Tenure Reform, No Statute of Limitations on Sexual Abuse Lawsuits, Transportation Authority Crackdown, Targeting Iran & Improved Domestic Violence Services Top Thursday Assembly Agendas

Longer School Day & Year, Virtual Charter School Moratorium, Banning Fracking Wastewater, Jobs for Veterans & Animal Abuse Protections Also on Tap

            (TRENTON) –  Tenure reform, removing the statute of limitations on sexual abuse civil actions, cracking down on employment, gifts and compensation at three major state transportation authorities, targeting those who invest in Iran and improved domestic violence services top Thursday’s Assembly agendas.

            A pilot program for a longer school day and year, a moratorium on virtual charter schools, banning fracking wastewater from New Jersey, jobs for veterans and protective orders against those found guilty of animal abuse are also on tap.

            Hearings will begin at 10 a.m., with audio streamed live at:

            http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp.

            The complete agenda is attached.

Highlights include:

·         A tenure reform bill (A-3660) by Assembly Education Chairman Patrick J. Diegnan Jr. (D-Middlesex) that would require an additional year to acquire tenure, require two effective evaluations to acquire tenure, require binding arbitration to determine contested tenure cases and improve teacher training. It will be heard at 1 p.m. by the Assembly Education Committee.

·         A bill to remove the statute of limitations in civil actions for sexual abuse (A-2405). It’s sponsored by Annette Quijano (D-Union), Peter Barnes III (D-Middlesex) and L. Grace Spencer (D-Essex). It will be heard at 10 a.m. by the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

·         Three bills to impose restrictions on employment, gifts and compensation for commissioners, officers and employees at the Delaware River Port Authority, Delaware River and Bay Authority and the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (A-1244-1245-1246). The bills are sponsored by Paul Moriarty (D-Gloucester/Camden) and Matt Milam (D-Atlantic/Cape May/Cumberland) and will be heard at 10 a.m. by the Assembly transportation panel.

·         A bill (A-2146) sponsored by John McKeon and Mila Jasey (both D-Essex/Morris), Troy Singleton (D-Burlington), Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) and Annette Quijano (D-Union) to ban state and local public contracts with persons or entities doing business with Iran’s energy, finance or construction sectors. It will be heard at 2 p.m. by the Assembly State Government Committee.

·         A pair of bills sponsored by Gabriela Mosquera (D-Gloucester/Camden) and Angel Fuentes (D-Camden/Gloucester) to audit community response coordination to domestic violence and create the New Jersey Security and Financial Empowerment Act to assist victims of domestic violence and sexual assault (A-2899-2919. The bills will be heard at 10 a.m. by the Assembly Women and Children Committee.

·         A measure to impose a one-year moratorium on new virtual charter schools (A-3105) sponsored by Patrick J. Diegnan Jr. (D-Middlesex) and Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen) and a bill to designate new charter school authorizers (A-1287) sponsored by Mila Jasey (D-Essex/Morris), Albert Coutinho (D-Essex) and Angel Fuentes (D-Camden/Gloucester). They’ll be heard at 1 p.m. by the Assembly Education Committee.

·         A bill sponsored by Gilbert “Whip” Wilson (D-Camden/Gloucester) and Charles Mainor (D-Hudson) to establish a pilot program to expand the school day and year (A-1391). It will be heard at 1 p.m. by the Assembly Education Committee.

·         A bill (A-575) sponsored by Connie Wagner (D-Bergen/Passaic), Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer/Hunterdon) and Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) to ban the treatment, discharge, disposal or storage in the state of fracking wastewater. It will be heard at 2 p.m. by the Assembly environmental panel.

·         A bill (A-347) sponsored by Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer/Hunterdon) to require courts to issue protective orders against persons found guilty of abusing animals. It’s to be heard at 2 p.m. by the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

·         Three bills (A-2889-2891-2892) to help returning veterans find work as nurses, EMTs or teachers. The bills are sponsored by Herb Conaway M.D. (D-Burlington), Cleopatra Tucker (D-Essex), Wayne DeAngelo (D-Mercer/Middlesex), Troy Singleton (D-Burlington), Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden/Burlington), Patrick J. Diegnan Jr. (D-Middlesex), John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland) and John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) and will be heard at 10 a.m. by the Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.