December 7, 2009 - Tracking Legislation and Other Items Important to the NJ Business Community
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Senate Economic Growth Committee Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority Act – S-10 (Lesniak/D-20; Beck/R-12): Committee passed. Establishes the Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority as the successor to the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority, which was federally designated to develop a comprehensive revitalization plan for the Fort Monmouth area. This new authority will implement a coordinated conversion and redevelopment plan for the Fort Monmouth area that will benefit the municipalities that encompass the area as well as the state.
Senate Economic Growth Committee S-10 Vote: Lesniak, Raymond J. (Chairman) – Yes; Cunningham, Sandra B. (Vice Chair) – Yes; Kyrillos, Joseph M., Jr. – Yes; Oroho, Steven V. – Yes; Ruiz, M. Teresa - Yes
ENERGY
Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee Low Interest Loans for Green Buildings – S-1066 (Smith/D-17; Sarlo/D-36): Committee passed with amendments. Requires the executive director of the NJ Economic Development Authority to establish and administer a program that makes low-interest loans available to developers or redevelopers that construct new buildings or renovate existing ones that, when completed, qualify as high performance green buildings. The amendments change the definition of “high performance green building” to include commercial, industrial or mixed use buildings that are at least 15,000-square feet. Additionally, the amendments expand the criteria for eligibility by adding the second, third and fourth ratings to the LEED silver ratings as alternative standards of environmental sustainability.
Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee S-1066 Vote: Buono, Barbara (Chairwoman) – Yes; Sarlo, Paul A. (Vice Chairman) – Yes; Bucco, Anthony R. - Not Voting; Cunningham, Sandra B. – Yes; Doherty, Michael J. – No; Haines, Philip E. – No; O'Toole, Kevin J. – Yes; Oroho, Steven V. – Yes; Pennacchio, Joseph – No; Redd, Dana L. - Not Voting; Ruiz, M. Teresa – Yes; Stack, Brian P. – Yes; Sweeney, Stephen M. – Yes; Turner, Shirley K. – Yes; Vitale, Joseph F. - Not Voting
Senate Economic Growth Committee Solar and Wind Energy Commission – S-1096 (Smith/D-17; Bateman/R-16): Committee passed. Creates a Solar and Wind Energy Commission. The commission would research the feasibility, financial implications and the projected energy and financial savings to the state regarding solar and wind energy installation on state property. The State Chamber believes that state government should lead by example and investigate opportunities to install renewable energy systems.
Senate Economic Growth Committee S-1096 Vote: Lesniak, Raymond J. (Chairman) – Yes; Cunningham, Sandra B. (Vice Chairwoman) – Yes; Kyrillos, Joseph M., Jr. – No; Oroho, Steven V. – Yes; Ruiz, M. Teresa - Yes
ENVIRONMENT
Senate Environment Committee Clarifying Covenant Not to Sue – S-3040 (Smith/D-17; Ciesla/R-10): Committee passed. This bill corrects an inconsistency in the law arising from the enactment of the Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) and ensures that a covenant not to sue may be issued in certain circumstances. The lack of such a covenant could create impediments to cleanup, redevelopment and transactions with respect to contaminated sites.
Senate Environment Committee S-3040 Vote: Smith, Bob (Chairman) – Yes; Van Drew, Jeff (Vice Chairman) – Yes; Bateman, Christopher – Yes; Beach, James – Yes; Ciesla, Andrew R. – Yes; Gordon, Robert M. - Yes
Assembly Judiciary Committee Creating Crime of Exposure to Toxins – A-2951 (Moriarty/D-4; Love/D-4): Committee passed. Makes causing exposure to toxic pollutants a crime. Under the provisions of the bill, a person who, purposely, knowingly and unlawfully, causes one or more people to be exposed, through inhalation, ingestion or absorption, to any toxic pollutant commits a crime of the second degree. A person who, recklessly and unlawfully, causes one or more people to be exposed, through inhalation, ingestion or absorption, to any toxic pollutant commits a crime of the third degree. The State Chamber is concerned that the legislation is broad in scope and interpretation.
Assembly Judiciary Committee A-2951 Vote: Greenstein, Linda R. (Chairwoman) – Yes; Barnes, Peter J., III (Vice Chairman) – Yes; Barnes, Peter J., III – Yes; Chivukula, Upendra J. – Yes; Ramos, Ruben – Yes; Casagrande, Caroline – No; Handlin, Amy H. – No
LABOR
Assembly Appropriations Committee Protecting the UI Fund – ACR-134 (Burzichelli/D-3; Albano/D-1; DeCroce/R-26; Biondi/R-16): Committee passed. Proposes an amendment to the New Jersey Constitution that prohibits the state from collecting contributions from employers or employees by means of assessment on wages for any purpose other than to provide employee benefits. The State Chamber believes that this concurrent resolution will assist both employers and employees by keeping the state's Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund (UI), Temporary Disability Insurance Benefit Fund (TDI) and other workers’ compensation funds solvent. It also assures that the funds are used for their intended purpose.
Assembly Appropriations Committee ACR-134 Vote: Vainieri Huttle, Valerie (Vice Chairwoman) – Yes; Addiego, Dawn Marie – Yes; Barnes, Peter J., III – Yes; Coutinho, Albert – Yes; DiMaio, John – Yes; Greenwald, Louis D. – Yes; Merkt, Richard A. – Yes; Ramos, Ruben J., Jr. – Yes; Schaer, Gary S. – Yes; Stender, Linda - Not Voting; Thompson, Samuel D. – Yes; Wisniewski, John S. - Not Voting
Upcoming Legislative Schedule
The Senate has scheduled a 2 p.m. voting session for Thursday, December 10.
*Provided by the NJ State Chamber of Commerce.
