Budget & Taxes

in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 30, 2026

A 5329: Increases amount of child tax credit in taxable years 2026, 2027, and 2028.

This New Jersey bill temporarily increases the state child tax credit for residents with taxable income of $80,000 or less during the years 2026, 2027, and 2028. The legislation raises the credit amount for each child under the age of six, providing a $250 increase for families earning $30,000 or less and smaller increments for those earning up to $80,000. After these three years, the credit amounts will revert to their previous levels. The change applies to all filing statuses and allows the credit to be fully refunded if it exceeds the tax owed.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases child tax credit for low-to-middle income families, providing direct tax relief and financial support.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed both · New Jersey · Senate Jun 30, 2026

S 4513: Concerns temporary use of funding for open space, recreation, floodplain protection, farmland and historic preservation for certain municipalities.

This bill allows New Jersey municipalities that have established an arts and culture trust fund to temporarily redirect money collected from local taxes into their general operating funds. Specifically, it permits the use of funds originally set aside for open space, recreation, floodplain protection, farmland preservation, and historic preservation during fiscal year 2027. The measure applies only to unspent money from previous years and requires the municipality to have an existing arts and culture fund to qualify for this temporary flexibility.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allows municipalities to temporarily redirect unspent preservation funds to general operating budgets, increasing fiscal flexibility and funding availability for essential services.75% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 30, 2026

A 5326: Makes FY2026 supplemental appropriations of $358,811,000; adds and amends various language provisions to FY2026 Appropriations Act.

This bill provides an additional $358.81 million in funding for the 2026 state budget, directing money to various departments and local entities. The funds support specific initiatives such as domestic violence housing, school infrastructure, electric school bus programs, and subsidies for horse racing. It also allocates $40 million to help local governments cover expenses related to hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Furthermore, the legislation allows for greater flexibility in spending cannabis tax revenues and permits nonprofit organizations to host the state's AI supercomputer.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly provides $358.81M in supplemental appropriations to fund public services and initiatives.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates $358.81M in supplemental funding, including specific funds for school infrastructure and electric school bus programs.85% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill includes funding for domestic violence housing, which directly supports housing needs for vulnerable populations.65% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill allocates $40M for FIFA World Cup hosting expenses and funds electric school bus programs, directly supporting transportation infrastructure and sustainable transit initiatives.75% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 30, 2026

A 5347: Concerns certain motor vehicle related funding to certain municipalities.

This bill allows New Jersey municipalities with over 100,000 residents to impose a 3.5% tax on parking fees at public facilities to fund pedestrian access improvements for mass transit stations. It also modifies how parking penalty fines are distributed, directing a fixed amount or a percentage to municipal courts in rapidly growing cities to cover administrative costs. Additionally, the legislation permits cities with large commercial airports to levy a tax on vehicle rentals occurring within designated industrial zones. These changes apply only to specific municipalities meeting population and growth criteria and exclude private residential parking from the new parking tax.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill authorizes new taxes on parking fees and vehicle rentals to fund pedestrian improvements and court administrative costs, directly increasing revenue for public services.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill funds pedestrian access and mass transit improvements, directly advancing transportation infrastructure.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 30, 2026

A 5165: "End Data Center Tax Credits Act"; reduces tax credits available for Next New Jersey Program.*

This bill, titled the "End Data Center Tax Credits Act," sets a combined nine-year spending cap of $11.5 billion for various state tax credit programs, including those for economic recovery, arts, and manufacturing. It specifically reduces the amount of credits available under the Next New Jersey Program and directs $200 million of those credits to a housing agency through competitive auctions. Additionally, the legislation authorizes the Board of Public Utilities to issue tax credits for energy storage projects and creates a temporary income tax credit for certain residential electricity customers.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill caps spending and reduces tax credits, limiting state budget flexibility and defunding programs.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill directs $200M from tax credits to a housing agency via competitive auctions, funding housing initiatives.75% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill reduces tax credits for data centers and energy storage, limiting funding for critical tech infrastructure.65% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

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passed · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 30, 2026

