Governor Murphy – Creating a Stronger and Fairer New Jersey

EDUCATION

• Pre-K through 12

  • Fully funded New Jerseyʼs schools through the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA), for two years in a row, with an additional $386 million in aid for Fiscal Year 2026, the largest school aid contribution in state history
  • Increased K-12 school funding by nearly $4 billion since Fiscal Year 2018 and signed landmark legislation to modernize and equitably distribute school funding
  • Invested in New Jerseyʼs educational infrastructure with over $2 billion for school facilities, emergent needs, and capital maintenance projects; launched K-12 and higher education grant applications for $500 million in bond funding authorized by the
  • Securing Our Childrenʼs Future Bond Act Increased preschool funding by nearly $600 million, with New Jersey currently spending $1.2 billion to stand up and sustain programs in communities across the state. Since year one of the Administration, 233 districts have been added to State-funded preschool programs; meaning now, over half of New Jerseyʼs elementary-serving school districts offer free, high-quality preschool
  • Invested almost $60 million in state and federal funds to support high-impact tutoring to address pandemic-related learning loss, serving over 65,000 students
  • Spearheaded investments in phonics-based instruction to improve literacy rates for elementary students
  • Deployed billions of dollars in federal stimulus funds to school districts and institutions of higher education to ensure robust remote learning, including closing the digital divide for an estimated 231,000 pre-K-12 students; supporting safe reopening of education facilities; and instituting a K-12 best practices clearinghouse to address issues such as learning gaps and chronic absenteeism
  • Signed bipartisan legislation requiring all school districts in New Jersey to adopt policies restricting the use of cell phones and other internet-enabled devices in K-12 schools
  • Made New Jersey the first state to have access to arts education in all public-school districts and to adopt K-12 climate change standards, in addition to signing first-in-the-nation Information Literacy standards into law
  • Launched “Computer Science for All” initiative and introduced the P-TECH educational model to New Jersey

• Higher Education

  • Provided tuition-free community college for more than 50,800 New Jersey students, partial tuition payments for another 12,700 students, and initiated the Garden State Guarantee to provide a similar benefit for those in four-year colleges, which has served over 37,200 students as of April 2025
  • Supported college affordability by consistently increasing funding for the Educational Opportunity Fund, expanding Tuition Aid
  • Grants to support DREAMers and incarcerated students, and enacting legislation to provide tax deductions for those saving for college, current students, and those repaying loans
  • Enacted legislation to help address workforce shortages in critical areas such as STEM, education, and behavioral health
  • Established the Outcomes-Based Allocation, which rewards senior public institutions of higher education for postsecondary outcomes that align with the Stateʼs higher education priorities
  • Created a statewide Campus Sexual Assault Commission to create safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments for all students
  • Supported the re-enrollment of more than 13,500 New Jersey residents who stopped out with some college credit before earning their credentials
  • Directed nearly $30 million to address youth mental health through free, 24/7 virtual mental health counseling for college students, as well as community provider partnerships and professional development grants to institutions.
  • Invested $650 million to support higher education institution infrastructure needs through bond-funded capital facilities grant programs

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

• Clean Energy

  • Accelerated the state target of 100% clean energy by 15 years from 2050 to 2035
  • Created the Office of Climate Action and the Green Economy and the NJ Council on the Green Economy to address climate change and workforce transitions
  • Steered New Jerseyʼs re-entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative – furthering clean energy investments in overburdened communities
  • Increased funding by over $700 million for parks and acquired former rail line to establish the nine-mile Greenway linear park
  • Created the New Jersey Green Bank to invest clean energy projects to advance the stateʼs efforts to make an equitable transition to 100 percent clean energy
  • Announced $3.8 billion in energy efficiency and building decarbonization programs and investments by the state's electric and gas utilities, which is the single largest investment in the history of New Jersey in energy efficiency and building electrification
  • Joined the international High Ambition Coalition 30x30, committing to conserve 30% of the Stateʼs land and waters by 2030 to enhance biodiversity, protect natural resources, and mitigate climate change impacts – which New Jersey has achieved
  • Launched comprehensive workforce development programs to equip New Jersey residents with the skills needed for emerging industries, including green energy and technology, through partnerships with educational institutions, businesses, and training providers
  • Developed and released the 2019 and 2024 Energy Master Plan to comprehensively examine New Jerseyʼs energy system, including electricity generation, transportation, and buildings, and for the first time in State history, evaluate a
  • shift away from energy production that contributes to climate change

