This bill provides additional state school aid to New Jersey school districts facing State aid reductions exceeding 1% of their 2023-2024 operating budget. Districts qualifying for this "Supplemental Stabilization Aid" receive funds equal to the amount their proposed cut exceeds that 1% threshold. To qualify, districts must submit a plan to the Commissioner of Education detailing how they will fund operations in future years without this aid. The aid, funded from the Property Tax Relief Fund, ensures no district experiences a larger aid reduction than 1% of its prior-year budget for the 2024-2025 school year.
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to exempt the primary residence of a surviving spouse from property taxes if their first responder spouse (law enforcement, firefighter, or emergency medical service member) died while on duty. The exemption applies only to homes the first responder lived in as their primary residence at the time of death, and continues as long as the spouse owns, occupies the home, and does not remarry. The state would reimburse local taxing districts annually for the lost property tax revenue from these exempt properties. This amendment requires voter approval to become law, as it would amend the New Jersey Constitution.
This bill allows New Jersey's County Agriculture Development Boards to create a program accepting donated farmland from commercial farmers and leasing it to new farmers residing in the state. It also establishes a tax credit for donating land, capped at $100,000 or the value of the donated portion (calculated as a share of the farm's assessed value based on the donated acreage). To qualify for leased land, new farmers must meet board-established criteria, including New Jersey residency. Donors must apply for certification through the board to claim the tax credit, which is processed by the Division of Taxation.
This bill amends New Jersey's homestead property tax reimbursement program to exclude veteran disability compensation from the income calculation used for eligibility. Currently, veterans receiving disability compensation may be disqualified if that income pushes their total income over the program's limit. The bill changes the law so that veteran disability compensation is not counted toward the income threshold, allowing more veterans to qualify for the tax reimbursement. It directly affects veterans who own a homestead in New Jersey and receive disability compensation.
This bill (S 3710) expands an existing New Jersey property tax exemption to cover veterans with specific service-connected permanent total disabilities. It exempts the primary residence of qualifying veterans - those with disabilities like permanent paralysis, blindness, or amputations from service-related injuries - from "payments in lieu of property taxes" imposed by municipalities. Surviving spouses of eligible veterans or those who died in service also qualify for the exemption under defined conditions. The exemption applies only to the veteran’s or spouse’s primary residence, excluding homeowner association fees. It amends an existing law (P.L.1948, c.259) to include additional qualifying disabilities while excluding cases involving syphilis, alcohol misuse, or self-inflicted injury.
This bill creates a 10-year urban enterprise zone (UEZ) in Atlantic City, offering property tax relief to qualifying businesses operating within the zone. It directly affects businesses that meet specific workforce criteria, such as employing at least 25% of full-time workers from eligible local areas (including low-income residents, long-term unemployed, or public assistance recipients) and maintaining tax compliance. The zone excludes casinos themselves but allows non-casino businesses operating on casino property to qualify for tax benefits if they meet the hiring requirements. The bill amends existing UEZ laws to establish Atlantic City as a designated zone under the same framework used for other urban enterprise zones in New Jersey.
ACR 88 proposes a constitutional amendment to New Jersey's property tax system, establishing a permanent $250 annual deduction for veterans, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities. It extends the deduction to honorably discharged veterans, veterans with service-connected disabilities, and surviving spouses of veterans who died on active duty or were honorably discharged. The bill also clarifies that veterans living in continuing care retirement communities can receive the deduction through their community, which must pass it to them within 30 days. Additionally, it aligns the deduction amount ($250) and income threshold ($10,000 annually) for senior citizens (65+) and disabled residents with the veterans' deduction, ensuring consistent eligibility.
ACR 66 proposes a constitutional amendment to increase the annual income limit for New Jersey residents to qualify for a property tax deduction. It directly affects seniors (65+ years) and permanently disabled residents who own or rent housing in the state. The bill would raise the current income cap from $10,000 to $15,000 per year for eligibility, effective in 2023. This change updates a limit that has remained unchanged since 1983, when it increased from $9,000 to $10,000.
ACR 85 is a New Jersey resolution (not a bill) urging the U.S. President and Congress to require annual financial compensation for local governments where decommissioned nuclear plants store spent fuel. It proposes $15 per kilogram in annual payments to offset lost property tax revenue, as these sites cannot be redeveloped while fuel remains stored. The resolution cites the unfulfilled 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act, which assigned federal responsibility for nuclear waste disposal but never established a repository. Compensation would continue until a national repository becomes operational.
This bill requires municipalities to conduct cost-benefit analyses assessing how long-term property tax exemptions affect local government finances, including impacts on municipal revenues, tax revenues, and one-time/ongoing costs. It mandates that these analyses - and subsequent municipal resolutions approving or disapproving exemptions - be posted online within 30 days. The Department of Community Affairs must also create a statewide database compiling all approved exemptions and related financial data, sorted by municipality. These provisions apply to urban renewal projects seeking tax exemptions under existing law.
