FEMA Extends Hurricane Ida Request for Public Assistance Deadline

The New Jersey State Police announced that FEMA has approved New Jersey’s request to extend the Request for Public Assistance (RPA) deadline for Hurricane Ida relief. The new deadline is varied for each county as follows:

• November 4 for ...

Week of Sept. 27 COVID-19 Update

Earlier this week Governor Phil Murphy announced a website information hub for mental health support resources for youth, parents and educators; unveiled the Return and Earn program; and noted that boosters are available for certain Pfizer recipients who ...

ARP Reporting Requirement Change

This week, Treasury alerted us that they have sent notification to Non Entitlement Units of government (NEUs), which generally are municipalities that have a population less than 50,000 residents, about updated timelines for reporting.  ...

Utilizing Federal Funds? Tell Us How!

Over the past year, there has been ample federal funding for local governments.  Whether it was the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) in the CARES Act or the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) in the American Rescue Pl...

Municipal Vaccine Mandate Authority Affirmed

Earlier this month, we alerted you to an interim relief order issued by the Public Employment Relation Commission (PERC) regarding a municipality implementing a COVID-19 vaccination mandate for municipal employees. The PERC ruling determined that a public...

NJ Announces Tax Payment Delays for Ida Victims

The New Jersey Division of Taxation announced they are following the federal guidelines for tax relief for victims of Hurricane Ida that the Internal Revenue Service announced at the end of August.  Affected taxpayers include businesses ...

National Flood Insurance Program

Risk Rating 2.0, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) rating system, is scheduled to go into effect on October 1. This week, a bipartisan group of coastal Senators, including New Jersey’s Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker in ...

Rideshare Partnership

Governor Phil Murphy announced a partnership with NJ 211, United Way Worldwide, Uber, and Lyft to provide access to free and discounted rides to New Jersey residents who lost a personal vehicle as a result of Tropical Storm Ida.  For the...

SNAP Recipients Benefit Replacement

Following FEMA’s approval of a Major Disaster Declaration, NJ Human Services sought and received additional federal approval to provide residents enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Bergen, Gloucester, Hunterdon, ...

NJ Disaster Cleanup Business and Non-Profit Grant Program

On Wednesday, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority Board approved a program that will provide grants between $1,000 and $5,000 to New Jersey businesses and non-profits with up to 50 employees that suffered physical damage as a result of Tropical ...

NJ State of Emergency in Ida's Wake

As you are no doubt aware, catastrophic, damaging tornado activity, widespread power outages across the state, as well as excessive rainfall and flooding from Tropical Storm Ida has created massive damage and long-term challenges throughout much of the st...

COVID Update

COVID Update

Governor Murphy continued to urge New Jersey residents to get vaccinated and reminded vaccinated New Jersey residents to use common sense to further protect themselves.

COVID Data for August 13, 2021:

• 1,776 new positive cases for a total of 923,...

DOJ Opinion Provides Vaccination Insights for Employers

An opinion released this week from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) examines whether or not federal law prohibits public agencies and private businesses from requiring COVID-19 vaccines. According to the opinion, “section 564 of the FDCA [Food, Drug, ...

Week of July 12: COVID-19 Weekly Update

This week Governor Murphy announced the NJ Docket App for COVID vaccination records and continued to urge New Jersey residents to get vaccinated. The Division of Pensions and Benefits issued guidance on the termination of retirees who returned employment ...

Week of June 26: COVID-19 Update

This week Governor Murphy announced guidance for the 2021/22 school year; highlighted New Jersey reached its vaccination goal of 4.7 million fully vaccinated 12 days early while continuing to urge New Jersey residents to get vaccinated; and noted...

American Rescue Plan Act Compliance and Reporting Guidance

Last week the U.S. Department of the Treasury released Compliance and Reporting Guidance for State and Local Fiscal Recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) including General Guidance with Key Principles, Statutory Eligible Uses, Treasury&a...

Week of June 21: COVID-19 Update

Governor Murphy continues to urge New Jersey residents to get vaccinated. As part of the State’s Operation Jersey Summer the Covid-19 Community Corps are working door to door to provide residents with the facts about the vaccines and where to ge...

GRC Statement Released on OPRA Response Time Reversion

Government Records Council (GRC), Executive Director Frank Caruso issued a Special Statement this week regarding the signing of P.L. 2021, c.103, which resulted in the termination of the State’s COVID-19 public health emergency and reinstated the statutor...

