Force on Fiscal Responsibility. While in the Assembly, Sarlo was the prime sponsor of the bill creating a $29 million grant to establish a statewide bio-terrorism response plan. He also sponsored legislation to restore the Office of Public Advocate and to provide benefits and incentives for members of volunteer fire departments and rescue squads. He has also taken leading roles on legislation related to the health and welfare of women and children. Sarlo was appointed as state senator when former District 36 Senator Garry Furnari, an attorney and mayor of Nutley was appointed to the New Jersey Superior Court. Sarlo had been the choice of Bergen County Democratic Organization Chairman Joe Ferriero to succeed Furnari. After he was appointed to the State Senate, Frederick Scalera was appointed to fill his vacant seat in the Assembly. In the 2003 general election, Sarlo was challenged by former New Jersey General Assembly member John V. Kelly. Sarlo outspent Kelly by a nearly three-to-one margin in a pivotal race at a time when the Senate was evenly split between the two major parties and a change in party for any one seat could tip control of the upper house. Democrats won full control of the Senate and Sarlo won election to a full term in office by a margin of 53–44%. Exactly one year after being elected to the state senate Sarlo would serve as Assistant Majority Leader from 2004 to 2007 under Majority Leader Bernard Kenny from Jersey City, New Jersey. Sarlo was re-elected in 2007 by defeating Michael Guarino and in 2011 by defeating Donald DiOrio. In the Senate for the 2018–19 session, Sarlo serves on the Budget and Appropriations Committee (as Chair), the Higher Education Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Legislative Oversight Committee. On November 23, 2009, the New Jersey Senate Democrats chose Sarlo to replace Barbara Buono, who was chosen to be Majority Leader, replacing Stephen Sweeney, who became President of the New Jersey Senate, on January 12, 2010. Sarlo was Chairman-designate of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee and began his chairmanship on January 12, 2010. He was also on the 2011 New Jersey Apportionment Commission, the committee delegated to redraw the state legislative districts following the 2010 Census. Sarlo has been a long-time proponent of the EnCap proposal to build golf courses and homes on remediated landfills in the New Jersey Meadowlands. He sponsored a bill in