Rep. Greg McGuckin

Maddy summaryAJR 119 designates November 7 of each year as "Shwachman Diamond Syndrome Awareness Day" in New Jersey. This symbolic resolution directly affects residents of New Jersey living with Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome (SDS), a rare genetic disorder impacting bone marrow, pancreas, and skeletal development. The bill requires the Governor to issue an annual proclamation encouraging public officials and citizens to observe the day with awareness activities. It aims to increase public understanding of SDS, support affected individuals, and promote further research into the condition. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but serves as a formal recognition of the disorder.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey to create special "250th Anniversary Revolutionary War" license plates for motor vehicles. Vehicle owners who apply (paying a $50 one-time fee plus a $10 annual fee) can display these plates, with all fees deposited into a dedicated fund. The fund, managed by the Department of Treasury, uses these monies to support the preservation of Revolutionary War sites across New Jersey. The design and implementation involve coordination between the Motor Vehicle Commission and the New Jersey Historical Commission.

Maddy summaryThis Assembly Resolution formally recognizes Judea and Samaria as the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people and rejects the use of the term "West Bank" for the region. The bill directs state officials to use the names Judea and Samaria in all official communications, documents, and references regarding the area. By doing so, the resolution affirms the historical, biblical, and legal significance of the region to Jewish heritage and identity without creating any new laws or changing government policy.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows parents of twins or higher-order multiples to request that their children be placed in the same or separate classrooms within New Jersey public preschool programs. It extends existing rules for kindergarten through eighth grade to preschoolers and requires schools treating these siblings as a single unit during lottery or open enrollment processes. The legislation also permits principals to move students to different classrooms if the current placement disrupts the class or hinders academic and social development, while parents remain responsible for any extra transportation costs unless the district agrees otherwise.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows ambulance crews and emergency medical providers in New Jersey to transport injured law enforcement dogs to veterinary clinics when no human patients need immediate care. It defines law enforcement canines as government-employed dogs used for tasks like detecting suspects or missing persons and sets specific training requirements for providers who may treat these animals. To encourage this service, the legislation grants immunity from civil or criminal liability to providers acting in good faith within the scope of new regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill prevents the state from applying a six percent growth limit to school funding for the 2026-2027 school year, ensuring districts receive their full calculated aid without reduction. It directly affects school districts by mandating that the Department of Education ignore any rules that would cap increases in equalization, transportation, special education, and security aid. To fund this change, the legislation appropriates $332.6 million from the Property Tax Relief Fund to the Department of Education. The act takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill mandates an automatic recount for any election where the margin of victory is 0.5 percent or less of the total votes cast. For elections with larger margins, it allows candidates or groups of ten voters to request a recount within three days of the results being certified if they suspect counting errors. The legislation also requires applicants for these manual recounts to post a financial deposit to cover potential costs, which is returned only if the recount changes the election outcome. Additionally, the state would be responsible for paying all expenses related to conducting these automatic recounts.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution commemorates the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The bill asks the Governor to issue a proclamation honoring the victims, first responders, and the resilience of the American people. It also directs that copies of the resolution be sent to federal leaders and members of Congress from New Jersey. The measure serves as a formal state recognition of the event and does not create new laws or change existing policies.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits school districts in the Special District for Atlantic County (SDA) from entering into lease agreements with developers to build and lease new school buildings. The change directly affects SDA districts by removing their ability to use this specific type of public-private partnership for school construction. By amending existing state education law, the legislation aims to restrict how these districts can acquire and manage new school facilities, ensuring a ban on such developer-led lease arrangements.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey municipalities to designate specific sites as areas in need of redevelopment if those sites are officially planned for affordable housing in the town's housing element and fair share plan. To qualify, the site must be designated for inclusionary development that includes both market-rate and affordable housing, or exclusively affordable housing, and the plan must have been approved by a court to meet the municipality's legal housing obligations. The change expands the existing redevelopment law to enable these housing-focused areas to access redevelopment powers, such as tax exemptions and abatements, under the same conditions as other blighted or underutilized zones. Local governments would use this provision to address housing shortages by legally classifying planned affordable housing projects as redevelopment areas.