DLGS Posts Portal for ARP Funding

This week, the Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) posted the application portal for municipalities with a population under 50,000 to apply for funding allocated in the American Rescue Plan. For more information, please read the League’s recent b...

Week of June 7: COVID-19 Update

Since terminating the COVID-19 public health and state of emergency, and signing legislation expiring all COVID-19 executive orders, Governor Murphy continues to promote the vaccination programs to reach the goal of having 4.7 million New Jerseyans fully ...

Week of May 31: COVID-19 Update

Yesterday the Assembly and Senate passed A-5820/S-3866, which will expire all COVID-19 Executive Orders 30 days after the Governor signs the bill with limited exceptions. We anticipate the Governor will sign this bill very shortly. For more on th...

DLGS Provides Application for Municipalities Under 50,000 Population Coronavirus-19 State and Local

This week, the Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) posted the application portal for municipalities with a population under 50,000 to apply for funding allocated in the American Rescue Plan. For more information, please read the League’s recent b...

NJLM Hosts American Rescue Plan State and Local Funds Guidance Webinar

Today the League hosted a webinar to provide guidance on the U.S. Treasury Interim Final Rule to implement the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund and the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund established under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).The ...

Week of May 17: COVID-19 Weekly Update

This week Governor Murphy issued Executive Order 240, which extends the public health emergency for additional 30 days as well as Executive Order 241, which eliminates the outdoor mask requirement. In signing the public health emergency ...

OSC Announces COVID-19 Compliance & Oversight Project

Pursuant to Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 166, which was signed last year, the Office of the State Comptroller announced a COVID-19 Compliance and Oversight Project to conduct reviews, audit state and local entities, review procurements, and...

Week of May 10: COVID-19 Weekly Update

This week Governor Murphy issued Executive Order 239  easing of certain COVID-19 restrictions effective May 19. He announced that adolescents between the age of 12 and 16 are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations based on CDC’s emergency approva...

NJLM Hosts ARP Funding Guidance Webinar Friday, May 21

This Friday at noon the League of Municipalities is hosting a free webinar to provide guidance on the American Rescue Plan Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.The United States Department of Treasury published Guidance and Interim Final Rule...

Week of May 3: COVID-19 Report

Earlier this week Governor Murphy issued Executive Order 238 easing certain restrictions on indoor dining, bar seating, outdoor gatherings, and more. The Governor also announced that, effective May 19, New Jersey will remove COVID-19 capacity restrictions...

U.S. Treasury Provides Guidance on Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Funds

Yesterday, the U.S. Treasury adopted implementation rules for the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund and the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund established under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).Please see the League’s recent blog post that goe...

Week of April 26: COVID-19 Weekly Update

Earlier this week, Governor Murphy announced that New Jersey will be easing restrictions on outdoor gatherings and indoor catered events. Earlier this week, Governor Murphy announced that New Jersey will be easing restrictions on outdoor gatherings and in...

Week of April 19: COVID-19 Update

This week COVID-19 continues to focus on vaccinations, gatherings, and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.COVID-19 Data for April 22, 2021

• New Confirmed Cases – 2,895
• New Probable Cases – 527
• Rate of Transmission .093
• New Lab-Confirmed Deaths 31
• Hospital-Repor...

Week of April 12:COVID-19 Weekly Update

This week New Jersey paused the administering of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine upon the recommendation, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration pending further investigation into six reported incidences of sev...

Week of April 5, 2021: COVID-19 Update

The Governor this week announced that effective April 19 all New Jersey residents over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and noted that with the more than 750 vaccination sites in New Jersey 98.7% of residents live within five m...

Week of March 29 COVID-19 Update

The Governor this week announced increased outdoor gathering limits and a new COVID-19 vaccine appointment finder. He also discussed the latest modeling from the Department of Health.In regards to the Department of Health modeling, the Governor highlighte...

American Rescue Plan Update

President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law on March 11. The U.S. Treasury Department has 60 days to promulgate rules for the program and send federal aid directly to entitlement cities and to the state to be sent, unencumbered, to the mu...

Week of March 22: COVID-19 Update

Today the Governor announced an expansion of those eligible for the vaccine along with a partnership with the Biden Administration to open a pilot FEMA Community Vaccination Center located in Newark. Earlier this week the Governor noted that working with ...

Week of March 15: COVID-19 Weekly Update

This week the Governor noted that Thursday marked one year since the closure of schools and the transition to all-remote learning. During his remarks the Governor stated that, “Come September, it is our complete expectation that every school will be open,...

