Mercer Times

Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey has enacted a series of legislative bills into law, with measures addressing diverse areas such as public employee retirement benefits, affordable housing, infrastructure naming, mental health resources for children, and unemployment compensation.

Among the signed bills is S-871/A-2286, which was sponsored by A.M. Bucco and Sarlo in the Senate and Lopez and Dunn in the Assembly. This legislation "establishes eligibility for enrollment in PERS and subsequent retirement benefits for certain county fire instructors under certain conditions."

Additionally, Governor Murphy approved S-1430/A-586. Sponsored by McKnight and Singleton in the Senate and Stanley, Atkins, Reynolds-Jackson in the Assembly, this bill "provides for expanded use of affordable housing voucher program funding."

Another significant enactment is S-1433/A-4433 from Singleton and Conaway. It designates a bridge over Crosswicks Creek on Interstate Highway Route 295 North as “Benjamin Moore and the 693rd Sapper Company Memorial Highway.”

S-3611/A-4970 focuses on mental health resources for children. Sponsored by Scutari and Vitale in the Senate alongside Carter, Speight, Reynolds-Jackson in the Assembly, it "provides grant to study and map mental health care resources for children; makes appropriation."

Governor Murphy also signed several joint resolutions into law. These include SJR-29/AJR-50 that designates August as “Professional Engineers Month” and the first Wednesday in August as “Professional Engineering Day.” Furthermore, SJR-71/AJR-25 establishes the first week of May as Wounded Warrior Appreciation Week.

Another resolution passed is SJR-103/AJR-60 which declares New Jersey a “Purple Heart State.”

The governor also addressed issues related to unemployment with A-4043/S-3310 from Verrelli, Sampson, Sumter/Lagana, Turner that redirects a portion of worker’s unemployment compensation trust fund contribution to an administration fund. A related bill is A-4047/S-2949 revising unemployment compensation law.

In education-related health matters, A-4148/S-3057 requires development of informational materials on type 1 diabetes to be distributed to parents or guardians by schools.

However, Governor Murphy conditionally vetoed bill S-2788/A-4569 concerning farmland preservation funds.