Assembly Approves DeCroce Bill on Gasoline Availability During Emergencies

Press Release – Super Storm Sandy forced a gasoline supply interruption in New Jersey that inflicted pain on many people’s lives and disrupted business activities for a week. Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce, R-Morris, Essex, Passaic, sponsored legislation to help change the way fuel is sold in the state and to make more gasoline available. The General Assembly has acted on one of her bills and is waiting to act on another.

DeCroce’s bill, A-1733, allows a retailer to sell higher grade fuel at a lower price anytime during a declared emergency when the dealer runs out of lower grade fuel. Under current law, fuel must be sold at its posted price which cannot be changed more than once during a 24 hour period.

DeCroce said her legislation will allow consumers to save money. “It’s an important step to ensuring that we don’t have a repeat of the chaos we saw at gas stations during Sandy.”

DeCroce said she hopes the Assembly leadership will consider a companion bill, A-1732, that would remove regulatory barriers to importing gasoline from nearby states during times of natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy. The legislation automatically suspends — during a declared state of emergency — the distributor’s license requirement to import or deliver motor fuel from another state into New Jersey for 10 days or a time period determined by the governor via executive order. Under the bill, non-licensed distributors must document their New Jersey sales and pay all applicable state taxes state residents.

In the aftermath of Sandy in late October 2012 fuel supplies for New Jersey refineries were interrupted, but plenty of gasoline was available from suppliers in nearby states. That gasoline, however, could not be delivered under current law.

“My objective with these two bills is to strip away some the bureaucratic rigidity we have in this state so we can better respond to people’s needs in an emergency,” said DeCroce.

DeCroce said people who waited in long lines to get gasoline in 2012 were incensed when they learned that tanker trucks were waiting at the state border to deliver gasoline, but could not because of state regulations.

“There are some regulations that simply don’t make sense; and rules that hamper gas supplies or make it difficult to sell gasoline that is available during an emergency have to be addressed,” she said.

“I’m glad my colleagues in the Assembly approved A-1733 and now I hope the Assembly leadership will move quickly on A-1732. We are in the midst of hurricane season and I am sure no one wants to live through the fuel disruptions that we did three years ago if we are hit with another major storm,” said DeCroce.

DeCroce Bill Preventing Standardized Testing in Grades K to 2 Earns Assembly Approval

Source: Assembly Republican Press Release -

The General Assembly today approved legislation sponsored by Assembly Republican BettyLou DeCroce to exempt young school children from standardized testing. The bill, A-3079, prohibits schools from administering standardized assessments from Kindergarten to 2nd Grade.

“Children in the early grades should spend as much class time as possible learning the fundamentals of reading, math and social skills,” said DeCroce, R-Morris, Essex and Passaic. “These years are crucial for forming the foundation for future education. Instead of testing them to collect data, we should allow kids to be kids.”

The bill prohibits commercially developed standardized tests, but DeCroce noted that the bill does not ban all testing in grades K to 2. Evaluations can be administered and scored by a teacher or school board.

Assembly Approves Bill to Rename Route 53 Alex DeCroce Memorial Highway

Source: Jefferson Patch

The New Jersey General Assembly followed in the footsteps of the state Senate Monday by passing a measure to rename Route 53 in Morris County after former Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce of Parsippany, who died suddenly in January 2012. Asw. BettyLou DeCroce, who was appointed and then elected to fill her late husband’s seat, released a statement to express her gratitude.

BettyLou DeCroce

“I extend my sincerest thanks to the bill’s bipartisan sponsors for initiating this measure,” said the assemblywoman, who represents District 26, which covers parts of Morris, Essex and Passaic counties.

The Senate approved its version of the legislation in September 2013.

DeCroce said she isn’t sure that her husband would share her happiness at the bill’s passage by both legislative houses.

“Those who knew Alex know he never sought the limelight,” his widow said. “In fact, he would be quite uncomfortable over this because he was not one to flaunt his accomplishments. His only goal was to get the job done for the people of his district and the state.”

DeCroce said re-naming the nearly 5-mile, state-controlled thoroughfare, which starts in Morris Plains and runs through Parsippany and Denville, is an appropriate tribute for the late lawmaker.

“Alex was a huge supporter of transportation issues,” she said, noting that he was former chair of the transportation committee, prime sponsor of the renewal of the Transportation Trust Fund and a crime victims’ advocate. “To have Route 53, which runs through his hometown and district, named for him is truly a great honor to his legacy.”

