Accomplished in 2018/2019
School Aid Modification (S.2 | P.L.2018, c.67.): Senate President Sweeney worked to pass a law that phases out school Adjustment Aid and eliminates growth caps so districts with growing enrollments can receive more funding. The changes shift $68 million from overfunded districts to some of the most underfunded ones and ensure every district receives at least 58% of the funding they should receive from the state. This gives the districts that have lost children the chance to shrink in attrition and right size.
“Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act” (S.2293 | P.L.2018, c.119.): In order to expand access to vocational schools and career academies, Senate President Sweeney passed the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act. This act authorizes issuance of $1,000,000,000 in general obligation bonds to finance certain school, school district and county college capital projects.
Raise the Minimum Wage (A.15/S.15 | P.L.2019, c.32.): In an effort to help working families in New Jersey, Senate President Sweeney, along with the Governor, worked to pass a law that raised the minimum wage. The law gradually raises the minimum wage until it reaches a minimum wage of $15/hour in 2024. The law also pushed to have the minimum wage be raised to follow inflation.
Family Leave (A.3975/S.2528 | P.L.2019, c.37.): Senate President Sweeney along with Senators Diegnan and Ruiz established the law that expands the maximum total benefits payable to any eligible individual for periods of family temporary disability leave (often referred to as family leave insurance, or “FLI”) and periods of disability covered under Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) related to pregnancy and recovery from childbirth. The law also increases the maximum length of time for which FLI benefits are paid from six to 12 weeks during any 12-month period. In cases of intermittent leave, the maximum FLI leave is increased from 42 days to 56 days.
Restored Funding to Planned Parenthood (S.120 | P.L.2018, c.2.): Senate President Sweeney along with Senator Weinberg worked to pass a law that supplemented the FY 2018 Annual Appropriations Act by providing $7,453,000 from the General Fund for Family Planning Services grants through the Department of Health. The law specifies that the monies cannot be used for abortion procedures.
Cultivation of Hemp (A.5322/S.3686 | P.L.2019, c.238.): Senate President Sweeney along with Senators Oroho, Beach and Andrzejczak worked to pass a law designated as the “New Jersey Hemp Farming Act,” which permits a hemp producer or its agent to cultivate, handle, or process hemp or hemp products in New Jersey. The law also permits individuals to possess, transport, sell, and purchase legally-produced hemp products in the State. The law prohibits a person or entity that is not a hemp producer or an agent of a hemp producer from cultivating, handling, or processing living hemp plants or viable seeds, leaf materials, or floral materials derived from hemp.
Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Surviving Spouses of Fallen Police Officers (S.1967 | P.L.2019, c.127.): Senate President Sweeney and Senator Madden worked to pass a law that provides for the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) to be added to the workers' compensation for the spouses of police officers killed in the line of duty. The sum bears the same percentage relationship to the maximum benefit rate at the time of the adjustment that the initial rate bore to the maximum rate at the time of the initial award.
“Sexual Assault Victim’s Bill of Rights” (S.875 | P.L.2019, c.103.): Senate President Sweeney and Senator Greenstein worked to pass a law that puts in place practices and procedures to provide care and treatment for survivors and ensures their safety in the wake of assaults that can cause physical and emotional trauma. The law codifies rights for medical treatment of the survivor’s choice, including mental health services, and the right to speak privately with a rape care advocate, an attorney, member of the clergy or a family member. They are also entitled to report the sexual violence, or to refrain from making a formal report to law enforcement authorities or others.
Legalized Sports Betting (S.602 | P.L.2018, c.33.): Senate President Sweeney along with Senator Gopal fought for legalized sports betting in New Jersey in order to bring in a new source of revenue to the state, as well as help the casinos and racetracks draw in more people. The lawsuit went to the Supreme Court, where the state won. This law allows casinos in Atlantic City and racetracks in this State to conduct wagering on professional and collegiate sports or athletic events. In FY 2020 the state brought in $21.6 million and it is estimated that in FY 2021 the state should bring in $24 million and in FY 2022 the state should bring in $26.6 million.
“Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act” (A.1504/S.1070 | P.L.2019, c.59.): Senate President Sweeney along with Senators Codey and Scutari fought to allow adult New Jersey residents who have the capacity to make health-care decisions and who have been determined by that individual’s attending and consulting physicians to be terminally ill, to obtain medication that the patient may self-administer to terminate the patient’s life.
Equal Pay (S.104 | P.L.2018, c.9.): Senate President Sweeney along with Senators Weinberg and Cunningham worked to pass a law that modified the Law Against Discrimination (LAD). This law makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to discriminate against an employee because the employee is a member of a class protected against discrimination by the LAD, by paying a rate of compensation, including benefits, to employees of a protected class less than the rate paid to employees not of the class for substantially similar work, when viewed as a composite of skill, effort and responsibility. The law prohibits any employer paying a rate in violation of the law from reducing the rate of compensation of any employee in order to comply with the law.
School Funding Fairness: In the 2018 budget, Senate President Sweeney successfully added $100 million for school funding, redistributed $30 million, added $25 million for extraordinary special education funding, and another $25 million for pre-school education. While the additional money for school funding was crucial, redistributing the funds based on the formula was monumental. The result of the new money and redistribution of aid added nearly $6 million in additional aid to the 3rd Legislative District with Kingsway Regional receiving $732,243, East Greenwich receiving $172,945 and Bridgeton receiving $2.2 million.
