New Jersey Bills

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly May 4, 2026

A 4874: Requires certain school districts and Commissioner of Education to submit reports on social and emotional learning.

This bill requires school districts in New Jersey that have chosen to adopt social and emotional learning standards to submit detailed reports to the Commissioner of Education within 180 days. These reports must describe how the districts implemented the standards and analyze their effects on student behavior, school climate, and academic outcomes. The Commissioner of Education will then compile a summary report for the Governor and Legislature, which may include recommendations for improving how these programs are managed across the state. The legislation is designed to gather data on the voluntary adoption of these competencies and will automatically expire once the Commissioner's final report is submitted.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly May 4, 2026

A 4872: "End the Toll Trap Act"; concerns toll violations and related administrative fees; establishes "New York and New Jersey Toll and Fee Reduction Task Force."

The End the Toll Trap Act aims to reduce unfair financial burdens on New Jersey motorists by adjusting how administrative fees are applied to toll violations. It establishes a task force to study toll and fee reductions and modifies existing laws to limit administrative fees to only those who commit three or more violations within a 90-day period. The bill also clarifies that vehicle owners who rent out their cars are not liable for toll violations if they promptly provide the rental company's name and address to authorities. Additionally, the legislation restricts access to toll violation data, ensuring that records containing images or personal details are used solely for law enforcement purposes and are not considered public records.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Transportation

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly May 4, 2026

A 4853: Establishes School Plastics Upcycling Grant Program in DEP to provide proportional awards to eligible schools based on pro rata share of plastics collected, by each school, for upcycling purposes; appropriates $5 million.

This bill creates a grant program within the Department of Environmental Protection to fund schools that collect plastic waste for upcycling into new furniture. It allocates $5 million to distribute proportional awards to eligible public and private K-12 schools based on the amount of plastic each school collects. The program will operate as a three-year pilot, allowing schools to purchase desks, chairs, and other furnishings made from recycled school-collected plastics.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Environment

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly May 4, 2026

A 4688: Excludes biomass, solar, and wind energy systems located on rooftops or exception areas from certain size restrictions applicable to preserved farmland.*

This bill allows owners of preserved farmland in New Jersey to install biomass, solar, and wind energy systems on rooftops, unpreserved farmland, or designated exception areas without being subject to certain size restrictions that normally apply to preserved farmland. The legislation permits these energy facilities as long as they do not significantly interfere with agricultural production, are owned by the landowner, and are used to power the farm or reduce its energy costs through net metering. Landowners must still obtain approval from a committee before construction, and the committee must consider input from development easement holders before making a decision. The bill also requires that energy generated from these facilities be sold only through net metering or similar agreements, and it mandates that projects in the Pinelands area comply with existing Pinelands Protection Act standards.

Topics ✓ Energy

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly May 4, 2026

A 4822: Provides for free feminine hygiene products under certain circumstances; appropriates $500,000.

This New Jersey bill requires institutions of higher education and private employers with 100 or more employees to provide free feminine hygiene products to students and staff. It also mandates that public restrooms accessible to the menstruating population stock these items, while establishing a $500,000 grant program to support implementation at community colleges. The legislation defines covered products as sanitary napkins, tampons, panty liners, menstrual cups, and disks, and requires agencies receiving federal funds to include provisions for these products in their applications.

in committee · New Jersey · Senate May 4, 2026

S 4112: Establishes brain injury screening and education program in DCF.

This bill creates a new program within the Department of Children and Families to screen children and young adults aged five to 21 for brain injuries and to educate various professionals and families about these conditions. The initiative requires the use of validated screening tools and structured interviews to identify at-risk youth, while also providing training for educators, judges, law enforcement, healthcare providers, and government employees to better recognize and support those affected. Additionally, the program will launch outreach efforts through schools, community organizations, and online platforms to raise awareness about available treatment and rehabilitation services. To ensure accountability, the Department of Children and Families must adopt specific rules to implement the program and submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature on its progress and effectiveness.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly May 4, 2026

A 4815: Prohibits DEP from requiring person under 16 years of age to obtain horseback riding permit to ride in State wildlife management areas.

This bill prevents the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection from requiring individuals under 16 to obtain a permit or pay a $2 fee to ride horses in state wildlife management areas. It directly affects young riders and their families by removing these specific administrative barriers to access public lands. The law allows the department to create new rules needed to carry out this change but stops them from enforcing the existing permit and fee requirements for minors.

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly May 4, 2026

A 4860: "Fairness for School Districts in Development Restricted Areas Act"; provides additional State school aid to certain school districts located in municipalities that are part of Highlands or Pinelands preservation areas.

This bill, titled the Fairness for School Districts in Development Restricted Areas Act, provides additional state funding to specific school districts located in municipalities within New Jersey's Highlands or Pinelands preservation areas. To qualify, a school district must have a resident enrollment of over 500 students, be entirely located in a municipality where at least 25 percent of the land is in these protected areas, and have experienced a net loss in state school aid since the 2017-2018 school year. The funding amount is calculated by multiplying $250 by the number of acres in the municipality that fall within the preservation areas, with maximum annual caps of $2.5 million for districts with fewer than 1,000 students and $5 million for larger districts. The legislation takes effect immediately and applies to the first full school year following its enactment.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

passed · New Jersey · General Assembly May 4, 2026

A 3523: Revises membership of New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority.*

This bill (A 3523) reduces the number of members required to form a quorum for the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority (NJ EFA) board. Currently, a majority of the full 7-member board (4 members) is needed; the bill changes this to a majority of the *current* members present, but with a minimum of 3 members. This directly affects the NJ EFA board, which oversees state education facility financing and bonds. The change streamlines decision-making by allowing meetings to proceed with fewer members present, as long as at least 3 are in attendance.

passed · New Jersey · General Assembly May 4, 2026

A 795: Permits 30-calendar day extension to cure period for certain businesses to address and resolve certain violations.

This bill extends the cure period for small businesses facing certain non-criminal violations by 30 days, adding to the existing 60-day period. It applies to businesses with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees for first-time violations that don’t threaten public safety, employee income, or the environment. State agencies may grant this additional 30-day extension only if they determine denying it would conflict with equity and good conscience. The bill does not apply to labor law violations, criminal matters, or cases where federal rules require penalties. It also requires agencies to publicly report waived violations annually.

passed · New Jersey · General Assembly May 4, 2026

A 2127: Prohibits certain public utilities from charging residents of multi-unit dwellings meter-reading fees in certain circumstances.

This bill (A2127) prohibits electric and gas public utilities in New Jersey from charging residential tenants in multi-unit dwellings (like apartments) a meter-reading fee that exceeds the actual cost of their electricity or gas usage for a billing cycle. It specifically targets fees charged to customers who have opted out of smart meter installation and require manual meter readings. The law sets a clear cap: utilities cannot charge more for manual readings than the customer’s regular utility usage cost. This applies directly to renters in shared housing who choose manual metering, ensuring fees align with actual consumption rather than arbitrary charges.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Housing

passed · New Jersey · General Assembly May 4, 2026

A 3238: Eliminates statute of limitations on income tax assessments that arise out of erroneous refunds induced by fraud.

This bill eliminates the 3-year time limit for New Jersey tax authorities to reassess income tax when a taxpayer received an erroneous refund due to intentional fraud. It directly affects taxpayers who intentionally filed false returns to obtain extra money back from the state. The key change removes the previous 3-year deadline, allowing tax assessments at any time for cases where fraud caused the refund. This applies only to deliberate fraud, excluding accidental errors, negligence, or reliance on incorrect advice. The law retroactively covers cases from the five years before the bill's enactment.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill results