Asm. Paul Kanitra

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to study whether the state's electric power grid meets reliability standards within six months. The BPU must assess if electric companies comply with existing safety and maintenance rules, compare New Jersey's grid performance to other states, and evaluate infrastructure resilience during storms. The study will also examine utility pole safety, emergency response efforts, and adherence to national electrical standards. The findings and recommendations will be submitted to the Governor and Legislature. (Procedural bill; summary focuses on mandated study, not policy outcomes.)

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey residents to apply for special license plates featuring a purple ribbon and the phrase "Domestic Violence Awareness" on their vehicles. Vehicle owners would pay a one-time $50 application fee and an annual $10 fee, with the collected funds (after covering administrative costs) deposited into a dedicated fund. The fund, managed by the Department of Children and Families, provides annual grants to nonprofit organizations supporting domestic violence victims. The plates aim to raise public awareness while generating revenue specifically for victim services, with no state funds used for initial implementation costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Attorney General to repeal a 2018 directive (No. 2018-6) that limited local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The directive previously prohibited police from sharing certain information with immigration officials - such as notifying them about detained individuals' release dates or extending detention solely based on immigration requests - when immigration enforcement was the sole purpose. The bill directly affects state, county, and local police departments by removing these restrictions on sharing information with federal immigration authorities. It aims to restore full cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies, as specified in the directive's current provisions. The repeal would take effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A-1260) requires manufacturers and sellers of internet-connected devices to include digital blocking technology that automatically restricts access to obscene material, child pornography, revenge porn, and websites linked to human trafficking or prostitution. It directly affects device companies and minors (who must have blocking active unless they pay a $20 opt-out fee to deactivate it). Key provisions include mandatory blocking of harmful content, a 5-day window to unblock mistakenly blocked material upon consumer report, and quarterly fees ($20 per device) sent to fund the state’s Human Trafficking Commission. The bill is not yet law - it was introduced January 2026 and referred to committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey state agencies from imposing civil penalties on other state agencies or their subdivisions (like divisions or bureaus). It directly affects all state agencies by preventing internal enforcement actions, such as fines, between government entities. The law takes effect immediately and removes a current gap where agencies could theoretically penalize each other under existing statutes.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts senior citizens, blind individuals, and disabled persons from specific realty transfer fees when buying or selling their owner-occupied one- or two-family homes. It eliminates the State portion of the basic fee and general purpose fee for qualifying sellers and removes a 1% fee for qualifying buyers purchasing homes over $1 million. The exemption does not apply if the property is jointly owned by someone who doesn't meet the eligibility criteria. All affected transactions must still comply with standard transfer requirements, and fees not collected due to this exemption are redirected to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits pet shops in New Jersey from selling cats, dogs, or rabbits, directly affecting pet shops, breeders, brokers, and animal shelters/rescues. It requires pet shops to collaborate with shelters for adoption showcases (without payment), bans shelters from paying breeders for animals, and fines violators $1,000 per violation - with license revocation for three or more offenses. The law aims to disrupt the "puppy-mill-to-pet-store pipeline" by prioritizing adoption over commercial breeding sales. It does not affect pet shop sales of other animals or pet supplies.

Maddy summaryACR 68 is a New Jersey concurrent resolution urging Congress to pass the "Presidential Security Resources Reimbursement Act of 2024" (H.R.9332). It directly affects state and local governments, which currently bear the costs of providing security for presidential and vice-presidential candidates during campaign events. The resolution requests federal reimbursement for these expenses - such as personnel, equipment, and facilities - after highlighting the financial burden on jurisdictions like New Jersey following the July 2024 assassination attempt on a presidential candidate. This is a procedural resolution, not a bill, seeking to prompt federal action.

Maddy summaryThe "Authentic Relationships Act" (A 2710) prohibits artificial intelligence providers in New Jersey from designing, developing, marketing, or distributing AI that simulates romantic or sexual relationships with humans, unless the AI is exclusively for legitimate medical use (e.g., treating social anxiety under a doctor’s supervision). It creates a $25,000 civil penalty per violation for providers who break this rule and allows individuals harmed by deceptive AI to sue for damages, including punitive awards. The law explicitly bans AI that intentionally deceives users into believing they are interacting with a human, aligning with New Jersey’s consumer fraud protections. It directly affects AI developers, tech companies, and users who may encounter such deceptive AI interactions. The bill takes effect 180 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill prohibits schools and school buses from requiring students to wear face masks in any indoor or outdoor school area. It directly affects all public and nonpublic elementary and secondary school students in the state. The bill removes mandatory mask requirements but allows students to wear masks voluntarily if they choose. It takes immediate effect upon enactment and applies to all school buildings and grounds, as well as school buses.