This bill creates a state tax credit for healthcare professionals who supervise nursing students in clinical training programs. Eligible preceptors, including advanced practice nurses, physicians, and physician assistants, can claim up to $1,000 for each student they primarily supervise, provided they complete at least 100 clinical hours of instruction during the tax year. The program is funded through a $10 million annual appropriation to the Department of Treasury and includes administrative rules for verifying student supervision through nursing school certification forms.
This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health to create a program that buys and distributes xylazine test strips to organizations authorized to provide harm reduction services. The Department will manage bulk purchases, distribute the strips upon request from these organizations, and maintain a website to inform the public about xylazine and where to access the test strips. The program will be funded through available federal funds and state appropriations from the General Fund. This legislation takes effect immediately upon passage.
This bill exempts residential purchases of natural gas and electricity from New Jersey's state sales and use tax. It requires public utilities to deduct the sales tax amount from monthly customer bills, effectively removing the tax from residential energy costs. The legislation applies only to retail sales for residential use and does not affect commercial or industrial customers. The Director of the Division of Taxation must work with the Board of Public Utilities to create rules implementing these changes. The bill takes effect immediately upon introduction.
This bill appropriates up to $50 million from the Property Tax Relief Fund to help school districts in New Jersey offset tax levy increases caused by rising health care costs. It specifically targets qualifying districts where the adjusted tax levy for the 2026-2027 school year has increased by more than 9.9 percent compared to the 2024-2025 school year. The amount each district receives is calculated based on its proportionate share of the statewide increase in health care costs. The legislation takes effect immediately and aims to provide financial relief to districts facing steep tax hikes due to a 29.9 percent allowable adjustment for health care expenses.
This bill creates a Nursing School Expansion Grant Program in New Jersey to help nursing schools increase their capacity and improve the supply of nurses. The program will be managed by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, which will review applications from eligible nursing education programs at public universities, private colleges, or hospital-based schools. To receive funding, schools must submit detailed plans showing how they will increase enrollment and graduation rates, expand faculty, improve workforce diversity, and strengthen connections between different nursing education levels. The bill appropriates $25 million from the state's General Fund, with $24.5 million available for grants and up to $500,000 reserved for administrative costs.
This bill creates a new supplemental weekly benefit for New Jersey workers receiving disability or death compensation for injuries or deaths that occurred after December 31, 1979, starting July 1, 2026. The additional payments are funded by the state General Fund rather than employers and are calculated to maintain the same proportion of the maximum benefit rate as the worker's original award. Payments begin at 33.3% of the base amount in 2027, increase to 66.7% in 2028, and reach 100% in 2029, with adjustments to ensure total benefits do not exceed federal Social Security limits. Employers must notify the Division of Workers' Compensation within 60 days if supplemental benefits are needed, or they become responsible for paying those benefits.
This bill appropriates $111.6 million in natural resource damages revenues to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for habitat restoration, land acquisition, and oversight projects. The funds come from legal settlements with various corporations and are allocated across different water regions and specific sites like the Ciba-Geigy Superfund Site. The Department of Environmental Protection may distribute these funds through grants or loans to local governments and nonprofit organizations, with the ability to reallocate money among projects subject to budget approval and legislative notification.
This bill creates a new Children's Health Promotion Fund in New Jersey to support healthy eating and lifestyle programs for low-income children. The fund will collect money from existing state taxes and distribute it to the Department of Health for programs that improve access to healthy foods, educate families on nutrition and physical activity, and raise public awareness about healthy living. The bill also amends existing tax laws to clarify what services are subject to sales tax, including tanning, massage, tattooing, and various retail and service transactions.
This bill allocates $597,450 in additional state funding to the Department of Children and Families to support HomeFront NJ's Diaper Access Expansion Pilot Program. The funds will enable the organization to distribute diapers to more families across Central New Jersey, addressing the need for clean, dry diapers among infants and young children. This supplemental appropriation is intended to expand the organization's existing diaper service beyond its current informal operations. The legislation takes effect immediately upon passage.
This bill requires that extraordinary special education aid for students with costs exceeding $55,000 be assessed and levied by the county where the school district is located, rather than being distributed directly by the state. It applies to school districts serving students with high-cost special education needs, particularly those placed in private schools where tuition exceeds the $55,000 threshold. The legislation amends existing state laws to shift the funding mechanism for these high-cost cases to the county level while maintaining the 75% state aid rate for costs above the threshold. The bill does not change the percentage of aid provided or the eligibility criteria for students, only the administrative process for collecting and distributing the funds.
