(TRENTON) – Unemployment benefits reform, improved domestic violence protections and enhanced services for the disabled highlight Thursday’s Assembly committee meetings.
Discussions on increasing the retirement age for judges and improving services for veterans are also on tap.
The committees 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:
· A2946 (Schaer) Provides for withholding of State payments to vendors for delinquent unemployment and disability taxes, A3153 (DeAngelo) Requires UI employer contribution reports and remittances be submitted to the Division of Revenue, A3154 (DeAngelo) Provides for withholding of State payments to vendors for delinquent unemployment and disability taxes and charging administrative fees to the vendors, A3155 (DeAngelo) Concerns DOLWD personnel access to unemployment claims receipt and processing system, A3156 (DeAngelo) Concerns employer contribution reports, and A3425 (Mosquera) Concerns UI benefits for claimants who leave work to accept other work and are laid off from subsequent work. 10 a.m. Labor.
· A1310 (Quijano/Gusciora) Requires counseling for certain domestic violence offenders, A1579 (Spencer/Tucker/Caputo) Creates self-defense justification for victims of domestic violence. A1677 (Johnson/Vainieri Huttle/Lampitt) Establishes supervised community reintegration program for certain victims of domestic abuse, A1953 (Riley/Burzichelli/Mosquera) Requires law enforcement officers to search domestic violence restraining order registry upon conducting an arrest, A2154 (Riley/Mosquera) Permits a witness who is under the age of 16 or a victim of any age to testify by closed circuit television in prosecutions for crimes or offenses involving domestic violence. 10 a.m. Women and Children.
· A1109 (Vainieri Huttle/Schaer) Provides protections for individuals with developmental disabilities through accountability and transparency; designated as “Stephen Komninos’ Law,” and A2619 (Schaer/Vainieri Huttle) Tyler Banal’s Law”; Provides protection for children with developmental disabilities receiving services from DCF. 1 p.m. Human Services.
· A3227 (Mukherji/Vainieri Huttle) Clarifies that definition of mental illness in law governing involuntary commitment to treatment includes substance use disorder if dangerous standard met, and A3228 (Mukherji/Vainieri Huttle) – Clarifies DHS authority to regulate sober living homes, and requires these homes and other aftercare facilities to provide certain notifications when patient is released from care. 1 p.m. Human Services.
· A1583 (Spencer/Wimberly) Authorizes creation of storm water utilities for certain local government entities. 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
· A1782 (McKeon) Establishes criteria and requirements for shore protection project priority list and funding from Shore Protection Fund. 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
· A3229 (Mukherji/Watson Coleman/Gusciora) – Appropriates $21,720,000 in 2003 bond act monies for loans to fund dam restoration projects. 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
· The Assembly Judiciary Committee plans at 10 a.m. to discuss several bills regarding retirement ages for judges, including A3182 (McKeon/Cryan/Eustace) – Increases statutory mandatory retirement age for Supreme Court Justices, Superior Court Judges, Tax Court Judges, Administrative Law Judges, Workers’ Compensation Judges and county prosecutors from 70 to 72, and ACR150 (McKeon/Pinkin/Eustace) – Proposes constitutional amendment to increase mandatory retirement age for judges and justices from 70 to 72.
· The Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee at 10 a.m. will discuss legislation to broaden eligibility for certain veterans’ benefits by eliminating requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations.
· A1029 (Benson/Vainieri Huttle/Jasey/Tucker/Wimberly) Requires training program for school bus drivers and aides on interacting with students with special needs. 10 a.m. Education.
· A3256 (Diegnan/Pinkin) Requires teachers of health and physical education in grades kindergarten through six in public schools to possess the appropriate endorsement to the instructional certificate, and includes a “grandfather” provision. 10 a.m. Education.
· A3360 (Lampitt/Garcia/Mukherji) Requires each public middle school and high school to establish a food services advisory committee to consider menu options that reflect students’ cultural food preferences. 10 a.m. Education.