Outlawing ‘Stealthing’, Addressing In-Flight Sexual Assault, Reducing Lead Exposure & Improving NJ’s Family Leave Program Top Thursday Committees

Also on Tap: Creating Veterans Assistance Grant Program; Preventing ‘Dry Drowning’; Improving Public Utilities Response to Storms & Flooding; Making Application Process for Pregnancy Disability Leave More Efficient & Reducing Speed Limit on Portion of Rt. 130.

(TRENTON) – Outlawing “stealthing”, addressing in-flight sexual assault, reducing lead exposure and improving New Jersey’s family leave program to make it more accessible and affordable to working families highlight Thursday’s Assembly committee hearings.

Also on tap: requiring municipalities with public swimming pools to provide information to prevent “dry drowning’; improving the response from the state’s public utilities to storms and emergencies; creating a “Veterans Assistance Grant Program” to support organizations that cater to veterans; making the application process for pregnancy disability more efficient; and reducing the speed limit on a portion of Rt. 130 to make it safer for pedestrians.

The meetings are slated to begin at 10 a.m. and will be streamed live at:

            http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp

            HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• A-2766 (Greenwald/Mosquera) – Establishes third degree crime of “stealthing”; removing sexually protective device during sexual activity without sexual partner’s consent. 10 a.m. Women and Children.
• A-4175 (Swain/Mosquera) pending intro & referral – Directs PANYNJ to require airlines, vendors, contractors to adopt, maintain policies re: sexual assaults, coordinate w/ law enforcement for investigation, prosecution sexual assaults. 10 a.m. Women and Children.
• AR-167 (Mosquera/Swain) pending referral – Urges FAA to require air carriers to submit annual sexual assault reports. 10 a.m. Women and Children.
• AR-172 (Swain/Mosquera) – Urges FAA to require airlines to adopt policies, training concerning sexual assaults on airplanes. 10 a.m. Women and Children.
• A-2767 (Greenwald/Mosquera) – Amends certain provisions of sexual assault statute to clarify elements necessary for conviction. 10 a.m. Women and Children.
• A-3373 (Conaway/Pinkin/Mukherji) Requires DEP to adopt statewide plan to reduce lead exposure from contaminated soils and drinking water. 2 p.m.  Environment and Solid Waste. 
• A-2697 (McKeon) – Requires public water systems to compile, and submit to DEP, lead service line inventories. 2 p.m.  Environment and Solid Waste.  .
• A-4121 (Pinkin/Pintor Marin/DeAngelo) – DOE and DCF establish online reporting systems for schools and child care centers to report lead testing results. 2 p.m.  Environment and Solid Waste. 
• A-3975 (Quijano/Giblin/Downey) – Revises law concerning family leave, temporary disability and family temporary disability leave, and domestic or sexual violence safety leave. 10 a.m. Labor.
• A-2762 (Greenwald) – Revises law concerning temporary disability leave – covered individuals applying for temporary disability benefits as a result of a pregnancy/child birth automatically processes an application for paid family leave benefits program. 10 a.m. Labor.

• A-1102 (Downey/Houghtaling/Lampitt/Mukherji/Holley) – Establishes Veterans Assistance Grant Program for nonprofit organizations to provide certain services to veterans. 10 a.m. Military and Veterans’ Affairs.
• A2426 (Benson/Wimberly/Giblin) – “The Reliability, Preparedness, and Storm Response Act”; requires public utilities to file certain information concerning emergency preparedness with BPU and increases certain penalties. 1 p.m. Homeland Security and State Preparedness.
• A-1429 (McKnight/Vainieri Huttle/Chaparro) – Requires municipalities that have public swimming pools to provide information regarding “dry drowning.” 1 p.m. State and Local Government.
• A3576 (Murphy/Conaway/Benson) – “Antwan’s Law”; reduces speed limit on Route 130 near Burlington City High School and Wilbur Watts Intermediate School.  10 a.m. Transportation and Independent Authorities.