program to extend health insurance coverage to additional families and persons.
Amends law governing Medicaid estate recovery.
Narrows focus of uniform site improvement guidelines to engineering construction standards.
Provides reimbursement to municipalities for taxes lost due to totally disabled veterans' tax exemption and administrative expenses.
Amends law regarding motor vehicle speed limits.
Raises maximum terms of incarceration that may be imposed under the juvenile code for serious offenses.
Clarifies certain immunities granted by the "New Jersey Tort Claims Act" to public entities.
Raises "age of consent" for sexual relations from age 16 to age 18, making an adult guilty of sexual assault if the adult commits an act of sexual penetration with a 16-or 17-year-old.
Establishes mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment without parole eligibility for sexual assaults committed against children.
Lowers minimum age for waiver to 12 years of age; requires juvenile in certain cases to be tried as adults.
Increases penalties for receiving stolen property from a juvenile.
Imposes mandatory term of life imprisonment without eligibility for parole on persons who commit particularly brutal sexual assaults.
Exempts public entities operating public recreational facilities from liability for damages resulting from personal injury.
Creates new penalty for convictions or juvenile adjudications of arson; establishes Arson Investigation Fund.
Imposes mandatory minimum terms of incarceration on juveniles who use guns to commit acts which, if committed by adults, would constitute serious crimes.
Increases homestead property tax rebates for certain senior, disabled and other claimants with gross income of $10,000 or less.
Requires State to pay interest on gross income tax overpayments refunded more than 45 days after timely filing.
Clarifies that punitive damages may not be awarded against public entities in any tort action.
Precludes independent State entities from entering into certain agreements to enhance an employee's pension benefits.
Includes retirees under the PFRS mortgage loan program.
Precludes NJT from entering into certain agreements to enhance an employee's pension benefits.
Holds municipalities harmless with respect to apportionment of certain payments in lieu of taxes made by the State to municipalities under the "Garden State Preservation Trust Act."
Clarifies that punitive damages may not be awarded against public entities or public employees acting within the scope of their employment in any action.
Establishes the Emilio Carranza Memorial Commission; appropriates $95,000.
Allows jail wardens to transfer to and enroll in PFRS.
Requires warnings labels on helium balloons.
Authorizes municipal ordinances or resolutions concerning release of helium balloons.
Authorizes free hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses and State park admission for persons with certain types of military service.
Exempts police from jury duty.
Directs Commissioner of Transportation to use monies from Transportation Trust Fund for certain projects.
Eliminates the New Jersey inheritance tax and repeals chapters 33 through 37 of Title 54 of the Revised Statutes.
Eliminates compulsory liability and no-fault automobile insurance; reinstates financial responsibility laws; applies doctrine of contributory negligence in motor vehicle accidents.
Permits sale of motor fuels on the internet at a price other than the posted price.
Directs New Jersey Highway Authority to make equitable in lieu of tax payment to certain municipalities.
Amends definition of veteran for certain military engagements.
Establishes the "Unsolicited Telephone Sales Calls Act of 2000."
Permits certain county and municipal employees to waive benefits coverage under the State Health Benefits Program when covered by a spouse's benefits plan.
Permits PERS member to retire while holding certain public position to which the member was appointed by the Governor.
Appropriates $26,140,000 for dredging projects and dredged material disposal projects related to navigational waterways.
Requires DEP 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.
Provides for proper closure of Southern Ocean Landfill, Inc. in Ocean Township, Ocean County, and revises the landfill contigency and closure program.
Excludes federal employee Thrift Savings Plan contributions from gross income under the gross income tax.
Authorizes free admission to State parks and forests and the New Jersey State Aquarium and free hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses for members of volunteer fire companies or volunteer first aid or rescue squads.
Requires taxi owners to designate Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles as attorney-in-fact for legal process service.
Directs DEP to take over the ownership and maintenance of Pine Lake Dam, Manchester Township, Ocean county and investigate take over of similar dams; appropriates $100,000.
Grants PFRS membership for certain Division of Parks and Forestry titles; allows current DEP employees in titles to transfer from PERS to PFRS.
Establishes "Interfaith Volunteer Caregiving Pilot Program" in DCA; appropriates $2.25 million.
Upgrades offense of assault against a lifeguard.
Authorizes nuclear plant guards to possess certain firearms and ammunition.
