MORRIS COUNTY — Comprehensive legislation sponsored by Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-Essex, Morris, Passaic) and Senator Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex) to strengthen New Jersey’s anti-bullying laws has passed the New Jersey Senate. The bill is named in honor of Mallory Grossman, a twelve-year-old Rockaway resident who committed suicide in 2017 after being bullied.

“Incidents of bullying should not be solely handled by the schools – the problem is much larger than that,” said Pennacchio. “Parents must be engaged in the process as well. This legislation standardizes the reporting process while increasing transparency and accountability at every level. There is no doubt that Mallory’s Law will go a long way to combating bullying in every school in New Jersey.”

“Suicide is the second leading cause of death for children between the ages of 10 and 14, a figure partially attributable to cyberbullying,” said Diegnan. “Although New Jersey’s ‘Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights’ is considered to be one of the toughest anti-bullying laws in the country, students have continued to be victimized, especially on social media, to the point of suicide. Hopefully, this bill will equip schools with the tools to combat this epidemic.”

Senator Pennacchio’s bipartisan legislation, S-3433, would standardize and toughen New Jersey’s anti-bullying laws. It aims to incorporate a broad approach to prevent and respond to bullying in New Jersey schools by increasing the repercussions and ensuring school officials take preventative actions before tragedy strikes.

“‘Mallory’s Law’ requires school and county officials to address bullying situations before an incident escalates into an irreversible tragedy,” added Pennacchio. “Increasing transparency and accountability, while standardizing this process, will help us put an end to this crisis.”

Mallory Grossman’s parents have turned their grief into action, by starting “Mallory’s Army,” a national movement to save other children from the devastating effects of bullying. On December 18, 2017 Senator Pennacchio and his colleagues in the State Senate honored Mallory’s Army for their efforts.

The bipartisan legislation named in tribute to Mallory was introduced in February 2019.

Although New Jersey’s “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights” is considered to be one of the toughest anti-bullying laws in the nation, students have continued to be victimized to the point of suicide.

Pennacchio’s legislation would reinforce and intensify the state’s “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights.” The bill was signed into law after cyber harassment led to the tragic suicide of Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi in 2010.

Many experts have noted that the growing trend of cyber harassment through cell phones, computers, and interactive video games leaves children today with little escape from bullying, even when in their own homes. Oftentimes, parents don’t realize it’s happening right in front of them.

“We have to do more to protect our kids when bullies can harass them at any time of the day via apps like Snapchat and Instagram, or even when they’re playing video games like Fortnite,” Pennacchio added. “’Mallory’s Law’ will ensure the bully, parents, and the school are made well aware of any incidents, and that proper disciplinary actions are taken before we lose more young lives.”

“Mallory’s Law” would ensure that parents are more involved when their child is accused of bullying. The bill would also direct New Jersey school districts to provide means for parents to complete an online form to report any occurrences of bullying.

The legislation would also require that each school district’s anti-bullying policy must include specific penalties for bullying. Any proven act of bullying would lead to the incident being added to the student’s permanent record.

Under the bill, bullies found culpable of harassment more than three times must attend anti-bullying training with their parents. Law enforcement will also be notified to see if the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice has been violated.

A civil liability may be imposed on the parent of a bully who demonstrates blatant disregard of supervising their child, if their child has been judged to be delinquent of harassment or cyber harassment.

Victims of bullying are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health issues such as low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.

“Mallory’s family and I worked closely together to create this legislation,” Senator Pennacchio commented. “The State of New Jersey must take every appropriate action to reduce bullying by increasing the strength and transparency of the reporting process. I urge the Governor to sign this legislation into law as soon as possible.”

NEW JERSEY — Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation to enhance safety for rideshare passengers by requiring additional identification for drivers. The bill’s passage and signing follows the tragic death of Samantha “Sami” Josephson, a Robbinsville resident and student at the University of South Carolina, who mistakenly entered a car she thought was her rideshare.

“Every day, thousands of rideshare passengers entrust drivers to get them to and from home, school, and work safely and without delay,” said Governor Murphy. “Just one unscrupulous mind seeking to take advantage of those passengers is one too many, and it is our responsibility to keep riders safe. Today, I am proud to stand beside the Josephson family and legislative sponsors to enhance protections for New Jersey’s rideshare passengers, and ensure that Samantha Josephson’s tragic death is not in vain.”

