New Laws in New Jersey: Gov Murphy Signs 47 Bills into Law

NEW JERSEY - January 8, 2024 - Governor Phil Murphy today signed into law a slew of bills that promise to bring substantial changes across various sectors in New Jersey. Below you can find a short overview followed by a comprehensive list of all 47 bills signed into law today, January 8th, 2024.

Comprehensive School Meal Information and Application Encouragement

The newly signed S-530/A-5164 bill, championed by Senators Ruiz and Turner and Assembly members Coughlin, Quijano, McKnight, and Reynolds-Jackson, mandates that parents of public school students receive detailed information about school meal programs. Additionally, it obliges school districts to actively encourage families to apply for these meals, particularly under specific circumstances.

Fostering Technological Advancements

Another significant law, S-553/A-4238, introduced by Senator Zwicker and Assembly members Conaway and Atkins, adds technology transfer responsibilities to the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology.

Local Health Boards and Tax Collector Certification

The S-652/A-117 and S-762/A-3786 bills, introduced by Senators Oroho, Pou, Cruz-Perez, and Assembly members Space, Calabrese, Wirths, Sumter, and Reynolds-Jackson, bring changes to local governance. The former allows municipalities with populations under 30,000 to serve as local health boards, while the latter focuses on the certification process for tax collectors.

Protecting Health Services and Human Trafficking Victims

S-765/A-3246 and S-1211/A-1222, introduced by Senators Pou, Pennacchio, Singleton, Gopal, and Assembly members Lampitt, Schaer, Murphy, Pintor Marin, Mukherji, and Park, protect dental billing practices and provide for civil actions against entities profiting from human trafficking.

Governor Murphy passed the following bills into law:

