5 Bills From Essex County Lawmakers: Data Centers, Taxes, Cell Phones And More

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — State lawmakers from Essex County have been busy in the halls of Trenton over the past few months, with bills being introduced on issues such as pollution, homelessness, the economy, energy, taxes, housing and jobs.

Here are some recently proposed laws from legislators who represent towns in Essex County:

DATA CENTERS

Gov. Phil Murphy has conditionally vetoed a bill that would have required data center owners and operators to submit quarterly reports on water and energy usage to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU).

Sponsors of the bill from Essex County included Sens. Teresa Ruiz (NJ-29), Renee Burgess (NJ-28), Eliana Pintor Marin (NJ-29), and Assembly members John McKeon (NJ-27) and Michael Venezia (NJ-34), all Democrats.

According to Ruiz, if S4293/A5548 passed, New Jersey would have been the first state in the nation to require comprehensive data center resource reporting.

In his conditional veto, the governor recommended that the Legislature amend an existing law signed earlier this year, which directs the BPU to study the impact of data centers on electricity costs in New Jersey and evaluate whether a tariff on data centers is necessary. The governor suggested removing the proposed ongoing reporting requirements, leaving it to the BPU to decide if such reporting should be implemented in the future, and that these metrics remain confidential.

Ruiz disagreed.

“By the time the BPU completes its report, irreversible impacts may already be in place,” the senator said. “We can’t afford to wait.”

Ruiz said the bill isn’t dead, however.

“While we may have lost the opportunity to be a national leader in this space, this issue will remain a top policy priority of mine in the 2026 legislative session,” she said.

• See Related: Electric Bills Being Driven Up By AI Data Centers In NJ, New Report Says

SALES AND CORPORATE TAXES

A Republican assemblyman who represents several towns in Essex County is calling for his peers in Trenton to trim New Jersey’s sales and corporate transit taxes, pointing to recent campaign pledges from Democrats to make the state more affordable.

Assemblyman Christopher DePhillips (NJ-40) has introduced two bills that aim to reduce taxes in New Jersey.

The first bill, A-6006, would cut the state’s sales and use tax from 6.625 percent to 6 percent.

“Local economies would get a boost and we would become more competitive if the sales tax was lowered,” DePhillips said. “The costs of energy, car repairs, food and life’s other unavoidable expenses will go down.”

DePhillips is also calling for an end to a “corporate transit fee” that was approved in New Jersey last year.

The new tax – which expires in 2029 – is intended to help NJ Transit balance its budget. Business that that earn more than $10 million per year are subject to an extra 2.5 percent surcharge, in addition to other taxes.

DePhillips has introduced a bill that would rescind the 2.5 percent surcharge, which he said is currently being applied to around 600 businesses in the state.

“NJ Transit does not need more money from businesses or riders who have little or no control over its budget, operations, and service levels,” the assemblyman argued. “What the agency needs in 2026 is a comprehensive audit, a restructuring of operations, and a decade-focused strategy to transform the transportation system.”

• See Related: NJ Republican Wants State To Trim These 2 Taxes (Here’s Why)

CELL PHONES IN SCHOOLS

A state assemblywoman from Essex County says she will continue to push for a proposed law involving cell phones and social media in New Jersey schools.

According to Rosy Bagolie (NJ-27), A4882/S3695 would require every school district to adopt a cell phone use policy.

The amended bill requires each board of education to adopt a policy concerning student use of cell phones and social media platforms during regular school hours, on a school bus, or during school-sanctioned events when the student is under the direct supervision of a teaching staff member or employee of the board of education.

“As we approach the end of this session, I remain focused on advancing the priorities that matter most to our community, including A4882,” the Democratic state lawmaker recently commented.

Other sponsors of the bill include Carmen Morales (NJ-34), a Democrat, and Kristin Corrado (NJ-40), a Republican.

MENTAL HEALTH FOR STUDENTS

Earlier this month, the Senate Education Committee advanced legislation that would permit school mental health professionals – such as school counselors or psychologists – to refer students to private individuals licensed to provide professional counseling for mental health assessments and services.

Under the bill, S-2380, an individual licensed to provide professional counseling would include (but not be limited to): a psychiatrist, certified social worker, licensed clinical social worker, licensed social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, certified psychoanalyst, or licensed psychologist.

If a student is not legally permitted to consent on their own to the assessments and services, their parent or guardian would be notified of the referral and would be required to consent prior to the provision of any assessment or service by the licensed private individual.

Neither the school district nor the person making the referral would be required to bear the cost of the assessments and services provided to the student.

“We have seen a dramatic increase in New Jersey students reporting a variety of mental health struggles in recent years, ranging from heightened stress and anxiety to depression and even suicide attempts,” said one of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Renee Burgess (NJ-28).

“This bill will equip school officials with the tools necessary to ensure that all students have access to the care they need to succeed both in and out of the classroom,” Burgess said.

Primary sponsors of the Assembly companion bill include Burgess’ fellow Democratic lawmaker, Assemblywoman Shanique Speight (NJ-29).

TRANSPORTATION GRANTS

Three Republican lawmakers recently announced that 14 municipalities in the 40th district will receive nearly $5.5 million in grants from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).

The 40th district includes Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, Verona and West Caldwell, in addition to other towns in Bergen and Passaic counties.

Sen. Kristin Corrado joined Assemblymen Christopher DePhillips and Al Barlas to announce the grants last week.

According to a joint statement from the legislators, the municipal aid grants fund road, bridge, safety and quality-of-life improvements. The NJDOT provides 75 percent of the grant amount when a town awards a contract, and the remaining 25 percent upon completion of the project.

“We are proud to advocate for our towns in Trenton and help bring these dollars back to the communities we represent,” the Republican legislators said. “This well-deserved funding will improve transportation infrastructure, make commutes safer and benefit everyone who lives, works or travels through this district.”

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