Asm. Greg McGuckin

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies that the statute of limitations for prosecuting certain crimes pauses until a confirmed match is made between crime scene DNA/fingerprint evidence and a suspect's sample. It specifically affects cases involving physical evidence where DNA or fingerprint identification is used, such as violent crimes or sexual assaults. The key change modifies New Jersey law to require that time stops running only after the State confirms a match between the evidence, not merely when the evidence is in possession. This aligns with legislative intent and corrects a prior court interpretation that allowed time to start earlier. The amendment applies to all relevant criminal prosecutions under N.J.S.2C:1-6.

Maddy summaryACR 45 is a New Jersey concurrent resolution urging Congress to pass H.R.7570, which would allow service members discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccines to be reinstated to their previous rank and have their discharge status changed from "general under honorable conditions" to "honorable." This directly affects military personnel discharged under the 2021 vaccine mandate, as their current discharges may limit access to benefits and future employment. H.R.7570 would provide a process to correct discharge classifications without requiring service members to re-enlist. The resolution reflects New Jersey's support for military personnel impacted by the vaccination policy.

Maddy summaryAJR 55 designates March 16 each year as "Paws Healing Heroes Day" in New Jersey to recognize service dogs that assist veterans with conditions like PTSD, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, and seizure disorders. The resolution directly affects veterans, service dog organizations (such as Paws Healing Heroes in Glassboro), and the public by raising awareness of these animals' role in veteran support. Its key mechanism is an annual designation requiring the Governor to issue a proclamation encouraging public observance. This is a ceremonial resolution, not a law with funding or regulatory changes, and it takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all newly-constructed grocery stores (including supermarkets and convenience stores) to install automatic standby generators. The generators must provide enough power during outages to continue selling food and basic necessities during normal business hours. The Department of Community Affairs will create rules for generator operation, maintenance, and testing. The law applies only to new stores with construction permits pending before its effective date, taking effect immediately.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A1056) requires the voter registration commissioner to move voters with mail-in ballots returned as undeliverable to an inactive file. If such voters fail to vote in two consecutive federal general elections, they will be permanently removed from the Statewide voter registration system and transferred to a deleted file. The commissioner must send written notices to affected voters at three key stages: when placed in the inactive file, when removal is initiated, and after removal. The bill directly affects voters who receive mail-in ballots but cannot be delivered, altering how the state manages inactive voter records.

Maddy summaryThis bill would amend New Jersey's Open Public Records Act (OPRA) to exclude State Police detectives' personal information from public disclosure. It would add details such as a detective's name, title, position, and salary to the list of information protected from public access under OPRA. The bill's sponsors argue that revealing such details could endanger detectives and their families while they work undercover. This change would directly affect State Police detectives by protecting their personal information from being obtained through public records requests.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all public meetings of New Jersey's State Board of Education to be accessible both in person and virtually. It mandates that a live virtual link be posted on the Board's website for all meetings, including public comment sessions, and allows attendees to participate remotely via video call. The policy directly affects the public - including parents, educators, and community members - who wish to attend or comment on Board meetings. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for drivers who have never been issued a license in New Jersey or any other jurisdiction. For a first offense, it sets a $500 fine (up from $200-$500). For a second offense, it adds a minimum of one day in jail plus a $750 fine, and for third or subsequent offenses, it adds 10 days in jail plus a $1,000 fine. If such a driver causes bodily injury in an accident, they face 45-180 days in jail. The penalties align with those for driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A406 amends the "Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act" to strengthen protections against coercion and fraud. It upgrades two offenses to first-degree crimes: coercing a terminally ill patient to request end-of-life medication (previously a third-degree crime) or forging a patient's request (previously a second-degree crime). The bill imposes a mandatory 25-year prison sentence without parole eligibility for these offenses. It directly affects healthcare providers, family members, or others who might attempt to manipulate a patient's decision under the existing medical aid-in-dying law.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A774) requires New Jersey to pay "just compensation" to businesses forced to partially or fully close due to state-ordered public health emergencies (like pandemic restrictions). It directly affects business owners who lost income or were forced out of business because they complied with emergency closure orders. Key provisions allow owners to sue the state for either lost income during/after closure or loss of the business itself ("going concern"), but the business owner must prove the loss was caused by the emergency order and calculate the compensation amount. The law applies to emergencies starting January 1, 2020, and requires lawsuits to be filed within one year after the emergency order ends.