1. S-530/A-5164 (Ruiz, Turner/Coughlin, Quijano, McKnight, Reynolds-Jackson) - Requires certain school meal information be provided to public school students' parents and requires school districts to request that families apply for school meals under certain circumstances.
2. S-553/A-4238 (Zwicker/Conaway, Atkins) - Adds technology transfer duties to New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology.
3. S-652/A-117 (Oroho, Pou/Space, Calabrese, Wirths) - Permits governing body of municipalities having population of 30,000 or less to serve as local board of health; validates certain actions.
4. S-762/A-3786 (Pou, Cruz-Perez/Sumter, Reynolds-Jackson) - Concerns certification of tax collectors.
5. S-765/A-3246 (Pou, Pennacchio/Lampitt, Schaer, Murphy) - Prohibits carrier from precluding dentist from billing covered person under certain circumstances.
6. S-1211/A-1222 (Singleton, Gopal/Pintor Marin, Mukherji, Park) - Provides for civil actions against persons or entities profiting from commission of human trafficking offenses, or maintaining victims of such offenses.
7. S-1228/A-4092 (Greenstein/Diegnan, Benson, Jaffer, Verrelli) - Allows certain airports to carry over certain grant money into future years.
8. S-1892/A-4501 (Johnson, Schepisi/Park, Wimberly, Matsikoudis) - Authorizes certain boards of education to issue bonds to repair damages caused by natural disasters in certain circumstances.
9. S-2057/A-1174 (Turner, Greenstein/Jasey, Benson, Quijano) - Requires certain documentation of needs of students with disabilities during school security drills and emergency situations and in school security plans; requires staff training on needs of students with disabilities in emergency planning.
10. S-2716/A-4153 (Vitale, Turner/Carter, McKnight, Atkins) - Requires NJ FamilyCare to reimburse claims for covered services submitted by clinical social workers, professional counselors, and marriage and family therapists under certain circumstances.
11. S-2789/A-3793 (Cruz-Perez, Johnson/Benson, Wimberly, Lopez) - Requires certain permit holders to complete practice driving hours to obtain probationary driver's license.
12. S-3013/A-5062 (Scutari, Pou/Carter, Atkins, Stanfield) - Revises definition of women's business enterprise and minority business enterprise.
13. S-3079/A-4977 (Diegnan, Lagana/Lampitt, Benson, Wimberly) - Establishes School Safety and Security Task Force..
14. S-3409/A-4785 (Pou, Oroho/McKeon, Flynn, Wimberly) - Updates certain insurance company investment provisions in accordance with Investments of Insurers Model Act.
15. S-3490/A-5124 (Smith/Stanley, Calabrese) - Amends certain requirements for installation of electric vehicle supply equipment and Make-Ready parking spaces.
16. S-3604/A-5212 (Madden, Cruz-Perez/Murphy, Stanley) - Authorizes use of healthcare platforms providing discounted prices for payment of prescription and non-prescription drugs or devices and for telehealth and telemedicine services.
17. S-3723/A-5365 (Smith/McKeon, Danielsen, Haider) – “Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Battery Management Act”.
18. S-3916/A-5486 (Cruz-Perez, Turner/Sauickie, Freiman, Rooney) - Expands eligibility for wildlife fencing programs to farmers leasing farmland; clarifies eligibility and provides for uniform funding levels for grant recipients.
19. S-3969/A-5658 (Gopal/Freiman, Murphy) - Allows for credit against contract cost for primary care services managed by health care provider for public employees and their dependents; allows referrals to other providers that have contractual relationship with such health care provider.
20. S-4081/A-5891 (Beach, Diegnan/Atkins, Carter) - Allows board of county commissioners to hold annual meeting at certain additional locations other than Superior Court.
21. A-111/S-3201 (Space, Wirths, McCarthy Patrick/Oroho, Durr) - Provides that farm, farmstand, or other agricultural operation selling firewood obtained from property other than seller's shall not be considered lumber yard; prohibits sale of untreated firewood from outside of State.
22. A-649/S-587 (McClellan, McKnight/Testa) - Expands purposes for which civil asset forfeiture funds may be used by law enforcement agency.
23. A-831/S-461 (Jimenez, Rooney, Timberlake/Sacco, Greenstein) - Provides for reciprocity of certain out-of-State EMT certification; establishes criminal history record background check process.
24. A-1475/S-1809 (Lopez, Speight, Haider/Ruiz, Cunningham) - Requires court to consider information concerning coercive control in domestic violence proceedings.
25. A-1507/S-1503 (McKnight, Carter, Speight/Gopal, Oroho) - Permits chair or booth rentals for the purpose of providing cosmetology and hairstyling services or ancillary services.
26. A-1570/S-2216 (Moen/Madden, Singleton) - Authorizes issuance of special license plates for alumni of four-year public institutions of higher education.
27. A-1581/S-3880 (Moen, Benson, Conaway/Cruz-Perez, Turner) - Requires MVC to provide customer service telephone number at motor vehicle inspection facilities.
28. A-1704/S-1000 (Speight, Pintor Marin, McKnight/Ruiz, Gopal) - Requires domestic violence orders to be issued in other languages in addition to English under certain circumstances.
29. ACS for A-1707/S-3700 (Speight, McKnight, Karabinchak/Burgess, Ruiz) - Establishes presumption that VCCO will order payment to victim of crime.
30. A-2040/S-540 (Benson, McKnight/Ruiz, Pou) - Requires Commissioner of Human Services to request authorization for SNAP benefits to be used to pay delivery charges for online grocery purchases.
31. A-2138/SCS for S-1890 (Moriarty, Mukherji, McKnight/Johnson, Singer) - Updates regulation of home improvement and home elevation contractors and contractors’ businesses.
32. A-2351/S-2991 (Mukherji, Flynn, Murphy/Singleton) - Permits court to effectuate equitable distribution when complaint for divorce or dissolution of civil union has been filed and either party has died prior to final judgment; provides that surviving party would not receive intestate or elective share.
33. A-3093/S-1516 (Stanley, Jaffer, Murphy/Greenstein, Gopal) - Authorizes court to include in domestic violence restraining orders a provision making the order applicable to a pregnant victim's child upon birth of the child.
34. A-3737/S-3393 (Speight, Swain, McKnight/Ruiz, O'Scanlon) - Establishes menstrual health public awareness campaign.
35. A-4125/S-2712 (Haider, Swain, Stanley/Singleton, Greenstein) - Prohibits sale, manufacture, distribution, and use of firefighting foam containing intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; requires DEP to establish collection and disposal program; appropriates $250,000.
36. A-4614/S-3547 (Greenwald, Jasey, Carter, Lampitt/Pou, Vitale) - Modifies Nursing Faculty Loan Redemption Program.
37. A-4729/S-3279 (Sauickie, Freiman, Clifton/Stanfield, Cruz-Perez) - Revises method for appraisals of farmland to be acquired for farmland preservation purposes.
38. A-4757/S-3263 (Jimenez, Tucker, Atkins/Burgess, Turner) - Requires DCA to conduct surveys and report data related to homelessness in administering the Rental Assistance Navigation Program.
39. A-4913/S-3133 (Conaway, Stanley, Wimberly/Johnson, Scutari) - Requires carriers to offer health care providers more than one method of payment for reimbursement.
40. A-5036/S-3551 (Tully, Swain, Karabinchak, Lagana/A.M. Bucco) - Requires "Electronic Permit Processing Review System" in DCA to enable applicant to submit electronic signature and certain other submission materials for permit application review.
41. A-5208/S-4082 (Coughlin, Munoz, Wimberly/Scutari, A.M. Bucco) - Extends provisions of P.L.2021, c.498 in certain circumstances.
42. A-5281/S-2341 (Chaparro, Jimenez, Stanley/Johnson) - Eliminates position of constable; removes statutory references to constable; repeals various parts of statutory law; implements recommendation of SCI report concerning elimination of constables.
43. A-5417/S-3890 (Lampitt, Jasey, Swain/Ruiz, Burgess) - Prohibits limiting number of county college credits that may be applied towards educator preparation program and teacher certification requirements.
44. A-5501/SCS for S-3895 (Jasey/Zwicker, Sarlo, Ruiz) - Adjusts bid threshold amounts for certain public research universities; permits certain contracts for school districts, municipalities, and counties to be awarded by qualified purchasing agent.
45. A-5648/S-3933 (Barranco, Rooney/A.M. Bucco) - Authorizes State Treasurer to sell as surplus property certain land and improvements in Township of Morris in Morris County.
46. A-5813/S-3392 (Wimberly, Sumter/Pou) - Exempts electricity sold to certain recovered materials manufacturing facilities from renewable energy portfolio standards.
47. AJR-230/SJR-129 (Karabinchak, Schaer, Freiman/Diegnan, Beach, A.M. Bucco) - Recognizes 75th anniversary of establishment of State of Israel.

