Erin Lanahan 
Governor Phil Murphy served as the 56th governor of New Jersey from 2018 to 2026. The baton has been passed on to Mikie Sherill, who was sworn in as Governor on January 20th, 2026. Over the last few days before the end of Governor Murphy’s time in office, he signed over 120 bills into law and pocket vetoed a handful of other bills. Here’s a quick look at some of the legislation approved before the end of Governor Phil Murphy’s term in New Jersey.
Cursive Lessons Back In School
Writing in cursive is now a requirement in New Jersey schools. Governor Murphy signed a bill into law requiring school districts to incorporate cursive handwriting lessons into third through fifth-grade curriculum. It takes effect immediately and will apply to the next full school year.
“Ensuring that all students learn cursive handwriting reinforces not just a traditional skill, but developmental foundations that support fine motor development, literacy skills, and student confidence,” New Jersey Department of Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said in a statement. “By embedding cursive instruction into the curriculum for grades three through five, this legislation strengthens our commitment to a well-rounded education that prepares students for real-world tasks, helps them connect with historical texts, and complements other learning.”
E-Bike Safety
E-bikers can expect more regulation in New Jersey. New legislation will regulate electric bicycles across the state, updating the licensing, classification, and training requirements. Now owners and operators of e-bikes must get a motorized bicycle license, registration, and insurance. It requires the user to be at least 17 years old with a valid driver’s license, or 15 years old with a motorized bicycle license. Plus, it expands the types of bikes regulated as motorized bikes, such as pedal bikes with fully operational pedals propelled by an electric motor.
“The dramatic increase in the use of e-bikes has created greater dangers for their operators, other motorists, and pedestrians,” Senate President Nick Scutari, who co-sponsored the bill, shared in a statement. “Their popularity with young people, coupled with their inexperience as operators, puts them at greater risk. We are in a new era of e-bike use that requires updated safety standards to help prevent accidents, injuries, and fatalities. Requiring registration and licensing will improve their safe use and having them insured will protect those injured in accidents.”
Psilocybin Behavioral Health Access and Therapy Pilot Program
The Psilocybin Behavioral Health Access and Services Act was signed into law, authorizing the production and use of psilocybin for research into the potential therapeutic benefits. It also decriminalizes and expunges past offenses involving psilocybin production, use, and distribution. Psilocybin is a psychoactive substance found in certain mushrooms.
The program will create the Psychedelic Therapy and Research Advisory board, made up of 11 experts from various fields such as healthcare, research, and legal policy, to oversee the project.
Read More: Liberty State Park in Jersey City to Host a Fan Festival for the FIFA World Cup
The New Jersey Department of Health will select one hospital from North, South, and Central Jersey to participate in the two-year pilot program. Each hospital will receive $2 million to conduct research on how effective psilocybin could be in treating behavioral health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
Single-Use Utensils
A new New Jersey law known as “Skip The Stuff” will prohibit bars and restaurants from automatically giving single-use utensils and condiments to customers. This doesn’t ban the use of those single-use utensils; customers will have to ask for those items to be included with their takeout order or grab them from a self-serve dispenser in the store. Hoboken is one of several places in New Jersey that already had the “Skip The Stuff” ordinance in place.
“Skip the Stuff shows that environmental responsibility and economic savings can go hand in hand,” Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill, prime sponsor of the bill, shared in an online statement. “This legislation is about awareness, choice, and cutting back on waste that hurts our health and environment.”
This also requires the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to establish education campaigns on the benefits of reducing single-use utensils and condiments.
Alcoholic Beverage License Holder
Another law will allow seasonal retail consumption alcoholic beverage license holders to exchange that seasonal license for a full-year consumption license. That means businesses that could only sell alcohol during the summer or winter could now upgrade to a full-year license if they pay a conversion fee. To upgrade, seasonal license holders must apply and surrender their seasonal license within the next year.
No new liquor licenses are being created from this law, and it will not impact grocery or liquor stores. It will only apply to on-premises consumption sites, like bars, restaurants, or concert venues. Seasonal licenses will still exist, but this legislation allows businesses to upgrade within the next year.
Code Red
A new pilot program to shelter at-risk individuals during certain hot weather and air quality events was approved. $2.5 million will be put into the three-year Code Red alert pilot program. 10 New Jersey counties will be selected, and those with the highest homeless populations will get priority. Each county will receive funding for cooling centers, transportation, outreach, and coordination with nonprofits and municipalities.
A Code Red alert will be declared if the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory or the Air Quality Index hits 151 or higher. Each participating county will need to create a plan that includes how the Code Red alerts are issued, how the cooling centers are opened, how people get to the cooling centers, and how the information is shared with the public.
The goal of this program is to see if it should become permanent statewide policy.
New Jersey Cannabis Industry Regulations
Several changes were made to the State Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC). New legislation gives more flexibility for cannabis business owners, allows certain license expansions, and establishes stronger enforcement against unlicensed cannabis sellers.
The changes being made to the CRC include how the chair is chosen. The committee members will pick the chair instead of the Governor. Some rules were relaxed, allowing members and staff to attend political events with notice, and commissioners holding local office can campaign, with some ethical limits. Certain CRC members and their families can own or be employed by cannabis businesses with ethics oversight.
There are also some changes for regulation and licensing. The legislation clarifies how medical cannabis oversight will transition from the Department of Health to the CRC. Investors can also help a business qualify for a Minority, Women, or Veteran business certification, and the certification won’t be lost if the original qualifier fails.
Retail expansion will be allowed. A Class 5 cannabis retailer licensee will now be able to have up to two satellite retail locations with CRC approval.
A new enforcement program is also being developed. The NJ State Police must develop and run a program to find, investigate, and take action against unlicensed cannabis sellers. In addition, unlicensed businesses can be shut down, and authorities can seize products, prosecute, and declare them public nuisances.
Previously, The Hoboken Girl had a link to the entire list detailing all the legislation signed by Governor Phil Murphy. It was deleted after Governor Mikie Sherill was sworn into office on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026.
See More: Inside the Bruce Springsteen Suite at The Asbury Hotel
Follow @thehobokengirl on Instagram + TikTok for the latest Hoboken and Jersey City updates, sign up for our weekly newsletter here that shares everything you missed each week, and check out our events calendar, which has over 100+ events weekly to peruse.
