Expungement Reform Bill Package Designed to Help People Reclaim Their Lives Becomes Law

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December 20, 2017		Majority Press Office 609.847.3500

Green, Muoio, Holley, Mukherji, Chiaravalloti & Wimberly Expungement Reform Bill Package Designed to Help People Reclaim Their Lives Becomes Law

(TRENTON) – Expungement reform legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Jerry Green, Elizabeth Maher Muoio, Jamel Holley, Raj Mukherji, Nicholas Chiaravalloti and Benjie Wimberly to help people reclaim their lives and start anew was signed into law on Wednesday.

The new laws prohibit employment discrimination based upon an expunged criminal record, accelerate expungements, increase the number of convictions that can be expunged and reduce the waiting period to expunge an entire juvenile record.

“Expungement offers an incentive against recidivism and lets people reclaim their lives,” said Green (D-Union/Middlesex/Somerset), who has advanced several expungement reform bills. “It gives people who currently have little chance of finding legal employment the opportunity to leave mistakes behind them, find a job and be productive. The fact is the system is working against those individuals who have served their time and want to change and do better. These new laws, combined with the reform laws we’ve already passed, will go a long way toward giving people a hand-up as they seek to rebuild their lives and benefit their families and communities.”

“A criminal record can affect a person’s ability to secure housing, employment and even obtain loans for school,” said Muoio (D-Mercer/Hunterdon).  “Individuals who have learned from their mistakes should not be defined by their criminal records for the rest of their lives. It is a greater benefit to society when these individuals are able to put their past behind them and lead better, more productive lives. These can be life-saving reforms.”

“Too many families and communities in New Jersey are being broken apart because of the barriers those with criminal records face after they’ve already served their sentences,” said Holley (D-Union). “Making it easier for them to build a good future for themselves ultimately will benefit our entire state.”

“The sooner someone’s criminal record is expunged, the sooner he or she can get a fresh start and make positive contributions to society,” said Chiaravalloti (D-Hudson). “Expungement reform is a good and necessary change for New Jersey.” 

 “There’s no benefit to continually punishing people who have served their time and now endeavor to redeem themselves,” said Mukherji (D-Hudson). “Expunging their criminal records can help them continue on the path to recovery, which is a good thing for everyone – the person, their family, their friends, our business community, the taxpayers and the state as a whole. It’s reasonable to say that these bills will not just changes lives. They will save lives.”

“These are proactive measures that will help to reduce our recidivism and unemployment rates,” said Wimberly (D-Bergen, Passaic). “This is about providing second chances for residents who need one. When we give a person the opportunity to change their lives, we give them hope.”

The laws include:

·         S-3306A-5036 (Green, Muoio, Holley, Wimberly): Prohibits employment discrimination based upon expunged criminal record;

·  S-3307/A-5037 (Muoio, Mukherji, Green, Chiaravalloti, Holley, Wimberly): Decreases the waiting period to expunge an entire juvenile record from five to three years;

·         S-3308/A-5038 (Muoio, Mukherji, Green, Wimberly, Chiaravalloti): Revises the procedures for expunging criminal and other records and information, including shortening of waiting periods for expungement eligibility and increasing the number of convictions that may be expunged.

A Bill to Boost Creation of Small, Women-Owned, & Minority-Owned Businesses Heads to Governor

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Dec. 18, 2017		Majority Press Office 609.847.3500

Lampitt, Mosquera & Green Bill to Boost Creation of Small, Women-Owned & Minority-Owned Businesses Heads to Governor

(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Pamela Lampitt, Gabriela Mosquera and Jerry Green to expand the scope and reach of small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses throughout New Jersey by providing loans through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority received final legislative approval Monday and now heads to the governor’s desk.

“Loans and investment capital are harder to come by for women- and minority-owned businesses, which puts these businesses at a disadvantage from the start,” said Lampitt (D-Camden/Burlington). “This legislation helps level the playing field and allows small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses to take advantage of loans that can help them sustain and build up their businesses.”

“Small businesses are critical to the strength of local economies,” said Green (D-Middlesex/Somerset/Union). “Expanding opportunities for small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses not only helps these businesses thrive, but contributes to the stability of the communities where they operate.”

“Businesses owned by women and minorities lag behind in revenue, which means these businesses do not have enough to invest and grown their businesses,” said Mosquera (D-Camden/Gloucester). “Expanding the loans that women and minority business owners can apply for can help reverse this.”

Under the bill (A-1451), in the event that the Economic Development Authority begins making direct loans to small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses, manufacturers, redevelopers or nonprofit organizations in areas designated by the State Development and Redevelopment Plan as urban centers, it must also include such businesses located in “regional centers” surrounding these urban areas.

