First Responder Protections, Help for College Students who are also Parents, Veterans Assistance & Combating Animal Cruelty Also on Tap
(TRENTON) – Bills to help the long-term unemployed, improve drought readiness, upgrade assault against domestic violence victims and revises Pretrial Intervention procedures used in domestic violence cases, ban so-called upskirting, reform lobbying, oppose offshore drilling, enhance rail safety, improve first responder protections and prohibit the withholding of state school aid based on student participation rate on state assessments highlight Thursday’s Assembly committee meetings.
Improved school security, helping college students who are also parents, tough penalties for misusing drones, veterans assistance and establishing a process for recovering the cost of caring for animals involved in animal cruelty violations are also on tap.
The meetings are slated to being at 10 a.m. and will be streamed live at:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
JOBS:
· A-2926 (Lagana/Coughlin/Mosquera) – Gives priority in training programs to long-term unemployed. 10 a.m. Labor.
DROUGHT READINESS:
· A-2510 (McKeon) – Requires water purveyors to develop and implement a drought interconnection system. 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROTECTIONS:
· A-4016 (Lagana/Mazzeo/Mosquera/Vainieri Huttle) – Upgrades assault against domestic violence victims; revises Pretrial Intervention procedures in domestic violence cases. 10 a.m. Judiciary.
BANNING ‘UPSKIRTING’:
· A-3864 (Tucker) – Protects right to privacy underneath clothing; establishes crime of “upskirting’: A3938 (Vainieri Huttle/Quijano) – Upgrades crime of photographing, filming, or disseminating photos or films showing a person’s intimate parts or sexual conduct when person has not consented to the photography, filming, or disseminating. 10 a.m. Judiciary.
FIRST RESPONDER PROTECTION:
· A-1347 (Stender/Egan/O’Donnell/Wimberly) – “Thomas P. Canzanella Twenty First Century First Responders Protection Act”; concerns workers’ compensation for public safety workers. 10 a.m. Labor.
LOBBYING REFORM:
· A-1003 (Benson/Johnson) – Requires governmental affairs agents retained by government entities to file certain reports with ELEC; requires certain government entities retaining governmental affairs agents to file annual reports with ELEC. 10 a.m. Judiciary.
OPPOSING OFFSHORE DRILLING:
· ACR-227 (Mazzeo/Eustace/Andrzejczak/Spencer) – Urges President to withdraw proposal to open portions of Atlantic Coast for oil and natural gas drilling. 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
RAIL SAFETY:
· A-4283 (Johnson/Eustace/Caride/Muoio/Vainieri Huttle/Lagana/Lampitt) – Requires owner or operator of certain trains to have discharge response, cleanup, and contingency plans to transport certain hazardous materials by rail. 10 a.m. Transportation.
PARCC OPT-OUTS:
· A-4485 (Diegnan) – Prohibits withholding of State school aid based on student participation rate on State assessments. 10 a.m. Education.
SCHOOL & STUDENT SECURITY:
· A4288 (Schaer/Lagana/Eustace/Lampitt/Vainieri Huttle) – “Secure Schools for All Children Act”; establishes State aid program for security services, equipment, or technology to ensure safe and secure school environment for nonpublic school students. 10 a.m. Education.
· A-4354 (Caputo/Diegnan/Jasey/Lagana) – Requires employees of private entity with access to student information under contract with DOE, school districts, or charter schools to undergo criminal background check. 10 a.m. Education.
COLLEGE STUDENT-PARENTS:
· A-4482 (Lampitt) – Prohibits institutions of higher education from requiring students who have children to purchase meal plans, live in on-campus housing, or pay gym fees; A-4483 (Lampitt) – Prohibits institution of higher education that provides child care from charging student-parent who receives child care voucher under ?New Jersey Cares for Kids Program? an amount for child care in excess of voucher amount; A-4484 (Lampitt) – Requires institutions of higher education to inquire about student’s marital and parental status; and A-4264 (Lampitt) – Ensures equal rights and opportunities for pregnant graduate students in institutions of higher education. 10 a.m. Women and Children.
DRONES:
· A-4344 (Quijano/Benson/Fuentes/Lagana) – Establishes fourth degree crime of conducting surveillance of critical infrastructures using drones and requires certain drones to be registered and insured. 2 p.m. Homeland Security and State Preparedness.
EDUCATION:
· A-4414 (Fuentes/Diegnan/Garcia) – Prohibits administration of certain assessments to special education students and students with limited English proficiency. 10 a.m. Education.
· A-4415 (Fuentes/Diegnan/Garcia) – Establishes State Seal of Biliteracy to recognize high school graduates who have attained a high level of bilingual proficiency. 10 a.m. Education.
HOMELAND SECURITY & STATE PREPAREDNESS:
· A-2309 (Andrzejczak) – Authorizes municipalities to contract with appropriately trained municipal firefighters to provide paramedic services. 2 p.m. Homeland Security and State Preparedness.
· A-2403 (Benson) – Provides that Good Samaritans are not required to pay for ambulance service if injured while rendering emergency care. 2 p.m. Homeland Security and State Preparedness.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION:
· A-2304 (DeAngelo) – Requires construction of new buildings, facilities, and structures using State, EDA, or NJ Schools Development Authority funds to include green or blue roofs. 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
VETERANS’ AFFAIRS:
· A-787 (Coughlin/Tucker) – Authorizes special license plates for members of the United States Coast Guard. 10 a.m. Military and Veterans’ Affairs.
· A-987 (Andrzejczak/Benson) – Authorizes school district hiring preference for veterans. 10 a.m. Military and Veterans’ Affairs.
· A-4345 (Singleton/Conaway/Taliaferro/Tucker) – Requires annual General Fund appropriation to DMVA for Council on Armed Forces and Veterans’ Affairs for purposes of base realignment and closure. 10 a.m. Military and Veterans’ Affairs.
ANIMAL CRUELTY:
· A-3034 (Andrzejczak/Diegnan) – Establishes process for recovering cost of caring for animals involved in animal cruelty violations. 2 p.m. Agriculture and Natural Resources.
JUDICIARY:
· A-4426 (Fuentes/Taliaferro/Garcia) – Creates “Lynette Lebron’s Law” modifying administrative requirements and permitting elimination of waiting period for marriage or civil union ceremony in terminally ill cases. 10 a.m. Judiciary.
HUMAN SERVICES:
· A-4420 (Mazzeo/Vainieri Huttle/DeAngelo/Lampitt) – Requires certain notifications for termination of services to persons with developmental disabilities and providers. 1 p.m. Human Services.
· The committee at 1 p.m. will also receive testimony from invited guests concerning vocational services and day programs for individuals with developmental disabilities.
TRANSPORTATION:
· A-1647 (Giblin) – Establishes special license plates to bring awareness to breast cancer. 10 a.m. Transportation.
· A-2352 (Gusciora/Wisniewski) – Establishes penalty for unlawfully using parking placard issued to person with qualifying disability. 10 a.m. Transportation.
· A-3086 (Andrzejczak/Mazzeo) – Provides for special Bronze Star license plates. 10 a.m. Transportation.