6 NJ Laws That Should Have A Big Impact On Your Life In February

It was buried under the news of a $15 minimum wage bill that Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law on Monday. But the state put its stamp of approval on a host of new laws this past week that were some of the most significant in New Jersey's recent history.

And a family leave bill will likely be signed into law soon that would expand the length of time-off for those taking care of relatives and children. The bill would also provide higher compensation for those taking leave, cover more family members and improve job protections, lawmakers say.

All these laws could have a big impact on your life – especially if your dealing with your job, making changes to your birth certificate or worrying about what they're teaching your children in school.

Topping the list, of course, is what happened on Monday when Murphy signed the $15 minimum wage bill into law. Click here: Murphy Signs $15 Minimum Wage Bill Into Law: 3 Problems Raised

Here is what else has happened:

School instruction on the history of contributions of persons from LGBTQ community

Murphy signed legislation on Thursday that requires boards of education to include instruction, and adopt instructional materials, that accurately portray political, economic, and social contributions of persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

“It’s critical that our classrooms highlight the achievements of LGBTQ people throughout history. Our youth deserve to see how diverse American history truly is — and how they can be a part of it one day, too,” Murphy said.

Garden State Equality, a leading New Jersey advocacy group for the LGBTQ community, saluted the legislation, saying: "Just as we honor contributions of people of color, women, and immigrants, LGBTQ people deserve a place in our history books and classrooms."

"America’s nearly 250 year history is richly diverse, and our nation grows when we embrace our multifaceted past rather than hide from it," the group said.

Transgender birth certificates

New Jersey residents can now change the gender listed on their birth certificates more efficiently and easily thanks to a new law that took effect on Friday.

The legislation sponsored by Sen. Joseph F. Vitale and Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg revised procedures for individuals who have changed their gender and name to receive an amended birth certificate.

“With advancements in modern medicine, we know that gender reassignment surgery is no longer the only option for transitioning yet the law takes a one-size-fits-all approach. It does not account for nonsurgical transitioning which usually includes physical, psychological, social, and emotional changes,” said Vitale, D-Middlesex.

“This bill removes the barriers that transgender New Jerseyans face when requesting changes to such an important identification document as their birth certificate to reflect who they are, and will help to expand anti-discrimination protections.”

Until Friday, a person had to undergo gender reassignment surgery in order to amend the gender on their birth certificate. S-478 requires the state registrar of vital statistics to issue an amended birth certificate to a person born in the state who shows the gender and name of the person has been changed.

In order to process this request, the registrar needs a receipt of a name change approved by the court and a form from the person, or person’s guardian.

“New Jersey law needs to recognize current practices for gender transitioning, which include nonsurgical therapies, and must afford transgendered individuals the same broad protection of their rights as all citizens to have official identification that reflects their gender," said Weinberg, D-Bergen. “From applying for travel documents or driver’s licenses to school registration, a birth certificate is a necessary document and must be consistent with reality.”

Family leave expansion

Aiming to make New Jersey’s family leave program more accessible and affordable for workers, legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Annette Quijano, Thomas Giblin, and Joann Downey was approved by both houses of the state Legislature last week. It awaits Murphy's signiture in order to become law.

The bill, A-3975, would expand the length of time off, provide higher compensation for those taking leave, cover more family members, improve job protections and boost awareness for the program.

“Many workers can’t afford to take family leave because of its low wage replacement rates, or choose not to out of fear of being retaliated against if they do. In some cases, they are unaware that this is even an option,” said Quijano, D-Union. “The revisions in this bill would help working families who need to take time off work to bond and care for a new child, or to care for a family member who is sick or is recovering from a violent ordeal to do so without jeopardizing their financial security.”

In 2008, New Jersey became the second state to adopt a paid family leave policy. Since then, the Family Leave Insurance (FLI) program has replaced over half a billion dollars in lost wages for hundreds of thousands of state residents who needed time off from work to care for a new child or sick family member.

However, participation numbers suggest more New Jerseyans could be taking advantage of the program, lawmakers say.

Since its inception, about 31,000 residents have used paid family leave each year, which is about 12 percent of eligible new parents in New Jersey. Participation for new parents has stayed relatively flat, rising to just 13 percent in 2014 from 11 percent in 2010.

“Working families should not have to choose between taking care of loved ones in need and paying their bills,” said Giblin, D-Essex/Passaic. “Parents should not have to choose between staying at home to bond with a new child, and possibly putting their job security at risk. By strengthening New Jersey’s paid family leave program, we can help ensure they don’t have to.”

Key provisions of the legislation include:

• Expanding the family members that program participants can care for to include siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, parents-in-law, and others related by blood or relationship equivalent to a family relationship.
• Allowing for leave to be taken to care for a family member who has been a victim of an incident of domestic violence or a sexually violent offense.
• Extending benefits to parents of adopted children, foster children, or children conceived using a surrogate or through a gestational carrier agreement.
• Doubling the maximum number of weeks of family temporary disability leave benefits from six to twelve weeks.
• Providing that family temporary disability leave benefits for bonding with a newborn or an adopted child may be taken on an intermittent basis.
• Increasing intermittent leave from 42 days to 52 days, which can help parents and caretakers stay at work on a part-time basis while still caring for a sick loved one or bonding with a newborn.
• Expanding the amount that covered individuals would collect in benefits, allowing for more people to take advantage of the program.
• Increasing the amount of weekly benefits from two-thirds of a claimant's average weekly wage to 90 percent of that wage, up to a maximum of 100 percent of the state average weekly wage.
• Strengthening protections for program participants by specifying that an employer may not discharge, harass, threaten, discriminate or retaliate against an employee with respect to the compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment on the basis that the employee took or requested leave to which the employee was entitled.
• Job protection for any participant employed by a business with 30 or more

Teaching childen about the meaning of consent and physical contact

Murphy signed legislation that equires school districts to incorporate instruction in grades six through 12 on the law and meaning of consent for physical contact and sexual activity.

The instruction will be part of Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.

School bus driving changes

Murphy signed legislation that requires the suspension of a school bus endorsement on driver's license for a certain number of motor vehicle moving violations in certain time period.

Governor Murphy photo