New Jersey Bills | MyRepTracker

signed · New Jersey · Senate Sep 29, 2025

S 2335: Requires school districts to provide instruction on history of Latinos and Hispanics as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards.*

This bill requires all New Jersey public school districts to include instruction about the history and contributions of Latino and Hispanic Americans in Social Studies and English Language Arts curricula for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. It mandates that school boards integrate this content as part of their existing implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. The Commissioner of Education must provide sample lesson resources and activities to support schools, developed with input from the Commission on Latino and Hispanic Heritage. The law takes effect immediately for the first full school year after enactment.

Topics ✓ Education

Carmen Morales (D) Julio Marenco (D) Eliana Pintor Marin (D) Brian Stack (D) Teresa Ruiz (D) · 16 co-sponsors

signed · New Jersey · General Assembly Sep 24, 2025

A 5563: Establishes "Summer Termination Program" for certain utility customers.

This bill creates a "Summer Termination Program" that prevents utility companies (including local authorities, municipal utilities, rural electric cooperatives, and public utilities) from disconnecting electricity, water, or sewer service to eligible residential customers during extreme heat. It triggers when a 72-hour forecast predicts temperatures reaching or exceeding 85°F for at least 24 hours. Eligible customers include those receiving assistance under the existing Winter Termination Program or those unable to pay bills due to hardships like unemployment, illness, or family emergencies. The program requires the Department of Community Affairs and the Board of Public Utilities to establish self-certification processes for customers to claim financial hardship.

Topics ✓ Energy

signed · New Jersey · General Assembly Sep 19, 2025

A 2929: Requires disclosure of lead drinking water hazards to tenants of residential units; prohibits landlords from obstructing replacement of lead service lines; concerns testing of certain property for lead drinking water hazards.*

This bill requires landlords in New Jersey to disclose lead drinking water hazards to tenants before lease agreements, including information about lead service lines, building construction dates (pre-1986 properties may contain lead), and recent lead exceedance notices. Landlords must provide a standardized disclosure statement within 90 days of the bill's effective date, with exemptions for newer buildings (post-1986), lead-safe properties, and seasonal rentals. Tenants can request free lead testing from water systems, which must test annually upon request (or every 60 days if lead levels exceed standards), and landlords cannot obstruct replacement of lead service lines - tenants may terminate leases without penalty if obstruction occurs. Violations carry fines up to $1,000 for repeated non-compliance.

Topics ✓ Housing

signed · New Jersey · Senate Sep 11, 2025

S 3309: Establishes "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act"; revises motor vehicle franchise agreements.*

The "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act" (S 3309) requires used car dealers to check for open recalls on vehicles before sale using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website and provide prospective buyers with printed recall information if any are found. Dealers cannot sell vehicles subject to stop-sale or do-not-drive notices issued by NHTSA. The bill mandates dealers to report vehicles with unresolved recalls (for which repairs remain uncompleted six months after initial notice) to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission every 180 days, prompting the Commission to send notices directly to vehicle owners. For vehicles with unavailable parts for recalls, dealers receive monthly compensation equal to 1.75% of the vehicle's value until repairs are completed.

Topics ✓ Transportation

signed · New Jersey · Senate Sep 11, 2025

S 4376: Establishes Department of Veterans Affairs.

S 4376 establishes a new Department of Veterans Affairs in New Jersey, creating a dedicated state agency focused exclusively on veterans' needs. The bill transfers all existing veterans' programs, services, and personnel from the current Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs to this new department. The new department will manage veterans' memorial homes, cemeteries, benefits programs, and other services, with a Commissioner who must be an honorably discharged veteran. This change makes New Jersey one of the few states without a separate department for veterans' affairs, aiming to provide more efficient and focused support for veterans.

Topics ✓ Veterans

signed · New Jersey · Senate Sep 11, 2025

S 4506: Exempts minor league baseball players from certain State wage laws under certain circumstances.