“This is a bitter-sweet day for the Josephsons. We want to thank the Assembly and Senate for unanimously passing Sami’s Law,” said Marci, Seymour, and Sydney Josephson. “We appreciate Governor Murphy accommodating us by signing the bill in Robbinsville, Samantha’s hometown. We are proud that New Jersey has taken the lead in making rideshare safer for everyone. We also want to thank our family, friends, and community for supporting us through this tough time.”

The legislation signed requires rideshare companies to issue additional identification materials to drivers to help passengers correctly identify their vehicle. First, rideshare companies must issue two identifying markers to each driver to be displayed on the front windshield and rear window. Second, rideshare companies must create and provide every driver with two copies of a two-dimensional barcode or other machine-readable code that passengers can scan to confirm the identity of the vehicle. Third, rideshare companies shall produce and issue two credential placards to be displayed on the driver and passenger side rear windows that include the driver’s name, photo, and license plate number. Drivers who fail to comply with these provisions are subject to a fine of $250, and rideshare companies that fail to comply with these provisions can have their permit to operate in New Jersey suspended or revoked.

The new requirements take effect nine months following the date of enactment.

We stand with the Josephsons through their unimaginable grief over the loss of Samantha in this tragedy,” said Motor Vehicle Commission Chair and Chief Administrator B. Sue Fulton. “The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission will do everything in our power to make this law as effective as it can be so that no other such terrible tragedy can happen in the future.”

A similar piece of legislation, also named “Sami’s Law,” was recently introduced at the federal level cosponsored by Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker in the U.S. Senate, and led by Representative Chris Smith in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“As rideshare services grow in popularity, we have a responsibility to address gaps in public safety, and Sami’s Law aims to do just that,” said U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. “No family should have to go through the kind of horrific tragedy experienced by the Josephson family.

It’s essential that we take necessary steps to ensure the safety of rideshare passengers. Making it easier for riders to identify their vehicles will make it tougher for nefarious actors to pose as a driver. It’s important that we’re working toward solutions that safeguard rideshare users so that no family bears the same pain as the Josephson family,” said U.S Senator Booker.

“Seymour and Marci Josephson are remarkable, courageous people who have channeled their deep, abiding love for their daughter, Sami, into a national campaign to protect others from predators and murderers who can still pose as fake rideshare drivers with the intent to do harm,” said Rep. Chris Smith who represents Robbinsville where the Josephsons live and has authored a federal Sami’s Law. “Today we see their enormous impact here at home, as New Jersey is the first state to pass legislation that mirrors the federal version of Sami’s Law.

We are grateful to Seymour and Marci and know that with their leadership and tenacity, we will see enactment of a federal Sami’s Law so that ride-share customers are equally protected in all 50 states.”

Sponsors of the state legislation include Senators Patrick Diegnan, Linda Greenstein, and Thomas Kean, and Assembly Members Daniel Benson, Wayne DeAngelo, Valerie Vainieri Huttle, and Paul Moriarty.

“I have the utmost gratitude to the Josephson family for their strength and courage in promoting this legislation,” said Senator Diegnan. “It’s tragic that we had to lose a young adult with a promising career in order to address the issue of rider safety. Hopefully this law will educate users and prevent future tragedies.”

“Sami Josephson’s story is a tragedy that could have happened to anyone utilizing popular ridesharing services. It devastated our community and we must do what we can to promote public safety and honor her life,” said Senator Greenstein. “By placing a greater emphasis on visual safeguards, riders will be able to identify key items to confirm they are entering a credentialed ride sharing vehicle.”

“In the wake of tragedy, we have seen our local community come together to support the Josephson family and affect meaningful change. No parent should have to experience the loss of a child, especially due to a lack of common-sense safety measures for rideshare services. With the passage of this legislation, New Jersey leads the nation with stricter regulations for these widely utilized services such as Uber and Lyft,” said Assemblyman Benson.

