Legislation aims to help residential customers with unexpected increases and penalties during public health emergencies.

OCEAN TOWNSHIP - Senator Gopal’s legislation passed with amendments through the Senate Economic Growth Committee this week. Bill S2325 prohibits utility service rate increases, penalties and discontinuances to residential customers during certain public health emergencies. These prohibitions and service restoration requirements are to remain in effect for the duration of, and 180 days following, a major public health emergency.

Pieces of Legislation establish protection for those domestically abused ranging from changing the definition of domestic violence to extending medical help and care.

TRENTON - Senator Vin Gopal introduced a Domestic Violence Bill Package into the State Senate today. The bill package is dedicated to Stephanie Parze’s family, who has suffered a terrible loss due to an abusive boyfriend one year ago this month. The bill package has been introduced in the Assembly by Assemblywoman Joann Downey. Two bills from the package are Senate companion bills for legislation previously introduced in the Assembly by Assemblywomen Valerie Vainieri Huttle and Lisa Swain.

TRENTON - This week, Senator Vin Gopal’s legislation S2785 has been signed into law by Governor Murphy. This law requires the Department of Health to implement and oversee an Isolation Prevention Project in long-term care facilities that would be operable during public emergencies. 

Legislation establishes the need of protective equipment for residents in nursing home communities. 

OCEAN TOWNSHIP - Senator Vin Gopal’s bill S2566 has been voted out of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee today and will move to the State Senate for a vote. The companion bill has been introduced in the Assembly.

TINTON FALLS, NJ - State Senator Vin Gopal, Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling, and Assemblywoman Joann Downey honored Dr. Paul Stuart Wichansky with a joint legislative proclamation for educating others about disability awareness and acceptance, and for 40 years, encouraging our youth to learn to believe in themselves and the beauty of their dreams.

OCEAN TOWNSHIP - This week, the Senate State Government passed Senator Vin Gopal’s  bill S2785 which requires the Department of Health to implement and oversee an Isolation Prevention Project in long-term care facilities that would be operable during public emergencies. 

OCEAN TOWNSHIP—Senator Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch), Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling (D-Neptune), and Assemblywoman Joann Downey (D-Freehold) released the following statement slamming efforts by federal political appointees to hinder the efforts of the United States Postal Service (USPS), which have caused unprecedented and widespread delays and pile-ups at post offices across Monmouth County:

LONG BRANCH, NJ—Congressman Frank Pallone joined Monmouth and Middlesex County New Jersey state legislators Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex), Senator Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth), Senator Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling (D-Monmouth), Assemblywoman Joann Downey (D-Monmouth), and Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez (D-Middlesex) to call on Governor Murphy, NJ Transit Commissioner Gutierrez Scaccetti, and NJ Transit Executive Director Kevin Corbett to avoid taking any steps to alter existing one-seat ride schedules or expand these services should it mean a reduction in services from other rail lines in the system.

New Jersey residents may be aware of the Property Tax Reimbursement Program, also known as the “Senior Freeze” program: a state program that reimburses eligible senior citizens for property tax increases on their primary residence. Once a household applies for the “Senior Freeze,” their future property taxes are “frozen” at their current level for all future years in which they meet the requirements.

LONG BRANCH—Senator Vin Gopal released the following statement condemning the decision by the United States Immigrations and Customs agency to deport foreign students who are attending United States colleges that are operating entirely online this fall semester due to COVID-19 concerns:

OCEAN TOWNSHIP—Senator Vin Gopal issued the following statement following Governor Murphy's announcement that the reopening of indoor dining in New Jersey restaraunts will be indefinitely postponed due to COVID-19 concerns:

EATONTOWN, NJ—Senator Vin Gopal, Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling and Assemblywoman Joann Downey today announced that the Borough of Eatontown has received a $275,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Local Aid Infrastructure Fund Program to create a walkable, undeveloped Eatontown Greenway from Wampum Park to Wolcott Park.

OCEAN TOWNSHIP - This Friday, Governor Murphy signed bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Vin Gopal aiming to protect New Jersey restaurants from rising takeout and delivery service fees charged by some third-party food delivery services similar to Grubhub, DoorDash, and UberEats. Under the new law (previously S2437), during the COVID-19 state of emergency, these service fees cannot exceed 10 percent of the price of the original order if the restaurant is using its own driver for the delivery, or 20 percent of the price of the original order otherwise.