S 845 creates a $1 million grant program administered by New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA) to reimburse small retail businesses for increased operating costs caused by public highway projects. It directly affects small businesses (≤50 employees) located in areas immediately surrounding highway construction zones where traffic flow is blocked or access is restricted. The program reimburses the difference between normal business expenses and increased costs during the project's duration ("relief period"), requiring applicants to document pre-project expenses and project-related financial impacts. Funds are appropriated from the General Fund, with applications reviewed on a rolling basis as long as money remains available. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Economic Growth Committee.
S 511 allows New Jersey taxpayers with gross income of $85,000 or less to deduct qualified higher education tuition and fee expenses paid during the tax year. The deduction covers costs for the taxpayer, their spouse, or dependents enrolled as matriculated students at accredited public or private colleges or universities. It applies to expenses paid for accredited institutions recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. This policy change directly affects low-to-moderate income families with students in higher education.
This bill clarifies that certain residential redevelopment projects under New Jersey's Aspire Program will not have their tax credit incentives prorated (reduced proportionally) during any year of the project's eligibility period. It specifically applies to projects approved under the November 2021 rules or submitted within 121 days after July 6, 2023, which previously faced proration requirements. The key change removes the proration requirement for these qualifying projects, ensuring developers receive the full tax credit amount annually. This directly affects developers of residential projects providing housing for low- and moderate-income households. The bill retroactively applies to projects already approved under the affected rules.
This bill imposes a monthly tax on commercial data collectors (businesses that gather personal data for business purposes) based on the number of New Jersey consumers whose data they collect. Tax rates range from $0.05 to $0.50 per consumer, with higher tiers for larger data volumes. The first $60 million in annual tax revenue will be dedicated to the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Trust Fund, specifically to support New Jersey’s 9-8-8 crisis hotline and behavioral health services. The tax applies to data collected from consumers with New Jersey addresses or IP connections, and businesses may claim credits for similar taxes paid to other states.
New Jersey's S 1389 expands the state's child and dependent care tax credit by raising income limits and increasing credit percentages. It raises the income cap for joint filers, heads of household, and surviving spouses from $150,000 to $250,000, while keeping the $150,000 limit for other filing statuses. The bill also increases the credit percentage across all income brackets by 10 points - for example, taxpayers earning under $30,000 will now receive 60% of the federal credit instead of 50%. The changes apply to taxable years beginning after the bill's enactment and extend eligibility to married individuals filing separately who meet federal credit requirements except for joint filing.
This bill creates a tax credit for New Jersey manufacturers hiring apprentices in machine and metal trades. Employers can claim a credit equal to 50% of qualifying apprentices' wages, up to $7,500 per apprentice per year, for structured training programs. To qualify, apprentices must work at least 1,500 hours annually in roles like machinists or toolmakers, with defined training, wage progression, and completion leading to skilled worker status. The credit applies to both corporate business tax and individual income tax starting January 1, 2016, and is nonrefundable.
This bill (S 2428) adjusts the New Jersey veterans' income tax exemption amount to keep pace with inflation. It directly affects honorably discharged veterans who qualify under state law, increasing their current $6,000 exemption annually based on the Chained Consumer Price Index (C-CPI-U). The exemption will automatically rise each year if the C-CPI-U increases from the previous year's 12-month period ending August 31, but remain unchanged if inflation is flat. This change applies to tax years starting in 2023 and beyond.
This bill provides temporary financial protections for New Jersey homeowners and tenants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It requires mortgage lenders to grant at least 90 days of payment forbearance (a temporary pause on mortgage payments) to qualifying homeowners who lost income due to the pandemic, with an option for a second 90-day period. It also prohibits "non-essential evictions" for tenants who lost income or faced pandemic-related hardships, and prevents negative credit reporting for pandemic-related payment delays. These protections apply during the emergency period (the Governor's declared emergency plus 60 days) and cover renters and homeowners meeting income and hardship criteria.
This bill allocates $750,000 in supplemental funding to the Office of the Public Defender’s Trial Services to Indigents program for fiscal year 2024. The funds will hire eight additional attorneys specifically dedicated to juvenile cases in Essex and Atlantic counties, where juvenile caseloads and custodial sentences have risen sharply. It directly supports juvenile defendants facing post-dispositional matters, addressing a 25-30% projected increase in cases due to expanded legal mandates. The funding targets high-volume regions to reduce backlogs and shorten custody durations, as noted in the bill’s statement. (Note: This is a funding measure, not a policy change.)
This bill (S 2947) allows School Development Authority (SDA) districts in New Jersey to receive state debt service aid for eligible costs of school facilities projects. Specifically, it expands existing aid to cover debt service payments (principal and interest on bonds) for approved school construction, renovation, or modernization projects in SDA districts. The aid would apply to projects meeting state facilities efficiency standards, with districts only responsible for "excess costs" beyond the state-covered amount. This directly affects high-need SDA districts by reducing their financial burden for critical school infrastructure improvements.