• Energy Affordability

  • Led creation of bipartisan PJM Governorsʼ Collaborative and first-ever technical conference focused on holding the grid operator accountable for rate increases amid utility cost crisis
  • Signed legislation prohibiting the use of single-use plastic and paper bags in stores and food service businesses statewide
  • Signed legislation setting targets for BPU to procure at least 1,000 MW AC in grid storage capacity by June 30, 2026

• Electric Vehicles

  • Advanced electric vehicle adoption by adopting the Advanced Clean Cars II rule, requiring all new cars and light-duty truck sales to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035
  • Surpassed 250,000 electric vehicle registrations, demonstrating increasing consumer confidence and the availability of charging infrastructure

• Solar Energy

  • Surpassed 5,000 megawatts of installed solar capacity statewide and created a permanent community solar program to advance clean energy affordability
  • Signed legislation that will put the State on track to achieve 10,000 MWs of installed solar in the next four years

• Flood Protection

  • Advanced the Protecting Against Climate Threats (PACT) regulatory reform effort and adopted new inland flood protection measures to protect homeowners, businesses, and infrastructure against increased flooding
  • Created the Chief Resilience Officer and Interagency Council on Climate Resilience to develop and implement the Statewide Climate Change Resilience Strategy
  • Facilitated almost $3 billion in Water Bank projects since 2018 and developed plan for spending over $1 billion more through federal infrastructure and American Rescue Plan investments

• Protection Against Pollutants

  • Signed historic environmental justice legislation to protect overburdened communities from pollutants
  • Committed to replacing every lead service line in New Jersey by 2031 and combatted lead exposure through laws requiring prospective lead-based paint inspection in rental housing, investing over $190 million in addressing lead-based paint risks in housing, and improving requirements for testing for lead in school drinking water
  • Signed legislation increasing protections for tenants against lead exposure, including by enhancing disclosure requirements and requiring public water systems to provide testing at no charge to consumers

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND PROPERTY TAX RELIEF

• Fiscal Responsibility

  • Made record pension contributions each year and the first five full contributions since 1996
  • Maintained an average surplus of more than $6 billion during the Administration in order to help navigate economic uncertainties
  • Prioritized addressing New Jerseyʼs long-term fiscal challenges which, since March 2022, has led to nine credit rating upgrades and put the State on stable outlook with all four major credit rating agencies
  • Established the Debt Defeasance and Prevention Fund and retired approximately $4 billion in debt early to generate significant debt service saving

• Affordability for Working and Middle-Class Families

  • Created the $2.4 billion Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR) Property Tax
  • Relief Program, oversaw the slowest growth in property taxes in any administrationʼs term on record, and helped taxpayers by raising the cap for state property tax deductions and expanding Senior Freeze eligibility
  • Enacted the Stay NJ program, which will ultimately cut property taxes in half for many New Jersey seniors
  • Championed over a dozen tax breaks for working families, including an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit and a new Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit
  • Put New Jersey on a path to a $15 minimum wage, which was achieved for most workers in January 2024
  • Supported workers by enacting paid sick leave and expanding paid family leave including full pay for up to 12 weeks for eligible State employees while on bonding leave
  • Strengthened pay protections by enacting the nationʼs strongest equal pay law and a law prohibiting employers from using prior salary as a basis for employment
  • Boosted financial security by establishing the RetireReady NJ program and a state-level Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – the Office of Consumer Protection
  • Established the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, which set new standards for New Jerseyʼs 50,000 domestic workers

• Housing Development

  • Invested over $650 million to expand affordable housing statewide and launched programs such as the Affordable Housing Production Fund (AHPF) and the Urban Preservation Fund, enabling the creation and preservation of thousands of affordable housing units
  • Expanded affordable homeownership by expanding the successful Down Payment Assistance program and creating a new First Generation Homebuyer program
  • Enacted landmark legislation that establishes a streamlined framework for enforcing municipal affordable housing obligations under the Fair Housing Act, reducing barriers to construction while also incentivizing affordable development near transit hubs and for vulnerable populations
  • Invested over $3.8 billion in residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments through the Aspire Program, creating over 7,040 housing units statewide, including 3,040 affordable units
  • Approved more than 200,000 housing permits, more than the last four gubernatorial administrations

