New Jersey Bills

This bill creates a 10-year urban enterprise zone in Atlantic City to encourage economic development and business investment in the area. It defines specific criteria for businesses to qualify for the zone, requiring them to hire employees who are local residents, unemployed for at least six months, or classified as low-income individuals. The legislation also establishes rules for businesses operating on casino property, allowing them to qualify if they meet the employment requirements, while excluding casinos themselves from qualified business status. By amending existing state statutes, the bill provides a framework for tax relief and development incentives aimed at supporting local employment and community growth in Atlantic City.

This bill prohibits landlords, their agents, and third-party screening vendors in New Jersey from requiring photo identification as part of a residential rental application or making approval contingent on providing such ID. It directly affects prospective tenants seeking to rent apartments and the property management companies or brokers they interact with. The law classifies violations as unlawful practices under state consumer fraud statutes, allowing tenants to sue for $1,000 per offense plus attorney fees. The restrictions apply to all rental applications for units leased for at least one month, excluding owner-occupied properties with three or fewer units and transient lodging like hotels.

This bill creates a Nursing School Expansion Grant Program in New Jersey to help nursing schools increase their capacity and improve the supply of nurses. The program will be managed by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, which will review applications from eligible nursing education programs at public universities, private colleges, or hospital-based schools. To receive funding, schools must submit detailed plans showing how they will increase enrollment and graduation rates, expand faculty, improve workforce diversity, and strengthen connections between different nursing education levels. The bill appropriates $25 million from the state's General Fund, with $24.5 million available for grants and up to $500,000 reserved for administrative costs.

This bill requires that the New Jersey Attorney General obtain approval from the Legislature and Governor before filing an amicus brief in any state or federal court case where New Jersey is not a party. Under the proposed law, the Attorney General must wait for a joint resolution passed by both legislative chambers and signed by the Governor, or receive written authorization from the Governor after the Legislature votes, before submitting such legal arguments. The measure directly affects the Attorney General's ability to participate in high-profile legal cases by adding a layer of oversight from elected officials. This change aims to ensure that the State's legal positions in non-party cases reflect the decisions of its elected representatives rather than the unelected Attorney General acting alone.

This bill establishes a three-year pilot program in New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development to study how recording customer service calls to the Division of Unemployment Insurance can improve the timely delivery of benefits. Under the program, a representative sample of intake calls will be recorded and analyzed to measure resolution rates, response times, and any relationship between call duration and benefit amounts. The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development will submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature based on survey results, and the program will expire after the third report is submitted.

This bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities to examine how electric utility rates and revenues have changed after utilities install smart meters. The review will compare billing rates and revenue amounts collected before and after smart meter installation for each utility company using this technology. Within six months of the bill taking effect, the Board must submit a written report of its findings to the Governor and the Legislature. The bill applies specifically to electric public utilities that use smart meters for billing purposes and will expire once the required report is submitted.

This bill allows State employees without collective bargaining representation to enroll in specific negotiated health care plans, such as the CWA Unity DIRECT plan, starting January 1, 2027. It authorizes the State Health Benefits Commission to adjust premium payment obligations for these employees to align with terms from existing collective bargaining agreements. The legislation also clarifies how premium costs are shared for retirees who have 25 years of service credit, ensuring consistency between traditional and managed care plans.

This bill allows inactive liquor licenses from municipalities with surplus licenses to be transferred and sold to qualifying smart growth areas that lack available licenses for new businesses. It defines specific criteria for what counts as an inactive license, a smart growth municipality, and a qualifying real estate development project, ensuring licenses move to locations where they can be actively used. The legislation also establishes a process for financial compensation to the municipalities transferring the licenses, creating a mechanism to balance supply and demand for alcohol beverage licenses across the state.

This bill allows counties and County Agriculture Development Boards in New Jersey to transfer installment purchase agreements for preserved farmland to the State Agriculture Development Committee. The transfer can occur with the committee's consent before the agreement's term ends, requiring collaboration between the county and committee on fund disbursement. This change enables the state committee to manage payments for farmland preservation deals that were originally structured by local governments, potentially streamlining administration and fund management. The legislation applies to existing installment purchase agreements used for development easements or land acquisitions under current farmland preservation laws.

This bill requires businesses with at least 50 employees in New Jersey that cater or order food to submit an excess food reduction plan to the Department of Environmental Protection for approval. The plan must outline specific strategies to reduce food waste, such as limiting food orders, improving distribution methods, minimizing landfill disposal, and increasing composting or food donation. Businesses that successfully reduce excess food by 25 percent will receive a tax credit against their business privilege tax to offset costs associated with food recycling and donation programs. The bill also mandates that approved businesses submit biannual reports to the Governor and Legislature on the effectiveness of their food reduction efforts.

This bill creates a state tax credit for healthcare professionals who supervise nursing students in clinical training programs. Eligible preceptors, including advanced practice nurses, physicians, and physician assistants, can claim up to $1,000 for each student they primarily supervise, provided they complete at least 100 clinical hours of instruction during the tax year. The program is funded through a $10 million annual appropriation to the Department of Treasury and includes administrative rules for verifying student supervision through nursing school certification forms.

This bill in New Jersey repeals a 2025 law that required health insurers and the Medicaid program to cover certain immunizations without cost sharing. The repealed law mandated that these entities follow immunization recommendations from the New Jersey Department of Health, which previously considered guidance from the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and other medical organizations. By removing this law, the bill eliminates the requirement for insurers to cover immunizations based on state department recommendations and restores references to the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in related statutes. The change directly affects health insurance providers, Medicaid, and individuals who rely on these coverage provisions for vaccine expenses.