(TRENTON) – Assembly committees on Thursday will consider legislation to reform state child abuse reporting investigations, reaffirm New Jersey’s support for participation in a regional effort to cut greenhouse gases, attack chronic health conditions that help drive up state health costs and protect teen-agers and children from heart problems at youth sporting events.
The committees will also consider legislation to criminalize sale and possession of chemicals used to create the drug commonly known as bath salts, delete obsolete language about women from state law and take testimony on the economic impact of the stink bug infestation on New Jersey farming.
The hearings will be streamed live at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp.
Highlights include:
· The Assembly Human Services Committee will take testimony and consider legislation (A-4109) on child welfare concerns following the recent death of an Irvington girl. The bill is sponsored by Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen).
· The Assembly State Government Committee will meet at 2 p.m. to consider legislation sponsored by Linda Stender (D-Union/Middlesex/Somerset) and Herb Conaway, M.D. (D-Burlington/Camden) to establish a pilot program aimed at cutting state health benefits costs by combating chronic health conditions.
· The Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee at 2 p.m. will consider bills (A-4108 and ACR-195) sponsored by John McKeon (D-Essex), Upendra Chivukula (D-Somerset/Middlesex) and Stender supporting New Jersey’s continued involvement in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
· The Assembly Education Committee will meet at 2 p.m. to consider legislation requiring public schools, recreational fields and youth camps to have automated external defibrillators for your athletic events. It’s sponsored by Craig J. Coughlin (D-Middlesex) and Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson/Bergen).
· The Assembly Judiciary Committee will meet at 10 a.m. to consider legislation (A-3841) deleting obsolete language about women from state law. It’s sponsored by Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen), Quijano, Connie Wagner (D-Bergen), Stender and Joan Voss (D-Bergen).
· The Judiciary panel will also consider legislation (3984) sponsored by McKeon, Stender, Chivukula (D-Somerset/Middlesex) and Vainieri Huttle to criminalize possession and sale of substances containing chemicals found in the drug commonly known as “bath salts.”
· The Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee will meet at 10 a.m. to consider legislation (A-3662) to extend the burial of indigent veterans to those who didn’t serve during war time. The bill is sponsored by Matthew Milam (D-Atlantic/Cape May/Cumberland).
· The Assembly Agriculture and Natural ReDests Committee will meet at 2 p.m. to take testimony on the impact of the stink bug infestation on New Jersey farming.
· The Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee will consider legislation (ACR-108) urging the state and local governments and owners of water utilities and chemical companies to use inherently safer technologies. It’s sponsored by Stender, Quijano and McKeon.
The complete agendas can be found at:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/legcal.asp.