A 5153: Requires unexpended State aid for nonpublic school nursing services and nonpublic school security services to be used to support nonpublic school transportation services.*

This bill allows school districts in New Jersey to use leftover state funding for nonpublic school nursing services to pay for security services, and vice versa. Currently, districts must return any unused money from these specific programs to the state after the school year ends. The change permits districts to apply unspent funds from one program toward the costs of the other before a refund is required. This adjustment provides districts with more flexibility in managing state aid allocated for student safety and health care in private schools.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill enhances fiscal flexibility by allowing districts to use unspent funds across related programs, promoting efficient use of state aid without increasing taxes or cutting services.75% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill increases flexibility in using state aid for nonpublic school nursing and security services, strengthening school safety and health support.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 30, 2026

A 4554: Appropriates $111.6 million in dedicated natural resource damages revenues to DEP for habitat restoration, land acquisition, and restoration oversight projects.

This bill appropriates $111.6 million in natural resource damages revenues to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for habitat restoration, land acquisition, and oversight projects. The funds come from legal settlements with various corporations and are allocated across different water regions and specific sites like the Ciba-Geigy Superfund Site. The Department of Environmental Protection may distribute these funds through grants or loans to local governments and nonprofit organizations, with the ability to reallocate money among projects subject to budget approval and legislative notification.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $111.6M in natural resource damages revenues to fund habitat restoration and environmental programs, directly advancing state budget allocation for public services.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill allocates $111.6M for habitat restoration, land acquisition, and environmental oversight projects, directly strengthening environmental protection and conservation efforts.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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passed · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 30, 2026

A 4077: Imposes various taxes and fees on correctional service businesses to offset social costs of incarceration.*

This bill imposes three new fees on private prison operators in New Jersey to fund social support programs. It charges an 8% fee on the value of public contracts (section 2), a $15 daily fee per inmate (section 3), and a 3% surtax on taxable income (section 4). All revenue flows into two dedicated funds: one for legal services supporting detained individuals and another for community programs like job training and housing (sections 2e and 3e). The bill directly affects private prison companies operating under state contracts, with fees applying during active contracts or inmate stays.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes taxes on private prisons to fund legal services and community programs, directly increasing public spending on social support through dedicated revenue streams.90% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds legal services and community programs (job training, housing) to reduce recidivism and support reintegration - directly advancing criminal justice reform through rehabilitation-focused investment.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill directs 3% surtax revenue to community housing programs via dedicated fund (section 3e), explicitly funding housing as part of allocated programs.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 28, 2026

A 5280: Requires return of unexpended balances from certain FY2023, FY2024, and FY2025 appropriations to Hudson County; authorizes supplemental appropriation to Hudson County for general operating aid.

This bill requires Hudson County to return up to $28.1 million in unspent state funds from fiscal years 2023 through 2025, which were originally allocated for jail operations and correctional facility renovations. The county must transfer these unexpended balances to the State Treasurer by June 30, 2026, for deposit into the Property Tax Relief Fund. In exchange for returning the money, the bill authorizes the state to provide a supplemental appropriation of up to $28.1 million to Hudson County as general operating aid. The total amount of this new aid cannot exceed the sum of the unspent funds returned by the county and is subject to approval by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill enforces fiscal responsibility by requiring return of unspent funds and directs them to a Property Tax Relief Fund.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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in committee · New Jersey · General Assembly Jun 28, 2026

A 5239: Modifies calculation of preschool education aid for certain school districts.

This bill changes how the state calculates financial aid for preschool programs in school districts that are newly receiving this funding for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years. Currently, these districts must split the cost of preschool programs between state aid and local taxes, but the legislation exempts them from this requirement. Instead, the state will provide a larger share of funding based on the total number of enrolled students and program costs. This change allows affected districts to receive more state money without needing separate voter approval to raise local taxes to cover the remaining expenses. The bill is estimated to increase state spending by approximately $7.5 million in the 2027 fiscal year.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases state funding for preschool programs by exempting districts from local tax sharing, directly advancing budget support for education.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill increases state funding for preschool programs and exempts districts from splitting costs, directly enhancing early education access and financial resources.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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