This bill provides a 50% sales tax exemption for small retail businesses operating in municipalities affected by ongoing public highway projects. It applies to businesses with a fixed location offering goods or services (like retail stores or charter boat services) during the "relief period" - the time between when a highway project starts and ends. Businesses must apply to the Tax Division Director for approval, verifying their location within an impacted area. The exemption automatically ends 30 days after the Transportation Commissioner notifies the Tax Division that the highway project is complete.
This bill requires motor vehicle inspection facilities and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to check for open safety recalls (from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) during vehicle inspections and registration, then provide written notice to the owner. The notice must describe each recall and state that repairs can be done at no cost by approved dealers, except as specified by federal law. Owners must complete all required repairs before the next registration renewal, or the MVC may deny renewal - though exceptions apply if parts are unavailable or hardship is proven. The bill directly affects vehicle owners, inspection facilities, and the MVC, ensuring timely recall repairs through registration requirements.
AJR 129 creates a 21-member task force to study cannabis-related traffic fatalities in New Jersey. The task force includes state agency heads (like the Attorney General and Transportation Commissioner), law enforcement representatives (such as police unions), traffic safety experts, and public members with relevant experience. It will examine how cannabis use affects driving safety, analyze crash statistics before and after cannabis legalization, assess public awareness, and evaluate prevention strategies. The task force must make recommendations - including proposing a new public awareness campaign - to reduce cannabis-impaired driving and improve road safety for all users. This resolution is procedural and will activate once cannabis legalization or decriminalization legislation is enacted.
This bill changes New Jersey's seat belt law by making it a primary offense for rear seat passengers to not wear seat belts, meaning police can now stop and ticket drivers solely for this violation (instead of only when stopping for another reason). It repeals current law that treated rear seat belt non-compliance as a secondary offense. The bill also requires all state and local police departments to submit detailed reports one year after implementation, tracking traffic stops related to rear seat belt violations, including reasons for stops, citations issued, searches, and arrests. The Attorney General must then analyze this data against prior years' information to assess impacts on law enforcement practices and report findings to the governor and legislature within six months. Additionally, the state must include this information in its federal Highway Safety Plan, detailing effects on crash injuries and fatalities.
This bill creates a $1 million grant program administered by New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA) to reimburse small retail businesses for increased costs caused by public highway projects. It directly affects small retail businesses (with 50 or fewer employees) operating within areas blocked by highway construction, covering expenses like lost sales during the project period. Businesses must apply for reimbursement based on documented increased costs compared to pre-project levels, with applications reviewed as funds allow. The program is funded by a one-time $1 million appropriation from the state General Fund.
This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Transportation (DOT) to install and maintain standardized highway exit signs directing drivers to electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. It specifically applies to drivers using EVs on Interstates and limited-access highways, as defined in the law. The signs must follow federal and state design standards outlined in the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices." The law takes effect immediately upon passage.
This bill creates a five-year pilot program to test fully autonomous vehicles in New Jersey, requiring companies and institutions (called "autonomous vehicle testers") to obtain approval from the Motor Vehicle Commission before operating these vehicles. Participants must register vehicles, carry at least $5 million in liability insurance, and ensure operators are licensed, sober, and capable of taking manual control at any time. A task force of safety officials, industry experts, and consumer advocates will oversee the program, address safety concerns like collisions or cyberattacks, and provide quarterly reports. Testing will occur in controlled facilities and designated public road sections, with strict safety protocols to protect the public while allowing evaluation of autonomous technology.
New Jersey's Assembly Resolution AR 14 formally opposes New York City's congestion pricing plan, which would charge drivers $9 to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street starting January 5, 2025, with tolls rising to $12 by 2028 and $15 by 2031. The resolution states that New Jersey residents would be directly affected by these tolls without having any input or decision-making power over the plan. It expresses opposition to the policy and directs copies to New York officials, the Federal Highway Administration, and New Jersey lawmakers.
This bill would temporarily exempt small retail businesses in areas affected by highway construction from paying state sales tax during active projects. To qualify, businesses must have 50 or fewer full-time employees, be independently owned, and operate within an "impacted construction zone" where highway work blocks traffic or access. Businesses must apply to the state tax director for approval, which would issue a certificate specifying eligible locations and the exemption period matching the project's duration (from start to completion). The exemption applies only to sales at the business during the construction phase, not to other tax obligations.
This bill (A 3906) requires New Jersey state agencies to apply a price discount (up to 5%) to bids for asphalt or concrete when using pervious pavement materials on public construction projects. It directs the Department of Environmental Protection to create a stormwater management hierarchy ranking materials by their ability to reduce runoff and filter contaminants. Taxpayers purchasing pervious pavement for municipal, county, or state projects can claim a credit against certain taxes. The bill directly affects state agencies, contractors working on public projects, and businesses selling these materials, aiming to promote environmentally beneficial paving through procurement incentives and tax relief.
