Consumer Electronics Protection, Relief from Utility Telemarketing, Enhanced Requirements for Utilities During Disasters & Mental Health Parity Also on Tap
(TRENTON) – More gun violence prevention bills, tougher penalties for child pornography, helping homeowners avoid foreclosure and helping businesses avoid an impending tax increase top Thursday’s Assembly committee agendas.
Consumer electronics protections, relief from telemarketing by utilities, enhanced public notice requirements for utilities during emergencies and mental health parity are also on tap.
The hearings are scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and will be streamed live at:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp.
Highlights include:
· A3735 (Mainor, Wilson, Caride, Jimenez) – Revises statutes and enhances penalties for offenses involving child pornography; makes crime of causing a child to engage in a prohibited sexual act subject to “No Early Release Act.” (2 p.m. Appropriations)
· A4112 (Eustace, Singleton, Wagner, Egan, Coughlin) – Eliminates 10% surcharge on employer UI taxes during fiscal year 2014. (2 p.m. Appropriations)
· A4179 (Mainor) Upgrades penalty for unlawfully transferring a firearm to an underage person. (1 p.m. Law and Public Safety)
· A4182 (Greenwald) – Revises statutes concerning firearms purchaser identification cards and handgun purchase permits; makes handgun purchase permit valid for four years. (1 p.m. Law and Public Safety)
· A3853 (Singleton, Oliver, Eustace, Spencer, Sumter) – Clarifies that motor vehicles used in firearms trafficking are subject to seizure and forfeiture. (1 p.m. Law and Public Safety)
· A3854 (Singleton, Oliver, Eustace, Sumter, Spencer, Caride) – Makes crime of firearms trafficking subject to No Early Release Act. (1 p.m. Law and Public Safety)
· A4178 (Watson Coleman) – Requires presumption that any bail paid by defendant charged with certain weapons offenses will be in the form of full cash (1 p.m. Law and Public Safety)
· A4181 (Johnson) – Clarifies that information concerning the total number of firearms purchaser identification cards and permits to purchase a handgun issued in a municipality are public records. (1 p.m. Law and Public Safety)
· A4152 (Wilson) – Upgrades certain unlawful possession of firearms to first degree crime; revises certain penalties under the “Graves Act.” (1 p.m. Law and Public Safety)
· A4180 (Wilson) – Authorizes impoundment of motor vehicles for certain crimes and offenses. (1 p.m. Law and Public Safety)
· A722 (Ramos) – Consumer Electronics Warranty Lemon Law. (10 a.m. Consumer Affairs)
· A1569 (Wisniewski, Chivukula, Coughlin) – Allows tax credits for development of qualified wind energy facilities in certain portfield sites. (10 a.m. Telecommunications and Utilities)
· The Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee will meet at 2 p.m. to hear testimony on the need to build affordable housing post-Superstorm Sandy.
· It will also consider A3915 (Singleton, Green, Sumter, DeAngelo, Lampitt) – Establishes the “Mortgage Assistance Pilot Program.”
· A3422 (Benson, Caride, Fuentes) – Prohibits electric power suppliers from making false and misleading claims to potential customers; limits suppliers’ calls to customers to once annually where no business relationship exists. (.(10 a.m. Telecommunications and Utilities)
· A3475 (Barnes, DeAngelo) – “Disaster Information Access Act”; requires utility service providers to report severe weather and emergency related service interruptions; directs utility service providers and State Office of Emergency Management to present reported information online and by telephone. (10 a.m. Telecommunications and Utilities)
· A581 (Spencer, Johnson) – Authorizes the court to credit a person in default of a court-imposed financial obligation under certain circumstances. (2 p.m. Appropriations)
· A1665 (Johnson, Vainieri Huttle, Diegnan, Gusciora) – Requires SHBP and SEHBP to cover treatment for alcoholism, other substance-use disorders, and non biologically based mental illnesses under same terms and conditions as for other diseases or illnesses. (2 p.m. Appropriations)
· A2182 (Conaway, Moriarty, Mosquera, Benson) – “Dietitian/Nutritionist Licensing Act.” (10 a.m. Health and Senior Services)
· A3047 (Diegnan, Lampitt, Egan, Quijano) – “Children’s Sudden Cardiac Events Reporting Act.” (2 p.m. Appropriations)
· A3576 (Burzichelli) – Modifies interest rates and accrual of interest on certain unpaid water and sewer utility bills and delinquent municipal taxes, assessments, and other municipal liens and charges. (2 p.m. Appropriations)