Recent Laws
Business related bills that have become law in recent years were developed due to the strong efforts of our government relations team to ensure that our members’ best interests were protected. NJBIA worked tirelessly and successfully with the legislature and the governor to help business best meet New Jersey’s challenges.
Banking
Contact Mary Beaumont
Fines Creditors Who Fail To Maintain Vacant Properties
S-1229 (Rice, Connors, Prieto)
S-1229 allows municipalities to fine creditors who fail to maintain vacant properties, and requires out-of-state creditors to designate an in-state representative. Municipalities can now develop ordinances responding to neglected properties owned by financial institutions. In addition, creditors who are not located in New Jersey must have a New Jersey resident or company to care for and maintain vacant properties.
Signed by the Governor on August 15, 2014 (P.L.2014, c.35)
Effective Date: August 15, 2014
Modernizes Laws on Bad Checks to Include Electronic Transfers
A-1153 (Ciattarelli, Schaer, McKeon)
A-1153 makes insufficient “electronic funds transfers” a criminal offense. If a person issues an electronic money transfer with insufficient funds, they could face criminal penalties similar to those for a post-dated check or money order. By aligning the law on bad checks and money orders to include electronic transfers, businesses will have the same protections doing business online as they do in person.
Signed by the Governor on September 10, 2014 (P.L.2014, c.45)
Effective Date: September 10, 2014
Modernizing the Department of Banking and Insurance
A-3271(Coughlin, Ciattarelli, Lagana)
A-3271 modernizes the Department of Banking and Insurance. Specifically, it updates the regulation of insurers and provides the department with additional tools to protect policyholders through the monitoring of insurer financial solvency.
Signed by the Governor on December 26, 2014 (P.L.2014, c.81)
Effective Date: December 26, 2014
Economic Development
Contact Andrew Musick
Economic Opportunity Act of 2014, Part 3
A-3213 (Greenwald, Sumter, Mazzeo)
A-3213 extends the sunset date for the residential Economic Redevelopment and Growth (ERG) incentive program from July 2015 to July 2018, designates the tourism district of Atlantic City as the fifth Garden State Growth Zone (joining Camden, Passaic, Paterson, and Trenton) and expands the ERG program to allow for 100 percent financing of publicly dedicated improvements.
Singed by the Governor on October 24, 2014 (P.L.2014, c.63)
Effective Date: October 24, 2014
Permit Extension Act
A-3815 (Green, Burzichelli, Singleton)
A-3815 extends the expiration date of certain permits for builders and developers until December 31, 2015. The process of obtaining permits and approvals can be costly and slow growth, especially in a recovering economy. The extension of these permits will help to strengthen New Jersey’s economy by encouraging economic development and job creation.
Signed by the Governor on December 26, 2014 (P.L.2014, c.84)
Effective Date: December 26, 2014
Employment & Labor Policy
Contact Mike Wallace
Regulates Employer’s Consideration of Criminal History
A-1999 (Watson Coleman, Cunningham, Green)
A-1999 applies to companies with 15 or more employees and requires employers to remove the box (“ban the box”) asking whether applicants have ever been convicted of a crime from their initial employment applications. Under the law, employers may only inquire about criminal history after a first interview. The law includes several key exemptions, including positions where a criminal history background check is required by another law, rule, or regulation.
Signed by the Governor on August 11, 2014 (P.L.2014, c.32)
Effective Date: March 1, 2015
Legal Affairs
Contact Mary Beaumont
Amends the Corporate Indemnification Process
A-2603 (Diegnan, Webber)
A-2603 allows corporations to indemnify corporate agents without the approval from their board of directors. The new law provides greater flexibility in the decision-making process for corporate expenses and makes the New Jersey corporate indemnification law consistent with that of Delaware and New York.
Signed by the Governor on December 11, 2014 (P.L.2014, c.77)
Effective Date: December 11, 2014
Technology
Contact Mellanie Willoughby
Creates a State Cyber Infrastructure Consortium
S-582 (Smith, Lesniak, Chivukula)
S-582 establishes the New Jersey Big Data Alliance as the state’s advanced cyber infrastructure consortium. The Alliance is a combination of state government, academia, and industry to address the importance and future of Big Data. Better understanding and utilizing data, New Jersey and employers will be able to grow the economy and create jobs.
Signed by the Governor on August 15, 2014 (P.L.2014, c.33)
Effective Date: August 15, 2014
Workforce Development
Contact Michael Wallace
Career Readiness Indicators on New Jersey School Report Card
A-3334 (Prieto, Lagana, Oliver)
A-3334 requires the New Jersey School Report Card, which grades individual schools, to include indicators of student career readiness. Including these annual indicators will help to reinforce the importance of developing student career readiness, as well as college readiness.
Signed by the Governor on December 3, 2014 (P.L.2014, c.71)
Effective Date: September 1, 2015
Requires Career Readiness Coursework in Teacher and Counselor Preparation Programs
A-3335 (Prieto, Diegnan, Lampitt)
A-3335 requires new teachers and new school counselors to complete coursework to support improved student career readiness in order to obtain a teaching or school counselor license. This will prepare teachers and guidance counselors to help students increase their knowledge of career options, help students develop employability skills, and understand the value of career and technical education for all types of students.
Signed by the Governor on December 3, 2014 (P.L.2014, c.72)
Effective Date: December 3, 2014
Establishes the County Vocational School District Partnership Grant Program
A-3337 (Prieto, Jimenez, Lampitt)
A-3337 creates the County Vocational School District Partnership Grant Program. A-3337, combined with $3 million appropriated by Governor Christie in the FY2015 Budget, will help to encourage vocational schools to partner with local high schools and county colleges to create career programs in existing facilities. Ultimately, this will expand access to quality career and technical education programs, give more students the skills needed to launch a successful career and ensure that employers will have a skilled and trained pipeline of employees to hire from.
Signed by the Governor on December 3, 2014 (P.L.2014, c.73)
Effective Date: December 3, 2014
Encourages Dual Enrollment Agreements
A-3338 (Prieto, Diegnan, Lagana)
A-3338 allows school districts and requires public colleges to enter into dual enrollment agreements to provide college-level instruction to high school students through courses offered on college or high school campuses. Dual enrollment agreements have the potential to reduce the time and cost of a college degree, improve completion rates, and challenge high school students. Ultimately, these dual enrollment agreements help meet employer demand for a highly skilled and trained workforce.
Signed by the Governor on December 3, 2014 (P.L.2014, c.74)
Effective Date: September 1, 2015
Encourages Work-Based Learning Experiences & Addresses Short-Term Space Shortages
A-3339 (Prieto, Diegnan, Bucco)
A-3339 clarifies that a career and technical education program, taught in an industry setting, is not subject to school facilities regulations. This legislation will help to encourage employers to host programs and offer work-based learning experiences. Ultimately, more students can have access to career and technical education programs, as programs can be offered in workplace settings.
Signed by the Governor on December 3, 2014 (P.L.2014, c.75)
Effective Date: December 3, 2014