Prohibits partial reassessments retroactive to 1998 and provides State reimbursements to certain property owners adversely impacted by those partial reassessments back to 1998.
Directs DOE to provide to every public school a sign stating the national motto, "In God We Trust," and permits principals and teachers to display additional copies.
Filed1
Increases State aid to municipalities by adjusting for inflation; appropriates $328,725,000 for State aid.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 22
Increases and indexes maximum homestead rebate benefit. *
Accelerates phase-in of the NJ SAVER rebate.
"Senior Gold Prescription Discount Act."
Assures certain benefits to certain police, fire and emergency personnel under certain circumstances in regard to the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001 or pursuant to an Executive Order by the Governor.
Prohibits sale of certain merchandise at excessive prices during certain emergencies.
Increases number of tuition-free credits that a member of the National Guard may earn in undergraduate study and extends credits to graduate study.
Provides tuition assistance for children and spouses of the victims of the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. *
Increases veteran's property tax deduction.
Extends civil service veterans preference to certain persons who served in Operation "Uphold Democracy" in Haiti.
Modifies daily limit for taking of striped bass.
Establishes the "Local Unit Electronic Technology Pilot Program and Study Act," and makes an appropriation.*
Requires DOT to prepare litter pickup and removal plan.
Increases penalties for littering.
Appropriates $135 million to the DEP for dam, lake, and stream projects. *
Revises PFRS funding to reduce local employers' contributions by $150 million for FY 2001. *
Establishes the casino reinvestment development authority urban revitalization incentive program.
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.
Increases TPAF and PERS retirement benefits for active members and retirees; revises calculation of assets and establishes benefit enhancement fund.
Appropriates $10.8 million from various Green Acres bond funds for local government open space acquisition and park development projects.
Requires four year digitized picture driver's license; tightens requirements for issuance of driver's license to legal aliens; appropriates $1.5 million.*
Establishes requirements for ticket brokers concerning the resale of tickets of admission to places of entertainment.
Passed the Senate · 5
Supplemental appropriation of $1,500,000 to Division of Local Government Services in DCA to fund Newark City's plane crash costs.
Requires principals and teachers of public schools to conduct an oral recitation from the Declaration of Independence before the opening of each school day in grades 3-12; appropriates $10,000.
Prohibits black bear hunting for five years; requires development of plan for bear population control; and appropriates $95,000.**
Imposes mandatory minimum 3-year prison term for theft of a firearm.
Requires removal of site from contaminated site list within 60 days after completion of cleanup. *
Out of committee · 30
Excludes income of school district residents who rank in the top 5% of income as reported on State Income Tax forms from calculation of district income for school aid purposes.
Excludes from gross income under the gross income tax certain United States military compensation paid to members of units of the NJ National Guard.
"New Jersey Safe Haven Infant Protection Act"; appropriates $500,000.*
Imposes civil penalties on domestic violence offenders and establishes Domestic Violence Victims' Fund. *
Requires transportation services under Work First New Jersey program be provided for 24 months to recipients earning less than $12 an hour after leaving program.*
Supplemental appropriation of $8,050,000 in State and federal funds to increase Medicaid reimbursement for home health services.
Provides for notification to Public Defender of address of indigent defendant owing reimbursement for services rendered.
Increases personal needs allowance to $55 for low-income persons residing in certain facilities; appropriates $4.6 million in State and $3.6 million in federal funds. *
Excludes Medicare Part B premiums in determining PAAD eligibility.
Waives driver's license and motor vehicle registration fees for volunteer firefighters and volunteer members of first aid and rescue squads.
Establishes certain tax credits for donations of property to State or charitable conservancies for recreation and conservation purposes.*
Excludes U.S. military pensions and survivors benefits of persons less than 62 years of age from gross income taxation.
Eliminates dual inspection of residential rental units.
Supplemental appropriation of $5 million to DHSS for defibrillator grants.
Establishes 65 mph speed limit on interstate and limited access highways.
Amends the Structured Financing Act to permit participation by sewerage authorities, utilities authorities and the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission.*
Provides a gross income tax deduction for certain water supply and sewerage charges.
Supplemental appropriation of $500,000 from General Fund for completion of Korean War Memorial in Atlantic City.
Provides for the reduction of the per pupil expenditure of certain constituent municipalities of regional school districts.
