Legislation sponsored by Sen. Anthony Bucco that would simplify the Electronic Permit Process Review System to expedite approvals for construction permits and inspections was signed into law Monday, January 8, by Gov. Murphy. (Pixabay)

“The electronic permit system modernized the application submission process for construction permits and helped the State government start going digital,” said Bucco (R-25). “Unfortunately, construction projects still face unnecessary delays when government agencies are unable to process permits in a timely manner. This bill, now law, will expedite the permit approval process by allowing signatures and relevant documents to be submitted electronically for construction projects.”

Current law requires the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to utilize the Electronic Permit Processing Review System to accept electronic submissions of applications for permits, inspections, and other materials necessary for the review process.

Senator Bucco’s legislation, S-3551, would:

• Amend existing law to require the DCA’s Electronic Permit Processing Review System to also accept electronic signatures on materials submitted for review and approval.
• Mandate that the DCA also accept the reproduction of electronic stamps, seals, certification, and notarizations for submitted documents.

You can view the full version of the bill online.

Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco issued a response to Governor Murphy’s State of the State address. (SenateNJ.com)

“New Jersey is a great state because of our people. Governor Murphy presented an optimistic view in his address. He spoke about affordability, access to health care, education and public safety. The problem we have is that his actions must follow his words. The aggressive spending we have witnessed has resulted in a few clear warning signs regarding the state of the State. Things like our highest in the nation property taxes, one of the highest unemployment rates, highest outward migration and learning loss in our schools, among others.

New Jersey now stands at a crossroads. Do we continue aggressive spending patterns or do we learn to live within our means and improve the quality of life for all New Jerseyans. Republicans choose the latter. Unlike prior years, it does not appear that the State will be flush with cash this year. I hope we have not missed the opportunity to make the structural changes we need to truly make the State more affordable.”

Carmen F. Amato, Jr. has taken the oath of office to become the new state senator for New Jersey’s 9th Legislative District. (SenateNJ.com)

Amato, the long-time mayor of Berkeley Township in Ocean County, was sworn-in on Jan. 9 during the reorganization of the 221st New Jersey Legislature.

“It is a great honor to be sworn in as State Senator and to represent the residents of the 9th Legislative District,” said Amato (R-9). “I look forward to working with colleagues from both sides of the aisle to make New Jersey more affordable for our families and retirees.”

Amato has served in public office for three decades, most recently as mayor of Berkeley Township for the past 12 years, as a township councilman from 2006 to 2012, and as a member of the local and regional school boards from 1993 to 2006.

The 9th Legislative District includes parts of Ocean County.

Owen Henry has taken the oath of office to become the new state senator for New Jersey’s 12th Legislative District. (SenateNJ.com)

“I’m proud to accept this great honor that the people of the twelfth district have given me,” said Henry (R-12). “I can’t wait to get to work on behalf of my constituents and I look forward to making New Jersey more affordable for growing families, seniors, and small businesses.”

Henry, a resident and former mayor of Old Bridge Township in Middlesex County, was sworn-in during the reorganization of the New Jersey Senate on January 9, 2024.

The 12th District includes parts of Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties.

Assembly Deputy Minority Whip Parker Space is now a State Senator after taking the oath of office today. (SenateNJ.com)

“It’s a privilege to continue to represent the residents in the 24th legislative district, now in the Senate,” said Space (R-24). “I will continue to fight for core conservative values including fiscal responsibility, parental rights, and our constitutional freedoms. I look forward to working with my Assembly colleagues, Dawn Fantasia and Michael Inganamort, on these issues and continuing to provide first class constituent service in our joint district office.”

Space, a former Assemblyman for ten years and current resident of Wantage Township, was sworn-in during the reorganization of the New Jersey Senate on January 9, 2024.

The 24th District includes parts of Sussex, Morris, and Warren counties.

Latham Tiver was sworn in as the new state senator for the 8th Legislative District on Jan. 9, as the New Jersey Legislature reorganized for its 221st session. (SenateNJ.com)

“I have lived in the 8th district my entire life and look forward to representing my neighbors and community in the New Jersey Senate,” said Tiver (R-8). “I will work tirelessly to make New Jersey more affordable for our residents, and am committed to improving our business climate to help stimulate job creation.”

Tiver is a business representative for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825 and formerly served as Southampton Township Committeeman and Burlington County Commissioner.

The 8th Legislative District includes parts of Burlington and Atlantic counties.

Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco delivered the following remarks during the reorganization of the New Jersey Legislature earlier today. (SenateNJ)

Good afternoon everyone and thank you Mr. President.

Congratulations to you and Majority Leader Ruiz, on your reelection to your respective leadership positions.

Welcome to our new Senate members and to all of the Senators who are blessed with the opportunity to serve this grand body.

I also want to thank the Senate Republican Caucus for entrusting me with the responsibility of serving as the Republican Leader of such an intelligent, dedicated group of public servants.