DEMOCRACY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

• Strengthening Democracy

  • Expanded access to voting by implementing Automatic Voter Registration and online voter registration, enacting in-person early voting, and restoring voting rights to over 80,000 residents on probation or parole
  • Strengthened elections through an online application portal for poll workers and ended prison gerrymandering

• Criminal Justice Reform

  • Signed Executive Order No. 411, making more than 350,000 New Jerseyans eligible for jury service even if they have a criminal conviction that had previously disqualified them
  • Enacted one of the nation's most progressive expungement reforms, resulting in the expungement of more than 360,000 criminal records
  • Launched a historic clemency initiative that includes clear standards for expedited consideration and the establishment of an Advisory Board, which reviews pardon and commutation applications and makes recommendations to the Governor. To date, the initiative has resulted in 307 grants of clemency
  • Enacted historic adult-use cannabis legislation, including issuing initial regulations to govern the recreational cannabis market with a focus on equity and social justice, allowing NJ residents access to therapeutic and recreational cannabis at over 250 operational recreational dispensaries
  • Recorded over $3 billion in Total Cannabis Sales from January 1, 2022, through the first half of 2025, resulting in $155 million in recreational revenue and $13 million in Social Equity Excise Fees
  • Reconstituted the Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission (CSDC) and eliminated mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenses through former Attorney General Grewalʼs directive
  • Allocated funding to support the closure and replacement of the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, broke ground on a new women's correctional facility in Chesterfield in October 2025
  • Eliminated public defender fees, ensuring that all New Jersey residents are able to exercise their constitutional right to an attorney as they move through the criminal justice system
  • Supported and professionalized the law enforcement profession through the establishment of a new police licensing framework
  • Graduated a total of 1,645 correctional trainees since 2018. Removed the civil service exam requirement in 2021, allowing the New Jersey Department of Corrections to recruit trainees directly into the Correctional Staff Training Academy, speeding up the hiring pipeline
  • Ratified a new correctional police officer contract that provides enhanced salary and benefits, including across-the-board salary increases of 3.5 percent each year over the life of the four-year agreement. The contract also includes increased take-home pay and changes to pay grade steps that will increase the salary guide for many correctional officers
  • Signed the New Jersey Data Privacy Act to protect consumer data
  • Reduced the incarcerated population by approximately 34% since 2018, which allowed for the closure of four aging correctional facilities and hundreds of millions in cost avoidances for capital repairs

• Building a State of Opportunity

  • Assembled the first majority female and historically diverse cabinet, including the first transgender cabinet member
  • Partnered with Sheila Y. Oliver, New Jerseyʼs 2nd Lieutenant Governor and the first woman of color elected statewide in New Jerseyʼs history
  • Appointed Secretary of State Tahesha Way as Lieutenant Governor, making her the second Black female Lieutenant Governor in New Jerseyʼs history
  • Appointed five justices to the Supreme Court, including a civil rights lawyer, the Stateʼs first Black female justice, and the first Justice who had been a public defender
  • Expanded the stateʼs first-time homebuyer program to include first-generation buyers, supporting a national model that through the work of the NJ Mortgage Finance Agency has helped over 10,000 first-time and first-generation homebuyers build wealth through homeownership
  • Advanced economic mobility for working families through the expansion of universal Pre-K, child care subsidies, and the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, and the Child Tax Credit
  • Launched the Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery to transform the stateʼs approach to literacy instruction and academic recovery for K to 12 students
  • Highlighted the disproportionate impact of medical debt on Black and Latino families in support of the stateʼs medical debt reforms
  • Supported adults in completing degrees interrupted by caregiving or financial challenges
  • Empowered workers to gain financial stakes in the businesses that employ them through the Employee Stock Ownership Pilot Program
  • Supported the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives to expand Freedom Schools sites across the state, growing from five to 21 enrichment programs. Based on a Civil Rights-era model, these programs promote skill building, civic engagement, and high-impact tutoring for K to 12 students in vulnerable communities
  • Led a whole-of-government approach to strengthen employee engagement through the expansion of employee resource groups, resource sharing, professional development, and mentorship programs
  • Relaunched the Governorʼs Fellows Program, in collaboration with the Civil Service Commission, to build a robust talent pipeline for the next generation of public servants
  • Published the most comprehensive disparity study of state contracting in New Jerseyʼs history
  • Surpassed 5,000 megawatts of installed solar capacity statewide and created a permanent community solar program to advance clean energy affordability
  • Signed legislation that will put the State on track to achieve 10,000 MWs of installed solar in the next four years

