New Jersey lawmakers are in budget mode this week, and on Thursday they signed off on a $38.7 billion plan to fund the state for another year.

But they've also been busy moving along measures that protect Superstorm Sandy survivors from foreclosure, could allow people to drink on the Atlantic City boardwalk — and change the penalties if they then get in the car and drive drunk.

Here are key measures that moved forward in the legislative rush Thursday:

Gun control

Firearm retailers may soon be required to sell smart handguns, which are equipped with high-tech trigger locks and can be fired only by their owners. A bill passed by the Senate and Assembly says once the guns are available for retail purposes, it will be illegal for New Jersey manufacturers and dealers to sell handguns other than smart guns. The Legislature also approved another measure adding to the list of convictions that automatically prevent a person from owning a firearm. Those bills now go to Gov. Phil Murphy for his signature.

Several other gun-related bills were approved in the Assembly and are awaiting Senate action. Those bills:

Require ammunition sales to be reported.

Limit the period for which a firearms purchasing identification is valid to four years.

Establish criminal penalties for possessing or giving a gun or ammunition to a person who cannot legally own or possess one.

Open containers in Atlantic City

Not done with that Bud Light at Bally's? Take it with you.

The Senate on Thursday passed a bill allowing pedestrians to consume alcohol on the beach and boardwalk and in other parts of Atlantic City. There's a catch, even if this measure is approved by the Assembly: The places where open containers would be allowed is to be determined by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, which must hold a public hearing on the issue first.

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Penalties for drunken driving

Meanwhile, the Senate and Assembly passed a bill that increases the amount of time drunk drivers must use an ignition interlock device while reducing the time of driver's license forfeiture.

Ignition interlock devices require drivers to blow into them before starting their vehicles. If the device detects alcohol, the vehicle will not start.

For example, a first-time drunken-driving offender would have to use an ignition interlock device for at least three months. Previously, offenders would lose their driver's license for three months. The bill changes penalties for repeat offenses and says the higher the offender's blood alcohol content, the longer the person should use an ignition interlock device.

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Student athletes with concussions

It's common across the nation that student-athletes who suffer concussions must get a doctor's permission before returning to the field.

But the Senate on Thursday went a step further and approved a measure that requires students to return to the classroom before the field. The measure also requires schools to follow a five-step plan that gradually increases the injured student's participation in physical activities before competition. The Assembly hasn't yet acted on the bill.

Solitary confinement

The bill sets a framework for when inmates can be put in solitary confinement in state and county facilities, and limits how long they can stay there to 20 consecutive days. It also prohibits putting members of "vulnerable populations," including minors, in solitary confinement, according to the ACLU of New Jersey.

It also gives inmates rights to challenge their confinement and requires a medical evaluation soon after an inmate is isolated. The Assembly and Senate passed the bills Thursday, sending the issue to Murphy.

Digital parking meters

It is the era of smart everything (see above), and now even parking meters can detect with digital precision if you've stayed too long. A bill allowing expanded use of digital parking meters has now been passed by both houses and will go to the governor to sign.

The meters can snap pictures of your license plate if you stay beyond a five-minute grace period — pictures you'll see when they arrive by mail at your home, attached to a court summons.

Sandy victims facing foreclosure

Hundreds of homeowners who were granted foreclosure protection as they tried to rebuild after 2012's devastating Superstorm Sandy were on the verge of having to repay those loans, something one homeowner said would prevent her from rebuilding.

The Senate and Assembly both passed bills Thursday extending the program through 2022 and sent them to the governor for a signature.

Stacey Barchenger: @sbarchenger; 732-427-0114; sbarchenger@gannettnj.com