Lastly, and most importantly, I want to thank my family; my wife Amy, my children, grandchildren, and all of the other Members’ families for supporting us in our service to this great state. We could not do this job without your support.

I look forward to working with all of you on a bipartisan basis to find the middle ground, and common sense solutions to the issues our constituents face on a daily basis.

I mention bipartisanship because it is important to give everyone a seat at the table when working to find the best solutions to New Jersey’s most pressing issues.

Issues like affordability, education, public safety, energy diversification, and affordable housing, to name a few.

I believe our state is at a crossroads.

Do we continue with the status quo or do we begin to vigorously address the pressing issues facing our state?

Do we continue with the aggressive spending patterns of the past or do we learn to live within our means and improve the quality of life for all New Jerseyans to make our state a place where we are proud to live, work, and raise a family?

When both sides work together in good faith and enact policies that represent our constituents’ needs, we can rest assured that we’ll be building a future for New Jersey that will be bigger, better, and bolder than ever before.

I believe there is no obstacle New Jersey can’t overcome.

We must be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and enact reforms to help struggling New Jerseyans with property taxes that all too often drive young families, hard-working individuals, and seniors out of the state.

We must administer a more equitable school funding formula so we can provide our school districts with the tools they so desperately need to succeed, and to address student learning loss from the pandemic.

We must reassure our communities that public safety is our highest priority; keeping crime down, standing with law enforcement and prosecutors to ensure that our neighborhoods and schools remain safe so parents and children have the peace of mind they rightly deserve.

We must protect ratepayers and our business community from major utility rate increases; ensuring responsible growth of our state’s renewable power infrastructure without sacrificing the reliability, resiliency, and affordability of our existing systems.

And we need a far better approach to affordable housing that avoids changing the character of our communities with massive overdevelopment while at the same time providing safe affordable housing under sound land use planning. Allowing municipalities to have the flexibility and autonomy to choose what works best for their communities will provide a far better result than what we have experienced in the past.

Our caucus has a lot to offer, and we will continue to lend our voices to the process as we want to be part of the solution to the many issues that face our state.

New Jersey can be a shining example of how bipartisanship leads to good governance.

But we must put our differences and disagreements aside and do the work that the people sent us here to do.

We want Trenton to work as partners with local leaders across all sectors of government to help facilitate economic growth and support hard-working taxpayers.

Being the minority party should not mean our vision or ideas are sidelined from having a meaningful impact on the future of New Jersey.

Republicans look forward to having a seat at the table and I look forward to continuing a great working relationship with the Senate President and the Governor, as partners in public service, to enable greater collaboration in order to best address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

All New Jerseyans want is transparency, thoughtfulness, and cooperation from this body of the Legislature.

To this end, Senate Republicans will continue to provide the voice of reason in Trenton and fight for what we believe to be the commonsense solutions for the problems facing our constituents.

We look forward to a meaningful and productive legislative session, advocating for policies that will give our residents and the business community something to be proud of.

Thank you, and God bless you.

WHO: Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco and Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio.

WHAT: Republican Response to Gov. Phil Murphy’s State of the State message.

WHEN: Today immediately following governor’s speech at 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: Room 209 of the Statehouse (across from the General Assembly Chamber’s Gallery).

WATCH: NJ Assembly GOP YouTube channel: youtube.com/njassemblygop/streams.

Sen. Jean Stanfield’s bill instructing the Attorney General’s Office to provide additional support and outreach to victims of human trafficking has passed the Senate. (Pixabay)

Key components of A-1727/S-3300 include:

• Directing the Attorney General — in conjunction with other government entities, the Victims of Crime Compensation Office, and victims’ rights organizations — to utilize existing resources to perform community outreach and deliver services to victims of human trafficking; and
• Authorizing the Attorney General to establish a pilot program that would award grants to certain service providers in high-crime areas and locations near maritime transportation hubs.

You can read the full version of the bill online.

To speak with Sen. Stanfield about the legislation, please contact Chris Sivel, SRO Deputy Director of Communications at csivel@njleg.org.

Sen. Anthony M. Bucco’s bill that supports victims of domestic violence by allowing plaintiffs to obtain police evidence to support their case was approved by the Senate. (Flickr)

Key components of A-5285/S-3708 include:

• Requiring copies of investigatory law enforcement records, such as photographs, footage from a body- or dash cam, 9-1-1 transcript or recording, and contents of their police report, to be made available upon request to a domestic violence victim or their legal representative;
• Mandating law enforcement agencies to provide copies of requested records within 10 calendar days of the victim’s request; and
• Releasing or unsealing expunged records at the request of an individual involved in a complaint related to domestic violence restraining order, weapons forfeiture, or temporary or final extreme risk protective order.

You can read the full version of the bill online.

To speak with Sen. Bucco about the legislation, please contact Chris Sivel, SRO Deputy Director of Communications at csivel@njleg.org.

