Assembly adopts wide slate of bills and resolutions; public health institute, firearms measures, and education items clear floor

The New Jersey General Assembly on March 17, 2025 passed a large package of bills and resolutions on a range of topics including creation of a public health institute, multiple firearms-related measures, education and student-support mandates, and a series of commemorative resolutions. Lawmakers recorded roll-call tallies on each item and several measures drew substantive floor debate before a final vote.

Why it matters: The session moved dozens of measures into the next step of the legislative process, including some that change how state agencies operate, set reporting requirements for law enforcement, and require training or program changes for schools and public employers. Several bills that passed will take effect according to statutory timelines and some require follow-on rulemaking by state agencies.

What passed (selected list with outcome and roll-call tallies as recorded on the floor): - AJR 211 (designation; May 18 observance): Passed 74–0–0. - A-1825 (step therapy guidelines for SEHBP and Medicaid): Passed 74–2–0. - A-4163 / S-4163 (health insurance coverage for biomarker testing): Passed 76–0–0. - S-1320 (contract disclosures for licensed public adjusters): Passed 77–0–0. - A-3881 (state police online expungement status portal): Passed 75–0–0. - A-3540 (criminal penalties for deceptive audio/visual media): Passed 64–13–0. - AJR 217 (Paul Robeson Day designation): Passed 46–20–0. - SJR 102 (May 17 awareness day): Passed 78–0–0. - A-4975 (criminalization of digital instructions to manufacture firearms): Passed 50–26–1. - A-4976 / related (crime for reckless discharge of a firearm): Passed 49–25–2. - A-4978 (reporting by the Attorney General on shootings that did not result in bodily injury): Passed 58–17–0. - A-4981 (additional time for courts to consider pretrial matters when firearms are involved): Passed 57–19–0. - A-5323 (state police notification to local law enforcement on prohibited purchaser attempts): Passed 66–7–4 after a revote. - A-5345 (use of merchant category codes for firearm/ammunition purchases): Passed 48–27–2. - A-5346 (Firearm and Ammunition Procurement Act): Passed 50–27–0. - S-3199 (establishes New Jersey Haiti Commission): Passed 62–3–4. - A-3732 (trespass tied to victims of domestic violence): Passed 77–0–0. - A-1700 (perinatal anxiety public awareness and policy): Passed 75–2–0. - A-1973 (endometriosis screening requirement): Passed 69–0–7. - A-3734 (transfer of wireless billing to protect victims of domestic violence): Passed 77–0–0. - A-5309 (menopause CME credit for physicians): Passed 77–0–0. - S-5459 / A-? (extended newborn enrollment period): Passed 78–0–0. - S-2236 (exempts nursing mothers from jury duty): Passed 78–0–0. - A-4982 (prohibits health insurers from using body weight to deny certain eating disorder treatment): Passed 76–1–0. - A-4983 (training for athletic coaches and trainers on eating disorders): Passed 76–2–0. - A-4984 (DC F expansion of student support services to include eating disorder services): Passed 71–0–4. - AJR 205 (eating disorder awareness week): Passed 77–0–0. - A-1715 (compulsive gambling counsel on higher-education campuses): Passed 77–0–0. - A-2115 (training for transit employees on suspected human trafficking): Passed 78–0–0. - A-3340 (clarifies which health care professional may document need for home instruction): Passed 74–2–0. - A-3025 (exempts poll worker wages from unemployment compensation): Passed 70–7–1. - A-3283 (redirect unclaimed utility deposits to eligible statewide nonprofits): Passed 62–14–0. - A-3541 (legislative internship program): Passed 70–5–0. - A-3598 (Claudia’s Law — patient notification of certain radiology abnormalities): Passed 49–25–2. - A-4362 / S-3562 (designation and establishment of a public health institute — final floor action after substitution): Senate substitute S-3562 passed 50–26–0 (see separate article for debate and procedural steps). - A-5275 (local restrictions on construction of new crematories): Passed 51–21–0 after floor debate. - S-4144 (ignition interlock device installation clarifications): Passed 67–10–0. - A-4877 (regional authority governance changes): Passed 74–2–0. - A-4947 (clarifies bribery statute application to gratuities): Passed 76–0–0. - A-5134 (route publication requirement for certain transportation providers): Passed 70–5–2. - A-5141 (historic distillery license): Passed 77–1–0. - A-5217 (third-party discount/crediting protections for health benefit plan enrollees): Passed 76–0–0. - AJR 67 (reentry week designation): Passed 71–4–0. - AJR 215 (Brielle Sicknick Day): Passed 76–0–0. - A-1211 (criminal penalties for payment-card skimming devices): Passed 76–1–0. - S-2594 (appropriations for dam repair and water projects from bond funds): Passed 76–0–0. - SJR 140 (amyloidosis awareness month): Passed 74–0–0. - A-5067 (appointment of alternate member to Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preservation Commission): Passed 75–0–0. - AR-185 (urging Comcast and YES Network to renew carriage agreement): Passed 65–3–6. - S-3353 (agricultural housing protections): Passed 71–4–0. - S-1548 (sunscreen and sun-protective policy for schools): Passed 76–0–0.

Context and notes: Where the Assembly and Senate had differing bill numbers or substitutes, the Assembly either considered the Senate substitute on concurrence or rescinded/reconsidered a vote before taking the final action on the substituted text (for example the public health institute measure). Several bills drew extended debate on policy and process, notably measures on a state public health institute and local restrictions on crematory siting. Other bills passed with minimal floor debate and unanimous or near-unanimous tallies. Several votes included abstentions and roll calls were recorded on the floor; vote tallies above are transcribed from the Assembly clerk’s announcements during the March 17 session.

What’s next: Passed measures will move along for enrollment, transmission to the Senate or Governor where applicable, and for rulemaking or implementation by state agencies where required. Items that required follow-up (reports, rulemaking, or agency implementation) are noted in individual bill texts and will be tracked in committee and agency rule dockets.