ECONOMIC GROWTH

• Economic Growth and Jobs

  • Grew New Jerseyʼs economy and workforce, adding more than $69 billion to New Jerseyʼs economy and created more than 250,000 jobs throughout the course of the Administration, leading the Northeast in job creation since June 2020
  • Developed and passed a multi-billion-dollar jobs and economic recovery package that brought accountability and labor protections to New Jerseyʼs incentives programs
  • Raised the statewide minimum wage from $8.60 in 2018 to $15.92 on January 1, 2026, and supported workersʼ rights through laws enacting paid sick leave and expanded paid family leave
  • Invested nearly $100 million into apprenticeship programs, and reinvigorated workforce development programs through the Jobs NJ plan, more than doubling the number of Registered Apprenticeship programs and creating the national model Pay It Forward Program
  • Restored New Jerseyʼs credit rating with nine upgrades since 2018, reversing years of fiscal decline and 11 consecutive credit rating downgrades during the prior Administration

• Innovation and Industry Creation

  • Created new industries and economic opportunities by legalizing and regulating adult-use cannabis, legalizing sports betting, supporting generative artificial intelligence, and expanding film and digital media production under the stateʼs tax credit program:
    • Attracted major private-sector investment in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure and became home to the largest U.S. tech IPO by money raised since 2021, positioning New Jersey as a national leader in next-generation technology industries
    • The film industry has spurred more than $830 million in production spend in 2024 and created an estimated 30,000 jobs
    • New Jersey drew more than $2 billion in planned studio and production investments, including: Netflixʼs Fort Monmouth campus, 1888 Studios and Paramount in Bayonne, and Great Point Studios and Lionsgate in Newark
    • Since 2018, New Jerseyʼs sports betting industry has generated over $5 billion in revenue
    • Since the start of adult-use cannabis sales in April 2022, New Jerseyʼs cannabis market has generated more than $3 billion in total sales
  • Invested in the innovation economy through multiple programs including the Innovation Evergreen Fund, the Angel Investor Tax Credit, the NJ Innovation Fellows program, and the Film and Digital Media Tax Credit. Enabled record startup creation with 128,872 new establishments born since 2018 and increased high propensity business filings by 25%
  • Promoted innovation and industry clustering through the establishment of 12 Strategic Innovation Centers (SICs) across the state, focusing on sectors such as artificial intelligence, fintech, aerospace, and life sciences. Over $237 million in equity investments have been announced to date across the 12 centers, matched by nearly half a billion dollars of private sector investment. Examples include:
    • The HELIX, which will bring together Rutgers University and New Jerseyʼs public, private, and academic sectors to create a world-class hub of innovation supporting the gamut of health and life sciences industries. Secured approximately $733 million in tax credits under the stateʼs Aspire Program to support HELIX, a major long-term investment in transit-oriented development and innovation infrastructure
    • The NJ AI Hub, which will bring together Princeton University, Microsoft, CoreWeave, start-up companies, researchers and other collaborators to advance research and development, start-up acceleration, and workforce development
    • Launched a new $500 million tax credit program, the Next New Jersey Manufacturing Program, to support manufacturing growth. Since 2018, New Jersey manufacturing job growth has outpaced the national average

• Small Businesses, Economic Security, and Community Investment

  • Supported small businesses by channeling hundreds of millions in federal relief dollars into small business grants and by creating the Main Street Recovery Fund — helping to sustain and grow small businesses across New Jersey. New Jersey has seen nearly 75,000 new small businesses since 2018, a 29% increase
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, channeled over $1 billion into one of the nationʼs highest-performing emergency rental assistance programs, enacted one of the nationʼs strongest eviction moratoriums, dedicated an additional $750 million in State-controlled funds to rent and utility support, and funded critical family support needs from child care to food security
  • Created, with the help of the Governor's Public Bank Implementation Board, the state's first Social Impact Investment Fund to expand access to capital
  • Launched the Bringing Veterans Home initiative with more than $30 million in State and federal funds to house all homeless veterans in the state by July 1, 2026
  • Invested more than $1 billion to support the stateʼs vital child care sector since the start of the administration; expanding access to high-quality, affordable child care and promoting economic security across New Jersey
  • Enacted the first overhaul in nearly a century of the stateʼs liquor-license laws — returning roughly 1,500 licenses to the market and removing outdated restrictions on breweries and distilleries
  • Advocated alongside New York City for the selection of New York New Jersey as host for the FIFA World Cup 26™ Final

TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• Improvements and Modernization

  • Dedicated billions of dollars in additional capital projects to improve transit in New Jersey, including train station improvements in Newark, Hoboken, and Camden
  • Secured a record amount of federal funding for the construction of the Hudson Tunnel Project, the most urgent and important infrastructure project in the country
  • Reauthorized the Transportation Trust Fund on time and invested billions in modernizing and maintaining transportation infrastructure
  • Supported Port Authorityʼs transformation of Newark Liberty International Airportʼs Terminal A through a $2.7 billion modernization project, with plans underway for Terminal B, as well as for the development of a new Port Authority Bus Terminal
  • Launched clean transportation initiatives to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector, with over 280,000 electric vehicles now registered in New Jersey
  • Increased the number of Municipal Aid awards and reach of the program, and provided new funds for Safe Streets and Transit Village programs

• Safety and Efficiency

  • Created the Target Zero Commission to deliver an action plan to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on New Jerseyʼs roads by 2040 and strengthened driver education requirements to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety across the state
  • Eliminated wait times by 60% through online service expansion at the New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission
  • Signed legislation that requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to create digital driverʼs licenses and digital non-driver identification cards
  • Established New Jersey's first driver's license reciprocity with Taiwan and South Korea

• NJ TRANSIT

  Improvements and Modernization

  • Improved NJ TRANSIT's fleet through the replacement and modernization of both its bus and rail fleet, spending more than $3 billion since 2018 to replace over 1,400 buses and over 800 rail cars to achieve a fully modernized fleet by 2031
  • Celebrated NJ TRANSIT being named the 2023 winner of the American Public Transportation Association's Outstanding Transportation System award, its highest honor
  • Modernizeding fare collection systems to improve customer experience, including completed installation of 550 new, modernized ticket vending machines (TVMs) throughout the system, offering faster transaction times and new contactless payment options and purchase of NJ TRANSIT fare cards
  • Held Amtrak accountable for making repairs, replacing, and upgrading approximately 10,000 components along 240 track miles of overhead wires on the Northeast Corridor, resulting in improved reliability for customers from the summer of 2024 to the summer of 2025
  • Implemented Positive Train Control, a critical safety enhancement feature

• Fiscal Responsibility and Workforce Development

  • Provided record operating aid to NJ TRANSIT, including enacting the Corporate Transit Fee to provide dedicated State funding source for NJ TRANSIT operations
  • Reduced NJ TRANSITʼs capital-to-operating transfer to the lowest level in over two decades
  • Bolstered NJ TRANSIT workforce by graduating locomotive engineers at more than double the rate of the previous administration with a full pipeline of trainees
  • Virtually eliminated “Engineer Availability” as a cause for train cancellations, improving on-time performance for rail customers
  • Launched the agencyʼs first-ever comprehensive real estate opportunity plan called the LAND Plan (Leveraging Assets for Non-farebox Dollars), leveraging the agencyʼs 8,000 acres of real estate

• Capital Projects

  • Released the agency's first-ever 10-year Strategic Plan and 5-year Capital Plan to provide a roadmap for improvements
  • Began procuring or developing more than $6 billion in Capital Projects, with an additional $8 billion in planned capital expenditures over the next 3 years
  • Replaced the more than 110-year-old Portal North Bridge, a critical chokepoint on the Northeast Corridor and among the busiest rail bridges in the nation, with its first new track set to open in 2026 on time and in budget
  • Broke ground on the $600 million project of replacing the 116-year-old Raritan River Bridge, with additional key projects currently underway
  • Commenced $190 million effort to renovate and reimagine Newark Penn Station and awarded first contract for modernization
  • Broke ground on and advanced Hoboken Connect Project, which will include $195 million Long Slip Project, resiliency upgrades, and a new permanent bus terminal
  • Began $45.5 million reconstruction of Perth Amboy Station

