(TRENTON) – Bills protecting senior citizens and consumers, promoting bone marrow donation and pushing to bring a Super Bowl to New Jersey highlight the Assembly’s Thursday committee agendas.
One measure would prohibit financial advisors from using misleading information to make it appear they have special certifications for advising senior citizens and retirees, while another bill would require retailers to charge consumers an advertised after-rebate price – rather than making buyers send in coupons or log on to manufacturer’s Web sites to claim their savings.
Also on tap is a measure prohibiting the sale of lottery tickets after the top prizes have been claimed.
Another bill would promote bone marrow donations. The measure is named Jaden’s Law in honor of Jaden Hilton, a 3-year-old New Jersey boy who died of leukemia on Jan. 29, 2007. Jaden needed a bone marrow transplant to survive, but neither his parents, his brother nor any of his relatives were a match and due to the lack of other donors within the bone marrow pool, another match couldn’t be found.
Yet another bill would urge the National Football League to select the new Meadowlands stadium as the site of Super Bowl XLVIII.
The hearings will be streamed live at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp.
The Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee will meet at 10 a.m. to consider the legislation sponsored by Assemblymen John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem), Paul Moriarty (D-Gloucester/Camden), Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) and John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) to require retailers to charge consumers an advertised after-rebate price – rather than making buyers send in coupons or log on to manufacturer’s Web sites to claim their savings.
Under the legislation (A-1692), retailers that advertise a product’s net price after a manufacturer’s rebate is applied would be required to charge that price at the time of sale. New Jersey would become the third state to enforce such a consumer protection if the bill were to become law, following Rhode Island and Connecticut.
The panel will also consider a bill (A-2465) sponsored by Assemblyman Matt Milam (D-Cumberland/Atlantic/Cape May) to protect customers from unscrupulous motor vehicle dealers who fail to pay the remaining loan on a trade-in vehicle.
Milam said the bill stems from an incident in Upper Township in which a car dealer kept the money from trade-ins, never transferred the title and left families strapped with loans from their trade-in vehicle, which they no longer possessed.
The Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee will meet at 10 a.m. to consider the legislation (A-369) sponsored by Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic/Bergen/Essex), Milam and Wisniewski to prohibit misleading use of senior-specific certifications or professional designations in connection with security sales.
It will also consider legislation (A-1458) sponsored by Wisniewski, Assemblywomen L. Grace Spencer (D-Essex) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer) and Assemblyman Jack Conners (D-Burlington/Camden) to encourage banking institutions to open branches in underserved communities.
The Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee will meet at 10 a.m. to consider legislation (A-1654) sponsored by Assemblyman Lou Greenwald (D-Camden) and Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker (D-Essex) to require the state to provide information on shaken baby syndrome to the parents of newborns.
The panel will also consider legislation (A-1990) sponsored by Assemblyman Herb Conaway, M.D., (D-Burlington/Camden) and Assemblywoman Connie Wagner (D-Bergen) to provide civil immunity for doctors who volunteer nonprofit and federal health clinics.
Also on tap is the bill (A-2168) sponsored by Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) to promote bone marrow donations.
The Assembly Higher Education Committee will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss the impact of declining state support for institutions of higher education.
It will also consider legislation sponsored by Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt (D-Camden) directing each higher education institution in New Jersey to develop and coordinate a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan.
It will also weigh legislation (ACR-94) sponsored by Conners, Conaway and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Union) to encourage higher education institutions to become members of the Service Members Opportunity Colleges Consortium.
The Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee will meet at 10 a.m. to take testimony on the state’s energy master plan, including a review of the progress toward meetings its goals and an assessment of what further work needs to be done.
The Assembly Regulated Professions Committee will meet at 1 p.m. ton consider legislation (A-928) sponsored by Vainieri Huttle and Assemblymen Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen) and Albert Coutinho (D-Essex) to permit doctors and veterinarians to earn continuing education credits by providing free medical or veterinary services to the underserved.
The Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee will meet at 2 p.m. to consider legislation (AR-75) sponsored by Quijano, Schaer, Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Essex/Bergen/Passaic) and Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D-Essex) to urge the NFL to put Super Bowl XLVIII at the new Meadowlands stadium.
The Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee will meet at 2 p.m. to take testimony on issues surrounding homeowners’ associations in New Jersey.
The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee will meet at 2 p.m. to consider legislation (A-973) sponsored by Johnson to create a juvenile justice task force.
The Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee will meet at 2 p.m. to consider legislation sponsored by Moriarty, Burzichelli and Quijano to prohibit the sale of lottery tickets after the top prizes have been claimed.
It will also consider legislation (A-2507) sponsored by Burzichelli to help keep thoroughbred racing viable in New Jersey in 2010 by reducing the mandated racing dates at the Meadowlands and Monmouth race tracks.
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