Permits sale of motor fuels at other than posted price on the Internet or through similar modalities.*
Appropriates $50,000 to DMAVA for transportation pilot program to provide veterans' medical transportation.
Provides for principal location of "New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center" in Phillipsburg, with satellite location in Netcong.
Appropriates $9 million from "Garden State Farmland Preservation Trust Fund" for direct easement purchases by State Agriculture Development Committee for farmland preservation purposes in pinelands area.
Excludes certain federal income tax rebates from PAAD, Senior Gold and Homestead Property Tax Reimbursement eligibility income.
Establishes matching grant program to assist counties in upgrading election equipment; appropriates $5 million.
Requires testing of newborn infants for maple syrup urine disease.
Makes supplemental appropriation of $2,000,000 to DMAVA for construction of the State World War II Veterans Memorial. *
Revises definition of "person with a disability" and "senior citizen" for certain purposes under consumer fraud law.
Changes car and booster seat and seat belt requirements for certain children traveling in motor vehicles.
Appropriates $1,056,120 from "Garden State Historical Preservation Trust Fund" to provide historic site management grants for certain historic preservation projects.
In committee · 37
Indexes maximum homestead rebate benefit.
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.
Modifies statute of limitations and eliminates certain defenses in civil cases seeking damages based on exposure to tobacco products.
Requires insurers that provide certain prescription drug benefits to cover costs of contraceptives.
Permits local construction code official to inspect traveling carnival-amusement rides.
Supplemental appropriation of $150 million to DHSS for reimbursement to participating health care providers of HIP Health Plan of New Jersey.
Appropriates $165,000 for the Popcorn Park Zoo.
Imposes mandatory fines and driver's license suspension on persons convicted of loitering for the purpose of buying or selling controlled dangerous substances.
Supplemental appropriation of $1.5 million to DLPS to replace State Police weapons.
Authorizes attorneys serving as part-time municipal prosecutors to also serve as defense counsel for criminal matters in the county.
Provides for annual review of certain orders pertaining to care, custody, education and maintenance of a child.
Revises certain sections of the "Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act" concerning municipal providers of utility services and rural electric cooperatives.
Revises certain requirements regarding the certification of animal control officers.
Requires random drug and alcohol testing of certain drunk drivers.
Designates "I'm From New Jersey" as the State song.
Creates the Commission on the Status of Minorities; appropriates $200,000.
Bans trafficking in bodily fluids for unlawful purposes.
Requires the suspension of driving privileges of persons convicted of offenses involving acts of graffiti.
Makes certain changes with respect to employment discrimination.
Appropriates $2.0 million to the Division of Fish and Wildlife for bear management.
Combines the filing of application for the NJ SAVER rebate, homestead rebate, homestead property tax reimbursement, and homestead property tax credit with the New Jersey gross income tax return.
Provides for mandatory life imprisonment for certain sexual assaults upon a minor.
Establishes "Litter Advisory Council."
Revises criteria for awarding certain State contracts to multiple bidders.
Restores certain penalties for abuse of driving privileges.
Requires counties develop and submit to DHSS countywide animal control plans; appropriates $2,150,000.
Establishes regulatory scheme for motorized scooters.
Increases personal needs allowance to $55 for low income persons residing in certain facilities.
Authorizes legal fees and costs against public entity filing legally groundless suits against citizens who are critical of the public entity.
Extends eligibility for veterans' property tax deduction to residents of continuing care retirement communities.
Authorizes and directs DEP to implement Phase II of the California Low Emission Vehicle program in the State beginning in calendar year 2006.
Exempts 1996 and subsequent model year motor vehicles equipped with on-board diagnostic systems from emissions testing; requires check of functioning of on-board diagnostic system; directs AG to recover certain costs of enhanced inspection and maintenance program from federal government.
Supplemental appropriation of $20,000 to DMAVA for grant to Italian American War Veterans of U.S. 66th annual national convention in Atlantic City.
Prohibits contributions by certain entities doing business with State; limits amount of contributions by principals and officers of such entities.
Broadens eligibility for certain veterans' benefits by eliminating requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations.
Creates State contract set-aside program for businesses owned and operated by disabled veterans.
Tightens requirements for issuance of driver's license to legal alien; upgrades penalties for sale and possession of fake driver's license.
Filed · 2
Provides for presumption of death for persons exposed to catastrophic events.
Concerns certain public benefits available to persons affected by September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on US.