• Customer Experience

  • Made significant improvements to customer communications infrastructure, systems, and services to deliver timely service information, including 24/7/365 staffing of Customer Service and Communications operations to alert customers about service impacts and expanded social media staffing hours to provide service updates via popular social media platforms
  • Delivered seamless transportation for 250,000 passenger trips for nine matches for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, including the semi-finals and finals
  • Made numerous upgrades to the NJ TRANSIT Mobile app, which currently has a 4.8 rating out of 5 with nearly 230,000 reviews – including a redesign, introduction of customized push notifications with service information, an added “How   Full Is My Ride” feature to inform customers about crowding conditions on vehicles, and a new “Map My Ride” feature to allow customers to track the locations of their buses and trains in real-time
  • Launched NJT Rewards program to allow riders to earn points for their NJ TRANSIT ticket purchases, redeemable for special offers with businesses throughout the state
  • Launched window replacement program to replace windows on all multilevel rail cars in revenue service, including completing installation on one third of the fleet each year for the next three years
  • Launched “Gateway to Hope” program, an innovative public-private partnership to support connecting individuals in need to housing and other social services in and around Newark Penn Station
  • Launched Access Link Online to enable online Access Link reservations, cancelations, and cashless payments for trips via EZ-Wallet

PUBLIC SAFETY

• Gun Safety

  • Recorded historic lows of shooting victims for three consecutive years between 2023 and 2025
    • In 2025, 559 victims suffered gunshot injuries in New Jersey, a drop of 28% from 2024, when a then-record low of 778 shooting victims marked the second time that fewer than 1,000 gun violence victims were recorded since statewide tracking began in 2009. Of the total victims shot in 2025, there were 107 fatalities, a reduction of 31% from 2024
    • In 2025, the numbers of shooting victims and shooting murder victims decreased for the fourth consecutive year to reach an all-time low. The number of people killed by gunfire decreased more than 60% in 2025 from its highest point since tracking began, when 273 individuals were killed in 2016.
    • In 2025, nearly all major cities in New Jersey saw declines in shooting victims, including drops of more than 50% in Atlantic City and Paterson and drops between 23% and 31% in Camden, Newark, and Trenton
  • Responded to the Supreme Courtʼs disastrous decision in Bruen by enacting a law that, consistent with that decision, limits concealed carry of firearms in a number of sensitive locations such as daycares, hospitals, libraries, and bars
  • Enacted three major packages of commonsense gun safety bills that make New Jerseyʼs gun laws among the strongest in the nation, including:
    • Banning ghost guns, armor-piercing bullets, and .50 caliber weapons, while promoting microstamping technology
    • Establishing a “red flag” law, expanding background checks, and increasing the number of crimes that restrict gun ownership
    • Signing legislation that allows the Attorney General to pursue legal action against firearm companies that endanger New Jerseyans 
    • Created the States for Gun Safety Coalition and Center for Gun Violence Research
    • Signed A4769, updating procedural and substantive firearms laws and revising standards applicable to firearm purchase, possession, and handgun carry. The law also strengthened statewide requirements for mandatory training and established enhanced protocols governing permit holder responsibilities
    • Signed A4370, establishing significant enhancements to the Firearms Purchaser Identification Card (FPID), including mandatory pre-issuance firearms-handling training, a ten-year expiration period, and the inclusion of a color photograph
    • Established the Firearms Investigation & Licensing Bureau (FILB) within the New Jersey State Police to manage initial firearms permitting, dealer licensing and inspections, regulatory compliance, legislative review and support, point-of-sale background checks, and the statewide training and administrative oversight required to support all 507 police departments in New Jersey

• Community Investments

  • Invested over $130 million into community violence intervention efforts, which includes community-based and hospital-based violence intervention, as well as Trauma Recovery Centers
  • Created the ARRIVE Together program in 2021 to create better outcomes by enabling law enforcement officers to respond to calls with a mental health element. As of January 2026, ARRIVE is active in all 21 counties and has surpassed 15,000 interactions without a fatality or serious injury. The program is credited for reducing the need for use of force incidents and also for reducing injuries to law enforcement officers during tense mental health encounters. The current budget includes nearly $20 million for this program
  • Developed and implemented a newly designed Expungement Database, which allowed for over a 200% increase in the number of Final Expungement court orders being processed
  • Created an automated computer program to identify and expunge criminal court cases that were dismissed, with over an 80% accuracy rate, which alleviated manual processing for thousands of Expungement Order

