This bill proposes adding a $0.25 fee to the price of each alcoholic beverage sold in restaurants and bars located in New Jersey municipalities with 200 or more existing or inactive liquor licenses. The fee would be collected by license holders and deposited into the Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund (AEREF), which currently supports alcohol-related programs. The AEREF uses funds from existing sources (like manufacturer taxes and drunk driver fees) to allocate 75% to rehabilitation, 15% to enforcement, and 10% to education across the state’s 21 counties. This bill would create a new revenue stream for the AEREF by requiring the fee on drinks sold in high-density license areas. The bill is currently in committee review and not yet law.
This bill establishes a program to reduce student loan debt for veterinarians working in New Jersey's underserved areas. It provides up to $25,000 annually in loan repayment (capped at $150,000 total) for full-time large animal vets, $16,666 annually (capped at $100,000) for mixed-time vets, and $8,333 annually (capped at $50,000) for part-time vets who commit to three years of service in designated shortage areas. Participants must prove annual employment in these areas and meet specific practice hour requirements. The program is funded by a $200,000 state appropriation through the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.
This bill requires New Jersey's Chief Diversity Officer in the Treasury Department to create and run programs aimed at increasing contracts awarded to minority-owned and women-owned businesses. It expands the officer's existing duty of tracking current contracting data (like contract values and percentages going to these businesses) to actively develop new initiatives. The direct effect is on state procurement processes, aiming to help minority- and women-owned businesses secure more state contracts. The key change is shifting from passive monitoring to proactive program development, as specified in the amendment to P.L.2017, c.95.
New Jersey's A 3638 requires employers to provide up to two paid workdays for employees to attend school events involving their children (like conferences or meetings), in addition to existing earned sick leave. Employers covering these costs can claim tax credits equal to the wages paid for this leave, reducing their corporation business tax or gross income tax bill. The tax credits are capped at $10 million annually, and employers must apply through the Department of Labor. This bill directly affects private employers (including nonprofits and corporations) and their employees with school-aged children.
This bill requires the New Jersey Executive Branch to reduce its state vehicle fleet by 10% annually over five fiscal years, with flexibility to reduce by 8% if needed to maintain efficient services. It exempts vehicles used by the Division of State Police, Division of Gaming Enforcement, and for emergency, construction, or maintenance purposes. A panel (including the State Treasurer and department heads) must create a reduction plan, review all new vehicle requests, and submit quarterly reports to the Budget Oversight Committee. Annual funding for vehicle accounts must align with the reduction plan, and proceeds from vehicle sales fund state debt or capital projects.
This bill appropriates $55 million from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax (CBT) revenues and Green Acres funds to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for state park and conservation projects. The funds will support specific improvements including boating access facilities, camping development, habitat enhancements, infrastructure repairs (like bridges and buildings), and historic site stabilization across state-managed lands. The money comes from existing dedicated revenue streams established by law and constitutional voter approval, not new taxes. The bill was enacted as P.L.2025, c.188 and is now law, directing the DEP to implement these projects under the "Preserve New Jersey Act" framework.
This bill requires New Jersey's Department of the Treasury to conduct a formal review of pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) for the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) and School Employees' Health Benefits Program (SEHBP) every five years. The reviews must assess whether PBM contracts are cost-effective, meet operational and financial goals, and generate net savings for the state and participating local governments. After each review, the Treasury must publish a public report online within 30 days, detailing findings on costs, savings, and performance. The bill directly affects state and school employees covered by these health programs through their prescription drug coverage and costs.
This bill increases the minimum annual salary for full-time public school teachers in New Jersey from $18,500 to $60,000 (with $61,500 for teachers holding a master's degree or higher), effective for the 2022-2023 school year and all future hires. It directly affects all public school teachers in New Jersey school districts and educational services commissions who are certified as performing acceptably. The bill mandates that school districts cannot pay below these new minimums and requires the state to cover the full difference between current salaries and the new minimums for the 2022-2023 school year, phasing down to zero funding by 2027-2028. This establishes a concrete policy change in teacher compensation standards without altering existing collective bargaining agreements.
This bill increases the FY2026 annual funding for New Jersey's Department of Children and Families (DCF) by $16.7 million to raise the monthly reimbursement rate paid to care management organizations (CMOs). Specifically, it raises the NJ FamilyCare reimbursement rate for CMO services from $1,032 to $1,200 per client starting in FY2026, with annual $100 increases until reaching $1,500 per client. CMOs - county-based agencies providing coordinated care for youth with complex behavioral health needs, substance use disorders, or developmental disabilities - are directly affected by this rate change. The funding adjustment ensures CMOs receive higher payments for services delivered under the NJ FamilyCare program.
This bill creates a grant program administered by New Jersey's Economic Development Authority to fund advertising and marketing costs for eligible science and technology businesses. It directly affects small tech companies in New Jersey with fewer than 225 employees (75% based in the state) operating in specified sectors like biotechnology, renewable energy, or information technology. Grants must cover only advertising/marketing expenses, require annual financial reports to verify proper use, and convert to loans if misused. The program aims to stimulate economic development by supporting these emerging businesses' market outreach.
