100+ Bills Signed By Gov. Murphy Ahead Of Leaving Office

Outgoing New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has been keeping busy during his last few days in office, signing more than 100 bills into law before Mikie Sherrill takes his place.

Following his final State of the State Address, New Jersey’s 56th governor has passed legislation addressing the opioid crisis, e-bikes, vaccines, and plenty more before his final day in office on Tuesday.

Here are some of the pieces of legislation Murphy recently signed into law:

1. Illicit Opioid Supply Substance Poisoning Awareness Act

This bipartisan legislation, signed into law on Saturday, requires New Jersey students between 6th and 12th grade to learn about “the dangers of substances that are the most prevalent or emerging in the illicit opioid supply in New Jersey.”

In 2024, there were 2,020 fatal overdoses reported among NJ residents, a 28 percent decrease from the previous year. Murphy hopes policies like this one will continue to facilitate the decrease in opioid-related deaths.

“Educating young people about the dangers of illicit opioids is a critical public health responsibility. Clear, honest information saves lives by helping students recognize risks and reduce harmful exposures,” said Murphy. “By directing our public schools to integrate age-appropriate instruction on illegal drugs, we are equipping our children with the tools necessary to make informed decisions. The opioid crisis is real and has had a devastating impact on countless families in our state and across the country.”

2. Updated E-Bike Regulations

Another bill, introduced by Senate President Nick Scutari, addresses a safety issue that has been harming New Jersey children in recent years: the rising popularity of e-bikes.

The policy, the first update in six years, updates the regulation, licensing, classification, and training requirements for e-bikes.

The bill, signed into law on Monday, comes on the heels of several crashes involving e-bikes, including fatal ones in Scotch Plains and Orange.

Regulations will require an owner and operator to be at least 17 years old with a valid driver’s license or at least 15 years old with a motorized bicycle license.

“It is clear that we are in an age of increasing e-bike use that requires us to take action and update regulations that help prevent tragedies from occurring,” said Murphy. “Making our roads safer for all users has been a key priority for my Administration.”

3. Safe Communities Act (Of the Immigration Protection Package)

The Safe Communities Act is one of three bills meant to protect New Jersey’s immigrants. Murphy signed the Safe Communities Act into law on Tuesday, but vetoed the two other bills in the package.

The passed legislation will designate “sensitive locations,” including schools, hospitals, and courthouses, as places in which people, regardless of their immigration status, could be “safe” from certain federal operations, including ones conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“Public spaces such as houses of worship, schools, hospitals, and courthouses are places of trust that should welcome and safeguard every member of society,” said Governor Murphy. “Whether you’re praying in a church, studying in school, receiving medical care at a hospital, or seeking legal relief, no one should live in fear or uncertainty or be deterred from seeking essential services due to their immigration status.”

The vetoed bills would’ve codified the Immigration Trust Directive into law and protected the privacy of New Jersey immigrants, respectively. Murphy said that while he supports the “rationale” behind the bills, drafting oversights would “create significant complications when it comes to advancing our shared goal of protecting New Jersey’s immigrant communities.”

He said that his team has recommended amendments to the language in the bills so that they could be properly signed into law in the future.

4. Vaccine Access And Affordability Protection

This legislation establishes policies that “ensure immunization guidance is state-based and aligns health insurance coverage requirements with that guidance from the New Jersey Department of Health.”

The law goes hand-in-hand with new policies being drafted by the NJDOH, making the NJDOH the primary entity to provide vaccination and immunization recommendations to New Jerseyans, rather than federal ones like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This year, we have seen the federal government diverge and waffle on evidence-based recommendations from trusted health professionals – rewriting federal vaccine guidance to the detriment of our communities and putting our most vulnerable residents at risk, particularly our children,” said Murphy. “We take seriously our responsibility to preserve and protect public health, which is why we have mobilized quickly to mitigate the harmful impact of these dangerous policy changes.”

5. First Responders PTSD Protection Act

This bill establishes protections for paid first responders who have been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The legislation prevents entities from discharging, harassing, retaliating, or otherwise discriminating against any first responder who has been diagnosed with PTSD and is seeking time off from the job.

Additionally, it ensures that the first responder will be given their job back once they are cleared to return to work by a mental health professional.

“Our first responders put themselves on the line daily to keep our residents safe,” said Murphy. “This bill recognizes the real and lasting impact that traumatic experiences can have and ensures that first responders are treated with dignity, compassion, and fairness when they need it most.”

6. NJ Family Leave Act Expansion

Murphy revised the New Jersey Family Leave Act, which provides 12 weeks of job-protected leave every two years to eligible employees who need to take care of a sick family member or have recently had a baby.

The revision changes the eligibility requirements to include employees who work for an employer with 15 or more employees, have been employed for at least three months, and have worked 250 hours in the preceding three months. Previously, an employee must have worked for an employer with 30 or more employees, have been employed for at least 12 months, and have worked 1,000 hours in the last 12 months.

7. Reviving Cursive In NJ Schools

Another education bill will revive cursive handwriting in elementary school curricula.

Since 2010, there has been a decline in students’ abilities to read and write cursive due to the adoption of Common Core State Standards, which did not include cursive in its curriculum.

The new law requires students in third, fourth, and fifth grade to learn cursive, and it will take effect starting next school year.

“The return to including cursive instruction is especially meaningful as New Jersey celebrates the upcoming 250th anniversary of our country's founding – giving our students the skills they need to read our nation's founding documents and complete tasks like opening a bank account or signing a check, in addition to offering cognitive benefits,” said Murphy. “We owe it to our students to give them a well-rounded education that ensures they have the tools to fully understand our rich history and become competent leaders.”

8. Intellectual and Developmentally Disabled Protection Package

Murphy signed a trio of bills on Sunday that “strengthen oversight, expand protections, and reinforce quality standards for providers serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

The bills expand the penalties for abusing people with disabilities, amend the definition of “child abuse” to protect people up to 21 years old, and establish the Disability Mortality and Abuse Prevention Advisory Committee in the NJ Department of Human Services, which will investigate and review cases of child neglect and abuse in the state.

“Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve to feel safe, respected, and supported in every setting, without exception,” said Murphy. “These measures give the State clearer authority and stronger tools to demand accountability and uphold high standards of care.”

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The governor officially left the State House for his final time as governor on Tuesday morning, just hours before his successor, Mikie Sherrill, is set to be sworn into office.

An earlier version of this story included a link to a list of all 120+ bills Murphy signed into law during his last act in office. The list was deleted after Mikie Sherrill was sworn in Tuesday afternoon.