Week of March 8: COVID Update

March 10 was the one-year anniversary of New Jersey’s first COVID-19 confirmed death. Governor Phil Murphy noted that “the toll of this virus has been staggering. It exceeds the numbers of New Jerseyans lost in any war. In one year, we have lost an averag...

COVID-19 Weekly Update: Week of March 1

This week in Trenton on the COVID-19 front: March 4 marked the one-year anniversary of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in New Jersey. During his March 3, COVID briefing Governor Phil Murphy reviewed the steps New Jersey has taken in response. In addi...

Week of Feb. 22: COVID-19 Weekly Update

This week in Trenton on the COVID-19 front: Governor Phil Murphy issued an Executive Order increasing capacities for religious services, as well as sporting and entertainment events and announced New Jersey should anticipate approximately 70,000 of the Jo...

House Oversight and Reform Passes Reconciliation Bill that Includes State and Local Government Aid

Last Friday, after a series of amendments were offered, including ones designed to limit and hinder state and local aid distribution, and were defeated, the House Oversight and Reform Committee reported favorably the state and local government ai...

Senators Menendez & Booker Discuss American Rescue Plan

On Thursday, League President, Clinton Town Mayor Janice Kovach, and League staff joined more than 200 elected officials discussed the American Rescue Plan with U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker on a virtual call. The Senators gave an overview of...

Week of February 15: COVID-19 Update

This week’s COVID-19 news from Trenton: Governor Phil Murphy along with Acting Commissioner of Education Angelica Allen-McMillan released a plan on the learning gap. Vaccination deliveries have been delayed due to weather but it is antic...

Week of February 8: COVID-19 Update

This week’s COVID-19 news from Trenton continued to focus on vaccinations but also included an Executive Order on attendance at youth sporting events, information on upcoming elections, and the reopening of EDA’s applications for small and micro business ...

Week of February 1: Covid-19 Update

This week Governor Phil Murphy issued an Executive Order expanding indoor dining and limiting the 10 p.m. curfew on closings of restaurants. The Governor announced that Johnson and Johnson has submitted an application for emergency use authorization from ...

Week of January 24: Covid-19 Update

This week’s COVID-19 news from Trenton continued to center on vaccinations, with the toll-free vaccination hotline going live and all of the mega-sites up and running. The Governor issued an Executive Order permitting both electronic and in-person collect...

President Biden Releases COVID-19 Action Plan and Takes Related Executive Action

On Thursday, Jan. 21, President Joe Biden released the “National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness” that outlines seven specific goals to combat the pandemic: 

• Goal 1: Restore trust with the American people
• Goal 2: Mount ...

Week of January 18: COVID-19 Update

This week’s COVID-19 news from Trenton continued to center on vaccinations.  U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker announced today that New Jersey’s Department of Health will receive $591 million in federal funding for th...

COVID-19 Update: Week of January 4

Today, Governor Murphy announced that there were 5,791 new positive cases and an additional 112 confirmed deaths resulting from COVID-19. To date, there have been 516,608 confirmed cases, and 17,697 confirmed deaths. The rate of transmission is 1.02. Sinc...

U.S. Department of Treasury Announces Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has published information for state and local governments about the new $25 billion Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program that was enacted as part of the most recent COVID-19 emergency relief package. In general, fu...

Larger Stimulus Checks Unlikely

As of Thursday morning, Senate Majority Leader McConnell has not posted the CASH Act for a Senate vote. This legislation would provide an additional $1,400 stimulus check to the previously authorized $600 for a total of $2,000. The CASH Act passed the Hou...

President Signs Omnibus Funding and COVID-19 Relief Legislation

Despite his previous requests that Congress amend the Omnibus Spending and COVID-19 Relief Bill to increase stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000, President Trump signed the bill on Sunday night with no changes, after many features of the CARES A...

FEMA Releases $40 Million in Additional Funds for 2020 Mitigation Grants

Each year, FEMA identifies and makes available additional funds from previous grant cycles from projects that were completed under budget or were not implemented. This year, following the release of the fiscal year 2020 Notice of Funding Opportunity for t...

COVID Relief & Omnibus Bill Passed

Along with the passage of an omnibus bill to fund the government through September, Congress overwhelmingly passed a COVID-19 relief bill late Monday night. As previously reported, direct funding for state and local governments was not included in this pa...

