New Jersey Bills

passed · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 1457: "General Contractor Licensing Act;" provides for regulation of general contractors and general contracting businesses.*

This bill (A1457, "General Contractor Licensing Act") requires all general contractors in New Jersey to obtain a license from the newly created New Jersey State Board of General Contractors. To qualify, applicants must be at least 18, of good moral character, hold a bachelor's degree in project management with 60+ construction credits, and pass a board-administered exam. The bill exempts contractors with 10+ years of pre-act experience (without bankruptcy or business name changes) and those licensed in allied professions like architecture. Licenses are issued for two years and require renewal, including continuing education, with the board setting fees and standards for examinations and licensing.

passed both · New Jersey · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SJR 143: Designates July 30 of each year as "Clarence 'Coach C' Collins Day."

SJR 143 designates July 30 of each year as "Clarence 'Coach C' Collins Day" to honor his 13-year service as a youth mentor at University Academy Charter High School in Jersey City, where he developed workshops and connected students with community internships through the Department of Recreation. The resolution requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation to recognize his legacy of supporting at-risk youth and strengthening community engagement in Jersey City. This commemorative resolution has no legal effect beyond symbolic recognition.

Topics ✓ Education

passed both · New Jersey · Senate Jan 12, 2026

S 2840: Directs DEP to lift conservation restrictions imposed as condition of CAFRA permit under certain conditions.

This bill directs New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to lift conservation restrictions imposed on land as a condition of a Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) permit. These restrictions can only be lifted if the land is needed for expanding an existing school for special needs children. The DEP must also require a new conservation restriction of at least double the size to be placed on another parcel within 20 miles of the original property before lifting the restriction.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Environment

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 4284: Eliminates fee for special plates for firefighters and members of first aid or rescue squads.

This bill eliminates a $15 fee for special license plates designated for firefighters and members of first aid or rescue squads in New Jersey. It directly affects compensated, partially compensated, and volunteer members of fire departments or first aid/rescue squads who currently pay this fee in addition to standard vehicle registration costs. The bill amends existing law (P.L.1977, c.369) to remove the $15 charge, meaning applicants will only pay standard vehicle registration fees. The special plates (featuring a Maltese Cross with "F.D." for firefighters or a similar design for first aid/rescue members) remain available under the same eligibility rules.

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 4254: Establishes limits on transcript release restrictions at institutions of higher education and certain proprietary institutions.

This bill prohibits New Jersey higher education and proprietary institutions from withholding student transcripts due to debts under $2,000 for non-mandatory charges (like activity fees). It requires institutions to release transcripts for transfer, graduate programs, or employment purposes regardless of such small debts, but allows them to require repayment plans for larger debts (over $2,000) or mandatory fees (tuition, room/board). Institutions cannot charge extra fees for transcripts or use transcript issuance to collect debt. Students needing transcripts for new or refinanced student loans cannot have their transcripts restricted. The law applies only to students residing in the U.S.

Topics ✓ Education

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 2801: Renames, extends eligibility, and makes various other changes to Primary Care Practitioner Loan Redemption Program.

This bill renames the Primary Care Practitioner Loan Redemption Program to the Health Care Professional Loan Redemption Program and makes several key changes to expand eligibility and improve program administration. It increases the maximum loan redemption amount from $120,000 to $200,000, allows psychiatrists and other health professionals designated by the Commissioner of Health to participate, and expands the definition of "State designated underserved area" to include municipalities where over 50% of households are at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. The program provides partial loan repayment for health care professionals who commit to working in underserved areas, with repayment amounts based on years of service at approved sites. The bill also establishes new criteria for sites to be automatically designated as approved sites and requires annual reporting on the program's impact to the Governor and Legislature.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 4664: Prohibits social media platforms from promoting certain practices or features of eating disorders to child users.

This bill prohibits social media platforms from designing, promoting, or using features that could cause children under 18 to develop eating disorders, including promoting diet products. It requires platforms to conduct quarterly internal audits and annual third-party audits to identify harmful features, with corrective action required within 30 days if issues are found. Platforms with under $100 million in annual revenue, gaming-focused services, or those complying with audit requirements are exempt from penalties. Violations could result in civil penalties of up to $250,000 per violation. The bill specifically targets platform algorithms and features, not user-generated content.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Technology

passed both · New Jersey · Senate Jan 12, 2026

S 3802: Requires certain State-funded construction projects to utilize plastic construction materials that contain certain amounts of postconsumer recycled content.

S 3802 requires New Jersey state, county, and municipal construction projects to use plastic construction materials containing at least 10% recycled content from used products (postconsumer recycled content) for materials purchased within two years of the law's effective date, increasing to 15% afterward. The law applies specifically to materials made of over 50% plastic by cost, defined as items brought to a project site for incorporation into buildings or infrastructure. Exemptions apply if using compliant materials would raise project costs by 25% or if such materials aren't available for the intended use. This bill directly affects government agencies managing public construction and suppliers of plastic building materials.

Topics ✓ Environment ✓ Transportation

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 5182: Modernizes responsibilities of New Jersey Council of County Colleges.

This bill modernizes the New Jersey Council of County Colleges' role by expanding its responsibilities. It requires the Council to develop a biennial strategic plan for county colleges, serve as the primary advisory body to state agencies on college-related matters, and create a performance-based funding formula for state aid (capping operational support at 43% of colleges' base-year costs). The Council must also enhance data sharing, coordinate statewide academic initiatives, and build partnerships with employers to align programs with workforce needs. These changes directly affect all 19 New Jersey county colleges and their funding mechanisms, while strengthening the Council's role in guiding state higher education policy.

Topics ✓ Education

passed both · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 5258: Permits certain wineries to sell their products by the glass for consumption in licensed salesrooms.

Bill A5258 allows plenary winery license holders, out-of-state winery license holders, and farm winery license holders to sell wine by the glass for on-premises consumption in their licensed salesrooms. The bill defines "by the glass" as selling individual portions of wine (or wine mixed with nonalcoholic beverages) in open containers. This change expands the sales options available to these wineries, permitting them to serve wine by the glass in their salesrooms without requiring customers to purchase full bottles. The bill modifies existing licensing provisions without changing the fees or other requirements for these winery licenses. The sponsor states this will provide additional purchase options for consumers and increase revenue for winery license holders.

passed · New Jersey · General Assembly Jan 12, 2026

A 4628: Requires health benefits coverage of continuous glucose monitoring system for treatment of glycogen storage disease.

This bill requires all health insurance plans in New Jersey - including hospital service contracts, medical service contracts, individual/group health insurance, health maintenance organizations, and state-run programs - to cover the cost of continuous glucose monitoring systems prescribed for treating glycogen storage disease. It directly affects patients with glycogen storage disease who need this monitoring technology and the insurance providers that must cover it. The law mandates coverage "to the same extent as for any other medical condition," meaning insurers cannot impose additional restrictions or higher out-of-pocket costs for this treatment. The requirement applies to all relevant insurance plans delivered, issued, or renewed in New Jersey after the bill's effective date.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed both · New Jersey · Senate Jan 12, 2026

S 199: Requires environmental sustainability plan for State House Complex.

This bill requires the commission managing New Jersey's State House Complex to adopt and implement an environmental sustainability plan every four years. The plan must include specific measures like energy efficiency upgrades, water conservation (including drought-resistant landscaping), adherence to green building standards, sustainable food service options (such as local produce and compostable utensils), and strategies to reduce carbon emissions. The commission must also issue annual public progress reports and establish performance metrics to track the plan's implementation. This directly affects the management of the State House Complex, mandating concrete environmental practices for its operations.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

Bill results