multimedia package

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

DIEGNAN/CHIVUKULA/RAMOS ON NEW LAW HELPING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

Measure Gives Gas Station Franchise Owners Right of First Refusal if Franchise is Sold

(TRENTON) - Assemblymen Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr., Upendra J. Chivukula and Ruben J. Ramos, Jr. today issued a multimedia package on legislation signed into law by Governor Jon S. Corzine designed to help small business owners who operate a gas station franchise.

Under the new law (A-3726), the owner of a gas station franchise - typically a big oil company - is prohibited from selling or transferring any franchise operated by a small business owner for at least three years without first giving the current owner the option to purchase the franchise or the right of first refusal to match any offer made to purchase the franchise.

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

LAMPITT/DeANGELO COMMENTARY ON BILL ALLOWING TOWNS TO CREATE PEDOPHILE FREE ZONES

Measure Would Fill Legal Void Left by State Supreme Court Ruling

(TRENTON) - Assembly members Pamela R. Lampitt and Wayne P. DeAngelo today issued a multimedia package on their legislation to allow municipalities to create "pedophile free zones" - areas near schools, child-care centers and playgrounds where known sex-offenders would be prohibited from living.

The measure (A-641) would provide uniform standards for the creation of local ordinances that would prohibit a Megan's Law registrant over age 21 from making their home within 500 feet of schools, child-care centers or playgrounds.  The sponsors said the legislation responds to a recent state Supreme Court ruling that invalidated 118 local ordinances that created such zones, citing "a need for statewide uniformity."

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

BURZICHELLI/MORIARTY/DeANGELO COMMENTARY ON THE 'NJ FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT'

Measure Would Protect Consumers from Over Aggressive, Illegal Debt Collection Practices

(TRENTON) - Assemblymen John J. Burzichelli, Paul D. Moriarty and Wayne P. DeAngelo today released a multimedia package on their legislation to protect consumers from abusive debt collection practices.

The "New Jersey Fair Debt Collection Practices Act" (A-2493) would eliminate abusive debt collection practices in New Jersey while providing consumers with a vehicle to dispute and validate debt information.  The sponsors noted that the legislation would, in no way, relieve New Jersey consumers of their obligations to pay outstanding debts.

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

DIEGNAN/VAINIERI HUTTLE ON BILL TO HELP CHARITIES AND NON-PROFITS WEATHER THE GLOBAL RECESSION

(TRENTON) - Assembly members Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. and Valerie Vainieri Huttle issued a multimedia package today on legislation they sponsored to give charitable organizations more discretion to spend and invest endowment funds, helping them better weather the global economic recession.

Currently, non-profit organizations in the state are only able to fund their efforts through interest earned from the initial endowment that created the organization.  The bill (A-3871) would create a clear set of rules allowing charities to fund their efforts directly from an endowment, providing non-profits more financial flexibility in pursuing their missions.

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

ASSEMBLY AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE MEMBERS DISCUSS POSSIBLE RAW MILK SALES

Begin Study of Whether to Legalize Sale of Raw Milk Products in NJ

(TRENTON) - Assembly members Nelson T. Albano, Celeste M. Riley and Herb Conaway, M.D., today released a multimedia package on discussions over whether to legalize  raw milk sales in New Jersey.

Raw milk is milk product straight from a cow that has not been pasteurized or homogenized.  Twenty-six states, including New York and Pennsylvania, allow for the sale of raw milk with some restrictions.

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS COMMENTARY ON BILLS INCREASING AWARENESS & SIMPLIFYING ENROLLMENT IN PAAD, SENIOR GOLD

(TRENTON) - Assembly Democrats today issued a multimedia package on two bills sponsored by Assembly members Sheila Y. Oliver, Connie Wagner, Celeste M. Riley and Ruben J. Ramos, Jr. that would increase awareness of and simplify enrollment in the state's two prescription assistance programs.

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

ASSEMBLY CELEBRATES ASIAN HISTORY MONTH

Celebration Commemorates Significant Contributions of Groups, Individuals

(TRENTON) - Assembly Democrats today issued a multimedia package commemorating the chamber's celebration of Asian History Month - a time to reflect and remember the individuals and groups that have contributed to the betterment or advancement of Asian Americans in New Jersey.

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

ROBERTS, VOSS & ADVOCATES COMMENTARY ON ADVANCEMENT OF BILL PROVIDING COVERAGE OF AUTISM TREATMENTS

(TRENTON) - Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr., today issued a multimedia package on legislation he sponsored with Assembly members Joan M. Voss and Vincent Prieto to require health insurers to provide coverage for medically necessary treatments of disorders on the autism spectrum.

The measure (A-2238) follows the 2007 enactment of seven laws that made New Jersey a national leader in providing support to families with autistic members.  It would require health insurers to cover the expenses of treatments deemed medically necessary for autism-spectrum disorders, which include Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Asperger's Disorder and Rhett's Syndrome.  Insurance coverage would be extended to physical, speech and occupational therapies, as well as behavioral interventions.

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

WEEKLY BUDGET MESSAGE:  BURZICHELLI ON CONVERTING PROPERTY TAX REBATES TO DIRECT TAX CREDITS

(TRENTON) - Assemblyman John J. Burzichelli today issued a multimedia package focused on his legislation to change New Jersey's property tax rebate program into a system of direct tax credits.

Burzichelli's bill (A-3308) would deliver the state's homestead property tax rebate as a direct credit to homeowners on their tax bills.  It also would protect homeowners' sensitive personal information by removing certain property tax deduction and credit information from public documents, making it harder to find out what a household makes based on their property tax deduction.

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

MORIARTY/CONAWAY/GREENSTEIN/CRUZ-PEREZ ON PROHIBITING PAYMENT FOR PREVENTABLE MEDICAL ERRORS

Measure Would Protect Consumers through Enhanced Error Reporting; Prohibition of Payment for Severe Medical Mistakes

(TRENTON) - Assembly members Paul D. Moriarty, Herb Conaway, M.D., Linda R. Greenstein and Nilsa Cruz-Perez today issued a multimedia package on their legislation to protect New Jersey consumers from being billed for certain egregious medical errors.

The measure (A-3371) is designed to mitigate serious and preventable medical errors. It would prohibit hospitals from charging patients and their insurance companies for medical bills related to these errors and require public hospital-by-hospital reporting of certain errors.