On March 19, Governor Phil Murphy signed a package of bills into law that will help residents and businesses mitigate the COVID-19 crisis. The bills were signed mere days after the Legislature introduced passed these measures promptly understanding the severity of the situation on New Jersey residents and businesses. A brief overview of these bills can be found below.

Economic Relief Bills:

A-3845 / S-2284 (Freiman / Greenwald / Dancer / Stack) - Authorizes EDA to make grants during periods of emergency declared by Governor and for duration of economic disruptions due to emergency; allows EDA to grant certain business documentation submission deadline extensions.

A-3861 / S-2290 (Karabinchak / Johnson / Greenwald / Diegnan) - Permits corporations to hold shareholders' meetings in part or solely by means of remote communication during state of emergency.

A-3865 / S-2291 (Chaparro / Reynolds-Jackson / Verrelli / Addiego) - Limits return of items purchased from retail food stores under certain circumstances.

Other Bills Included in the Package:

A-3095 / S-1982 (Mazzeo / Beach / Turner) - Provides county clerks with additional week to mail ballots for 2020 primary election; requires ballot position draw to occur one day early if statutory date falls on holiday.

A-3840 / S-2281 (Lampitt / Quijano / Ruiz / Cunningham) - Requires school districts to provide school meals or meal vouchers to students eligible for free and reduced price school meals during school closures due to COVID-19 epidemic.

A-3843 / S-2283 (McKeon / Bramnick / Chaparro / Vitale / Lagana) - Requires health insurance and Medicaid coverage for testing of coronavirus disease 2019 and for telemedicine and telehealth during coronavirus disease 2019 state of emergency.

A-3848 / S-2301 (Lopez / Munoz / Downey / Weinberg) - Concerns time off from work in connection with infectious disease.

A-3849 / S-2302 (Johnson / Moen / Timberlake / Bucco) - Modifies deadline by which public agency is required to respond to request for government record during period of emergency.

A-3850 / S-2294 (Murphy / DeCroce / Moen / Beach / Bucco) - Allows public bodies to conduct meetings, and provide notice, by electronic means during periods of emergency.

A-3851 / S-2295 (Schaer / Scharfenberger / Reynolds-Jackson / Bucco / Gopal) - Permits extension of deadlines for adoption of county and municipal budgets under certain circumstances.

A-3854 / S-2286 (Conaway / Munoz / Benson / Vitale / Gill) - Authorizes all licensed health care facilities and laboratories to collect specimens to test for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); allows waiver of staffing ratio requirements.

A-3855 / S-2287 (Mosquera / Stanfield / Vainieri Huttle / Kean / Codey) - Requires food access information be displayed on websites of 2-1-1 system and executive branch departments during public health emergencies to the extent practicable.

A-3860 / S-2289 (Pinkin / DeCroce / Benson / Vitale) - Establishes certain requirements to use telemedicine and telehealth to respond to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

A-3862 / S-2298 (Giblin / Armato / Houghtaling / Pou / Kean) - Permits professional and occupational licensing boards to expedite licensure of certain individuals during state of emergency or public health emergency.

AJR-158 / SJR-77 (DeAngelo / DePhillips) - Urges FCC to take temporary measures to secure broadband access for those affected by COVID-19.