This bill (A4603) allows commercial farmers in New Jersey to recover reasonable legal costs and attorney fees when defending against complaints they win under the "Right to Farm Act." It directly affects farmers who successfully prove a complaint was filed in bad faith and that their farming activity met the Act's legal standards. Key provisions require farmers to apply to their county agriculture board or the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC), which must then determine if the complaint was filed in bad faith (by a preponderance of evidence) and if the costs/fees are reasonable before ordering the complainant to pay. The change provides a specific remedy for farmers facing frivolous legal challenges, strengthening existing protections under the Act.
This bill imposes a $3 daily surcharge on hotel room occupancies in New Jersey cities of the first class that have an international airport (like Newark). The collected funds go into a dedicated fire services trust fund managed by the state, which municipalities must use exclusively for firefighting services - such as hiring staff, buying equipment, and capital improvements. Municipalities can only spend these funds if their annual fire service budget increases compared to the previous year, and they cannot use more than 37% of the surcharge revenue for firefighter salaries and retention through 2028. The surcharge is in addition to existing taxes and is designed to supplement, not replace, current fire service funding from property taxes or state aid.
This bill prohibits non-electric vehicles from parking in electric vehicle charging spaces when those spaces are clearly marked with three specific indicators: that they're for electric vehicle charging, that they're designated exclusively for electric vehicle charging, and that violations are subject to penalties. It amends existing parking regulations to add this new restriction, defining "electric vehicle charging location" as publicly accessible parking spaces with visible signage for charging plug-in electric vehicles. Violating this provision would result in a fine of up to $50 or up to 15 days in jail, or both. The bill directly affects drivers of non-electric vehicles who might park in these spaces and electric vehicle drivers who rely on these designated areas for charging their vehicles.
This bill authorizes the State Treasurer to sell two parcels of surplus state-owned land in Mercer County to Mercer County for $1 each. The first parcel (1.3 acres on Lamberton Street in Trenton, previously used by the Department of Transportation) and the second parcel (26.3 acres at the Mercer County Fire Academy Dempster Training Center in Lawrence Township) will be transferred for public use. Both properties have been declared surplus to state needs, and the sale must be completed within nine months after the FY2026 budget is enacted. The properties must continue to be used for public purposes, with all existing federal restrictions on their use remaining in effect after the transfer.
S 3132 requires secondhand dealers of cell phones and wireless devices to document each transaction with the device’s ID number (MEID/IMEI/ESN) and verify seller identity. Dealers must collect two forms of ID (including one photo ID), confirm the seller is the lawful owner, and record details if photo ID is unavailable. The bill prohibits dealers from selling devices with altered identifiers or knowingly purchasing devices from sellers providing false information. Violations incur civil penalties of $250-$1,000 per offense, collected by the Division of Consumer Affairs. This applies to dealers purchasing used phones, excluding carriers and their authorized retailers.
This bill updates New Jersey's Athletic Training Licensure Act by revising key definitions to modernize the scope of practice. It replaces the term "athlete" with "physically active person" to include individuals participating in sports, performing arts, recreational activities, employment, or military exercise. The bill clarifies that athletic training covers injury prevention, evaluation, and rehabilitation under physician supervision, while explicitly excluding prescription of controlled substances. These changes directly affect licensed athletic trainers, ensuring their scope aligns with current practices and legal requirements. The revisions were enacted without opposition (passed 39-0 in Senate, 77-2 in Assembly).
The Travel Insurance Act (S 2783) establishes a regulatory framework for travel insurance in New Jersey, defining key terms and setting requirements for how travel insurance must be sold and marketed. It creates licensing requirements for travel insurance producers and retailers, mandates clear disclosure of coverage details to consumers, and specifies that travel insurance must be classified under inland marine or accident and health insurance. The bill requires travel retailers to provide detailed information about coverage, prohibits misleading marketing practices like marketing blanket insurance as "free," and sets rules for cancellations and refunds. This legislation directly affects travel insurance companies, travel retailers, and consumers purchasing travel insurance in New Jersey.
This bill requires contractors and subcontractors working on public projects to submit payroll records to New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD). It applies to any business performing work for public bodies (like state/local governments or projects funded by public money), including construction, maintenance, or repair work. The key mechanism mandates that these contractors must register with DOLWD and provide payroll details to verify compliance with prevailing wage laws and apprenticeship program requirements. This affects all employers engaged in public work contracts, ensuring transparency in worker compensation and program participation.
This bill expands New Jersey's child care assistance program to include full-time graduate and post-graduate students who meet income, asset, and residency requirements and are enrolled full-time in good academic standing at a public or private college or university. Currently, the program covers only full-time undergraduate students pursuing associate's or bachelor's degrees. The state must update its eligibility rules and seek federal funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant to cover the costs of this expansion. This change directly affects graduate and post-graduate students who are parents and rely on the program for child care support.
This New Jersey bill ensures that district and county election boards, not judges, make the initial determination on whether ballots with unclear markings should be counted. The boards will use their judgment to decide if marks were intended to vote for a candidate (counting the ballot) or to identify the ballot (rejecting it). Currently, such decisions often required judicial review, but this bill shifts that authority to the election boards directly. This change affects how election results are finalized for ballots with ambiguous marks, streamlining the counting process without altering the criteria for ballot validity.
This bill extends the time teachers can be away from service while maintaining membership in New Jersey's Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF). It increases the standard discontinuance period from two to seven years, and extends the return-to-service window to 25 years for teachers who were laid off or voluntarily left with 10 or more years of service. Teachers returning within these extended timeframes will be re-enrolled in the TPAF at their previous tier with no additional contributions required. The changes apply to all current and future TPAF members who meet the specified conditions.
This bill requires all members (regular and alternate) of New Jersey's historic preservation commissions to complete a mandatory 5-hour historic preservation planning course within 18 months of joining or after the course becomes available. The course, developed by the Department of Community Affairs with input from the New Jersey Historic Trust and State Historic Preservation Office, must be completed within one day. Certain professionals, such as licensed planners or those with equivalent prior training, are exempt from this requirement. The law applies to all 300+ historic preservation commissions across New Jersey municipalities, aiming to ensure commission members have foundational knowledge for preserving the state's built heritage.
