5 Bills From Essex County Republicans: Elections, FIFA, Nursing Homes, Restaurants, Disabilities

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Nursing homes. Elections. The FIFA World Cup. “Restaurant scalping.” Disabilities. These are some of the issues that three Republican lawmakers with Essex County ties have been wrestling with in the halls of Trenton over the past few months.

The New Jersey Legislature has seen several proposed laws from Sen. Kristin Corrado and Assembly members Christopher DePhillips and Al Barlas – each of whom represents the state’s 40^th district.

The district includes the following municipalities in Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties: Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield (Essex), Franklin Lakes, Hawthorne, Little Falls, North Caldwell, Ridgewood, Totowa, Verona, Wayne, West Caldwell, Woodland Park, Wyckoff.

Here are five bills that the trio have thrown their weight behind so far this spring:

RESTAURANT SCALPING

Corrado was one of the primary sponsors to a bipartisan law signed by Gov. Mikie Sherrill in May. The law bars third-party services from listing or selling reservations at New Jersey restaurants without the eateries’ consent – a proposal that lawmakers had pushed to finalize before the state begins hosting soccer matches for the FIFA World Cup.

Under the new law, any website or app that advertises, lists, promotes, or sells restaurant reservations without a formal agreement with the restaurant will be subject to civil penalties of up to $500 per violation, with fines accruing daily.

“Third-party reservation brokers have sold tables that they do not own for outrageous prices, often without the knowledge of a restaurant or small business,” Corrado said. “This new law protects patrons from price-gouging and ensures that the benefit of major events goes to our local businesses, not opportunistic middlemen.”

• Related: NJ Law Cracks Down On Restaurant Reservation Scalping

WORLD CUP

In May, Barlas and DePhillips introduced a bill, A5011, that would create a commission of the governor and four legislative leaders to publicly review and ultimately approve agreements to host major events that impact the state – such as the FIFA World Cup.

The legislation was introduced as Republican lawmakers call for hearings on the upcoming games in New Jersey.

Here’s what the bill would do, Barlas explained:

“The five-member Commission on Fiscal Integrity for Future Attractions (FIFA) would include the governor, the senate president, assembly speaker, and the Senate and Assembly minority leaders. They would be required to hold public meetings where they would review any agreement, or supplements or modifications, to host a major event and the impact to public resources like transportation, police, fire and EMS, and infrastructure. A majority of the commission would need to vote in favor of the agreement for it to move forward.”

“This isn’t complicated,” Barlas said. “If you’re going to commit New Jersey’s resources, the people’s elected representatives should know about it on the front end.”

“Crazy idea, I know,” he added.

ELECTIONS

Corrado is a prime sponsor of another bipartisan bill, S4132, which involves voter registration and the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC).

Here’s what the bill would do if it becomes law, according to a Senate committee:

“This bill prohibits the Motor Vehicle Commission from prompting non-citizens to register to vote. If a person completing a transaction at a Motor Vehicle Commission agency location presents identification that indicates the person is not a citizen of the United States, the person will not be prompted to register to vote on the electronic signature pad. The person’s information will not be transmitted by the chief administrator to the Secretary of State.”

The bill has picked up another prime sponsor in Sen. James Beach, a Democrat from the 6^th district, and was unanimously advanced by a bipartisan Senate committee vote in May.

“As a former county clerk, I understand the pressure our local election officials face to maintain accurate voter rolls while ensuring every eligible voter has easy access to the ballot box,” Corrado said.

“This legislation provides important clarity so the Motor Vehicle Commission is not prompting non-citizens to register to vote, which protects the integrity of our elections while preserving the easy and accessible voter registration process that eligible New Jersey voters currently enjoy,” Corrado said.

NURSING HOMES

Another bill from DePhillips and Barlas moved forward in the Assembly last month.

The proposed law, A2691, would increase the allowance from $50 to $140 per month for low-income residents of nursing homes, state and county psychiatric hospitals and development centers. That allowance would increase each January 1 by the same percentage as the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits for that year.

The bill would nearly triple some nursing home residents’ personal needs allowances, its sponsors say.

Here’s how things currently stand, DePhillips and Barlas said:

“Residents use that allowance at their discretion for things like telephone expenses, meals, cards or gifts sent to family and friends, reading materials, clothing or hobbies. That money affords residents opportunities to participate in activities beyond what facilities provide. Currently, low-income nursing home residents receive $30 in federal supplemental security income and $20 in state funds for their personal needs, equal to what Medicaid recipients receive. Under the bill, the state would contribute an additional $90 per month, bringing the total allowance to $140. The SSI has been stagnant since 1987.”

“The allowance simply does not cover basic expenses,” DePhillips said. “Our most vulnerable residents should not be denied the simple pleasures that most of us take for granted and the necessities that are a lifeline to them.”

Barlas said the allowance needs to keep pace with the rising costs of goods and services.

“Preserving the dignity of our residents by increasing this allowance is the least we can do for them,” he said.

HOSPITAL PATIENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Another proposed law that counts Barlas as a prime sponsor would help to ensure hospital patients with developmental disabilities can be accompanied by a parent, guardian, direct support professional or other caregiver during their stay.

The bill, A2259, permits patients with developmental disabilities admitted to the hospital to designate a caregiver to accompany them for the duration of their hospitalization. The designated person is to be documented by the hospital and must follow hospital policies designed to protect “patient safety, privacy, security protocols, infection control and the delivery of clinical care.”

Under current law, hospitals must protect general patient rights, but there is no statutory requirement guaranteeing that individuals with developmental disabilities may have a designated support person present during hospital stays, Barlas said.

“People with developmental disabilities often require assistance understanding complex medical information and may have very limited communication abilities, which raises concerns about informed consent for treatment or even receiving a proper diagnosis,” the assemblyman said. “A guardian or another trusted member of the person’s care team can help health care providers effectively and ethically address these issues.”

“This bill will ensure all New Jersey hospital policies explicitly permit patients with developmental disabilities to have a support person present who can advocate on behalf of their best interests,” Barlas added.

• Related: NJ Republican Assemblymen Pen Letter To Voters After 2025 Election Victories

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