Asm. Greg McGuckin

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits local government employees in New Jersey (excluding school districts) from receiving terminal leave compensation for accrued administrative leave, vacation, sick leave, or longevity benefits upon retirement. It also bans the use of six or more consecutive sick days within 12 months of retirement eligibility without written medical verification from a physician. Employers must verify medical necessity, may require a physician examination, and can deduct improperly used sick days from retirement compensation calculations. The law applies to counties, municipalities, fire districts, and similar entities that have adopted New Jersey’s civil service rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill prevents reductions in New Jersey state school aid for specific districts. It protects districts in Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties (fifth/sixth class counties) if their property value assessments (equalized valuation) for the current year are lower than in the 2012-2013 school year. If this condition is met, the district’s total state aid cannot be less than what it received in the 2017-2018 school year. The protection excludes preschool aid, special education costs aid, school choice aid, and debt service aid.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits using fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions for any research purposes and bans using any fetal tissue (regardless of source) for cosmetic research. It amends New Jersey law to make these uses illegal, with violations punishable by fines up to $50,000 per offense. The bill does not restrict research using fetal tissue from miscarriages or stillbirths, nor does it affect existing rules about donating unused embryos from fertility treatments or genetic testing for health reasons. This policy change directly impacts researchers and institutions seeking to use such tissue for the banned purposes.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides a $250 annual state income tax credit to homeowners within 1,000 feet of Barnegat Bay and its tributaries who replace grass lawns with non-maintained alternatives like stone or crushed shells. Property owners who already made this change before the bill's effective date are also eligible. The credit aims to reduce chemical runoff - such as fertilizers and pesticides - from lawns into the bay, which the bill identifies as a major factor degrading the bay's water quality and ecosystems. The tax credit applies to all qualifying properties and takes effect immediately for future tax years.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey municipalities to grant a temporary property tax exemption for homeowners who elevate their homes after natural disasters (e.g., floods) to create additional space underneath. The exemption covers the increased taxable value specifically from the new space created by elevation, excluding other improvements, for up to five years. Municipalities must adopt an ordinance declaring the area "in need of rehabilitation" due to a declared disaster, and assessors must exclude the elevation-related value from tax calculations during the exemption period. Homeowners still pay taxes on other value increases from repairs or upgrades beyond the elevated space.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey mail-in ballot outer envelopes from displaying any visible political affiliation or designation. It affects all voters who participate in mail-in elections across the state. The key provision requires county clerks to ensure both the outer envelope and the envelope used to mail ballot materials to voters don't contain political party information on their exterior. This change applies to all mail-in ballots, including those for primary elections. The policy aims to maintain voter privacy by preventing political information from being visible on ballot envelopes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A800) changes how New Jersey compensates beachfront property owners when the government takes land for dune construction or beach replenishment projects. It requires compensation to include the increased property value from added safety and protection provided by the dunes or replenished beach, not just the value lost from the taken portion. The bill also states that public access rights arising from these projects cannot be used to reduce the property's overall compensation value. It directly affects coastal property owners in New Jersey whose land is condemned for these specific public safety projects. The law applies immediately to all pending cases.

Maddy summaryACR 34 proposes a constitutional amendment to create a property tax credit for New Jersey seniors. It would provide a 50% credit on primary residence property taxes, capped at $10,000 annually, for residents aged 65 or older who own their homes. The credit has no income restrictions, and the state would pay municipalities directly to cover the credit amount. Surviving spouses of eligible seniors who received the credit may continue to qualify under specific conditions, such as remaining in the same home and not remarrying. This amendment requires voter approval before the Legislature would implement the "Stay NJ" program.

Maddy summaryACR 102 is a non-binding resolution urging New Jersey's Department of Education to impose a two-year moratorium on developing or implementing new Student Learning Standards. It requests this pause due to recent adoption of standards in 2020, parent concerns about current standards, and pandemic-related learning loss. The resolution does not change existing standards but asks the Department to halt new standards development while the Legislature considers related bills addressing learning loss. This affects the Department's curriculum planning process during the moratorium period.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey counties, municipalities, and other local governments from requiring private employers to provide paid sick leave. It makes any local ordinance or rule mandating paid sick leave invalid, preventing inconsistent requirements across different towns. The law specifically applies to private employers but does not affect state-level sick leave rules or public contracts requiring labor standards. This would create statewide uniformity for private employers operating in multiple jurisdictions, eliminating local variations in sick leave policies.