Here Are The 33 Bills NJ Gov. Phil Murphy Rejected This Week

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy had a busy week, signing more than 150 bills into law. But he also took major step through inaction.

Murphy declined to sign 33 bills into law, otherwise known as "pocket vetoing" them. They will have to be reintroduced in the state Legislature if lawmakers have any hope of ever getting them passed.

The most striking pocket veto was Murphy's rejection of legislation (S-4223/S-4224) that would have strengthened regulations of vape shops. He took the step after signing a major ban on flavored vap products. Read more: NJ Gov. Murphy Signs 153 Bills Into Law, Including Major Vape Ban

The legislation would have capped the nicotine content in vaping liquids and prohibited the sale of all tobacco products, including vape products, in pharmacies and retail facilities with on-site pharmacies.

The legislation would have also established a tracking system for vaping products, and increased the penalties for retailers caught selling tobacco and vaping products to anyone under age 21.

Sen. Joe Vitale, chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, expressed disappointment in the pocket veto of legislation to "counter the vaping crisis and protect against the dangers of e-cigarettes and other electronic smoking devices and products:"

“I am disappointed that the governor decided not to sign this legislation into law. It is a lost opportunity to take constructive action to counter the vaping crisis and to protect against the dangerous health effects of e-cigarettes and other vaping products," he said.

"The bill contained common-sense measures to keep these products out of the hands of young people by cracking down on illicit, underage sales by bad actors who exploit their vulnerability to the allure of e-cigarettes and other vaping products. Many of the action items derived from the governor’s own task force on vaping."

Murphy said in a statement that he appreciates the Legislature’s effort "to curb sales to children and young adults." But he "cannot support a piecemeal approach to a problem that requires a comprehensive solution."

"In its original form, the bill — then two separate bills — would have required an overhaul and expansion of the current limited licensing system for vapor businesses and increased the tax on vapor products," he said. "My office strongly suggested that the Legislature consider reworking the current tax scheme, which is unnecessarily complicated and favors certain players in the marketplace, and conveyed our concerns to the Legislature about the bill’s inconsistent treatment of different vaping retailers and manufacturers."

He said the bill’s final form "did not address these concerns" and he hopes lawmakers and his administration "can reach a result that treats all affected entities fairly, protects the health of New Jersey residents and penalizes the bad actors in the vaping marketplace."

On Tuesday, Murphy did approve legislation, S3265, that will prohibit the sale and distribution of flavored vape products, including menthol. The law comes as the state is dealing with a skyrocketing number of vaping illnesses, including one death. Read more: Startling Details, Cases Skyrocket In Deadly NJ Vaping Outbreak

That law will take effect April 20.

Murphy also rejected a bill that would have clarified rules regarding the disclosure of discrimination or harassment complaints.

Murphy said he unequivocally supports "the bill’s goal of allowing survivors to speak out about potentially discriminatory or harassing behavior experienced at work." But he said he can't support a bill that "jeopardizes the safety and security of employees alleging discrimination or harassment."

Murphy claims the bill was amended at the last minute to require the person who receives a complaint to inform the accused person about its contents within a 30-day period.

"I am advised that this mandatory disclosure could lead to disastrous results, as it is not always appropriate to inform the subject of an investigation of the allegations that are made against them," he said. "In many circumstances, disclosing the contents of the complaint to
the accused will effectively expose the identity of the person who filed the complaint.

"This is particularly dangerous in situations where a complaint is made by a subordinate against a supervisor, giving the supervisor the opportunity to retaliate. "

Here are the bills that Murphy declined to sign, meaning they expire without becoming law:

• S-691/A-657 (Ruiz, Pou/Jasey, Caputo, Pintor Marin, Sumter, Wimberly) – Requires that if a school district satisfies 80% or more of the required NJ Quality Single Accountability Continuum standards in an area of district effectiveness under State intervention, the State must return that area to local control
• S-1083/A-544 (Cruz-Perez, Gopal/Mazzeo, Houghtaling, Holley, Dancer) – Establishes loan program and provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for establishment of new vineyards and wineries
• S-2421/A-1030 (Smith, Bateman/Johnson, Kennedy, Benson, DeAngelo) – Concerns installation of electric vehicle charging stations in common interest communities
• S-2425/A-3851 (Singleton, Andrzejczak/Conaway) – Revises law relating to common interest communities
• S-2429/A-4028 (Scutari, Pou/Bramnick, Downey) – Requires automobile insurers to disclose policy limits upon request by an attorney under certain circumstances
• S-2835/A-3926 (Singleton, Ruiz/Conaway, Lampitt, Murphy) – Requires public schools to administer written screenings for depression for students in certain grades
• S-2897/A-1433 (Madden, Singer/Benson, Wimberly, Carter) – Requires DCA to establish procedures for inspection and abatement of mold hazards in residential buildings and school facilities, and certification programs for mold inspectors and mold hazard abatement workers
• S-2957/A-4712 (Stack/Mukherji, Chaparro) – Establishes five-year moratorium on conversions of certain residential rental premises in qualified counties
• S-2958/A-4535 (Sarlo, Oroho/Zwicker, DePhillips, DeCroce) – Establishes the "Energy Infrastructure Public-Private Partnership Act"
• S-3062/A-2049 (Ruiz, Greenstein/Howarth, Benson, Murphy) – Provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for businesses that employ apprentices in DOL registered apprenticeships
• S-3063/A-4655 (Ruiz/Armato, Vainieri Huttle, DeAngelo) – Provides tuition fee waiver apprenticeship courses
• S-3137/A-1308 (Sweeney, Oroho, Singleton/Greenwald, Milam, Land) – The "Electronic Construction Procurement Act"
• S-3252/A-4713 (Greenstein, Stack/DeAngelo, Quijano) – "New Townhouse Fire Safety Act"; requires automatic fire sprinkler systems in new townhomes
• S-3263/A-4837 (T. Kean, Diegnan/Vainieri Huttle, Chiaravalloti, McKnight) – Revises and updates membership and purpose of Advisory Council on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in DHS
• S-3270/A-5095 (Pou/McKeon, Freiman, DeCroce) – Establishes certain requirements for stop loss insurance offered to small employers
• S-3393/ACS for A-5384 and 5157 (Sarlo, Addiego/Mazzeo, Murphy, Houghtaling, Calabrese, Armato, Dancer) – Allows certain preserved farms to hold 14 special occasion events per year; imposes further event restrictions on residentially-exposed preserved farms
• S-3770/A-6118 (Sarlo, Oroho, Sweeney/Greenwald, Jones) – Establishes "New Jersey Economic and Fiscal Policy Review Commission" to provide ongoing review of State and local tax structure, economic conditions, and related fiscal issues
• S-3888/A-5585 (Ruiz/Dancer, Pintor Marin) – Extends document submission deadlines under Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant program and Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit program
• S-4035/A-5702 (Pou, Singleton/Wimberly, Reynolds-Jackson, Sumter) – Makes Fiscal Year 2020 supplemental appropriation of $1,700,000 for Thomas Edison State University
• S-4281/A-6094 (Smith, Diegnan/Danielsen, Pinkin) – Requires State to sell and convey to Educational Services Commission of New Jersey certain land and improvements known as Piscataway Regional Day School
• S-4331/A-4727 (Diegnan, Madden/Karabinchak, Holley, Jones) – Requires person taking written examination for permit to watch video of rights and responsibilities of driver stopped by law enforcement; requires testing on rights and responsibilities of driver stopped by law enforcement
• A-491/S-4340 (Jimenez/Sacco, Stack) – Enhances PFRS accidental death pension for surviving spouse by providing for minimum of $50,000 annually
• A-1044/S-1441 (Houghtaling, Downey, DiMaio, Space/Doherty, Madden) – 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
• A-1045/S-2856 (Houghtaling, Downey, Dancer/Gopal, Oroho) – Clarifies sales tax collection responsibilities of horse-boarding businesses in New Jersey
• A-1526/S-1048 (Zwicker, Johnson/Vitale) – Concerns payment of independent contractors
• A-2731/S-3407 (Taliaferro, Space/Sweeney, Oroho) – Removes statutory limitation on number of permits that may be issued by Division of Fish and Wildlife for the taking of beaver
• A-4382/S-2815 (Pinkin, Lopez, Kennedy/Beach, Smith) – Requires paint producers to implement or participate in paint stewardship program
• A-4463/S-3927 (Freiman, Egan, Karabinchak/Oroho, Andrzejczak) – Establishes "Electronic Permit Processing Review System"
• A-4788/S-3880 (Karabinchak, Freiman, Calabrese/Diegnan) – Establishes expedited construction inspection program
• A-5072/S-3496 (Karabinchak, Johnson, Mukherji/Greenstein, Cryan) – "Defense Against Porch Pirates Act"; creates new category of theft, with penalties including mandatory restitution and community service, for taking package delivered to residence by cargo carrier
• A-5446/S-3907 (Land, Reynolds-Jackson, Verrelli/T. Kean, Lagana) – Requires reporting of opioid deaths
• A-5629/S-3980 (Pintor Marin, Munoz/Weinberg, Corrado) – Clarifies provisions concerning disclosure of existence and content of discrimination or harassment complaints; requires certain disclosures to person against whom complaint is made Copy of Statement
• ACS for A-5922 and 5923/SCS for S-4223 and 4224 (Conaway, Vainieri Huttle, Lopez, Pinkin/Vitale, Sweeney) – Revises requirements for sale of tobacco and vapor products; increases penalties for prohibited sales; increases fees for cigarette and vapor business licensure Copy of Statement