The bill, S-2580/A-3789, now heads to Gov. Chris Christie for his consideration.

DeCroce and Casagrande's 'Autumn Joy Stillbirth Research Act' Approved by Assembly

Source: Assembly Republican Press Release -

The General Assembly today approved the “Autumn Joy Stillbirth Research and Dignity Act,” sponsored by Assemblywomen BettyLou DeCroce and Caroline Casagrande.

Assembly bill 4280 calls on the Department of Health to create a database for stillbirth research and to develop protocols for stillbirths and to create a database for stillbirth research.

“By establishing guidelines, we are providing medical professionals and staff with tools to ensure grief-stricken families receive sensitive and compassionate care following the loss of a child in stillbirth,” said DeCroce, R-Essex, Morris and Passaic. “For a family coping with a horrific loss, appropriate and skilled care is crucial.”

DeCroce and Casagrande’s bill is named in honor of Autumn Joy Vijayvergiya, a baby who was stillborn in New Jersey in 2011. It requires the development of policies to ensure that families experiencing a stillbirth receive psychological and emotional support.

“A stillbirth is an emotionally devastating event for the mother, father and the entire family. Our bill will better prepare medical care-givers to provide sensitive, proficient treatment for the emotional, and psychological trauma of the loss,” said Casagrande, R-Monmouth.

Approximately one in every 160 pregnancies in the U.S. ends in stillbirth, or 26,000 each year.

By directing the Department of Health to establish a database to serve as a comprehensive resource for stillbirth research, the bill could ultimately provide valuable information for the prevention of stillbirths.

The “Autumn Joy Stillbirth Research and Dignity Act” now moves to the Governor. Companion bill S-2843 passed the Senate, 39-0-1.

DeCroce Full-Day Kindergarten Bill Wins Assembly Approval

Source: Parsippany Patch -

A bill creating a task force to study the feasibility of full-day kindergarten programs throughout the state, was approved by the General Assemly at the State House in Trenton Thursday.

The bill, sponsored by District 26 Asw. BettyLou DeCroce, now moves to Gov. Chris Christie for his signature.

“Effective early childhood education can provide a rock-solid foundation for later academic and career success,” said DeCroce, a Republican who represents parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties. “Efficient and productive full-day kindergarten programs can be critical in launching our students to higher achievement, making them competitive with high-performing students from
around the world and making New Jersey more competitive in the global marketplace.”

The bill, A-3972, establishes a 21-member task force to study and evaluate issues related to implementing full-time kindergarten in the Garden State. The lawmaker said the task force will review existing research; implementation issues, including staffing needs and facility space availability; funding concerns; and curriculum comparisons between full- and half-day programs.

“A five-year-old in a dynamic all-day session benefits from social interaction and skill-building, but the most important dividends are educational,” said DeCroce. “It is a springboard to sufficient learning. A longer school day and a more ambitious curriculum can enable kindergartners with exposure to core verbal and reading principals, and develop a solid foundation in mathematics.”

The bill was approved by the General Assembly last June, but was amended and advanced from the Senate in November. The amended version that won passage Thursday boosts the panel’s size to 21 members, including one member appointed by the Assembly’s minority leader, one appointed by the Senate’s minority leader and a third member appointed by Gov. Christie upon the recommendation of the Garden State Coalition of Schools.

DeCroce Bill Extending Permit Extension Moratorium Date Approved By Assembly

Source: Assembly Republican Press Release -

Bipartisan legislation sponsored by Assembly Republican BettyLou DeCroce, R-Morris, Essex and Passaic, that extends the moratorium on the imposition of fees on non-residential construction projects through December 31, 2014 was approved by the General Assembly today. The moratorium had expired on July 1, 2013.

The legislation, A-4457, which was released from the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Dec. 12, provides that municipalities are required to return any monies paid by a developer during the time period between July1, 2013 through the effective date of the bill. Municipalities that have already spent such fees on affordable housing projects would not be required to provide a refund.

“The building industry is one of New Jersey’s key economic drivers as it creates jobs and facilitates commerce,” said DeCroce. “Extending the moratorium will save builders from re-applying for approvals previously obtained which only drives up the costs of a project. Many jobs are created both directly and indirectly due to the building industry, such as suppliers, retailers, financial institutions and real estate.

“Extending the expiration date will save permit holders millions of dollars that can be used to create good-paying jobs,” explained DeCroce. “I would like to thank my colleagues Assemblymen Burzichelli, Bramnick and Singleton and Assemblywoman Lampitt for working in a bipartisan manner on this legislation.”