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S 4364

Relates to notices to voters of registration cancellation or inactive status

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Leroy Comrie and 2 co-sponsors

The bill ties state funding to municipalities approving higher-density housing in master plans and development regulations.

COMMITTED TO RULES
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 4364

Bill Summary: S 4364

Note: The bill’s introductory title (“Relates to notices to voters of registration cancellation or inactive status”) appears to be inconsistent with the bill’s substantive content. The introduced text focuses on state funding preferences to promote denser housing via master plan and development regulation reform.

Overview and Intent

  • Purpose: Establish state funding preferences for municipalities that amend their development regulations to permit additional housing strategies and higher-density development. The goal is to encourage denser residential growth and align local land-use plans with expanded housing opportunities.
  • Legislative hook: The bill would supplement existing statutes (Titles 40, 52, and 27 of the Revised Statutes) and amend P.L.2000, c.72, by creating a process for a special master plan reexamination and by tying state financial support to these local reforms.

Key Provisions

1) Special Master Plan Reexamination (Section 1)

  • Municipal action: The governing body may direct the planning board to conduct a special reexamination of the municipality’s master plan and development regulations to qualify for state aid preferences.
  • Planning board duties (minimum): Review areas where residential development is permitted and recommend changes to enhance residential development potential.
  • Housing strategies to consider (non-exhaustive list):
    • Allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on lots currently restricted to single-unit dwellings
    • Permit two- and three-unit dwellings on such lots
    • Reduce or eliminate off-street parking requirements
    • Eliminate or reduce minimum lot size requirements
    • Allow manufactured housing/mobile homes
    • Permit multi-unit or mixed-use development on lands zoned for office/retail/commercial
    • Permit multi-unit housing on at least 10% of developable land
    • Permit higher-density housing near transit stops
    • Eliminate or reduce minimum dwelling unit size
  • Reporting and process: The planning board must prepare and adopt a report and resolution, notify the Office of Planning Advocacy, the county planning board, and adjacent municipalities (and, where applicable, registered military facility commanders). If the report recommends changes, the board initiates master plan amendments and, if adopted, the governing body initiates zoning amendments to align with the master and housing plans.

2) State Funding Preferences and Administrative Provisions (Section 2)

  • Definitions: Department of Community Affairs; what counts as “grant or other type of competitively-awarded financial assistance”; and “state agency.”
  • Preference in grants: When determining eligibility for competitive grants, the department must give a preference to municipalities that amended their development regulations under Section 1 to allow the additional housing strategies and increased housing units.
  • Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs): The department must research and coordinate with each state agency that awards municipal grants to reflect the preference, including MOUs with DOT and DOE that align with related statutory requirements.
  • Regulatory authority: The Department of Community Affairs would adopt rules under the Administrative Procedure Act to implement these provisions, specifying appropriate housing-unit targets and strategies by municipality planning region.

Affected Parties

  • Primary: Municipalities in New Jersey, planning boards, and local governing bodies.
  • State actors: Department of Community Affairs; other state agencies that administer competitive grants (e.g., Department of Transportation, Department of Education).
  • Related entities: Military facilities and adjoining municipalities (notified during the process).

Procedural/Timeline Aspects

  • Introduced: May 12, 2025.
  • Legislative progress: Referred to Senate Community and Urban Affairs; later moved to Rules; advanced to third reading; multiple calendar events (e.g., 1st and 2nd reports CAL, etc.).
  • Status: COMMITTED TO RULES as of mid-June 2025, indicating ongoing consideration within the Senate.

Potential Impact

  • Incentivizes municipalities to adopt higher-density housing strategies in master plans and development regulations.
  • Potentially increases access to state funding for municipalities that align with these density-focused housing strategies.
  • Could influence local zoning and land-use decisions in favor of denser, transit-oriented, and mixed-use development.

Related Information

  • Sponsors include primary sponsor Leroy Comrie with cosponsors Robert Jackson and Shelley Mayer.
  • Related/companion bills noted in the record.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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