Bills in the 2004–2005 Session, Senate.
Bernard F. Kenny Jr.
Sponsored
Became law10
Prohibits campaign contributions by certain business entities performing State, county and local contracts; prohibits certain contributions by county committee of political party.
Changes memberships of Executive Commission on Ethical Standards and Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards.
Requires health care facilities to adopt policies for notifying family members of patient deaths.
Establishes Office of the Inspector General. *
Permits municipal governing body to waive building restrictions on sale of certain lands.
Limits coverage under SHBP traditional health indemnity plan for State law enforcement officers; limits SHBP coverage options for State law enforcement officer retirees and nonaligned Division of State Police retirees. *
Authorizes court to refrain from imposing driver's license suspension on defendant convicted of CDS offense if compelling circumstances exist.
Redirects $350 million in unemployment taxes to Health Care Subsidy Fund and modifies UI benefits. **
Appropriates $150,000 from "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" for grant to Save Ellis Island, Inc. to develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes.
Provides title of person who serves as Acting Governor for continuous period of at least 180 days will be "Governor of the State of New Jersey" for official and historical purposes. *
Out of committee22
Increases the amount of bonds issued for county college capital projects which qualify for State debt service aid support.
Requires regional municipal and county utilities and the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners to provide reduced sewer and water connection fees for certain affordable housing projects. *
Redirects $100 million in unemployment taxes to Health Care Subsidy Fund, changes thresholds for employer unemployment taxes, and modifies UI benefits. *
Creates local tire management program and establishes a fee on new tire purchases. *
Increases homestead rebates for certain homestead owners, folds NJ SAVER rebates into the Homestead Rebate program and increases gross income tax rate for taxpayers with taxable income over $500,000 and temporarily adjusts withholding tax.
Deletes certain nursing home payment requirements under "Nursing Home Quality of Care Improvement Fund Act."
Imposes "general purpose fee" on certain realty transfers and fee on purchase of residential property for over $1 million; generally clarifies realty transfer fee law.
Limits the corporation business tax application of net operating losses to 50% of taxable income for tax years 2004 and 2005.
Concerns procedures with respect to placement, replacement or removal of public utility poles and underground facilities under certain circumstances.
The "Cigarette Tax Securitization Act of 2004."
Appropriates $120,000 from "Garden State Green Acres Preservation Trust Fund" for grant to Save Ellis Island, Inc. to develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes.
Revises 1% fee on transfer of residential property for more than $1 million, exempts certain transfers, and provides for refunds of certain fees paid. *
Supplemental appropriation of $5 million to Division of State Police for additional police recruit class and communication system upgrades.
Makes a supplemental appropriation of donations received by the State for the New Jersey September 11th Memorial at Liberty State Park.
Concerns relationship between manufacturers and wholesalers of malt alcoholic beverages; authorizes certain alcoholic beverage trade practices. *
Increases term of office of mayor and council in towns to four years.
Appropriates $18,000,000 to provide grants for certain historic preservation projects; approves $4,979,092 thereof for certain historic preservation projects in northern NJ.
Modernizes the sales and use tax.
Reduces penalty for early retirement imposed under Employees' Retirement System of Jersey City.
Concerns redirection of unemployment taxes and extension of unemployment benefits.
Increases motor vehicle registration fees to cover capital and operational costs of State's emergency medical helicopter program and fund new State Police trooper classes.
Conforms the sales and use tax to the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement to provide for entry therein and modernizes the sales and use tax.
In committee14
Designates Jersey City Medical Center as the State's specialty acute care children's hospital for Hudson County.
Requires the Governor's annual budget recommendations to establish the State share of public school costs at 50 percent by dedicating growth in certain State revenues.
Grants roadside diesel bus and truck emissions inspection authority to certain municipal police; grants authority to certain police for random inspections for size and weight.
Requires certain public school and child care center employees to hold CPR certification.
Provides low interest loans to persons who need to acquire a new home because they have been forced to vacate their homes due to the presence of hazardous substances.
Requires HMOs that contract with DHS to reimburse hospitals for emergency services based on cost of those services.
Clarifies the school construction law concerning the State share of county vocational school district school facilities projects.
Requires the State to provide State aid for public school adult high school programs.
Makes changes in Primary Care Physician and Dentist Loan Redemption Program.
