This bill establishes a Social Media Research Center at a New Jersey four-year public university selected by the Higher Education Secretary. The center will conduct research on social media's effects on youth mental health, develop online safety resources for public schools, and provide recommendations to state agencies. It will also administer grants for social media research using a peer-reviewed process modeled after the NIH, and require annual reports on its work. The bill directly affects New Jersey public universities (as hosts), public schools (through educational resources), and state agencies (by requiring data sharing).
New Jersey Assembly Bill A4085 prohibits businesses from using consumers' personal data to set prices for goods or services. It specifically bans pricing strategies that vary prices based on biometric data, genetic information, or protected class data (like race, gender, or disability) through methods such as personalized algorithmic pricing or surveillance pricing. The law applies to all business entities selling merchandise or services within New Jersey and imposes fines up to $10,000 for first violations and $20,000 for repeat offenses, plus potential penalties like cease-and-desist orders. Businesses may still offer standard discounts, promotions, or loyalty programs, which are explicitly exempted from the ban.
This bill, known as the Advanced Grid Technologies Act, requires electric public utilities in New Jersey to obtain a certificate from the Board of Public Utilities before building supplemental transmission projects. It establishes a new oversight process for these projects, which are currently less regulated than other regional grid upgrades, and mandates that the state consider advanced technologies like high-performance conductors and smart grid software. The legislation also creates an expedited review timeline for projects that utilize these modern tools to improve grid efficiency and reliability. By bringing these specific construction plans under state supervision, the bill aims to ensure that utility investments align with consumer interests and public needs.
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 regulates how data brokers and collectors handle personal information in New Jersey by requiring them to limit data collection to what is necessary and obtain explicit consent before processing sensitive data or selling personal information. It mandates that companies implement strong security measures to protect data and provides consumers with an easy way to revoke their consent, which must be processed within 15 days. Additionally, the law requires organizations to conduct confidential data protection assessments for activities that pose a heightened risk of harm, such as targeted advertising or selling personal data, and prohibits processing personal data of children between the ages of 13 and 17 for advertising or profiling without consent.
New Jersey's S 2141 bans businesses from owning, operating, or selling cryptocurrency ATMs within the state. The bill defines a cryptocurrency ATM as a physical kiosk that allows users to buy, sell, or exchange digital currency using cash, debit, or credit cards. Violations would result in fines up to $20,000 per offense, with enforcement under the state's consumer fraud laws. This action responds to Federal Trade Commission data showing crypto ATM scams caused over $65 million in fraud losses in the first half of 2024, disproportionately affecting older adults.
This New Jersey bill establishes the "Privacy Protection Act" to limit how government agencies and healthcare facilities collect and share certain personal information. It prohibits them from requesting details like immigration status, citizenship, social security numbers, or tax IDs unless necessary for specific public services, benefits, or healthcare delivery (with healthcare exceptions for patient safety). The bill requires written consent in the person's preferred language for sharing any collected data, detailing exactly what will be shared, why, and confirming consent is voluntary without retaliation. It also bans selling or sharing vehicle license plate data except under court orders, subpoenas, or with explicit written consent, and mandates government entities to update privacy policies within one year.
This bill prohibits New Jersey government entities and healthcare facilities from collecting or sharing certain personal information, including immigration status, citizenship, birthplace, Social Security numbers, and tax IDs, except when necessary to provide public services or benefits. It prevents these entities from disclosing such information publicly, except under specific legal circumstances like court orders, subpoenas, or when required for election eligibility. The bill also specifically restricts the sale or sharing of automated license plate recognition data collected by government agencies. These provisions aim to limit unnecessary data collection and protect individuals seeking public services or healthcare.
SR 18 is a non-binding Senate resolution urging states within the PJM Interconnection region (including New Jersey and 12 other states plus D.C.) to require data centers to source electricity from new zero- or low-emission energy sources. It does not create new regulations but calls on state governments to adopt policies addressing data centers' growing energy demands, which currently consume about 4% of U.S. electricity and are projected to reach 9% by 2030. The resolution cites concerns about grid strain, noting data centers use 10-50x more energy than typical offices and could double demand by 2030. It emphasizes clean energy sources like solar and wind as scalable solutions to support grid reliability and climate goals.
