Both the Senate and Assembly held voting sessions yesterday and adopted the SFY2026 budget, along with dozens of other pieces of legislation. Below are the bills of municipal interest that we previewed on Friday.
S-4128/A-5130, requires enforcing agency to conduct inspection of construction in 2.5 hour time window. The League opposes this legislation because the recruitment, training, and retention of Code Enforcement Officers has been an ongoing challenge for local governments that has continued to get worse. Very often, they compete with private firms that offer better pay and benefit options that municipalities cannot match. Further, the rulemaking authority permits potentially punitive measures to be taken against municipalities. The bill passed the Assembly 71-4 and passed the Senate on Monday by a vote of 37-2. It awaits action from the Governor.
A-5538, prohibits municipal utilities authority from imposing water service charges for fire protection systems upon a fire district or fire department if the authority also imposes water service charges upon customers of the authority who are taxpayers of the fire district or of a local government unit that finances the operations of the fire department The League opposes this legislation as it forces other utility users to subsidize the cost of the fire district. The Senate companion, S-4344, awaits consideration by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee. A-5538 passed the Assembly 78-0.
S-3287, provides for a gross income tax deduction for amounts paid to taxpayers in exchange for their sale of certain real property interests for conservation purposes. The New Jersey gross income tax provides a deduction for a charitable, qualified conservation contribution of real property interests for land preservation purposes modeled on the similar federal income tax deduction which covers full land interest sales and restricted land use easements. The bill will allow the deductions for both parts of some mixed transfers referred to as bargain sales in which there is both a charitable donation aspect and a cash purchase payment for less than the land’s fair market value (FMV). The legislation was favorably reported from the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on a vote of 13-0 in January. The League supports this legislation because it is another avenue where land can be conserved without additional cost to taxpayers. This legislation passed the Senate 39-0.
A-3035, which prohibits certain vehicles from parking in electric vehicle charging spaces under certain circumstances. The bill prohibits parking in an electric vehicle charging space if the vehicle is a non-electric vehicle or is a plug-in electric vehicle, including a battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, that is not actively charging; and the space is clearly marked with signage and pavement markings indicating the space is reserved for plug-in electric vehicles that are actively charging. Vehicles in violation may be towed at the municipality’s discretion and at the expense of the registered owner or lessee of the vehicle. The bill, which the League supports, passed the Senate 28-10 on June 2, passed the Assembly 56-24 on Monday, and it awaits consideration from the Governor.
S-4590/A-5792, which provides for workers’ compensation coverage of certain counseling services for first responders and provides that certain mental health related communications are confidential. As introduced, the League had no position on this legislation. However, as amended, the League is opposes this bill because it permits the employee to select the provider, potentially to more costly out-of-network providers. The League is working with MEL-JIF to address these concerns. The bill passed the Assembly 80-0 and the Senate 39-0 and awaits consideration from the Governor.
S-4472, amends the local bond law to eliminate the required five percent down payment for local bond ordinances involving hazard mitigation and resilience projects. The bill also exempts local governments from having to apply to the local finance board concerning the maturity and amount of annual installment payments related to the financing of local bond ordinances involving hazard mitigation and resilience projects. The bill, which the League supports, passed the Senate 39-0 and awaits consideration in the Assembly.
Contacts: Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112, Paul Penna, Director of Government Affairs, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110, and Erin Knoedler, Legislative Analyst, eknoedler@njlm.org, x116.