June 27, 2024

Bills of Interest Before Assembly-Contact Your Assemblymember

The Assembly will be holding a voting session on Friday, June 28. In addition to considering the SFY2025 budget, the following bills of municipal interest will be considered. Please contact your Assembly Representative and urge them to 

Vote NO on:  

• A-2623.The “Home Business Jobs Creation Act”, which classifies certain home businesses as permitted accessory uses. This bill creates a loophole that allows home-based businesses, currently illegal under a municipality’s zoning law, to become legal and protected by overriding any inconsistent local ordinances, but then permits a municipality to adopt a later ordinance that could be the same as the original local ordinance that was overridden. Additionally, this bill imposes restrictions on the number of invitees or guests that apply to home-based businesses or occupations. The effect of such a provision would be to restrict social gatherings; Scout meetings; birthday parties; and all sorts of events that presently occur in residential homes if the municipality attempted to limit the number of business invitees or guests who could frequent the business in the residential zone. The League opposes this bill as it usurps important local zoning controls.  

Vote YES on:  

• A-3772. Revises process for property tax lien holders to foreclose right to redeem property tax lien; allows property owners to protect remaining equity. This bill revises the “Tax Sale Law” and the “In Rem Tax Foreclosure Act” to bring those laws in compliance with the 2023 United States Supreme Court decision in Tyler v. Hennepin County, which led to concerns that New Jersey’s system concerning the sale and ultimate foreclosure of tax liens could violate the U.S. Constitution. The League supports the bill as it provides a due process that complies with the Tyler decision.  
• A-4602. Concerns deadline for municipality to report certain non-residential development fee information. A-4602 would address an oversight in the housing legislation passed earlier this year and extend the deadline for municipalities to report non-residential development fee information by an additional 90 days and would apply retroactively to the enforceability of penalties for noncompliance. The League supports this commonsense legislation as it allows additional time for municipalities to provide the necessary reports. 
• A-2196. Requires outdoor lighting fixtures installed or replaced by, or on behalf of, a state agency or as part of a project that receives funds from a state agency, to meet certain criteria in order to reduce light pollution. The League supports this bill as the reduction of light pollution is a laudable goal. As an additional benefit, to meet these standards, many of the lighting fixtures will need to be replaced with much more energy efficient technology such as LED. 
• A-2884. Provides for purchase of PFRS credit for service as class two special law enforcement officer. The League supports this bill because the cost is borne by the individual seeking to purchase the time and serves as an incentive for municipalities seeking to hire officers that have some experience. 
• A-3060. Permits designation of special event zones for traffic regulation purposes during certain large events. Municipalities would be able to establish special event zones around roads, permitted to lower the existing speed limit and prohibit “exhibition driving” along with increasing penalties for speeding and burnouts, without obtaining prior approval of the Department of Transportation. The League supports this bill as it provides municipalities with tools necessary to combat pop-up special events such as illegal car rallies.  
• A-4534/S-3439. Revises definition of qualified assistance fund expenses under UEZ program to include costs of transportation infrastructure projects and related debt service. “Qualified assistance fund expense” definition is expanded to include the improvement of public infrastructure in a commercial or transportation corridor and transportation infrastructure, including, but not limited to, payment of debt service related to the financing of a transportation project and the pledge of funds credited to assistance funds toward the repayment of any loan issued by State Transportation Infrastructure Bank or any government agency for transportation infrastructure projects. The League supports this measure as it expands economic development in UEZ communities.   

In addition, while not yet on the Assembly Voting agenda, based on actions from last night’s Assembly Budget Committee, the following bills may be added to the agenda. Please contact your Assembly Representative and urge them to

Vote NO on:

A-4029 would subject any PILOT project to the Public Works Contractor Registration Act, which in turn would subject the contractors to the Registered Apprenticeship Program. In addition, the contractors engaged in any work for a public body, which include contractors working on private projects that received PILOT, to file with Department of Labor & Workforce Development certified payroll records. The League opposes this bill as we are concerned that this will lead to the PILOTs becoming subject to prevailing wage which will make it more challenging to spur the development.

Vote YES on:

A-3537, which provides that an individual may be eligible for reimbursement from the Emergency Medical Technician Training Fund for the unreimbursed costs of training and certifying a volunteer EMT and outlines the process for reimbursement. The League supports this legislation because it addresses the ongoing issue of expansion and retention for Emergency Medical Technicians by removing a financial barrier to volunteerism.