New Laws in New Jersey: Murphy Takes Action on Public Brawls, Utilities, Mortgages, & More

June 3, 2025 | Trenton, NJ – Governor Phil Murphy has taken action on a series of legislative measures in recent weeks, signing new laws and announcing policy directions with significant implications for New Jersey residents. Below is a comprehensive summary of the most recent developments, including full legislative titles, bill numbers, dates of action, sponsors, and potential ramifications.

A-4652wGR/S-3507 (Hutchison, Murphy/Moriarty, Wimberly) – Establishes offense of inciting public brawl; upgrades penalty for disorderly conduct in certain circumstances

Signed into law on June 2, 2025, this legislation introduces a new criminal offense in New Jersey law: inciting a public brawl. It also increases the penalty for certain types of disorderly conduct, particularly in instances where actions contribute to or escalate public altercations. Sponsors Assemblymembers Aura Dunn Hutchison and Carol Murphy, and Senators Paul Moriarty and Benjie Wimberly have championed this bill in response to growing concerns over public disturbances fueled by social media and group gatherings. The law is expected to enhance prosecutorial tools to deter planned violence in public spaces.

S-4121/A-5320 (Beach/Kane, Greenwald) – Amends Fiscal Year 2025 annual appropriations act to assign distribution of funding for Community Security Initiatives to Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey

Signed on May 28, 2025, this legislation revises the current state budget to specifically direct funding under the Community Security Initiatives to the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey. Senator James Beach and Assemblymembers Donnalee Kane and Louis Greenwald sponsored the measure, which aims to bolster localized security initiatives for faith-based and vulnerable community institutions amid rising concerns about targeted threats. This funding adjustment is expected to provide greater regional autonomy in deploying safety resources.

Governor Murphy’s Utility Cost Mitigation Initiative – Announced May 14, 2025

In a separate but impactful policy announcement, Governor Murphy unveiled a broad plan to address anticipated utility rate increases effective June 1, 2025, resulting from PJM Interconnection's capacity market pricing. In consultation with NJBPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy, the administration directed the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) to take multiple actions including:

• Urging utilities such as Public Service Electric and Gas, JCP&L, Atlantic City Electric, and Rockland Electric to defer summer rates and expand disconnection protections;

• Opening new solicitations for the Competitive Solar Incentive Program and Community Solar Energy Program to promote clean energy affordability;

• Releasing a Request for Information on nuclear generation technologies to explore cost-effective, reliable energy sources;

• Expanding direct financial assistance through the Residential Energy Assistance Payment (REAP) initiative and the Universal Service Fund (USF).

The initiative comes amid projected rate increases ranging from 17.23% to 20.20%, depending on the utility provider. Murphy emphasized the shared responsibility of utilities to assist consumers during this period of rising costs. The state continues to operate multiple assistance programs for ratepayers, including the PAGE Program, Lifeline, NJ SHARES, and Comfort Partners.

S-3199/A-4343 (Timberlake, McKnight/Speight, Atkins, Venezia) – Establishes New Jersey-Haiti Commission

Signed on May 9, 2025, this law creates a formal commission to strengthen diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties between New Jersey and Haiti. The New Jersey-Haiti Commission, supported by Senators Britnee Timberlake and Angela McKnight and Assemblymembers Shanique Speight, Reginald Atkins, and Lisa Venezia, will serve as a bilateral advisory body focused on issues including immigration, disaster response, and trade.

S-3353/A-4501 (Turner, McKnight/Sauickie, Spearman) – Directs State Agriculture Development Committee to adopt agricultural management practice for housing resident farm employees on commercial farms

Also enacted on May 9, 2025, this law recognizes and legitimizes certain permanent housing structures for farm employees under the Right to Farm Act. Sponsored by Senators Shirley Turner and Angela McKnight and Assemblymembers Alex Sauickie and William Spearman, the law ensures that necessary on-site housing can be maintained on preserved farmland without violating land-use restrictions, offering stability for agricultural laborers and employers alike.

S-3525/A-4893 (Pou, McKnight/McCoy, Speight, Danielsen) – Requires financial institutions to allow mortgagors to make biweekly and semi-monthly payments and payments to mortgage principal

This consumer-friendly reform, signed on May 9, 2025, was sponsored by Senators Nellie Pou and Angela McKnight and Assemblymembers Shanique Speight, William McCoy, and Joe Danielsen. It requires financial institutions to permit borrowers to make accelerated or more frequent mortgage payments, potentially reducing interest costs and enabling homeowners to pay off loans more quickly.

SJR-102/AJR-167 (Turner/Verrelli, Reynolds-Jackson) and SJR-121/AJR-181 (Singleton/Swain, Hutchison, Miller) – Designate awareness days for Necrotizing Enterocolitis and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, respectively

These joint resolutions, signed into law on May 9, 2025, were introduced to raise public awareness and promote education around two serious health conditions. The designations will help increase visibility, funding, and support for affected families and medical research.

May 12, 2025 – Governor Murphy Issues Conditional Vetoes

Governor Murphy conditionally vetoed three bills on May 10, requesting revisions to address administrative and implementation concerns:

• S-1067/A-1673 (Greenstein, Ruiz/Lampitt, Murphy, Simmons) – “Right to Mental Health for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Act,” which aimed to mandate specific mental health services access;

• S-1320/A-4390 (Pou/Stanley, Speight, Atkins) – Aimed to revise disclosure requirements in contracts with licensed public adjusters;

• S-3418/A-4556 (Beach, Pennacchio/Lampitt, Greenwald, Katz) – Would allow certain permanent farm structures to host special occasion events.

Governor Murphy's legislative and executive actions this spring reflect a blend of consumer protection, public safety, energy affordability, and community recognition. As these measures are implemented or revised, their impacts will be monitored closely by stakeholders across New Jersey.

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