In addition to the bills signed into law, Governor Murphy conditionally vetoed several bills, including ones focused on the use of WIC funds online (S-539/A-2140) and SNAP employment and training programs (S-1680/A-2257). An absolute veto was issued for bills such as ACS for A-3677/SS for S-2186, which aimed to regulate the handling of invasive species.

Governor Murphy conditionally vetoed the following bills:

S-539/A-2140 (Ruiz, Pou/Reynolds-Jackson, Wimberly, Mosquera) - CONDITIONAL - Permits online purchase of eligible foods using WIC funds and use of WIC funds for grocery delivery charges. Copy of Statement

S-1680/A-2257 (Pou, Ruiz/Murphy, Quijano, Wimberly) – CONDITIONAL - Designates each community college in State as provider of allowable services under SNAP employment and training program. Copy of Statement

S-2535/A-4048 (Polistina, Pou/Benson, McKnight, Reynolds-Jackson, Carter) – CONDITIONAL - Requires health benefits coverage of hearing aids and cochlear implants for insureds aged 21 or younger. Copy of Statement

SCS for S-3632 and 3649/ACS for A-1948 (Johnson, Cryan/Haider, Conaway, Quijano) – CONDITIONAL - Requires labeling of non-flushable disposable wipes. Copy of Statement

A-2146/S-855 (Reynolds-Jackson, Wimberly, Sumter/Singleton, Beach) - CONDITIONAL - Creates State business assistance program to establish contracting agency procurement goals for socially and economically disadvantaged business enterprises. Copy of Statement

A-4033/S-2657 (Coughlin, Wimberly/Sarlo, Ruiz) – CONDITIONAL - Extends deadline for completion of school district's annual audit. Copy of Statement

ACS for A-4821 and 4823/S-3283 (Karabinchak, Conaway, Schaer/Greenstein, Zwicker) – CONDITIONAL - Directs DEP to take certain actions concerning identification and testing of microplastics in drinking water, and requires DEP and BPU to study and promote use of microplastics removal technologies. Copy of Statement

A-5416/S-3883 (Wimberly, Giblin, Haider/Greenstein, Turner) – CONDITIONAL - Requires State Board of Education to authorize alternate route to expedite teacher certification of persons employed as paraprofessionals in school districts. Copy of Statement

A-5610/S-3954 (Greenwald, Spearman, Chaparro/Beach, A.M. Bucco) – CONDITIONAL - Revises penalties for possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages by underage persons. Copy of Statement

Governor Murphy absolute vetoed the following bills:

ACS for A-3677 and 2807/SS for S-2186 (Stanley, Verrelli, Jaffer, Calabrese/Greenstein, Smith) – ABSOLUTE - Prohibits sale, distribution, import, export or propagation of certain invasive species without a permit from Department of Agriculture; establishes NJ Invasive Species Council. Copy of Statement

A-5283/S-3939 (Tully, Greenwald, Mosquera/Lagana, Gopal) – ABSOLUTE - Requires calculation of national average time needed to approve applications for initial credential in profession or occupation and use of average time as standard in New Jersey. Copy of Statement

For a complete list and details of all bills signed, conditionally vetoed, and absolutely vetoed, visit New Jersey's legislative website.

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