S 4506 exempts minor league baseball players covered by a union-negotiated agreement between Minor League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association from New Jersey's wage and hour laws and recordkeeping requirements. The exemption applies only while the agreement is active and requires the league and union to notify the state labor department within one week of any agreement termination or replacement. This aligns state law with the 2023 agreement, which provides players with salaries, health care, housing, retirement benefits, and other protections that conflict with standard wage laws due to minor league baseball's irregular schedules.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

signed · New Jersey · General Assembly Sep 11, 2025

A 4085: Allows for natural organic reduction and controlled supervised decomposition of human remains.

This bill legalizes "natural organic reduction" (also called "controlled supervised decomposition") in New Jersey, which converts human remains into soil-like material. It creates a regulatory framework requiring facilities to register with the State Board of Mortuary Science, be supervised by licensed mortuary professionals, and meet specific construction and operation standards. The bill amends existing mortuary science laws to include this new process, with the State Board authorized to develop regulations and inspect facilities. This provides a new option for final disposition of human remains, alongside traditional burial and cremation. The legislation establishes clear requirements for facilities offering this service while maintaining oversight by licensed professionals.

signed · New Jersey · General Assembly Sep 11, 2025

A 2390: Requires municipalities in compliance with affordable housing obligations be provided priority consideration for certain State grants and assistance.

This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and Economic Development Authority (EDA) to give priority consideration to municipalities that meet their state-mandated affordable housing requirements when awarding competitive grants through programs like Main Street New Jersey and Neighborhood Preservation. It specifies that compliance is determined by factors such as past housing obligation fulfillment, settlement agreements, or builder's remedy use in the prior housing obligation round (for the first five years), shifting to current-round fulfillment after that. The priority does not apply to grants specifically intended to help municipalities meet their housing obligations. Exempt municipalities (those not subject to housing requirements) automatically qualify for priority consideration.

Topics ✓ Housing

signed · New Jersey · General Assembly Sep 3, 2025

A 4429: Expands prohibitions on employers concerning requirements for employees to attend or listen to communications related to political matters.

This bill prohibits New Jersey employers from requiring employees to attend or listen to workplace communications about political matters, including discussions about political parties, elections, labor organizations, or community activities. It expands existing law by explicitly adding labor organizations and activities to the definition of "political matters" and mandates employers to post a clear notice of these rights in visible workplace areas. Employees who face violations can sue within 90 days for remedies like reinstatement, back pay, or fines up to $5,000 for repeat offenses. The law directly affects all employers in New Jersey - such as businesses, state agencies, and local governments - and their employees.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · New Jersey · General Assembly Sep 3, 2025

A 1682: Requires State Board of Education to adopt New Jersey Student Learning Standards pertaining to labor movement; requires school districts to provide instruction on labor movement.*

This bill (A1682) requires New Jersey public school districts to include instruction on labor history in social studies curricula for students in grades 6 through 12. It mandates teaching four specific topics: the history of organized labor, notable historical strikes, unionization drives, and the collective bargaining process with workplace legal protections. The Commissioner of Education must provide age-appropriate lesson resources to help schools implement this requirement. The policy applies to all school districts under the state's existing social studies learning standards, beginning with the first full school year after enactment.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · New Jersey · General Assembly Aug 22, 2025

A 5267: Requires BPU to procure and incentivize transmission-scale energy storage.

This bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to establish a program to incentivize the development of transmission-scale energy storage systems with a minimum capacity of 5 megawatts. The program will solicit applications for projects totaling at least 500 megawatts of capacity, with projects needing commercial operation by December 2030 and interconnection to the PJM grid. The BPU will provide incentive awards totaling at least $60 million annually for 15 years, based on a scoring system that evaluates price, project maturity, and community benefits. The program is designed to help New Jersey meet its 2030 energy storage target of 2,000 megawatts, with the BPU required to report on progress one year after the initial procurement.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

signed · New Jersey · Senate Aug 22, 2025

S 4530: Requires BPU to revise community solar program targets.

This bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to revise community solar program targets, replacing the previous annual goal of 150 megawatts with a new target of 3,000 megawatts to be registered by December 31, 2029. The BPU must open registration for these projects by August 1, 2025, and accept applications until the target is met or the deadline passes. The bill also mandates the BPU to establish appropriate solar credit levels and bill discounts to support this new target. This change directly affects solar energy developers, electric utilities, and community solar participants, including low- and moderate-income residents who must be provided access to the program.

Topics ✓ Energy