Week of December 21 COVID-19 Update

Today, Governor Murphy announced that there were 4,871 new positive cases and an additional 80 confirmed deaths resulting from COVID-19. To date, there have been 449,842 confirmed cases, and 16,599 confirmed deaths. The...

Federal Update: No Direct State & Local Government Funding

Congressional Leadership announced an agreement on a COVID-19 relief package, which is expected to be voted on Monday. Excluded from that agreement is direct funding for state and local governments.The deadline to utilize existing CARES funding will be ex...

Week of December 14: COVID-19 Update

Today Governor Murphy announced that there were 3,975 new positive cases and an additional 44 confirmed deaths resulting from COVID-19. To date, there have been 423,226 confirmed cases and 16,216 confirmed deaths. The rate of transmission is at 1...

State and Local Aid Excluded From COVID Relief Legislation

Congress continues to negotiate the details of a $900 billion COVID relief package, which will be attached to the $1.4 trillion omnibus spending package that funds the government through September. The current funding bill expires at midnight tonight and ...

Covid-19 Update: Week of December 6

Governor Murphy today announced that there were 3,821 new positive cases and an additional 55 confirmed deaths resulting from COVID-19. To date, there have been 390,256 confirmed cases, and 15,794 confirmed deaths. The rate of transmission is at 1.14. The...

Treasury OIG Coronavirus Relief Fund FAQs

Last week, the Department of Treasury Office of Inspector General (OIG) released an update to the Coronavirus Relief Fund “Frequently Asked Questions Related to Reporting and Recordkeeping.” Part of the document lays out the process fo...

Covid-19 Update: Week of November 29

Earlier today, Governor Murphy announced that there were 5,673 new positive cases and an additional 48 confirmed deaths resulting from COVID-19. To date, there have been 356,662 confirmed cases, and 15,419 confirmed deaths. The rate of transmission is at ...

Covid-19 Update: Week of November 16

Covid cases in the Garden State continue to rise with Governor Murphy announcing today 3,635 new cases for a total of 297,370 cases to date, 23 new confirmed deaths for a total of 14,900 confirmed deaths to date, and the rate of transmission at 1.4%. Gove...

Covid-19 Update: Week of November 2

Today Governor Murphy announced that there were 2,199 new positive cases and an additional 13 confirmed deaths resulting from COVID-19. To date, there have been 249,380 confirmed cases, and 14,616 confirmed deaths. The ...

COVID-19 Update: Week of October 26, 2020

Today Governor Murphy announced that there were 2,089 new positive cases and an additional 7 confirmed deaths resulting from COVID-19. To date, there have been 236,523 confirmed cases, and 14,546 confirmed deaths. The rate of transmission is at 1.26, and ...

Week of May 10: COVID-19 Weekly Update

This week Governor Murphy issued Executive Order 239  easing of certain COVID-19 restrictions effective May 19. He announced that adolescents between the age of 12 and 16 are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations based on CDC’s emergen...

Gov. Takes Action on Legislation

Governor Conditionally Vetoes Hospital Housing Bill

Earlier this week Governor Murphy conditionally vetoed S-1676, a bill which the League opposed. S-1676 would allow hospitals to construct housing and provide wrap-around services for individuals who are h...

US Treasury Guidance on State, Local Recovery Funds

On Monday, the U.S. Treasury adopted implementation rules for the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund and the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund established under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP).Please see the League’s recent blog post...

Governor Murphy Signs Exempt Firefighter Certificate Bill

On Thursday, June 24, Governor Murphy signed A-4745, which raises the eligibility for exempt firefighter certificates and membership in New Jersey State Fireman’s Association maximum age from 45 to 57. Under previous regulations, firefighters we...

Governor Signs Housing Eviction Prevention and Utility Assistance Laws

Earlier this week Governor Murphy signed into law two bills providing eviction prevention and utility assistance for renters who have been financially impacted by COVID-19.

S-3691 appropriates an additional $500 million for the COVID-19 Emergency Rental As...

COVID-19 Weekly Update

Today Governor Murphy announced that all students, educators, staff, and visitors will be required to wear masks inside of all school buildings regardless of vaccination status for the start of the 2021-22 academic year (Executive Order 251).

Today Governor Murphy announced that all students, educators, staff, and visitors will be required to wear masks inside of all school buildings regardless of vaccination status for the start of the 2021-22 academic year (Executive Order 251). The Governor...