NJ Senate passes more than two dozen bills, confirms 19 appointments in rapid-fire session

Lawmakers spent much of the roughly 45-minute session on ceremonial tributes before approving legislation and nominations with virtually no discussion.

New Jersey senators moved quickly through a lengthy voting agenda Thursday, Oct. 22, passing more than two dozen bills and confirming 19 gubernatorial appointments in a session that lasted roughly 45 minutes.

The big picture: Much of the session was devoted to ceremonial resolutions, tributes, and introductions. When lawmakers turned to legislation, they approved every bill brought to a final vote, without debating any of them on the Senate floor.

What happened

• 27 bills passed. Every bill brought to a final passage vote was approved.
• 19 nominees confirmed. Senators approved two lists of gubernatorial appointments, both by unanimous 39-0 votes.
• No floor debate on the bills. Legislation was introduced by number and brief description, followed by a motion and roll call vote.
• Other measures were amended. The Senate also adopted amendments to several bills and accepted the governor’s recommendations on another measure.

Bills worth watching

Among the legislation approved:

• Data center transparency (S4304): Prohibits agreements intended to conceal certain information about data center development. Passed 37-0.
• Utility fees (S3225): Prohibits public utilities from assessing certain surcharges and fees. Passed 39-0.
• Utility assistance (S4374): Expands requirements involving automatic enrollment in utility bill payment assistance programs. Passed with nine votes against it.
• Concealing identity while committing a crime (S2163): Creates a disorderly persons offense for concealing or attempting to conceal one’s identity while committing another crime or offense. Passed 39-0.
• Student loans (S1645): Requires additional reporting on delinquency and administrative wage garnishments in New Jersey’s state college loan program. Passed 39-0.
• School bullying (S4102): Requires school districts to establish procedures for reporting harassment, intimidation, and bullying online. Passed 38-0.
• Community solar (S4729): Modifies geographic restrictions on solar projects participating in the state’s community solar program. Passed 39-0.
• Hemp products (S4635): Aligns New Jersey restrictions on hemp products and intoxicating hemp beverages with federal law. Passed 37-0.

Who was confirmed?

The Senate approved all 19 nominations on its agenda, including appointments to several prominent state positions.

• Jeanne Hengemuhle: Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.
• Mary Cruz: Chairperson of the New Jersey Civil Service Commission.
• William J. Maslo: New Jersey Tax Court judge, succeeding retired Judge Jonathan A. Orsen.
• Wayne Wolk: Director of the state Division of Fire Safety, replacing Richard Mikutsky.

The other appointments included members of county taxation boards, university boards of trustees, and state commissions.

Worth noting: The Senate confirmed the nominations in two groups, rather than voting on each nominee individually. Both groups passed unanimously.

What took up the rest of the session?

Senators spent a significant portion of their time recognizing individuals and marking ceremonial occasions.

• A historic first: Lawmakers honored Selena Kanowitz, the first woman to serve as national commander of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America.
• A Paterson educator: The Senate recognized Arthur “Art” Eastman for his decades of work in education, athletics, and community service.
• A former colleague: Senators observed a moment of silence for former Sen. Sandra Bolden Cunningham.
• International ties: Lawmakers adopted a resolution recognizing the 37th anniversary of the sister-state relationship between New Jersey and Taiwan.

The bottom line: After spending much of the session on recognitions and tributes, senators approved dozens of pieces of legislation and an entire slate of appointments with little discussion of the measures before them.

Full list: 19 appointments confirmed

All 19 nominees listed on the Senate agenda were confirmed.

State leadership and judicial appointments

• Mary Cruz: Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission, replacing Allison Chris Myers.
• Jeanne Hengemuhle: Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.
• William J. Maslo: Judge of the New Jersey Tax Court, succeeding retired Judge Jonathan A. Orsen.
• Wayne Wolk: Director of the Division of Fire Safety, replacing Richard Mikutsky.

State boards and commissions

• Kenneth Adler: Reappointed to the New Jersey State Commission on Cancer Research.
• Peter Ferraro: State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, replacing Albert Stabile.
• Jaya George: New Jersey State Commission on Brain Injury Research, replacing Daniel Keating.
• Tim Hionis: State Board of Agriculture, replacing David DeFrange.
• Alanna (Jamieson) Papetti: New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority, replacing Katherine Ungar.
• Aubrey Reichard-Eline: New Jersey State Commission on Cancer Research, replacing Anna Marie Skalka.
• Baramdai (Alicia) Sharma: New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority, replacing Ridgeley Hutchinson.
• Jehan Shehab: Residential Mortgage and Consumer Finance Advisory Board, replacing John De Los Santos.

