Establishes "New Jersey Private Contractor Registration Act;" appropriates $1.5 million.*

Registration fees were substantially increased: the initial fee went from $250 to $500, a new second-annual fee of $500 was added, and the two-year renewal fee went from $100 to $750. Contractors who complete two consecutive years may now elect (rather than being required) to register for a two-year period at the higher rate.

A new Section 18 appropriates $1,500,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to effectuate the act, with language allowing for additional appropriations in future years.

A new exemption (Section 1d) was added for contractors who solely perform residential-scale work such as remodeling, roofing, siding, kitchen and bathroom renovations, flooring, painting, decks, patios, fences, window and door installation, residential repairs, demolition related to residential projects, or installation at homes or small residential properties, provided they are registered under the Contractors' Business Registration Act (P.L.2004, c.16).

The bill's short title was expanded to include 'and making an appropriation,' reflecting the new funding provision.

The disorderly persons offense provisions were narrowed: 'willfully hinders' was changed to 'knowingly hinders'; the standalone offense of failing to keep records was removed; violations in another jurisdiction and criminal convictions now require an additional element of failure to disclose as mandated by Section 4; and the catch-all provision for 'otherwise violates any provision of this act' was deleted.

The administrative penalty process was changed: the commissioner may now take action 'or in addition to a disorderly persons offense or administrative action,' and the hearing requirement was tightened so that the commissioner must have concluded a hearing that upholds the finding of violation before imposing sanctions.

The effective date was extended from the first day of the sixth month following enactment to the first day of the twenty-fourth month following enactment, with an added condition that sufficient funds must be appropriated for implementation.