After a busy month in Trenton, the legislature held its final voting session until the fall. Below is the first part of a listing of bills of municipal interest with the League’s support that are on Governor Murphy’s desk for his consideration.
A-4297 permits remote bingos and raffles and directs the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission to adopt regulations permitting the conduct of raffles using technology, to the extent not inconsistent with the NJ Constitution. The League supports this legislation because it is flexible for municipal governments to work with the community organizations to host bingos and raffles remotely. (PAP)
A-4881 prohibits the appeal of land use decisions related to holding meetings electronically. The League strongly supports this legislation because it eliminates many of the possible claims that could be brought based on frivolous assertions, while maintaining a legitimate objector’s right to challenge the actions of a land use board. (FM)
A-5580 restores and reforms the State Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) program and recasts the manner in which the State allocates the amounts it spends in support of the UEZ program in a manner to best reflect its legislative intent. The League supports this legislation restoring UEZs. (PAP)
S-829 requires property condition disclosure statements to include a question concerning the presence of lead plumbing in residential properties. The League supports this legislation as good public policy that allows buyers to understand the condition of the property they are purchasing. (FM)
S-3867 establishes an Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund and the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund Advisory Council and provides for funds received from opioid settlements to support substance use disorder prevention and treatment programs. The League supports this common-sense measure and an additional tool to help eliminate the opioid epidemic in the state and facilitate treatment. (PAP)
A-853 prohibits municipalities from requiring a child to obtain a license or permit to temporarily operate a business. The League supports this bill as it proposes a broader approach to the general issue by allowing anyone under the age of 18 to occasionally operate a business without having first secured a local permit or license. (AL)
A-5231 allows a county or municipality to enter into a revenue sharing agreement with the holder of a concessionaire permit used in connection with a premise located within the county or municipality. The agreement would be a fixed percentage of revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages by the private vendor. The League supports this measure that provides municipalities with the ability to enter into agreements with private vendors. (AL)
A-5310 increases the limit on the number of social affairs permits that can be issued for one premises if the premise is owned by the municipality or if the event at the premise is sponsored by the municipality. In those circumstances the number of social affair permits that can be issued increases from 25 to 52. The League supports this common-sense measure providing more flexibility for municipal events. (AL)
S-3868, as amended, concerns construction code enforcing agency fee revenue. It requires that in any fiscal year when construction code enforcing fees collected from a project that is either providing affordable housing or occurring in an area in need of redevelopment as defined by N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-3, causes the total amount of fees collected by the construction department to exceed, by 12% or more, the total cost of operating the enforcing agency, including indirect overhead expenses, as appropriated in the adopted municipal budget, the amount of fees collected in excess of 112% of the total cost, including indirect overhead expenses, lapse to the municipality’s current fund balance. This is provided that enforcing agency fees were not increased by more than 2% in either the prior or current fiscal year. It also requires that all enforcing agency fees, and all enforcing agency operations, procedures, and inspections, fully comply with all of the provisions of the State Uniform Construction Code Act. The League supports this legislation. (LB)
A-5407 revises various public finance laws to remove existing restrictions on the ability of local governments and authorities to finance the costs of lead service line replacements. In addition, the bill would extend the period of time over which a municipality may allow a property owner to pay assessments attributable to the replacement of lead service lines from 20 years to 30 years. The League supports this legislation. (LB)
Contacts:
- Lori Buckelew, Assistant Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112.
- Frank Marshall, Esq., Associate General Counsel, FMarshall@njlm.org or 609-695-3481, x137.