NJ Gov. Signs 23 New Laws: Food Insecurity, Veterans, Education

NEW JERSEY — Gov. Phil Murphy signed 23 bills signed into law over the past week, including legislation intended to combat food insecurity in New Jersey.

On Thursday, Murphy gave the green light to a package of bills that will expand access to the New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and its benefits, bolster school meal programs, and establish an “Office of the Food Insecurity Advocate.”

He also signed A5690, which directs the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development to include information on SNAP on any materials pertaining to unemployment compensation benefits.

“It is unacceptable that so many of our most vulnerable people are going without enough food,” Murphy. “With today's bill signings, we are continuing our ongoing commitment to end food insecurity in New Jersey by strengthening food assistance and providing support to communities across the state.”

The bills included:

• S3945/A5884 (Vitale, Madden/Coughlin, Mazzeo, Conaway, Wimberly) - Establishes Office of Food Insecurity Advocate.
• A2281/S1078 (Armato, Mazzeo, Vainieri Huttle/Greenstein, Turner) - Requires Commissioner of Human Services to streamline SNAP application process for senior citizens and conduct outreach regarding senior SNAP participation.
• A5880/S3941 (Coughlin, Armato, Verrelli, Wimberly/Vitale, Gopal) - Directs the Department of Human Services to develop mobile software for SNAP recipients; appropriates $2 million.
• A5882/S3943 (Coughlin, Armato, Verrelli, Conaway/Vitale, Madden) - Establishes State supplement for federal summer food service program meals.
• A5883/S3944 (Schaer, Speight, Zwicker, Stanley/Ruiz, Turner) - Establishes State supplement for "breakfast after the bell" meals.
• A5690/S3772 (Greenwald, Conaway, Benson/Greenstein, Turner) - Requires the Department of Labor & Workforce Development to provide link to New Jersey Supplemental Nutrition.

Here are some other bills that Murphy gave the green light over the past week.

• S-381/A-720 (Weinberg, Greenstein/Johnson, Mosquera, Vainieri Huttle) – Establishes supervised community reintegration program for certain victims of domestic violence.
• ACS for A-970/SCS for S-2259 (Conaway, Lampitt, Murphy/Singleton, Ruiz) – Establishes Mental Health Screening in Schools Grant Program in DOE; appropriates $1 million.
• A-1178/S-898 (Zwicker, DePhillips, DeCroce/Cryan, Pou) – Permits corporations to use blockchain technology for certain recordkeeping requirements.
• A-1625/S-2854 (Lampitt, Jasey, Carter/Pou, Weinberg) – Directs DOE to develop outreach program to encourage young women and minorities to pursue post-secondary degrees and careers in STEM.
• A-2765/S-1838 (Houghtaling, Dancer, Murphy/Greenstein, Oroho) – Changes designation on official State logo denoting manufacture of products in New Jersey.
• A-3123/S-2059 (DeAngelo, Murphy, Moen/Beach, Pennacchio) – Allows veteran or personal representative to withdraw honorable discharge papers from county clerk.

• S-225/A-679 (Diegnan, Turner/Vainieri Huttle, Mukherji, Jasey) – Provides that student-athlete who sustains concussion must return to regular school activities prior to return to competition; requires school districts to implement six-step return-to-competition process
• S-985/A-3789 (Singleton/Moen, Zwicker, Jasey) – Provides that public institutions of higher education may only reduce student’s institutional financial aid upon receipt of private scholarship under certain circumstances
• S-2826/A-4594 (Ruiz, Cunningham/Quijano, Lampitt, Reynolds-Jackson) – Directs DOE to establish five-year pilot program for issuance of limited certificate of eligibility with advanced standing and limited certificate of eligibility for certain teacher candidates
• S-3618/ACS for A-5778 (Pennacchio, Oroho, A.M. Bucco/Tucker, Houghtaling, Wirths, Burzichelli) –Makes supplemental appropriation of $10 million for grants for certain lake management activities for recreation and conservation purposes
• S-3780/A-5785 (Lagana, Sarlo/Mazzeo) – Permits prosecutors to enroll in Prosecutors Part of PERS
• A-1091/S-2056 (Murphy, Vainieri Huttle, Wirths/Beach, Oroho) – Requires Division of Travel and Tourism to advertise and promote tours of breweries in the State
• A-2617/S-2998 (Murphy, Benson, Reynolds-Jackson/Lagana, Gopal) – Requires employers to provide hiring preference to employees who have reached maximum medical improvement following work related injury
• A-4205/S-2506 (Greenwald, Lampitt, Conaway/Gopal, Turner) – Enters New Jersey into Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact
• A-4881/S-3744 (Greenwald, Mazzeo/Beach) – Prohibits appeal of land use decision related to holding meeting electronically
• A-5142/S-3373 (Wimberly, Jasey, Holley/Singleton, Turner) – Protects homeowner in foreclosure from excessively low intervening offer
• A-5683/S-3869 (Reynolds-Jackson, Wimberly/Turner, Pou) – Modifies Garden State Growth Zone tax exemption program

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