New Jersey Bills

in committee · New Jersey · Senate May 11, 2026

S 4167: Requires municipal participation in sheltering homeless individuals.

This bill requires every municipality in New Jersey to either operate its own emergency shelter for homeless individuals or partner with a private nonprofit to do so. Alternatively, a municipality can choose to pay a fee to the county, calculated at $5 per resident based on the latest census data, which the county will then distribute to local shelters based on how many people each shelter serves. To help cover these costs, municipalities are allowed to use existing funds from certificate of occupancy fees. Additionally, all shelters established under this law must use a state system to provide real-time updates on available bed space.

Topics ✓ Housing

in committee · New Jersey · Senate May 11, 2026

S 4129: Requires study of ocean energy potential; directs BPU to establish wave and tidal energy generation goals and take other action to establish NJ as nationwide leader in ocean energy.

This bill directs New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities and the Department of Environmental Protection to conduct a study on the potential for wave and tidal energy within the state. The study will evaluate impacts on energy prices, ecosystems, and the grid, while also exploring the feasibility of creating renewable energy credits or other incentives to encourage development. Following the study, the bill requires the state to update its Energy Master Plan to include specific goals for ocean energy and take steps to position New Jersey as a national leader in this sector.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment ✓ Technology

in committee · New Jersey · Senate May 11, 2026

S 4134: Requires State school aid reductions in any school year to be applied in following school year.

This bill requires that any reduction in state school aid for a school district in one year be applied to that district's funding in the following year instead. The law ensures that districts facing cuts receive the full amount of aid they were entitled to in the current budget year, with the shortfall deducted from their allocation the next year. It directly affects public school districts in New Jersey that might otherwise experience immediate funding decreases. By deferring these reductions, the measure aims to provide more predictable financial planning for schools while maintaining the same total amount of aid over a two-year period.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

in committee · New Jersey · Senate May 11, 2026

S 4199: Permits flexible use of licensed hospital bed capacity for pediatric and adult patient care under certain circumstances.

This bill allows licensed hospitals in New Jersey with pediatric units to temporarily admit adult patients into pediatric care areas or pediatric patients into adult care areas when their usual units are full. To ensure safety, the law requires that the opposite patient group be excluded from the unit during this time and that the hospital provides appropriate staff trained to treat the temporary patients. Additionally, the bill mandates that these patients be moved to their correct units as soon as a bed becomes available and clinically appropriate, after which the unit can resume normal operations. The New Jersey Commissioner of Health is tasked with creating specific rules to implement these flexible capacity measures.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · New Jersey · Senate May 11, 2026

S 4174: Enhances transparency concerning properties claiming exemption from rent control.

This bill requires landlords in New Jersey to clearly disclose when their rental properties are exempt from local rent control limits. Owners must provide prospective tenants with a written statement and specific documents proving the exemption before signing a lease, and the lease itself must prominently display the exemption status and its expiration date. Additionally, the law mandates that owners file detailed claims with municipal officials and maintain a public online registry of exempt properties to improve transparency. These measures directly affect property owners of newly constructed buildings and the tenants who rent from them.

Topics ✓ Housing

in committee · New Jersey · Senate May 11, 2026

S 4178: Requires county and municipal clerks to publish unofficial list of all persons who filed nominating petitions for primary election within five hours of deadline to file nominating petitions.

This New Jersey bill requires county and municipal clerks to post an unofficial list of candidates who have submitted nominating petitions for primary elections. The clerks must publish these names on their official websites within five hours after the petition filing deadline passes. This change directly affects local election officials and voters by making candidate information available more quickly than under current rules. The law does not change the filing deadline itself but accelerates when the public can see who has officially entered the race.

in committee · New Jersey · Senate May 11, 2026

S 4121: Requires State to elect to participate in federal tax credit scholarship program and directs Commissioner of Education to provide required information to U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

This bill requires New Jersey to officially join a federal program that offers tax credits to individuals who donate money to scholarship organizations. To enable this, the state's Commissioner of Education must annually send a list of eligible local scholarship providers to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. The change directly affects residents who wish to claim federal tax benefits for their donations to these organizations, as they can only do so if their home state has opted in. By passing this measure, the state ensures that donors living in New Jersey can receive the available federal tax incentive for their contributions.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

in committee · New Jersey · Senate May 11, 2026

S 4201: Authorizes coverage of prescriptive hormone replacement therapy.

This New Jersey bill requires private health plans, state-purchased insurance contracts, and Medicaid to cover a 12-month supply of prescription hormone replacement therapy for individuals who do not need refrigeration. The legislation defines these drugs as FDA-approved medications used to regulate hormone levels but explicitly excludes certain weight-loss drugs. While the law mandates this coverage, it allows for specific exceptions, such as limiting refills during the last quarter of a plan year if a full supply was already provided, or temporarily reducing supplies to 90 days during acute drug shortages. Additionally, insurance providers retain the ability to use standard drug management strategies to oversee how these medications are prescribed and dispensed.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · New Jersey · Senate May 11, 2026

SJR 142: Designates June 2026 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in New Jersey.

This bill designates June 2026 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in New Jersey to honor the contributions and achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and non-binary individuals. It does not create new laws or change existing policies but serves as a symbolic recognition of the state's commitment to inclusivity. The resolution urges public officials and citizens to commemorate the month with appropriate activities, aligning New Jersey with federal and international traditions of celebrating LGBTQ+ visibility.

in committee · New Jersey · Senate May 11, 2026

S 4149: Upgrades penalties for certain crimes involving heroin and fentanyl; establishes new crimes concerning heroin mixtures; allows certain defendants to be eligible for drug court.

This bill proposes to increase penalties for crimes involving heroin and fentanyl while creating new offenses specifically for distributing heroin mixtures. It also aims to make certain defendants eligible for drug court programs as an alternative to traditional prosecution. The legislation achieves these goals by amending state statutes to redefine key terms like "adulterants" and "controlled substance analogs," ensuring that laws cover synthetic variants and fake drugs. These changes directly affect individuals charged with drug-related offenses and the courts that handle such cases.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

in committee · New Jersey · Senate May 11, 2026

S 4184: Requires New Jersey State Board of Dentistry to include oralfacial pain as a special area of dentistry.

This bill directs the New Jersey State Board of Dentistry to officially recognize orofacial pain as a specialized area of dentistry. It requires the board to update its rules so that licensed dentists can obtain permits to publicly announce this specialty, joining other recognized fields like orthodontics and periodontics. The change allows dentists who focus on treating pain in the mouth, face, and jaw to formally identify themselves as specialists in this area.

in committee · New Jersey · Senate May 11, 2026

S 4147: Designates accounting as STEM subject for various educational and other programs.

This bill designates accounting as a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subject to increase its visibility in educational programs. It requires the New Jersey Department of Education to create outreach initiatives that encourage young women and minorities to pursue careers in these fields. The legislation also mandates that institutions of higher education develop strategies to recruit and retain underrepresented students in accounting and other STEM programs. By explicitly including accounting in STEM definitions, the bill aims to broaden career opportunities and address historical underrepresentation in the workforce.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Technology

Bill results