This bill provides an additional $358.8 million in funding for New Jersey state agencies and local governments for fiscal year 2026. The money is allocated to various departments, including support for domestic violence housing, prison consolidation savings, school infrastructure, and mosquito control. Specific provisions also authorize a supplemental appropriation for the Cannabis Regulatory Fund and allow nonprofit organizations to host the state's AI supercomputer. Overall, the legislation amends the existing FY2026 Appropriations Act to distribute these funds across education, health, public safety, and other state services.
This bill requires New Jersey's Office of the Public Defender to provide legal representation to indigent defendants charged with criminal contempt for violating specific domestic violence restraining orders. It applies to violations that could result in jail time, such as those involving orders against contact or firearm possession, while explicitly excluding violations related to parenting time, financial compensation, counseling, rent, or temporary possession of property. The law expands the scope of mandatory legal aid to ensure these individuals have counsel during proceedings where they face potential incarceration. This change takes effect four months after the bill is enacted and addresses a recommendation from a state judicial committee.
This bill establishes a dedicated fund to receive money from a national opioid lawsuit settlement and directs up to $5 million annually to the Division of State Police for opioid-related initiatives. The legislation designates the Department of Human Services as the lead agency responsible for managing the settlement funds, overseeing how money is distributed to counties and municipalities, and ensuring compliance with legal agreements. Additionally, the bill creates a mechanism for the fund to cover legal fees and costs associated with the national opioid litigation resolution.
This bill establishes a dedicated fund to manage money received from national opioid litigation settlements and appropriates up to $5 million annually for related state police initiatives. It designates the Department of Human Services as the lead agency responsible for distributing these funds to counties and municipalities while ensuring compliance with settlement terms. The legislation also creates a mechanism for the fund to earn interest and allows the department to adopt temporary regulations to oversee the allocation and reporting of these resources.
This New Jersey bill creates new criminal penalties for individuals who illegally possess or use devices designed to read information from credit and debit cards. Under the proposed law, simply owning such a scanner without a legal reason would be a disorderly persons offense punishable by fines or up to six months in jail. Using the device for unlawful purposes carries much heavier consequences, classified as a second-degree crime that could result in fines up to $150,000 or five to ten years in prison. The legislation directly targets the equipment used to steal financial data from payment cards, aiming to increase the legal risks associated with these activities.
This bill would make it legal for adults aged 21 and older to grow and possess marijuana plants for personal use in New Jersey. Under the proposed law, individuals could grow up to six plants for recreational use or up to 10 plants for medical use, with a household limit of 12 plants total. The legislation removes criminal penalties for maintaining or operating premises used to grow these limited quantities of marijuana for personal purposes. Additionally, the bill requires the state's Cannabis Regulatory Commission to create rules within 90 days of enactment to implement these changes.
This bill requires the New Jersey Supreme Court to dismiss unresolved charges, complaints, and arrest warrants from municipal courts that have been pending for five years or more, specifically targeting minor offenses like petty disorderly conduct, simple assault in mutual fights, shoplifting under $200, and possession of small amounts of marijuana. The law excludes municipal ordinance violations and mandates that the Administrative Office of the Courts conduct studies within six months to explore expanding existing dismissal programs and implementing a voluntary surrender initiative similar to federal models. The bill takes effect 90 days after enactment and aims to clear older cases from the court system while maintaining the distinction between serious indictable offenses and lesser municipal court matters.
This bill expands eligibility for expunging criminal records in New Jersey by allowing individuals with multiple convictions to apply for relief under specific conditions. It permits expungement for people convicted of one crime and up to three minor offenses, or for multiple crimes that were interdependent and committed in a short time frame, provided there are no subsequent unrelated convictions. The legislation also clarifies that certain marijuana-related charges, including those involving school zones or public housing, may be included in expungement applications if they meet the established criteria. These changes directly affect individuals seeking to clear their criminal records while maintaining restrictions on those with unrelated later convictions.
Bill A4285 requires drug court programs in New Jersey to notify state departments if a participant tests positive for marijuana or cannabis. It directly affects individuals enrolled in drug court programs under special probation for substance use disorder. The key provision adds a mandatory reporting requirement to ensure relevant departments are informed of positive test results during treatment. This change updates existing rehabilitation program rules to address marijuana use without altering treatment eligibility or requirements.
This bill allows individuals previously enrolled in New Jersey's diversion programs for specific marijuana offenses to participate again under certain conditions. It directly affects people charged with marijuana-related disorderly persons offenses who have prior participation in programs for similar past offenses (like possession, use, or paraphernalia violations involving marijuana). The key change amends the law to remove automatic disqualification for repeat participation when the prior program involved marijuana offenses specifically, rather than all drug offenses. This clarifies that prior participation in marijuana-focused diversion programs does not prevent future eligibility for similar programs under the same circumstances.
