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Appropriations Committee reports dozens of bills ranging from school counselors to solar permitting and utility measures
Summary
The Assembly Appropriations Committee advanced a broad package of bills May 15, reporting measures on school counselor certification, housing directories and incentives, solar permitting, utility assistance and multiple energy and housing proposals; many were amended and reported without extended debate.
The New Jersey Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 15 moved a large slate of bills to the next legislative steps, reporting multiple measures after hearings and, in some cases, brief testimony. Items advanced include measures on school counselor certification and a liaison in the Department of Education (AB3424); a centralized directory for affordable housing (AB3363/SB1277); changes to the Cultural Arts Incentives Program (AB5378); and several housing, energy and utility‑related bills.
Routine items that were reported after sponsors presented registered supporters and no oral testimony included bills on temporary deeds of easement for municipalities, allowing families to set aside unused after‑school care hours for holidays (AB4642), consolidated utility assistance applications and expanded income thresholds for utility programs. The committee also considered and reported multiple utility oversight bills, including measures focused on how the Board of Public Utilities determines return on equity and a bill the transcript identifies as the Public Utility Fair Profit Act.
Energy and clean‑energy funding items included a measure to procure and incentivize transmission‑scale energy storage; witnesses from both large‑scale developers and distributed‑storage advocates urged amendments to preserve behind‑the‑meter opportunities while ensuring resource adequacy and competitive procurement.
Votes at a glance (selected items reported): AB1996 (preeclampsia screening) — amended and reported; AB3424 (school counselor certification) — amended and reported; AB3981 (CSLR regulation) — reported; AB3282/AB4964 substitute (homelessness prevention/eviction fee) — reported; AB5269 (energy storage procurement) — reported; multiple other education, housing and utility bills were amended and reported as recorded by the committee clerk.
What’s next: Reported bills will proceed through the legislature according to the legislative calendar. Committee members repeatedly urged sponsors and agencies to continue stakeholder outreach for bills that drew contention.