Sen. Anthony M. Bucco’s bill that enables municipalities to extend the time to permanently finance the purchase of new firefighting apparatus was approved by the Senate. (SenateNJ.com)

Senator Bucco’s bill amends the Local Bond Law to extend the period of usefulness of newly purchased fire engines, apparatus, and equipment from 10- to 20 years.

Key components of A-5567/S-3807 include:

• Clarifying that the period of usefulness for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) below 15,000 pounds will remain at five years, consistent with current law.
• Removing an exclusion for passenger cars and station wagons, that are not powered by alternative fuel sources, by establishing a five-year period of usefulness when purchased as a new vehicle.
• Expanding coverage to encompass larger public work vehicles and heavy construction equipment for major repairs and enhancements to extend their period of usefulness by at least five years.

You can read the full version of the bill online.

To speak with Sen. Bucco about the legislation, please contact Chris Sivel, SRO Deputy Director of Communications at csivel@njleg.org.

“United States Military Veteran John Tarantino exemplified true leadership and valor as a dedicated servant to both country and community,” said Singer (R-30). “After returning home from war-torn Europe, Mr. Tarantino provided unwavering support for veterans across the country. In recognition of his service on and off the battlefield, this bill would formally commemorate his legacy by naming a portion of Route 71 as the John Tarantino Highway.”

Angelo John Tarantino honorably served under the command of General George S. Patton in the 47th Armored Infantry Battalion of the 5th Armored Division in the 3rd United States Army Group during the Second World War.

While on the European front, Tarantino completed several harrowing missions at the Battle of Hurtgen Forest, the liberation of Luxembourg, and the infamous Battle of the Bulge. Despite suffering severe frostbite during his tour, Tarantino was one of only two soldiers who landed on Utah Beach in Normandy, France who wasn’t killed or severely wounded.

After receiving an honorable discharge from the military, Tarantino became a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans organization to continue serving as an advocate for military veterans. Tarantino moved to the Borough of Spring Lake Heights in 1988 and has participated in ceremonies that honor veterans throughout New Jersey ever since.

Senator Singer’s bill, S-3531, would name a portion of State Highway Route 71 that runs through Spring Lake after Tarantino to pay tribute to his military service and community leadership.

“Mr. Tarantino learned the value of service at a very young age and is a devoted advocate for military veterans across New Jersey,” Singer added. “I am proud to honor Mr. Tarantino for his life’s work of service for our country and his dedication to support the lives and sacrifices of other veterans.”

The New Jersey Senate approved legislation today sponsored by Sen. Robert Singer that would require sellers of single-family homes with solar panels to disclose the contact information for the business that installed the solar panels. (Flickr)

“It is not uncommon for the buyer of a property with solar panels to have trouble finding out how to contact the installer in case they need support,” said Singer (R-30). “This bill would require the seller to disclose the contact information for the installer of the solar panels, which would make it much easier for the buyer to contact the installer in the future.”

Singer’s bill, S-3234, requires sellers of single-family homes with solar panels to include in the contract for sale, contact information for the business that installed the solar panels, and to indicate whether any lease agreement for the solar panels would be transferred to the buyer.

The seller’s property condition disclosure statement may be used as an alternative to including information about the business that installed the solar panels.

Legislation sponsored by Sen. Joe Pennacchio and Sen. Tony Bucco that would provide course credits for high school students who become volunteer firefighters was approved today by the New Jersey Senate. (Pixabay)

“New Jersey is suffering from a severe shortage of first responders,” said Pennacchio (R-26). “By incentivizing high school students to become volunteer firefighters in their municipalities, students can earn credits to meet certain graduation requirements. This bill provides an innovative solution to reduce New Jersey’s firefighter shortage and promotes educational opportunities for students outside of the classroom.”

The legislation, S-3901, would permit students to be eligible for credits in health, safety, and physical education for successfully completing a course at a county fire academy, provided they meet certain criteria.

“Firefighting is a skilled profession that is necessary to ensure the safety of our communities,” Bucco added. “This bill enables students to receive their education while simultaneously serving as vital public servants.”

To receive credits, a student must be between 16 and 18 years old, complete an examination to become a junior firefighter, and must volunteer at their local fire department for a period of two years.

“This legislation will give New Jersey law enforcement agencies more flexibility with funds that are seized during an investigation—which is a crucial piece missing from existing civil asset forfeiture law,” said Testa. “Law enforcement can now use these funds to support important initiatives and help grow and reinforce relationships between police and local neighborhoods.”

Under current law, proceeds from the forfeiture of private property are designated for the exclusive use of the law enforcement agency that contributed to the investigation resulting in the forfeiture, and are to be used solely for law enforcement purposes.

S-587 allows law enforcement agencies to use proceeds from civil asset forfeiture for the additional purposes of: increasing outreach to all communities; providing additional training for law enforcement officers; and establishing and implementing recruitment programs.

You can view the full bill here.

For further comment or background from Sen. Testa, please contact Jonathan Azzara in the SRO communications department.