This bill provides an additional $358.8 million in funding for New Jersey state agencies and local governments for fiscal year 2026. The money is allocated to various departments, including support for domestic violence housing, prison consolidation savings, school infrastructure, and mosquito control. Specific provisions also authorize a supplemental appropriation for the Cannabis Regulatory Fund and allow nonprofit organizations to host the state's AI supercomputer. Overall, the legislation amends the existing FY2026 Appropriations Act to distribute these funds across education, health, public safety, and other state services.
This bill requires New Jersey's Office of the Public Defender to provide legal representation to indigent defendants charged with criminal contempt for violating specific domestic violence restraining orders. It applies to violations that could result in jail time, such as those involving orders against contact or firearm possession, while explicitly excluding violations related to parenting time, financial compensation, counseling, rent, or temporary possession of property. The law expands the scope of mandatory legal aid to ensure these individuals have counsel during proceedings where they face potential incarceration. This change takes effect four months after the bill is enacted and addresses a recommendation from a state judicial committee.
This bill establishes a dedicated fund to receive money from a national opioid lawsuit settlement and directs up to $5 million annually to the Division of State Police for opioid-related initiatives. The legislation designates the Department of Human Services as the lead agency responsible for managing the settlement funds, overseeing how money is distributed to counties and municipalities, and ensuring compliance with legal agreements. Additionally, the bill creates a mechanism for the fund to cover legal fees and costs associated with the national opioid litigation resolution.
This bill establishes a dedicated fund to manage money received from national opioid litigation settlements and appropriates up to $5 million annually for related state police initiatives. It designates the Department of Human Services as the lead agency responsible for distributing these funds to counties and municipalities while ensuring compliance with settlement terms. The legislation also creates a mechanism for the fund to earn interest and allows the department to adopt temporary regulations to oversee the allocation and reporting of these resources.
This bill proposes to increase penalties for crimes involving heroin and fentanyl while creating new offenses specifically for distributing heroin mixtures. It also aims to make certain defendants eligible for drug court programs as an alternative to traditional prosecution. The legislation achieves these goals by amending state statutes to redefine key terms like "adulterants" and "controlled substance analogs," ensuring that laws cover synthetic variants and fake drugs. These changes directly affect individuals charged with drug-related offenses and the courts that handle such cases.
This bill makes it a crime for businesses to sell marijuana or vapor products without a license, imposing fines ranging from $10,000 to $250,000 depending on the type of business. It also criminalizes the sale of vapor products with characterizing flavors, with penalties increasing based on the quantity sold. Additionally, the law allows municipalities to close businesses that commit more than two violations within a two-year period. The bill defines vapor products to include e-cigarettes and related devices but excludes FDA-approved products.
This New Jersey bill creates new criminal penalties for individuals who illegally possess or use devices designed to read information from credit and debit cards. Under the proposed law, simply owning such a scanner without a legal reason would be a disorderly persons offense punishable by fines or up to six months in jail. Using the device for unlawful purposes carries much heavier consequences, classified as a second-degree crime that could result in fines up to $150,000 or five to ten years in prison. The legislation directly targets the equipment used to steal financial data from payment cards, aiming to increase the legal risks associated with these activities.
This bill would make it legal for adults aged 21 and older to grow and possess marijuana plants for personal use in New Jersey. Under the proposed law, individuals could grow up to six plants for recreational use or up to 10 plants for medical use, with a household limit of 12 plants total. The legislation removes criminal penalties for maintaining or operating premises used to grow these limited quantities of marijuana for personal purposes. Additionally, the bill requires the state's Cannabis Regulatory Commission to create rules within 90 days of enactment to implement these changes.
This bill requires the New Jersey Supreme Court to dismiss unresolved charges, complaints, and arrest warrants from municipal courts that have been pending for five years or more, specifically targeting minor offenses like petty disorderly conduct, simple assault in mutual fights, shoplifting under $200, and possession of small amounts of marijuana. The law excludes municipal ordinance violations and mandates that the Administrative Office of the Courts conduct studies within six months to explore expanding existing dismissal programs and implementing a voluntary surrender initiative similar to federal models. The bill takes effect 90 days after enactment and aims to clear older cases from the court system while maintaining the distinction between serious indictable offenses and lesser municipal court matters.
This bill increases penalties for repeat offenders who receive stolen motor vehicles in New Jersey by raising the severity of charges and imposing stricter sentencing requirements. It directly affects both adults and juveniles who have been convicted of or adjudicated delinquent for receiving stolen vehicles on two or more separate occasions within a 15-year period. Under the new provisions, such repeat offenders would face mandatory minimum sentences that include parole ineligibility, and courts would be required to impose extended terms of imprisonment upon prosecutor request if the prior convictions meet specific criteria. The legislation also clarifies circumstances under which knowledge of a vehicle being stolen can be legally inferred, including situations involving multiple vehicles, recent prior transactions, or lack of proper documentation.
