Also on Tap: Clean Wind Energy, Chronic Student Absenteeism, Countering Trump Tax Changes, Police & Firefighter Pension Management, Self-Driving Car Safety, PTSD Insurance Coverage, Opioid Epidemic & 911Call Modernization
(TRENTON) -Equal pay for women, earned sick leave for New Jersey workers, three key gun safety bills, a bill package to address ongoing Trenton Water Works concerns, expanded medical marijuana, boosting the heat-and-eat program and protecting affordable health care highlight Thursday’s Assembly committee hearings.
Also on tap:clean wind energy, combating chronic student absenteeism, helping homeowners counter Trump’s tax changes, giving police and firefighters management of the pension fund, self-driving car safety, PTSD insurance coverage, clean needle access, opioid epidemic legislation and modernizing the state’s 911 call system.
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:
· EQUAL PAY: A-1 (Lampitt) – Concerns equal pay for women and employment discrimination. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· EARNED SICK LEAVE: A-1827 (Lampitt/Mukherji/Green/Wimberly/Sumter) – Concerns earned sick leave. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· GUN SAFETY: A-1217 (McKeon/Greenwald/Jasey) – “Extreme Risk Protective Order Act of 2018;” A-2759 (Greenwald/Murphy/Quijano) – Prohibits possession of ammunition capable of penetrating body armor; A2761 (Greenwald/Quijano) – Reduces maximum capacity of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds; exempts firearms with .22 caliber tubular magazines from 10 round limitation. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· CLEAN DRINKING WATER: A-2420 (Benson) – Requires water suppliers to reimburse residential customers for drinking water testing under certain circumstances; A-3352 (DeAngelo/Benson) – Requires public water systems to provide certain notice of boil water notices and violations of drinking water quality standards; and A-3354 (DeAngelo/Benson) – Removes certain requirements for professional engineers to take examination to operate water supply and wastewater treatment systems. 10 a.m. Telecommunications and Utilities.
· MEDICAL MARIJUANA: A-3740 (Conaway) – Authorizes medical marijuana for treatment of any diagnosed condition; and A-3437 (Gusciora/Eustace) – Expands qualifying conditions for medical marijuana; requires issuance of additional dispensary permits; revises requirements for physicians to authorize qualifying patients; and revises application, ownership, and operational requirements for alternative treatment centers. 10 a.m. Health and Senior Services.
· HEAT-AND-EAT: A-3010 (Mosquera/Sumter/Coughlin) – Provides $21 minimum annual energy assistance to qualified families; qualifies families to receive additional nutritional assistance. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· AFFORDABLE CARE ACT: A-3379 (McKeon) – “New Jersey Health Insurance Premium Security Act;” establishes health insurance reinsurance plan; A-3380 (McKeon) – “New Jersey Health Insurance Market Preservation Act.” 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· CLEAN ENERGY: A-2485 (Mazzeo/Armato/DeAngelo) – Requires BPU consideration and approval of amended application for qualified wind energy project offshore in certain NJ territorial waters. 10 a.m. Telecommunications and Utilities.
· CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM: A-2192 (Vainieri Huttle/Caputo/Jasey) – Requires Commissioner of Education to include data on chronic absenteeism and disciplinary suspensions on School Report Card and requires public schools to make certain efforts to combat chronic absenteeism. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· COUNTERING FEDERAL TAX CHANGES: A-2650 (Freiman/Downey) – Recognizes residential property tax advance payments for gross income tax homestead property tax deduction. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· UEZ/JOB CREATION: A-3549 (Pintor Marin/Mukherji/Gusciora) – Extends duration of urban enterprise zones for 10 years; specifies permissible use of funds; A-3551 (Pintor Marin/Mukherji/Gusciora) – Requires NJ UEZ authority to assess and issue report on urban enterprise zone program. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· POLICE/FIREFIGHTER PENSIONS: A-3671 (Johnson) – Transfers management of PFRS to Board of Trustees of PFRS. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· CONSUMER PROTECTION: A-3245 (Caputo) – Requires disclosure of breach of security of online account. 10 a.m. Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance.
· CLEAN NEEDLES: A-3741 (Conaway) – Requires pharmacies to sell hypodermic syringes and needles to any customer over the age of 18 and post sign concerning consumer right to purchase clean syringes and needles. 10 a.m. Health and Senior Services.
· OPIOID EPIDIEMIC: A-3169 (Conaway) – Requires naltrexone and naloxone be offered to certain inmates prior to release from incarceration. 10 a.m. Health and Senior Services.
· OPIOD EPIDEMIC A-542 (Mazzeo/Lagana/Andrzejczak/Zwicker/Land/Benson/Downey) – Requires certain schools to maintain supply of opioid antidotes and permits emergency administration of opioid antidote by school nurse or trained employee. 1 p.m. Appropriations
· The Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee at 1 p.m. will take testimony on the state of emergency telecommunications in New Jersey, upgrading 9-1-1 systems and the allocation of 9-1-1 surcharge fees.
· 911 MODERNIZATION: A-122 (DeAngelo) – Establishes certain requirements for 9-1-1 public safety answering points and public safety dispatch points.; A-2371 (Vainieri Huttle) – Requires at least 10 percent of “9-1-1 System and Emergency Response Trust Fund Account” funds be allocated to public safety answering point technology upgrades and maintenance; A-3743 (Vainieri Huttle) – Imposes $0.90 fee on purchase of prepaid wireless telephone service at point of sale; A-3742 (Conaway) – Requires 9-1-1 service facilities be equipped with Next Generation 9-1-1 system and provides funding for that purpose; makes texting the 9-1-1 emergency system without purpose of reporting need for 9-1-1 service a fourth degree crime. 1 p.m. Homeland Security and State Preparedness.
· The Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee at 2 p.m. will take testimony and discuss legislation related to sea level effects and storm water drainage along the New Jersey coastline.