Gov. Murphy awaits the recessed legislature to return and pass school cell phone, land use and other bills.

When New Jersey lawmakers reconvene in November from a recess of more than four months, they will race to finish business before the legislative session ends, and a new governor is sworn in.

The legislature last met on June 30, when it sent Gov. Phil Murphy a record $58.8 billion budget for the 2026 fiscal year. The 80 Assembly and 40 Senate members typically break until September, after the annual budget signing. 

This year, though, all Assembly seats are open, and incumbents are campaigning for the November 4 election. And New Jerseyans also will choose Murphy's replacement.

The governor says he doesn't "blame them for being out there" seeking votes — but he's eager for bills to hit his desk. 

"There's a package of four housing bills we would like to see passed and signed," Murphy said in an interview. "Energy prices continue to be a big priority." 

Also high on the list, he says, is a "bell-to-bell" ban on cell phones in schools, one of the suggestions in a state Department of Education report as a way to curb distractions, social media use and bullying.

At least one school district decided not to wait for action on the bill, S3695, which would compel schools to adopt Department of Education guidelines on cell phones and social media. In Jersey City, the school board on October 1 unanimously passed a ban on cellphones and other personal communication gadgets during class for its more than 26,000 students.

The legislature's leadership — Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, a Democrat from Woodbridge who is seeking a sixth term, and Senate President Nick Scutari, a Democrat from Linden — declined to comment on the recess.

Other states can go for prolonged periods without lawmaking. Texas, for instance, meets only in odd-numbered years, though the governor has the power to call legislators together. As of October 21, only eight state legislatures were in session, according to StateScape.com, which creates government tracking software.

In New Jersey, the legislature is a part-time role, and most office holders maintain full-time jobs that are separate from their elected positions. In January, their pay will increase to $82,000 — a 67% increase from the current salary, under a bill that Murphy signed in 2024. 

The current legislative session ends on January 13, and any bills not acted upon by then must be reintroduced and go through committee hearings and full legislative votes again, and then to the new governor to consider. 

Some constituents say the State House standstill is aggravating.

"I don't think it's reasonable for them not to be meeting, especially with so many issues persisting in our state," said Zak Zaitz, a 21-year-old Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives intern and fire house volunteer from Medford.

Luke Vinci, 22, a business student at Rowan University, said elected officials should still be meeting.

"Even if there's an election happening, it is important for them to be able to consider new laws," Vinci said.

What Murphy wants

Bills S4451, S1408, S2347 and S2974 comprise the housing package that Murphy is awaiting. The legislation, designed to help ease New Jersey's high cost of living, would clarify land-use requirements; authorize conversion of some office parks and retail centers into mixed-use developments; allow residential builders to provide fewer parking spaces if public transit is nearby and encourage development of accessory dwelling units, which are small cottages on residential properties where family members or renters can live. 

One stalled energy bill is S4398, which would suspend sales and use taxes and societal-benefits charges on utility bills for four months.

The bill, which was introduced in May and has yet to go through committee hearings in both houses, was to take effect on June 1 when New Jersey electricity bills rose as much as 20% as a result of an annual power auction involving electricity wholesaler PJM Interconnection and local utilities. 

If that bill proceeds as written, ratepayers statewide would save $400 million to $470 million, according to an estimate by the Office of Legislative Services.

Other energy bills in committee include A5663, to provide gross income-tax credits for certain energy infrastructure upgrades, and A5656, to compel state agencies to prioritize permit reviews and approvals for projects that will increase electricity supply. 

Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, pointed out that in addition to legislation, Murphy has some judicial appointees who have yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, trial courts have a case backlog.

"I think you could campaign and legislate at the same time, especially because only the Assembly is up for re-election," Rasmussen said in a phone interview.

NJ State House News intern Adam Kimball is a Rowan University senior majoring in sports communication and journalism.