Health
Senate Committee Advances Bill to Restore $45 Million in Harm Reduction Funds – On February 9th, the Senate Health Committee approved legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Vitale (D-19) that would restore $45 million to New Jersey’s Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund. This legislation calls for the state to pay certain hospitals from the general fund instead of opioid settlement money. While the bill still needs Assembly approval before reaching Governor Sherrill’s desk, advocates are urging its signing into law.
Governor Sherrill Extends Emergency Powers to Prevent Healthcare Disruption – On February 13th, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed Executive Order No. 13, extending the COVID-19 State of Emergency for an additional 45 days to allow Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) and physician assistants more time to comply with pre-pandemic supervision requirements. The order temporarily preserves pandemic-era waivers granted in 2020 that enabled these professionals to practice independently for nearly six years. The press release notes that without the extension, the abrupt termination of the State of Emergency could disrupt and interfere with the delivery of health care. On this matter, the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee had held a hearing to gather testimony on Bill S2996, which would permanently eliminate certain practice restrictions for APNs.
Education
Lawmaker Proposes Tuition Freeze for Undergrads at Public Colleges – Senator Shirley Turner (D-Mercer) introduced Bill S3248 on February 2nd to freeze undergraduate tuition costs at New Jersey’s public colleges and universities for the duration of four academic years following student’s initial enrollment. Sen. Turner said the measure would combat the state’s brain drain of approximately 30,000 high school graduates who leave New Jersey for out-of-state schools. The bill has been introduced four times since 2021, but it has yet to make it through the legislature.
Environment
Committees Approve Bill to Regulate Data Center Power Usage – On February 12th, both Assembly and Senate committees unanimously approved Bill S731 requiring data centers and other large power users (consuming at least 100 megawatts monthly) to pay for at least 85% of their service costs. The legislation is intended to control transmission and other costs associated with the infrastructure used to connect large electricity consumers to the power grid serving New Jersey and 12 other states. Another bill (S3379) with a similar objective also advanced on the same date, requiring data center owners and operators to submit semi-annual water and energy usage reports to the Board of Public Utilities for three years.
Transportation
Federal Funding for Gateway Project Begins Flowing After Court Order – On February 13th, the Gateway Development Commission announced they had received an initial $30 million disbursement from the federal government, with the remaining $175 million of the $205 million in frozen reimbursements expected to follow. The disbursement came after U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas ordered the federal government to unfreeze funding by 5 p.m. on February 12th, giving the government time to appeal. An appeals court declined to reverse her preliminary restraints. The delay had previously stalled construction on the $16 billion tunnel under the Hudson River, a critical obstruction for commuter rail service and the regional economy.
Public Administration
Assembly Committee Advances Immigration Bills – On February 12th, the Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee approved three immigration protection bills by a 5-2 party-line vote, including reintroduced versions of measures former Governor Phil Murphy pocket vetoed on his final day in office. The package includes bills to codify the 2018 Immigrant Trust Directive restricting local police cooperation with ICE, limit government collection of sensitive personal data like citizenship status and Social Security numbers, and require law enforcement officers (including federal agents) to reveal their facial identities while performing official duties.