Bills to Combat Sickle Cell Anemia, Protect Newborns & Exploited Children & Improve College Scholarship Programs Also on Tap
(TRENTON) – Assembly committees Thursday will consider toughening penalties for failing to report the death or disappearance of a child, allowing New Jersey to quickly implement sports gaming should federal law be changed, promoting shared services to control property taxes and several job creation and economic development bills.
Measures to require insurance coverage for sickle cell anemia, provide for screening newborns for lysosomal storage disorders, protect sexually exploited children and improve the NJ STARS scholarship programs will also be considered.
Hearings will begin at 10 a.m. Audio of the hearings will be streamed live at:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp.
Key bills include:
· Legislation called Caylee’s Law – after Caylee Anthony – that upgrades the penalty for failing to report a death or disappearance of child (A-4297/A4322). It’s sponsored by John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), Connie Wagner (D-Bergen), Charles Mainor (D-Hudson) and Ralph Caputo (D-Essex). It’s to be heard by the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee at 2 p.m.
· A bill to allow the state to quickly implement sports gaming, if a federal law banning it in the state is overturned (A-4385). It’s to be heard by the Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee at 2 p.m. It’s sponsored by John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland).
· A job creation and economic development bill to provide tax credits for small and mid-size businesses that expand their exporting operations (A-4172). It’s sponsored by Ruben J. Ramos Jr. and Jason O’Donnell (both D-Hudson) and will be heard by the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee at 2 p.m.
· A job creation and economic development measure to extend business tax credit programs to businesses who file via the gross income tax (A-4342). It’s sponsored by Pamela R. Lampitt (D-Camden). It will be heard by the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee at 2 p.m.
· A bill creating a program to provide low-interest loans to small-businesses and those owned by women and minorities (A-4343). It’s sponsored by Charles Mainor (D-Hudson). It will be heard by the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee at 2 p.m.
· A bill to help control property taxes by limiting the annual fee increases in shared service agreements to 2 percent. It’s sponsored by Linda Stender (D-Union/Middlesex/Somerset) and will be heard by the Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee at 2 p.m.
· A bill to require insurers to cover treatment for sickle cell anemia (A-1120). It’s sponsored by Elease Evans (D-Passaic/Bergen), Mila Jasey (D-Essex) and Cleopatra Tucker (D-Essex). It’s to be heard by the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee at 10 a.m.
· Legislation dubbed Emma’s Law that would provide for screening newborns for lysosomal storage disorders (A-2708). It’s sponsored by Jason O’Donnell (D-Hudson). It’s to be heard by the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee at 10 a.m.
· A bill to require care to be provided for sexually exploited juveniles and create an affirmative defense for them against prostitution (A-3700/3934). It’s sponsored by L. Grace Spencer (D-Essex), Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen), Albert Coutinho (D-Essex) and Annette Quijano (D-Union). It’s to be heard by the Assembly Appropriations Committee at 2 p.m.
· A measure to improve the NJ STARS and NJSTARS II scholarship programs (A-4283). It’s sponsored by Pamela R. Lampitt (D-Camden), Patrick J. Diegnan Jr. (D-Middlesex) and Gilbert “Whip” Wilson (D-Camden/Gloucester). It’s to be heard by the Assembly Appropriations Committee at 2 p.m.