This bill appropriates $10,067,905 from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax revenues to fund conservation and recreation projects through New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection. The funds will be distributed as grants to 11 nonprofit organizations for land acquisition, 4 for park development, and 2 for stewardship activities across multiple counties. The $9,588,905 allocated for projects supports the acquisition, development, and maintenance of lands for public recreation and conservation purposes, while $479,000 covers administrative costs for the DEP. The funding comes from the Preserve New Jersey Green Acres Fund, which constitutionally sets aside CBT revenues for open space preservation.
This bill increases the required training hours for two licensed professions in New Jersey. To become a cosmetology or hairstyling teacher, applicants must now complete 600 hours of training (up from 500). To become a licensed massage and bodywork therapist, applicants must complete 600 hours of class study (previously 500). These changes, effective immediately, align with federal requirements to help applicants qualify for certain aid programs.
S 2792 appropriates $500,000 from two state funds - $200,000 from constitutionally dedicated business tax revenues and $300,000 from the 2009 Farmland Preservation Fund - to the State Agriculture Development Committee. This funding provides a $500,000 grant to Washington Township in Warren County for municipal planning to preserve farmland. The grant is a direct allocation under existing farmland preservation programs, with Washington Township also potentially eligible for additional competitive grants from other funds. The bill specifically directs this $500,000 to Washington Township without requiring a separate application.
This New Jersey bill revises property tax lien foreclosure procedures to align with a recent Supreme Court ruling requiring property owners to retain equity beyond unpaid taxes. It allows property owners to protect remaining property equity by requesting a judicial sale (like mortgage foreclosures) or online auction through the county sheriff within 45 days of receiving foreclosure notice. If owners don't make this request, lien holders (municipalities or private investors) can take full property title without conducting a sale. Lien holders must clearly inform property owners about this option in bold text with foreclosure notices. The bill ensures any surplus funds from a sale would go to the property owner after lien holders are paid.
The "Real Estate Consumer Protection Enhancement Act" (S 3192) establishes clearer definitions and duties for different types of real estate agents and brokers in New Jersey. The bill requires written agency disclosure before services begin, mandates specific duties including loyalty, confidentiality, and disclosure of material information, and sets requirements for property condition disclosures in residential transactions. It also establishes specific signage requirements at open houses and updates continuing education requirements to include specific hours on agency topics for real estate licensees. This legislation directly affects real estate brokerage firms, agents, and consumers involved in real estate transactions across the state.
S 2825 removes the time limit that required municipalities to issue or transfer special licenses for bars and restaurants within areas formerly occupied by federal military installations. Under current law, municipalities had three years to issue these licenses and two additional years to transfer unissued licenses to other municipalities in the project area. This bill eliminates those deadlines, giving municipalities more time to act without penalty. The change applies to the three host municipalities in a "project area" (a redevelopment zone of a former military base, like Fort Monmouth) that are entitled to issue these licenses. The bill does not alter the number of licenses, fee structure, or other rules governing their issuance.
This bill allows New Jersey school districts to enter into lease and purchase agreements for electric school buses with terms extending to the vehicles' service life (rather than the current 10-year maximum for fossil fuel buses). It authorizes the New Jersey School Boards Association to serve as a government aggregator to help school districts obtain electric school buses, charging infrastructure, and related maintenance services through competitive contracting. The bill specifically permits competitive contracting for electric school buses, on-site charging infrastructure, and related services, which were not previously explicitly included in the list of allowable specialized procurement. School districts can now use this approach for electric buses while maintaining the existing 10-year limit for fossil fuel buses.
This bill authorizes the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank to provide up to $7,198,045 in low-interest loans for six specific hazard mitigation and resilience projects across six local governments (including Jersey City, Hoboken, and Bergen County). The loans, part of the Community Hazard Assistance Mitigation Program (CHAMP), will finance projects like flood mitigation at pump stations and park resilience improvements to reduce climate-related risks. The bank may use interest from repayments and loan origination fees to fund these projects and cover operational costs, with all loans requiring repayment within 30 years. The authorization is specific to fiscal year 2025 and expires on July 1, 2025.
This bill authorizes the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank to provide up to $2.73 billion in loans to local governments and public water utilities for environmental infrastructure projects during fiscal year 2025. It specifically funds 156 clean water projects (totaling $1.9 billion) and 72 drinking water projects (totaling $715 million) through designated eligibility lists. Loans can cover a portion of construction costs with repayment terms up to 30 years, and interest rates tied to the bank's bond rates. The bill also authorizes an additional $1.5 billion for short-term loans through the Interim Environmental Financing Program for priority projects.
The bill authorizes the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank to provide up to $53,883,706 in low-interest loans for 14 specific transportation infrastructure projects in Fiscal Year 2025. These projects include bridge replacements, road improvements, and pedestrian safety initiatives in cities and counties across New Jersey, such as Bayonne's E. 25th Street Pedestrian Bridge Replacement and Atlantic County's Rte. 629 Pedestrian & Traffic Signal Improvement Project. The loans will be provided to local government units (municipalities and counties) and can be repaid over up to 31 years, with interest rates tied to the bank's bond rates. The program expires on July 1, 2025, and is limited to the specific projects outlined in the legislation.
S 3384 appropriates funds to New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide zero-interest loans and principal forgiveness for environmental infrastructure projects. The bill authorizes the DEP to make loans to local governments and public water utilities for clean water and drinking water projects, with specific funding limits including $20 million for combined sewer overflow projects and $10 million for water quality restoration. Funds will come from state revolving funds, federal grants from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and unexpended balances from previous programs, with projects requiring repayment within 30-45 years. The bill's funding authorization expires on July 1, 2025.
This bill amends New Jersey's film and digital media tax credit program to include wages and salaries paid to workers not subject to New Jersey's gross income tax due to reciprocity agreements with other states. It expands the definitions of "qualified film production expenses" and "qualified digital media content production expenses" to cover these payments, including compensation paid to workers from states like Pennsylvania with which New Jersey has reciprocal tax agreements. The bill also updates the definition of "full-time or full-time equivalent employee" to include workers whose wages aren't subject to New Jersey tax due to reciprocity agreements. The changes apply retroactively to January 1, 2024, allowing taxpayers who haven't used their tax credit certificates to receive revised certificates under the new rules.