Accordingly, qualified businesses in regional centers or metropolitan planning areas would be permitted to receive direct loans under a program by the EDA entitled the “Urban Plus Program.”

The Urban Plus Program provides financial support in the form of loans from the EDA with a below-market interest rate to qualified community and economic development projects, manufacturers, redevelopers and not-for-profit organizations in the following endorsed New Jersey municipalities: Camden, Trenton, Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, New Brunswick, Asbury Park and Atlantic City.

Under this bill, small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses in the following surrounding regional centers would now qualify for loans: North Wildwood City, West Wildwood Borough, Wildwood City, Millville City, Vineland City, Princeton Borough, Princeton Township, Long Branch City, Red Bank Borough, Dover Town, Morristown, Stafford Township, Salem City, Bridgewater Township, Somerville, Raritan Borough, Newton, Cape May Court House, Ocean City, Middle Township, Bridgeton City and Woolwich.  

A “qualified business” is defined in the bill as a business that is established by the EDA as a small, woman-owned, or minority-owned New Jersey-based business, manufacturer, redeveloper or non-profit organization that is unable to obtain funding from conventional sources, notwithstanding the assistance of an EDA guarantee.

The bill was approved 67-8-1 by the Assembly in June, and 32-0 today by the Senate.

Expungement Reform Bill Package Clears Legislature

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December 8, 2017		Majority Press Office 609.847.3500

Green, Muoio, Holley, Mukherji, Chiaravalloti & Wimberly Expungement Reform Bill Package Clears Legislature

(TRENTON) – Expungement reform legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Speaker Pro Tempore Jerry Green, Elizabeth Maher Muoio, Jamel Holley, Raj Mukherji, Nicholas Chiaravalloti and Benjie Wimberly to help people reclaim their lives and start anew gained final approval Thursday in the General Assembly.

The bills would prohibit employment discrimination based upon an expunged criminal record, accelerate expungements, increase the number of convictions that can be expunged and reduce the waiting period to expunge an entire juvenile record.

“Expungement offers an incentive against recidivism and lets people reclaim their lives,” said Green (D-Union/Middlesex/Somerset), who has advanced several expungement reform bills. “It gives people who currently have little chance of finding legal employment the opportunity to leave mistakes behind them, find a job and be productive. The fact is the system is working against those individuals who have served their time and want to change and do better. These bills, combined with the reform laws we’ve already passed, will go a long way toward giving people a hand-up as they seek to rebuild their lives and benefit their families and communities.”

“A criminal record can affect a person’s ability to secure housing, employment and even obtain loans for school,” said Muoio (D-Mercer/Hunterdon).  “Individuals who have learned from their mistakes should not be defined by their criminal records for the rest of their lives. It is a greater benefit to society when these individuals are able to put their past behind them and lead better, more productive lives. These can be life-saving reforms.”

“Too many families and communities in New Jersey are being broken apart because of the barriers those with criminal records face after they’ve already served their sentences,” said Holley (D-Union). “Making it easier for them to build a good future for themselves ultimately will benefit our entire state.”

“The sooner someone’s criminal record is expunged, the sooner he or she can get a fresh start and make positive contributions to society,” said Chiaravalloti (D-Hudson). “Expungement reform is a good and necessary change for New Jersey.”  

 “There’s no benefit to continually punishing people who have served their time and now endeavor to redeem themselves,” said Mukherji (D-Hudson). “Expunging their criminal records can help them continue on the path to recovery, which is a good thing for everyone – the person, their family, their friends, our business community, the taxpayers and the state as a whole. It’s reasonable to say that these bills will not just changes lives. They will save lives.”

“These are proactive measures that will help to reduce our recidivism and unemployment rates,” said Wimberly (D-Bergen, Passaic). “This is about providing second chances for residents who need one. When we give a person the opportunity to change their lives, we give them hope.”

The bills include:

·         A-5036 (Green, Muoio, Holley, Wimberly): Prohibits employment discrimination based upon expunged criminal record;

·         A-5037 (Muoio, Mukherji, Green, Chiaravalloti, Holley, Wimberly): Decreases the waiting period to expunge an entire juvenile record from five to three years;

·         A-5038 (Muoio, Mukherji, Green, Wimberly, Chiaravalloti): Revises the procedures for expunging criminal and other records and information, including shortening of waiting periods for expungement eligibility and increasing the number of convictions that may be expunged.

A-5036 was approved 42-17. A-5037 was approved 62-0. A-5038 was approved 61-1. The bills will now go to the Governor for further consideration.