• Police Professionalization, Policy & Transparency

  • Signed the Police Licensure Act (P.L. 2022, c.65), which took effect Jan. 1, 2024, requiring approximately 40,500 officers to maintain active Police Training Commission licenses
  • Increased Internal Affairs (IA) transparency. The Office of the Attorney General launched the statewide IA Dashboard in Sept. 2022, making IA statistics public and comparable across agencies
  • Established the Office of Policing Strategy & Innovation (OPSI) within the Office of the Attorney General to centralize policy, research, and innovation support for 530+ local agencies and 40k+ officers
  • Signed P.L.2020, c.128 and P.L.2020, c.129, requiring every uniformed State, county, and municipal patrol law enforcement officer to wear a body worn camera (BWC) by June 1, 2021 and providing a $58M grant program for local units

• Tools, Tech & Equipment for Policing

  • Invested over $12M in grants to agencies in all 21 counties for Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) to assist law enforcement in auto theft apprehension efforts. Auto thefts have decreased statewide for two consecutive years, with the total number of motor vehicles stolen statewide in 2025 dropping by 9% from 2024
  • Allocated nearly $5M in grants to 20 agencies (including NJSP) to acquire and expand acoustic detection and related systems to better detect and respond to gunshots
  • Allocated $6.5M to digitize K-12 building graphics so police and first responders can navigate schools quickly during incidents

• New Jersey State Police Investments

  • Recorded a nearly 17% increase in State Police enlisted personnel between the start of FY2018 (2,765) to the start of FY2026 (3,229)
  • Invested nearly $48 million to support 11 recruit classes, graduating a total of 1,425 new troopers in recruit classes 158th through 167th, with an additional 80 new troopers expected to graduate next in the 168th recruit class
  • Increased the starting salary for a new trooper by nearly 19% from $62,737 to $74,535
  • Invested a total of $93M to replace 1,733 pursuit vehicles since FY2018
  • Invested $6M to replace handguns and shotguns
  • Allocated $63M from federal Coronavirus Relief Funds to upgrade State Police radio system to the P25 standard to improve operability

• Additional Public Safety Initiatives

  • The Office of the Attorney General, Division of Criminal Justice, launched a new Human Trafficking Unit in 2023 to identify and dismantle human trafficking networks operating in New Jersey and deliver some measure of justice to survivors
  • The New Jersey Statewide Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE) Kit Tracking System was launched, improving real-time tracking of kits though collection, testing, and storage and providing survivors of sexual assault insight into the processing of their kits
  • Through the Attorney Generalʼs supersession of the Paterson Police Department, the state restored community trust, improved police morale, and enhanced public safety in New Jerseyʼs third-largest city
  • Signed P.L. 2021, c. 371, Danielʼs Law, which protects the safety of judges, law enforcement officers, and their families by ensuring that they can restrict the disclosure of their home addresses to third parties
  • Acting Governor Way signed P.L. 2023, c.167, codifying the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance (VIVA) within the Department of Law and Public Safety, which combines work in violence prevention and victim services, support, and compensation through a unified, survivor-centered framework

HEALTH CARE AND HUMAN SERVICES

• Health Care Access and Affordability

  • Provide comprehensive health care benefits to over 1.8 million New Jerseyans, including half of all kids, through NJ FamilyCare
  • Launched Cover All Kids, which expanded health care coverage to at least 867,000 income-eligible children through NJ FamilyCare
  • Launched GetCoveredNJ, New Jerseyʼs State-Based Exchange; implemented critical market stability and consumer affordability measures; and distributed hundreds of millions of dollars through New Jersey Health Plan Savings subsidies
  • Restored and expanded funding for womenʼs health programs and family planning services to over $50 million per year, in addition to State-sponsored insurance programs
  • Protected reproductive freedom and codified the right to reproductive choice in New Jersey prior to Roe v. Wade being overturned
  • Established the Office of Health Care Affordability and Transparency to mitigate unsustainable cost growth and convened health care leaders to commit to health care cost growth benchmarks
  • Enacted protections for consumers against surprise medical bills for out-of-network health services
  • Facilitated the elimination of nearly $1.4 billion in medical debt for more than 828,000 New Jerseyans
  • Signed a comprehensive prescription drug affordability package, which includes co-pay caps in the state-regulated plans for asthma inhalers, epinephrine, and insulin; promoted transparency across the supply chain and oversight of prescription drug middlemen
  • Reformed New Jerseyʼs Medicinal Cannabis Program, increasing the number of dispensaries from five to 57 medicinal cannabis retailers, enrolling and serving nearly 200,000 unique patients since 2018, and maintaining enrollment of nearly 53,000 patients

