Asm. Paul Kanitra

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits individuals convicted of sex offenses against minors (under age 18) from working as employees or volunteers at amusement parks or selling frozen desserts from street-based ice cream trucks. It directly affects registered sex offenders under New Jersey’s sex offender registration law who committed crimes against children. The law defines "amusement parks" as facilities with public rides and "frozen dessert trucks" as vehicles selling desserts on public streets. Violating this prohibition is a fourth-degree crime punishable by up to 18 months in jail or a $10,000 fine.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits schools and school buses in New Jersey from requiring students to wear face masks. It directly affects all students attending public or nonpublic elementary and secondary schools, covering both indoor and outdoor areas of school buildings and school buses. The law explicitly bans mandatory mask-wearing but allows students to choose to wear masks voluntarily. The policy change takes effect immediately upon enactment.

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 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 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 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.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A761) requires public utilities in New Jersey to reimburse business customers for lost income when a business must temporarily close due to utility repairs or replacements on the business's property. The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) determines the reimbursement amount based on documentation provided by the affected business. Utilities cannot recover these reimbursement costs from other ratepayers through higher rates. The requirement does not apply during declared emergencies (like hurricanes or floods) that cause widespread service interruptions.