“What Seymour and Marci Josephson and their family have endured with the loss of their daughter Sami is a hardship that no family should face,” said Assemblyman DeAngelo. “No one should ever be concerned for the safety of themselves or their loved ones when using these services. Through this new law, we make sure that as these services continue to develop, we are constantly working together to make sure customers are served safely and responsibly.”

“The bottom line is rideshare services must be safe for both the rider and the driver,” said Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle. “New Jersey should focus on improving identification tools used by customers to recognize their driver and the vehicle. We have to do more to protect New Jersey residents; this cannot happen here. This new law takes us one step closer to achieving that goal.”

NEW JERSEY — Fulfilling his promise to restore New Jersey’s national leadership in the fight against climate change and sea-level rise, Governor Phil Murphy announced that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has formally adopted two rules returning New Jersey to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). New Jersey was a charter member of RGGI before Governor Christie withdrew the state from the compact in 2012.

“Climate change and sea-level rise affect us all, and as a coastal state, New Jersey is especially vulnerable to the impacts of global warming,” said Governor Murphy. “The reckless decision to pull out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in 2012 cost the state millions of dollars in revenue that could have been used to put toward initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the health of our residents. New Jersey has reemerged as a national leader in fighting climate change and reentering the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative will propel us on a path to 100 percent clean energy by 2050.”

The first rule, the Carbon Dioxide Budget Trading rule, establishes the mechanisms for rejoining RGGI and sets the initial carbon-dioxide cap for the state’s electricity generation sector at 18 million tons in 2020. New Jersey’s carbon dioxide budget will decline by 30 percent through 2030, with other adjustments that are standard to all member states. The model used to develop the New Jersey carbon budget only considers emissions from currently operating electric generating facilities. Through a combination of RGGI’s required carbon-dioxide reductions and Governor Murphy’s aggressive renewable energy goals, the Department of Environmental Protection projects that the state’s greenhouse gas emissions will be 11.3 million tons by 2030. 

The second rule, the Global Warming Solutions Fund rule, establishes the framework for how the DEP, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will implement a system to spend proceeds from RGGI carbon-dioxide allowance auctions, with an emphasis on projects that will benefit environmental justice in certain communities.

The DEP adopted the rules today with their publication in the New Jersey Register. In the coming months, RGGI member states will vote on New Jersey’s adopted rules and formal reentry, which will allow the state to participate in the first-quarter RGGI auction in March 2020.

“Not only is our coastline at risk from global warming, so are our densely populated urban areas and communities that are susceptible to river and stream flooding,” said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe. “While New Jersey has one of the cleanest electric generation portfolios in the country, resuming participation in RGGI provides the impetus for even further carbon dioxide reduction and is an important component of our comprehensive plan to address climate change.”

“Mitigating the impacts of climate change is one of the most significant challenges we face,” New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Joseph L. Fiordaliso said. “Rejoining RGGI is a crucial step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving our goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050. I am proud to serve in an administration that places such a high priority on creating a safer, healthier, more economically sound future for our children and grandchildren.”

“Under Governor Murphy’s leadership, New Jersey is positioning itself to be at the forefront of the clean energy economy and participating again in RGGI will be a major milestone toward that goal,” New Jersey Economic Development Authority Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan said. “The NJEDA is thrilled to be partnering with Commissioner McCabe and her team to maximize the opportunities presented to New Jersey to combat climate change and create sustainable jobs at the same time.”

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is made up of Mid-Atlantic and New England states working to reduce carbon-dioxide gas emissions from the energy sector through a cap-and-trade auction process that encourages more market efficiencies, invests in renewable energy, and improves power-plant technology. RGGI’s members are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Returning New Jersey to RGGI has been a priority for Governor Murphy since the outset of his administration. In his first month in office, the Governor issued Executive Order No. 7 directing the state to rejoin RGGI and develop a program that implements solutions that benefit communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change.

“We congratulate and salute New Jersey on this historic step. The effects of climate change and pollution operate across state lines, so it is important for states to work together as a region to take on these issues and move towards a cleaner power sector,” said Ben Grumbles, Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment and Chair of the RGGI, Inc. Board of Directors. “New Jersey has communicated frequently with the RGGI states in the design of the final rule. We thank and applaud them for their efforts and very much look forward to working together as RGGI participating states.”