This New Jersey bill (S 1667) provides tax credits to businesses that hire and retain neurodiverse employees in qualifying STEM/AI roles. Businesses receive credits of $7,000-$9,000 per full-time employee (increasing with consecutive years of employment) or $4,500 for part-time employees, subject to a $10 million annual cap. To qualify, employees must work in approved STEM/AI fields at minimum wage and be certified as neurodiverse under state guidelines. The credits reduce corporate business tax liability, with unused credits potentially carried forward for up to seven years.
This bill reinstates automatic annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for retirement benefits in New Jersey's state-administered retirement systems. It directly affects current and future retirees, including state employees and teachers, by requiring their benefits to increase each year to match inflation without needing separate legislative action. The key mechanism establishes a permanent automatic adjustment process tied to inflation data, eliminating the need for annual budget amendments. This change ensures retirees' purchasing power remains aligned with rising living costs over time.
This bill increases the percentage of cigarette and tobacco tax revenues dedicated to anti-smoking programs in New Jersey from 1% to 3%. It directs these funds - projected to rise from approximately $5 million to $15 million annually - to the Department of Health for evidence-based tobacco control programs. These programs must align with CDC best practices and focus on preventing youth smoking, reducing secondhand smoke exposure, and promoting cessation, with priority given to Medicaid populations and youth initiatives. The change applies to revenues collected under the Cigarette Tax Act and Tobacco Products Tax Act, effective for fiscal years beginning July 1, 2025.
This bill (S 1363) modifies New Jersey's property tax levy cap rules to allow local governments (towns, counties, etc.) to exclude certain flood insurance cost increases from their tax cap calculations. It specifically permits local units to exclude flood insurance premium increases exceeding 2% over prior year costs in the first year after federal flood map changes, or the full initial cost if they lacked flood insurance before the change. For years 2-4 following map changes, the exclusion applies to premiums exceeding 2% regardless of prior coverage. The exclusion expires after four years and does not apply to other tax-related costs.
This bill allows New Jersey municipalities and counties to install automated speed cameras in school zones only after conducting traffic studies showing a documented safety need, such as frequent speeding or accidents. It sets strict technical requirements: cameras must be accurate within ±1 mph, capture two images (including license plates), and include violation dates. Revenue from citations must fund the "School Zone Safety Improvement Fund" for local safety projects, not general budgets. The law explicitly prohibits current photo radar enforcement until these new standards are implemented, directly affecting school zones, local governments, and drivers who speed near schools.
SCR 44 proposes a constitutional amendment to expand the Council on Local Mandates' authority in New Jersey. The amendment would allow the Council to review **all existing state laws, rules, and regulations** (not just those enacted after 1996) for unfunded mandates - costs imposed on local governments like school districts, counties, and municipalities without dedicated funding. It would also require the Council to examine **pending legislative bills** before they pass to identify potential unfunded mandates. The Council, composed of nine members appointed through a specific political process, would make non-binding recommendations to the Legislature about eliminating or modifying such mandates. This directly affects local governments facing unfunded state requirements.
This bill establishes a separate fringe benefit rate for New Jersey's public colleges and universities, starting in fiscal year 2025. Currently, these institutions use a general state rate that doesn't reflect their actual employee benefit costs - many staff are in the less expensive Alternative Benefit Plan (ABP) rather than the standard Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). The new rate will be based on the actual cost of retirement programs at these institutions and applied to all federal, dedicated, and non-State funded programs. This change directly affects public higher education funding by aligning benefit costs with actual employee retirement plan expenses.
S 1213 establishes the New Jersey Water Data Center at a public university to collect, analyze, and publish standardized data on drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems across the state. The center must provide specific, publicly accessible information annually, including lead levels in water, leak-related water loss, system budgets, affordability metrics, and combined sewer overflow events. It requires an advisory council with representatives from environmental and utility agencies and mandates the Governor to select the host institution within 30 days. The bill appropriates $1 million from the General Fund to fund the center's initial operations. This directly affects water utilities, state regulators, and residents by creating transparent, statewide data for accountability and informed decision-making.
This bill extends the deadline for New Jersey taxpayers to file amended returns correcting overpayments related to military pensions or survivor benefits. It specifically ensures that taxpayers affected by errors in reporting these payments can file claims within 2 years of the required federal correction, instead of facing shorter time limits. The change directly helps military retirees and survivors who overpaid state income tax due to initial misreporting of pension income. The key mechanism clarifies that the 2-year window under existing law (N.J.S.54A:9-8(c)) applies to these specific military benefit corrections. This adjustment provides a practical administrative fix without altering tax rates or eligibility.
This bill changes how revenue from casino hotel parking fees in Atlantic City is allocated. Currently, casinos charge $3.00 daily for parking, with $2.50 going to the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) fund and $0.50 to the Casino Revenue Fund. S 2066 requires all $3.00 per parking fee to be directed entirely to the CRDA, expanding its permitted uses to fund projects across Atlantic City (not just the "corridor region") for infrastructure, public safety, or economic development. This directly affects casino hotels (as fee collectors), the CRDA (as the sole recipient), and Atlantic City residents through potential improvements funded by the full parking revenue.
