Budget and Appropriations

This bill makes permanent a temporary law that allows certain licensed alcohol retailers in New Jersey to sell and deliver alcoholic beverages and mixed drinks directly to consumers' homes. It grants these retailers the ability to ship sealed containers of beer, wine, or spirits to residents aged 21 and older, provided the containers have tamper-evident seals and mixed drinks do not exceed 16 fluid ounces. Additionally, the legislation updates rules for brewery licenses, permitting limited breweries to deliver their products directly to consumers and outlining specific fees based on production volume. These changes aim to expand how alcohol can be sold and distributed within the state while maintaining safety standards for delivery.

This bill allows New Jersey municipalities to qualify for preferential treatment when applying for state-funded grants by adopting specific strategies to encourage denser residential development. Municipalities must update their master plans and zoning regulations to include housing strategies like permitting accessory dwelling units, reducing parking requirements, or allowing multi-unit buildings in areas previously restricted to single-family homes. After implementing these changes and submitting the updated plans to the state, eligible municipalities receive priority in competitive grant distributions. The preference applies to most state grants but excludes programs focused on fair housing obligations or shared services.

This bill, titled the "End Data Center Tax Credits Act," aims to restructure how New Jersey distributes tax credits for economic development and energy projects. It establishes a new nine-year spending cap of $11.5 billion for various incentive programs, which limits the total amount of money available annually for initiatives like historic preservation, brownfields redevelopment, and manufacturing. To support energy goals, the legislation authorizes the Board of Public Utilities to issue tax credits specifically for energy storage projects and creates a temporary income tax credit for certain residential utility customers. Additionally, it sets specific annual and total dollar limits for existing programs such as the Next New Jersey Program and the Innovation Evergreen Act, while reserving $2.5 billion for transformative projects under the Aspire Program.

This bill authorizes New Jersey to create special "250th Anniversary Revolutionary War" license plates for motor vehicles. Vehicle owners who apply (paying a $50 one-time fee plus a $10 annual fee) can display these plates, with all fees deposited into a dedicated fund. The fund, managed by the Department of Treasury, uses these monies to support the preservation of Revolutionary War sites across New Jersey. The design and implementation involve coordination between the Motor Vehicle Commission and the New Jersey Historical Commission.

This bill allows New Jersey to join the Athletic Trainer Compact, a national agreement that lets licensed athletic trainers practice in other member states without needing separate licenses for each location. Under the new rules, qualified trainers from other states can provide services in New Jersey through a streamlined "compact privilege" as long as they meet uniform standards and agree to be regulated by the state where the patient is located. The legislation also includes provisions to support military families, facilitate telehealth services, and improve the sharing of disciplinary information among member states to protect public safety.