Changes reimbursement structure for various transportation services provided to Medicaid recipients.
Requires State budget to include funds for annual cost-of-living adjustment to certain contracted providers of services.
Expands certain powers of New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to acquire and develop a soccer and multipurpose stadium project.
Regulates certain rental-purchase agreements.
Authorizes sheriff's employees pension fund to provide pension enhancement for future retirees.
Filed1
Extends transmittal date of FY2005-06 gubernatorial budget message to Legislature to March 1, 2005.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 7
Ends automatic adjustment of campaign contribution limits for committees; adjusts limits for candidate committees.
Establishes Inmate Education and Vocational Training Study Commission.
Extends certain benefits to veterans of Operations Northern and Southern Watch.
Establishes NJ STARS Program to provide scholarships for county college students. *
Revises pilotage laws.
Establishes New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJ QSAC), a new State monitoring system for public school districts.
Provides additional State school aid to school districts which are bordered by at least three Abbott districts.
Passed the Senate · 1
Excludes Armed Services combat zone pay from gross income taxation.
Out of committee · 14
Establishes State rental assistance program patterned after federal section 8 program; permits allocation of funds under the Fair Housing Act to program as permitted purpose. *
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.
Designates third Saturday in June of each year "Juneteenth Independence Day" in New Jersey.
Revises charity care distribution formula.
Supplemental appropriation of $1,793,000 to Judiciary to expand the drug court program Statewide.
Raises the statutory threshold for the public advertisement of bids under the "State College Contracts Law" and makes other changes to that law.
Permits county improvement authorities to undertake economic development activities.
Authorizes imposition of additional fines for overcrowding.
Prohibits investment of certain public funds in foreign companies doing business in Sudan. *
Permits NJ Transit authority to acquire and operate passenger ferries and ferry operations and to construct ferry capital facilities.
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns for the New Jersey World Trade Center Scholarship Fund.
Supplemental appropriation of $750,000 to DHSS for Office on Women's Health.
Establishes health care quality improvement fund grant program funded from tax rate increase on small cigars. *
Makes FY2006 supplemental General Fund appropriations of $4 million to DHS for home heating assistance and $9 million for energy assistance programs. *
In committee · 21
Supplemental appropriation of $1,500,000 to Division of Local Government Services in DCA to fund Newark City's plane crash costs.
Makes a supplemental appropriation of $50,000 for an endowment to the Wynona Moore Lipman Ethnic Studies Center to be established at Kean University.
Doubles amount of certain retirement income that may be excluded from gross income under the gross income tax.
Makes a supplemental appropriation of $500,000 to DCA for a grant to ASPIRA.
Expands eligibility for reimbursement from Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund and amends powers and duties of Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund Commission.
Eliminates motor vehicle registration fees for certain entities.
Modifies definition of Abbott districts to include urban districts within DOE's district factor groupings A or B.
Increases PFRS disability, accidental death and special retirement benefits; increases members' contribution rate.
Designates "I'm From New Jersey" as the State song.
Requires insurers and SHBP to provide coverage for expenses incurred in screening for ovarian cancer.
Establishes Medication Management, Outreach and Support Program in DHS; appropriates $8 million.
Supplemental appropriation to FY04 budget of $250,000 for publication of Truth in Renting booklet by DCA.
Establishes involuntary outpatient commitment for certain persons who are mentally ill or gravely disabled and provides for involuntary inpatient commitment for certain persons who are gravely disabled.
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.
Requires MVC to open inspection station in Bayonne or Jersey City.
Allows counties and local contracting units to offer incentive to waive SHBP coverage to employees eligible for other health care coverage.
Establishes "The Essex County Prosecutorial Unification Pilot Program Act of 2004."
"Billy's Law;" directs Department of Education to establish a register of qualified educational facilities outside the State for special education students and establishes procedures for the placement of such facilities on the register.
Exempts certain businesses from licensing requirements for those engaged in burglar alarm, fire alarm and electronic security system installations.
Establishes minimum salary of $40,000 for teaching staff members in school districts and educational services commissions.
Authorizes special "Born to Run" license plate with proceeds to benefit Community FoodBank of New Jersey.
Filed · 1
Authorizes counties to increase the number of appointed board members on county vocational school district boards of education.