• Mental Health and Overdose Response

  • Leveraged the National Governors Associationʼs Chair Initiative to focus on Strengthening Youth Mental Health nationwide, and rebalanced Childrenʼs System of Care rates for the first time in 15 years to significantly invest in youth mental health supports and treatment
  • Implemented the 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and strengthened the system of behavioral health crisis response through initiatives such as Mobile Crisis Outreach Response Teams, crisis receiving and stabilization centers, and crisis diversion homes
  • Launched the Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence and Escalation (ARRIVE) Together program, which partners police officers with mental health professionals when responding to a person who is experiencing a mental health crisis. The program has reached over 10,000 interactions and is available in all 21 counties
  • Launched the Governorʼs Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families
  • Allocated hundreds of millions of State dollars toward addressing the opioid crisis since 2018
  • Committed over $324 million of opioid settlement funds to expand harm reduction services, substance use treatment access, housing supports, wraparound services, and other evidence-based strategies to save lives
  • Removed legal barriers to expanding harm reduction services, authorized 55 Harm Reduction Centers, and invested in opening services in every county
  • Made lifesaving opioid antidotes available for free at nearly 700 pharmacies statewide through the Naloxone365 initiative and over 1,400 community-based entities participating in the Naloxone DIRECT program
  • Launched the New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services (NJ4S), using a hub-and-spoke model to provide prevention and intervention support to students, families, and school staff throughout the state. In the 2025-2026 school year, 574 schools received services through the program
  • Released the New Jersey Youth Mental Health Strategic Plan, a roadmap with strategies that are already underway and additional opportunities to foster youth resiliency, reduce stigma, facilitate care delivery, and support caregivers

• Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities

  • Increased eligibility for the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD) and Senior Gold programs to support approximately 150,000 seniors and individuals with disabilities
  • Provided critical health care workforce wage increases, including direct support professionals, personal care assistants, nursing home workers, private duty nurses, and mental health and substance use disorder providers
  • Increased funding to nursing facilities by over $1 billion and to the Division of Developmental Disabilitiesʼ community programs by over $1.1 billion since Fiscal Year 2018
  • Became an AARP-designated Age-Friendly State, issued the New Jersey Age-Friendly Blueprint through the Age-Friendly Advisory Council, and issuing nearly $3 million in Age-Friendly community grants, which implement strategies and best practices to improve New Jerseyʼs communities for older adults and support aging in place
  • Launched the Disability Information Hub for New Jersey residents with disabilities, caregivers, parents, and advocates to connect with State resources

• Maternal Health and Early Childhood

  • Invested more than $1 billion in expanding access to high-quality, affordable child care across New Jersey, including dedicating more than $140 million to improve child care infrastructure
  • Launched Nurture NJ, a statewide initiative to make New Jersey the safest, most equitable state in the nation to deliver and raise a baby
  • Became the second state in the nation to extend Medicaidʼs postpartum coverage of mothers for one full year, the third state to provide Medicaid reimbursement for doula care, and one of the only states to increase maternity care provider fee for service reimbursement rates to 100 percent of Medicare
  • Launched Family Connects NJ, the nationʼs most robust universal nurse home visitation program, which is live in over half of the counties and will continue to expand annually until statewide
  • Established the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority, making New Jersey the first and only state in the nation to establish a government authority exclusively dedicated to the health and wellness of mothers and babies
  • Signed over 78 pieces of maternal and infant health legislation

• Pandemic Response and Preparedness

  • Took decisive action to limit the spread of COVID-19 when NJ was hit first and hardest by the deadly virus
  • Ensured equitable access to COVID-19 vaccination—from fully vaccinating 4.7 million individuals who live, work, or study in New Jersey in under six months in 2021 to taking executive actions to continue coverage for everyone 6 months and older in 2025
  • Prevented the spread of COVID-19 by distributing over seven million test kits to local public health and community-based partners, long-term care facilities, shelters, and schools
  • Modernized and scaled government services to address unprecedented need, including modernizing the unemployment insurance system to reduce application time from nearly four hours to under 25 minutes
  • Invested billions in federal funds to support tens of thousands of small businesses, renters, and child care providers
  • Advanced quality and safety in long-term care facilities through increased funding and new quality measures
  • Convened the Task Force on Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness, consisting of Executive Branch departments and agencies, to evaluate the recommendations of the first-in-the-nation independent review to better prepare the State for future public health emergencies
  • Delivered state services increasingly in additional languages, including ongoing implementation of P.L. 2023, c. 263, to better serve constituents whose primary language is not English