County boards of taxation

• David DelVecchio: Hunterdon County Board of Taxation, replacing Anthony Danzo.
• Kelly Hanson: Reappointed to the Camden County Board of Taxation.
• Sheila Hobson: Reappointed to the Middlesex County Board of Taxation.
• Barbara Holcomb: Reappointed to the Camden County Board of Taxation.

Higher education

• John Galandak: Reappointed to the William Paterson University Board of Trustees.
• William Pesce: Reappointed to the William Paterson University Board of Trustees.
• Michael Seeve: Reappointed to the William Paterson University Board of Trustees.

Full list: 27 bills approved

The Senate approved 18 Senate bills and nine Assembly bills. Senate bills and Assembly bills are listed separately below, with descriptions based on the legislative agenda.

Senate bills

• S1645: Requires annual reports on the New Jersey College Loans to Assist State Students (NJCLASS) program to include information about borrower delinquency and administrative wage garnishments.
• S2163: Creates a disorderly persons offense for concealing or attempting to conceal one’s identity while committing another crime or offense.
• S2216: Establishes a tuition reimbursement program for students enrolled in certain private postsecondary educational schools.
• S2250: Requires certain health care professionals providing prenatal and postnatal care to provide patient education and screenings.
• S3225: Prohibits public utilities from assessing certain surcharges and fees.
• S3526: Authorizes counties to establish non-lapsing fire academy trust funds.
• S3546: Permits mortgage loan originators to work remotely under certain circumstances.
• S4102: Requires school districts to establish procedures for online reporting of harassment, intimidation, and bullying.
• S4128: Requires county colleges to notify graduating high school students of their acceptance into their local county college.
• S4304: Prohibits agreements intended to conceal certain information concerning data center development under the Municipal Land Use Law.
• S4349: Addresses enrollment of twins and higher-order multiples in public preschool programs.
• S4374: Expands certain requirements for automatic enrollment in utility bill payment assistance programs.
• S4489: Authorizes municipalities to lower speed limits in historic districts.
• S4601: Requires pharmacists or their designees to notify customers when a drug or biological product has been substituted.
• S4631: Redirects a portion of a fiscal year 2027 appropriation from the Eid Committee of New Jersey to the Cultural Society of Bergen County to support Mom’s Food Pantry.
• S4635: Aligns New Jersey restrictions on the sale of hemp products and intoxicating hemp beverages with federal law.
• S4677: Requires electric utilities to notify customers about the Residential Universal Bill Credit.
• S4729: Modifies geographic restrictions for solar energy projects participating in the community solar program.

Assembly bills

These measures were approved by the Senate following substitution of their Assembly versions for corresponding Senate bills.

• A794: Modifies procedures for determining and paying fair market value for abandoned, vacant, or tax-delinquent properties in distressed municipalities.
• A1517: Establishes the New Jersey Native Seed Commission to develop a plan to increase production and use of native seeds.
• A4641: Addresses the authority of municipal governing bodies to notify insurance companies about suspected violations of rental property insurance policies.
• A4794: Permits the Division of Taxation to share certain tax data with the New Jersey Innovation Authority.
• A4835: Permits pretrial detention for contempt violations of protective orders issued under the Victim’s Assistance and Survivor Protection Act.
• A5071: Requires lactation rooms at certain airports operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
• A5155: Requires expedited compliance with certain search warrants in domestic violence and stalking investigations.
• A5439: Requires a portion of funding for the Working Class Families State Supplement to be used for outreach.
• A5451: Revises fiscal year 2027 budget language concerning the Family and Internal Medicine Residency Expansion Program.

Other legislative action

Several other measures on the Senate’s agenda were amended or held for further review.

• S1766 (Redevelopment): Would allow certain office parks and retail centers to be converted to mixed-use developments. The Senate adopted amendments.
• S3744 (Local journalism): Would require state agencies to direct a portion of their advertising spending to eligible local news organizations. The bill was listed on the agenda but was not brought up for a vote.
• S4863 (Election protections): Would restrict the presence of active-duty military personnel and certain law enforcement officers near polling places and ballot drop boxes. The bill was held for further review.
• S4258 (State Police leadership): Establishes that the State Police superintendent holds the rank of colonel and addresses the appointment of retirees to the position. Senators adopted amendments specifying that the rank and corresponding uniform would be granted upon Senate confirmation.
• S4665 and A534: Senators approved amendments to these measures.
• S4477 (Mental health treatment): Would permit certain residential substance use disorder treatment programs to provide mental health services. The Senate voted 38-0 to accept the governor’s recommended changes to legislation it had previously passed.