Gov. Murphy Signs New Laws on Education, Public Health, Environment, and More

Newly enacted laws cover a wide range of issues, including student protections, 9/11-related disability benefits, housing tax credits, environmental projects, and mental health support.

Governor Phil Murphy signed multiple bills into law on July 22 and 23, 2025, addressing matters ranging from education standards and student safety to housing, tax credits, and public health. The legislation includes provisions to strengthen school meal requirements, enhance protections for student-athletes, improve support for 9/11 responders, and allocate funding for environmental initiatives.

Laws Signed on July 23, 2025

• A-4178/S-4553 (Swain/Sarlo) – Authorizes the State Treasurer to grant a temporary deed of easement in the Borough of Sea Girt, Monmouth County. This measure enables the State Treasurer to facilitate an easement necessary for a specific property-related transaction in the borough.

• A-5381/S-4402 (Kennedy, Atkins, Venezia, Quijano/Greenstein) – Expands access to accidental disability retirement allowances for certain members of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), Police and Firemen’s Retirement System (PFRS), and State Police Retirement System (SPRS) who participated in 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations. The bill removes the filing deadline for these benefits and requires medical documentation for eligibility.

Laws Signed on July 22, 2025

• S2167/A1406 (Ruiz, Vitale/Haider, Swain) – Requires public and certain nonpublic schools to follow U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) breakfast and lunch standards, ensuring that meal programs meet federal nutritional guidelines.

• S3052/A4878 (Johnson, Space/Park, Tucker, Speight) – Provides options for service members and their dependents at public colleges and universities to receive alternate grading options if military obligations prevent them from completing coursework.

• S3711/A5153 (McKeon, Zwicker/Haider, Reynolds-Jackson, Spearman) – Permanently allocates $500,000 annually from the Clean Communities Program Fund for public outreach on New Jersey’s single-use plastics reduction program.

• SCS for S3982/A4592 (Ruiz/Reynolds-Jackson/Carter, Morales) – Requires schools to provide parents with specific information at least two business days before an annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting. The law also establishes an IEP Improvement Working Group within the Department of Education.

• S4263/A5408 (Vitale, Scutari/Carter, Sumter, Speight) – Revises provisions related to involuntary commitment and establishes new education and data reporting requirements to improve transparency and oversight.

• S4426/A5622 (Burzichelli, Singer/Schnall, Peterpaul, Kane) – Appropriates funding to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for environmental infrastructure projects in Fiscal Year 2026.

• S4439/A5729 (Lagana, Cryan/Swain) – Establishes updated protections for student-athletes and higher education institutions concerning compensation for name, image, and likeness (NIL). It repeals the “New Jersey Fair Play Act” and sets new regulatory standards for NIL activities.

• A3128/SCS for S4071/S3155 (Coughlin, Wimberly, Pintor Marin/Ruiz, Scutari, Singleton, Greenstein, Turner) – Authorizes the Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) to use certain tax credits and conduct tax credit auctions to provide financial assistance for housing projects.

• A4897/S3769 (Carter, Atkins, Reynolds-Jackson/Cryan, Amato) – Revises existing law to require that certain student identification cards include the phone number of a suicide prevention hotline, enhancing mental health support for students.

• A5170/S4027 (Pintor Marin, Speight/Cruz-Perez, Pou) – Requires the State to purchase unused tax credits issued under the New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020, providing an alternative mechanism for using those credits.

• A5546/S4388 (Verrelli, Reynolds-Jackson/Turner) – Updates the financial powers and responsibilities of the Capital City Redevelopment Corporation, refining its authority to manage redevelopment activities.

Collectively, these laws advance initiatives in education, housing, public health, veterans’ benefits, environmental protection, and student safety. Governor Murphy emphasized that the legislative package reflects New Jersey’s ongoing efforts to improve public services and ensure residents have access to essential resources.