Gov. Murphy Signs 11 NJ Laws, Giving Tax Breaks To Local Shoppers

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy has signed 11 more New Jersey bills into law, giving people property tax breaks if they shop local.

The new law allows municipalities to create a property tax reward program for residents who patronize local merchants.

“By encouraging people to shop locally we are helping to rebuild our main streets and small business communities,” said Assemblyman Ron Dancer, R-Ocean. “It also provides much-needed relief for our residents who pay the highest property taxes in the nation.”

The bill (A4806) codifies a practice that's already in place in communities like Marlboro, Union Township, Voorhees, Lacey, Toms River and others. Customers earn cash rewards by shopping at local businesses that choose to participate in the program.

“Small businesses provide jobs, lend their support to community organizations and causes, and create a robust economy. Unfortunately, they have been disproportionately impacted by coronavirus shutdowns and capacity restrictions,” said Dancer.

Here's how it will work:

• The measure would authorize property tax reward programs structured as l"ocal merchant loyalty initiatives."
• The programs would provide cash rewards to municipal residents and employees, people who work in the municipality and residents of other municipalities who choose to participate in the program when they buy goods or services from businesses in the town that agree to provide cash rewards.
• The program would be run by a private entity designated by the municipality.
• Shoppers would use a rewards card to make purchases at participating businesses and rewards would be calculated as a percentage of the total sale.
• The business would pay for the rewards earned by customers, plus a separate administrative fee for the program’s operator.
• On June 1 each year, the operator of the program would provide the municipal tax collector with a list of property owners who participate, as well as their rewards earned between May 1 and April 30.
• The total dollar value would be subtracted from the resident’s property tax bill. Participants who do not live in the municipality would receive a rebate check.

“We have to save our small businesses and in order to do that, we have to get creative," Dancer said. "This program can have a positive impact on both our small businesses and loyal local customers.”

Here's what Murphy signed into law late Wednesday:

• A-740/S-2846 (Johnson, Conaway, DeCroce/Gopal, Singleton) – Requires State agencies in awarding contracts for purchase of items that require power source to consider items powered by fuel cells
• A-3384/S-3171 (McKeon/Pou) – Makes various revisions to "Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act"; renames act to "Uniform Voidable Transactions Act"
• A-4240/S-2855 (Downey, Vainieri Huttle, Houghtaling, Coughlin/Pou, Turner) – Provides for technological upgrade of application process for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
• A-4246/S-3175 (Verrelli, Benson, Vainieri Huttle/Pou, Corrado) – Permits expedited licensure in mental health professions for certain individuals during state of emergency or public health emergency
• A-4477/S-2789 (Chiaravalloti, Conaway, Downey/Vitale, Weinberg) – Revises licensure, operational, and reporting requirements for nursing homes
• ACS for A-4556 and 4145/S-2611 (Karabinchak, Zwicker, Quijano/Smith, Bateman) – Requires BPU to establish and maintain electronic public document search system on its website; requires BPU to provide certain notice of its meetings and hold quarterly public comment meetings
• A-4671/S-3326 (Schaer, Swain, Tully/Ruiz, Singleton) – Requires public and local utilities to provide notice to residential customers of available relief measures during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic
• ACS for A-4805/SCS for S-3169 (Freiman, Tully, Danielsen/Pou, Gopal) – Requires certain insurers to provide summary concerning business interruption insurance
• A-4806/S-3188 (Dancer, Chiaravalloti/Pou, Singleton) – Permits municipalities to authorize programs encouraging local shopping through property tax rewards; validates certain related municipal actions
• A-4932/S-3066 (Johnson, Murphy, Downey/Pou) – Permits use of alternate names by limited liability partnerships
• A-5222/S-3306 (Mukherji, Verrelli, Lopez/Diegnan, Turner) – Authorizes optometrists to administer immunizations against coronaviruses and influenza under certain circumstances

Murphy conditionally vetoed the following bills:

• A-850/S-2864 (Chiaravalloti, Karabinchak, Reynolds-Jackson/Oroho, Singleton) – CONDITIONAL – Establishes "Broadband Access Study Commission." Copy of Statement
• A-2116/S-2009 (Tully, Swain, Armato/Lagana) – CONDITIONAL – Requires State Treasurer to submit report to Legislature every six months identifying deadlines for applications for federal funds by State agencies. Copy of Statement