Also on Tap: Personal Information Protection, Posttraumatic Stress Help, Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity on Campus, Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Victim Assistance, Preserving Biological Evidence, Service Dog Pilot Program for Inmates & Campus Security
(TRENTON) – Protecting airline passenger rights in New Jersey, protecting low-income home energy assistance benefits from fraud, continued push to combat New Jersey’s foreclosure crisis, the impact of Gov. Christie’s clean energy funding raids and combating elder abuse highlight Thursday’s Assembly committee hearings.
Also on tap: the Personal Information and Privacy Protection Act, requiring health insurers and State Health Benefits Commission to provide coverage for posttraumatic stress disorder under same conditions as other sickness, sexual orientation and gender identity identification on campus, domestic violence victim protections, sexual assault training requirements for law enforcement officers, preserving biological evidence, Service Dog Pilot Program for inmates in Camden County and campus security.
The meetings are slated to begin at 10 a.m. and will be streamed live at:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
· The Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee at 10 a.m. will hold a hearing regarding airline passenger rights, airline practices and policies related to overbooking and bumping, and recent examples of unacceptable treatment of airline passengers, including the forcible and violent removal of a passenger.
· A-4512 (DeAngelo/Houghtaling/Zwicker) – Requires DCA to verify income of low-income home energy assistance benefits applicants’; A-4513 (DeAngelo/Houghtaling/Zwicker) – Requires DCA to annually update its low-income home energy assistance program handbook; provide quarterly trainings on administering that program; and A-4514 (DeAngelo/Houghtaling/Zwicker) – Requires DCA to verify that low-income home energy assistance benefits are not awarded to deceased individuals. 10 a.m. Telecommunications and Utilities.
· The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee at 2 p.m. will hold a hearing the challenges facing New Jersey’s homeowners and the New Jersey housing market amid the foreclosure crisis.
· A-4505 (Holley) – Provides foreclosure stay of proceedings for certain residential borrowers and exempts certain lenders that offer sustainable mortgage modifications. 10 a.m. Financial Institutions and Insurance.
· The Assembly Regulatory Oversight panel at 2 p.m. will hold a hearing on the consequences of the diversion of revenues collected through the Societal Benefits Charge (SBC). The SBC is a charge collected by New Jersey utilities pursuant to the 1999 Electric Discount and Energy Competition Act that funds, through the Board of Public Utilities, programs providing societal benefits. Programs supported by the SBC include New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program, the Universal Service Fund, nuclear plant decommissioning, remediation adjustment clause expenditures, social programs, and consumer education.
· A-936 (Oliver/Giblin) – Requires reporting of suspected abuse of institutionalized elderly to police and that facility employees receive notice of reporting requirement annually; designated as “Peggy’s Law.” 10 a.m. Health and Senior Services.
· A-2794 (Lagana/Moriarty) – “Personal Information and Privacy Protection Act”; restricts collection and use of personal information by retail establishments for certain purposes. 10 a.m. Assembly Consumer Affairs.
· A-1508 (McKeon) – Requires health insurers and State Health Benefits Commission to provide coverage for posttraumatic stress disorder under same conditions as other sickness. 10 a.m. Financial Institutions and Insurance.
· A-3739 (Jasey) – Requires public institutions of higher education to allow students, faculty, and other staff to identify sexual orientation and gender identity on any forms used to collect certain demographic data. 10 a.m. Higher Education.
· The Higher Education panel will also receive testimony on innovative teacher preparation programs designed to address the shortage of teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to train teachers for employment in underserved urban areas.
· A2446 (Eustace/Benson/DeAngelo/McKeon) – Establishes “Solar Roof Installation Warranty Program” in EDA and transfers $2 million from societal benefits charge to initially fund program. 10 a.m. Telecommunications and Utilities.
· A-4280 (Chaparro/Chiaravalloti) – Allows domestic violence victims to cancel television and telephone service contracts without paying early termination fee. 10 a.m. Telecommunications and Utilities.
· A-1400 (Johnson) – Requires preservation of certain biological evidence. 2 p.m. Law and Public Safety.
· A-2167 (Johnson/Vainieri Huttle/Wimberly) – Establishes sexual assault training requirements for law enforcement officers. 2 p.m. Law and Public Safety.
· A-4536 (Barclay/Jones) – Establishes Service Dog Pilot Program for inmates in Camden County; appropriates $150,000. 2 p.m. Law and Public Safety.
· A-2842 (McKeon/Danielsen/Pinkin) – Increases campus security by allowing institutions of higher education to offer partial tuition credit to police officers enrolled at the institution who agree to be on duty while attending classes. 10 a.m. Higher Education.