5 New Laws To Impact New Jersey Families, Teachers

NEW JERSEY — Gov. Phil Murphy put pen to paper on a variety of new laws in New Jersey recently, which were included in the recently-approved $54.5 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2024.

Here’s a look at some legislation that may affect you and your family, which include expanding teacher sick leave, eliminating public defender fees, and bills addressing affordable housing as well as homes and apartments in areas prone to flooding.

To get the latest news in your New Jersey Patch community, subscribe to news alerts.

Requiring flood risk notifications

Landlords and property sellers have to tell prospective buyers if the home they’re offering has a history of flooding, flood risk, or is located in a flood zone or area.

The law (bills A4783/S3110) also requires landlords to notify tenants if renters’ insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance program. Murphy and the bill's sponsors, Sen. Bob Smith (D-NJ-17) and Assemblyman John McKeon (D-NJ-27), said this law increases transparency for New Jersey consumers and allows them to make more informed choices about where they live.

“We have seen increased flooding in New Jersey from severe weather and too often residents are unaware they are living in flood zones,” said McKeon. “Mandating disclosure of flood risks will protect consumers. When home buyers and renters are informed they are living in an area prone to flooding, they can purchase flood insurance to protect their property, giving them peace of mind.”

Expanding school employee sick leave

Another new law expands how school employees can use their sick leave. District employees can now use sick leave to recover from a physical or mental illness; care for a seriously ill member of the family; take up to seven bereavement days for the death of an immediate family member; attend school-related conferences, meetings, functions, or other events for their child, or because of circumstances related to sexual or domestic violence.

Previously, New Jersey school district employees could only take sick leave because of personal illness, injury, or disability or because they were ordered to quarantine by health officials. Supporters of the legislation (bills A5060/S3440) said the new law will help Garden State educators feel more supported, and be able to take time off to care for their families.

“Allowing teachers to use their sick time to care for their loved ones or their children is the right thing to do. No teacher should have to miss a parent-teacher conference for their own child, or be unable to take bereavement leave,” said Assemblywoman Velerina Reynolds-Jackson (D-NJ-15). “We need to support our teachers, who are devoted to and always there for our children.”

Eliminating public defender service fees

The law eliminates any fees, liens, and warrants issued for public defender services in the state. It applies retroactively to outstanding costs, unpaid civil judgments, property liens, and warrants. Public defender clients were previously charged fees starting at $150, and Murphy’s budget allocated $4 million to implement the bill.

Supporters of the measure (bills A5587/S3771) said that people needing a public defender do not always have the means to pay these fines, so this law makes the criminal justice system more equitable. The state’s Wealth Disparity Task Force led the effort to eliminate public defender fees, according to Murphy’s office.

“The right to an attorney should be a universal right for those who are navigating our criminal justice system,” Murphy said upon signing the legislation. “For too long, we have witnessed many residents suffer from the steep prices of a public defender, many times causing them to go into debt just to cover their legal fees, and disproportionately affecting people of color. The elimination of these fees gives them the chance to defend themselves against charges without worry of their finances.”

$80M Urban Preservation Program established

An $80 million investment of federal funds will be used to preserve affordable housing in urban areas, according to the governor’s office. Bills A5596 and S3991 established an Urban Preservation Program within the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, which will focus on investing in rehabilitation and construction projects in these urban communities.

Supporting first-generation homebuyers

Bills A5415 and S3780 expanded the state’s First Generation Homebuyer Down Payment and Assistance Program, which provides up to a $15,000 loan for qualified homebuyers. This law also establishes a Resilient Home Construction Pilot Program within the Department of Community Affairs, which funds developers to rehabilitate existing homes and to build new, affordable homes for sale.

Note: These last two bills were signed in conjunction with A5595 and S4026, which gives the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency more tools to intervene in foreclosures, " keeping New Jerseyans in their homes and rehabilitating and reselling vacant homes." This is supported by a $15 million ARPA investment, Murphy's office said.