Asm. Margie Donlon

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's lead-based paint hazard inspection requirements for residential rental properties. It mandates that municipalities inspect rental units and common areas at tenant turnover or every three years (whichever is earlier), with properties having valid lead-safe certifications (now valid for three years instead of two) exempt from frequent inspections. Landlords must provide lead-safe certification to new tenants and maintain records, while municipalities must report lead hazard findings to the Department of Community Affairs, which will provide annual reports to the legislature. The bill also repeals a provision requiring the Department of Community Affairs to inspect properties as part of the Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides an additional $100 million in state funding to New Jersey's Affordable Housing Production Fund, managed by the Department of Community Affairs. The funds will specifically support the completion of 100-percent affordable housing projects, where all residential units must be reserved for low- and moderate-income households. Municipalities will use this money to contract with developers to finish projects already identified in their fair share affordable housing obligations. This supplemental appropriation builds on existing law (P.L.2022, c.49) to accelerate housing availability for income-qualified residents.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires youth camps, recreation departments, and youth organizations (like Little Leagues, soccer leagues, and Police Athletic Leagues) to have an automated defibrillator on-site during youth athletic events held on public fields. It applies to any organization sponsoring youth sports events on municipal, county, school, or publicly-owned fields. Organizations can comply if a certified first responder with a defibrillator is present, and the bill grants legal immunity for those using defibrillators. The requirement must be met within 180 days of the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4682) requires health insurance companies in New Jersey to cover nonopioid prescription drugs for acute pain on equal terms with opioid drugs when prescribed by a doctor. It prohibits insurers from denying coverage for nonopioid drugs in favor of opioids or requiring patients to try opioids first. For insurers with drug formularies (coverage lists), nonopioid pain medications approved by the FDA cannot face stricter rules, higher costs, or more barriers than opioid alternatives. The law applies to all private insurance plans, state employee health plans, school employee plans, and Medicaid, effective January 1, 2026. It does not prevent insurers from favoring one opioid over another or one nonopioid over another.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits real estate appraisers in New Jersey from considering protected characteristics - including race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or national origin - when valuing properties. It directly affects licensed and certified real estate appraisers by banning these discriminatory factors from appraisal analysis. The key mechanism requires appraisers to complete a mandatory fair housing and appraisal bias training course (approved by the Appraisal Qualifications Board) as part of their continuing education for license renewal. The law codifies existing anti-discrimination protections and aligns with national standards for appraisal practice.

Maddy summaryThe "Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act" prevents credit reporting agencies from including paid medical debt or medical debt under $500 in credit reports, regardless of when the debt was incurred. It prohibits medical creditors and debt collectors from reporting medical debt to credit agencies for services provided after the law takes effect. The bill requires a 180-day waiting period before collection actions can begin and mandates a 30-day notice with a clear payment deadline before starting collections. Additionally, it protects patients by prohibiting debt collection during pending insurance appeals and requiring credit bureaus to remove debt information if an appeal is pending or the debt is paid.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $101.7 million from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax revenues and Green Acres funds to the Department of Environmental Protection for local government open space acquisition and park development projects. The funds will support $24.3 million in land acquisition projects (including planning incentive, standard, site-specific, and urban aid acquisition) and $75 million in park development projects (including inclusive playgrounds required by "Jake's Law" and projects in densely populated areas). Local governments across New Jersey will receive grants or loans to acquire or develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, with $2.4 million allocated for administrative costs. The bill defines eligibility based on population density criteria to target funding to areas with higher population needs.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill revises property tax lien foreclosure procedures to align with a recent Supreme Court ruling requiring property owners to retain equity beyond unpaid taxes. It allows property owners to protect remaining property equity by requesting a judicial sale (like mortgage foreclosures) or online auction through the county sheriff within 45 days of receiving foreclosure notice. If owners don't make this request, lien holders (municipalities or private investors) can take full property title without conducting a sale. Lien holders must clearly inform property owners about this option in bold text with foreclosure notices. The bill ensures any surplus funds from a sale would go to the property owner after lien holders are paid.

Maddy summaryS 2825 removes the time limit that required municipalities to issue or transfer special licenses for bars and restaurants within areas formerly occupied by federal military installations. Under current law, municipalities had three years to issue these licenses and two additional years to transfer unissued licenses to other municipalities in the project area. This bill eliminates those deadlines, giving municipalities more time to act without penalty. The change applies to the three host municipalities in a "project area" (a redevelopment zone of a former military base, like Fort Monmouth) that are entitled to issue these licenses. The bill does not alter the number of licenses, fee structure, or other rules governing their issuance.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's film and digital media tax credit program to include wages and salaries paid to workers not subject to New Jersey's gross income tax due to reciprocity agreements with other states. It expands the definitions of "qualified film production expenses" and "qualified digital media content production expenses" to cover these payments, including compensation paid to workers from states like Pennsylvania with which New Jersey has reciprocal tax agreements. The bill also updates the definition of "full-time or full-time equivalent employee" to include workers whose wages aren't subject to New Jersey tax due to reciprocity agreements. The changes apply retroactively to January 1, 2024, allowing taxpayers who haven't used their tax credit certificates to receive revised certificates under the new rules.