*** THURSDAY ASSEMBLY COMMITTEES ***

Inaugural Science & Technology Hearing,

NJ Transit Reform, No Offshore Drilling, Paris Climate Accord & Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Opioid Antidote in Schools & Combating Bias Intimidation

Also on Tap: Hemp Farming, Child & Domestic & Sexual Violence Victim Protections, Inclusive Playgrounds & Chronic School Absenteeism

(TRENTON) – The new Science, Innovation and Technology Committee will hold its first meeting Thursday, taking testimony on ways to enhance and foster New Jersey’s technology development and innovation.

Meanwhile, Assembly committees will consider bills to reform NJ Transit, ban offshore drilling, require New Jersey to join the Paris Climate Accord and rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, require schools to maintain a supply of opioid antidotes and combat bias intimidation.

Also on tap: hemp farming, new and expanded protections for children and domestic and sexual violence victims, inclusive playgrounds, targeting chronic school absenteeism, permitting ballot selfies, prohibiting juror disqualification based on gender identity or sexual orientation, banning the restraint of prisoners during and immediately after childbirth and requiring a state department, agency, authority to provide link on its website for members of public to submit complaints.

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:

• The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee will hold its first meeting at 2 p.m., taking testimony on ways to enhance and foster New Jersey’s innovation ecosystem.
• A-1241 (McKeon) – Provides governance, oversight, and accountability reforms at NJT. 10 a.m. Transportation.
• A-839 (Land/Andrzejczak/Mazzeo/Chiaravalloti) – Prohibits offshore drilling in State waters and issuance of DEP permits and approvals for activities associated with offshore drilling. 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
• A-1929 (Mukherji/Zwicker/Vainieri Huttle/Eustace/Downey/Kennedy/McKeon/Pinkin) – Requires NJ to join U.S. Climate Alliance to uphold Paris Climate Accord. 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
• A-1212 (McKeon/Gusciora/Vainieri Huttle) – Clarifies intent of P.L.2007, c.340 regarding NJ’s required participation in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. 2 p.m. Environment and Solid Waste.
• A-1027 (Johnson/Vainieri Huttle/Eustace/Schaer/McKeon) – Includes crime of creating false public alarms as form of bias intimidation. 10 a.m. Judiciary.
• A-542 (Mazzeo/Lagana/Andrzejczak/Zwicker/Land/Benson/Downey) – Requires certain schools to maintain supply of opioid antidotes and permits emergency administration of opioid antidote by school nurse or trained employee.10 a.m. Education.
• A-1330 (Gusciora) – Allows industrial hemp farming; establishes industrial hemp license. 1 p.m. Agriculture and Natural Resources.
• A-431 (Schaer/Johnson/Wimberly/Eustace/Mazzeo/Downey) – Authorizes wiretap orders for investigation of luring or enticing a child, identity theft, stalking and cyber-harassment under certain circumstances. 10 a.m. Judiciary.
• A-1706 (Vainieri Huttle/Lagana/Mosquera/Wimberly/Jimenez/Pintor Marin/Mukherji) – Provides rental and lease protections for domestic violence victims. 10 a.m. Women and Children.
• A-607 (Holley) – Creates new $100 assessment for convictions of certain sexual offenses to fund counseling for victims and their families; establishes Sexual Offender Victim Counseling Fund. 10 a.m. Women and Children.
• A-2187 (Greenwald) – Jake’s Law; Incentivizes counties to design and construct completely inclusive playgrounds as a priority for State funding for recreational and conservation purposes. 10 a.m. Women and Children.
• A-2192 (Vainieri Huttle) – Requires Commissioner of Education to include data on chronic absenteeism and disciplinary suspensions on School Report Card and requires public schools to make certain efforts to combat chronic absenteeism. 10 a.m. Education.
• A-425 (Mosquera/Jones/Holley/McKnight/Downey) – Requires board of education to post information about child abuse hotline in each school. 10 a.m. Education.
• A-1227 (McKeon/Gusciora/Vainieri Huttle) – Prohibits juror disqualification based on gender identity or sexual orientation; codifies procedures when discriminatory use of peremptory challenges is alleged. 10 a.m. Judiciary.
• A-2186 (Vainieri Huttle) – Prohibits the restraint of prisoners during and immediately after childbirth. 10 a.m. Women and Children.
• A-1919 (Mukherji/Chaparro/Jimenez/McKnight/Chiaravalloti) – Permits voter to take photograph of own voted ballot and share it on Internet-based social media. 1 p.m. State and Local Government.
• A-393 (Mosquera/Murphy) – Requires State department, agency, authority, or instrumentality thereof to provide link on its website for members of public to submit complaints. 1 p.m. State and Local Government.
• A-1044 (Houghtaling/Downey) – Requires Director of Division of Taxation to examine feasibility of centralized property tax information system to verify property taxes paid by homestead property tax reimbursement claimants. 1 p.m. State and Local Government.
• A-1100 (Downey) – Adds Monmouth County as Pilot County for purposes of “Common Sense Shared Services Pilot Program Act.” 1 p.m. State and Local Government.
• A-2194 (Schaer) – Establishes Behavioral Health Services Task Force. 2 p.m. Human Services.