Asm. Alex Sauickie

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to obtain written permission from a parent or legal guardian before administering student health surveys about alcohol/tobacco/drug use, sexual behavior, violence-related behaviors, or nutrition/physical activity. Currently, districts only need to send written notification; this bill changes that to require active written consent at least two weeks prior to survey administration. The permission form must detail the survey's purpose, content, review options, and how to grant/deny consent. Results must be shared with state education and health departments for public health initiatives but cannot be used for commercial purposes.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A1226 bill would allow counties to acquire unpreserved land in agricultural development areas and sell or lease it to agricultural support businesses at reduced prices. Agricultural support businesses are defined as entities that supply equipment, supplies, or services to farms, including veterinary practices, equipment stores, chemical suppliers, and auction facilities. The bill requires that land sold or leased under this law must be used exclusively for agricultural support purposes, with restrictions recorded in deeds or leases that allow counties to reclaim the land if restrictions are violated. Counties must form advisory groups with farmers and agricultural experts to help determine appropriate land acquisitions. The bill aims to strengthen agricultural viability by ensuring farmers have access to necessary support services in farming communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires cultural competency training for New Jersey state, county, and municipal public employees who regularly interact with the public as part of their job. It mandates that these employees complete training covering communication with diverse racial, ethnic, and religious communities, customer service techniques, and strategies for effective government outreach. The Civil Service Commission must develop or identify standardized training materials, which agencies must use or adapt to ensure consistency. The training must be completed within six months of hire or the bill's effective date, with exceptions for law enforcement officers already covered by existing bias training.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires limited liability companies (LLCs) and foreign LLCs purchasing residential rental properties to submit a sworn statement with the property deed when recording it. The statement must include the company's registered agent's name and business address, and if the agent isn't a company member, also identify at least one company member. This applies to all residential rental properties, regardless of the number of dwelling units, and must be provided at the time of recording with the county.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to create optional certification courses for planning professionals focused on developing warehouses and high-density buildings. The courses, to be developed with input from universities, planning commissions, and organizations like the New Jersey Planning Officials, must include specific modules on warehouse (defined as storage facilities for goods) and high-density development topics. Completion of these courses does not satisfy existing land use law training requirements for planning board members. The bill directly affects planning professionals involved in zoning and development decisions, aiming to provide updated expertise on rapidly growing development types.

Maddy summaryThis non-binding New Jersey Assembly Resolution (AR 48) urges Congress and the President to redirect $79.6 billion allocated to the Internal Revenue Service under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 toward increasing active-duty military basic pay. It specifically references the proposed "Prioritizing Troops Over Tax Collectors Act" (H.R.161) to raise pay to a minimum of $31,200 annually (equivalent to $15/hour) for active service members. The resolution cites that approximately 23,000 active-duty troops currently rely on food stamps, highlighting financial strain as a retention concern. As a resolution, it does not change law but requests federal action to reallocate funds from IRS funding to the Department of Defense.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A3348 requires the State Planning Commission to create plain-language guidance for local planning boards reviewing warehouse development applications. The guidance must include examples of questions addressing community concerns like traffic, road safety, and environmental impacts, and will be published online. It also mandates that the Commissioner of Community Affairs incorporate this guidance into mandatory land use training courses for local planning and zoning board members. The bill directly affects municipal authorities reviewing warehouse projects (including distribution centers and flex-warehouses) and aims to standardize how communities evaluate such developments. The guidance must be finalized within three months of the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Education (DOE) to provide any school district with a request the full data, software algorithms, and detailed calculations used to determine state school aid. It directly affects all New Jersey school districts that seek transparency in how their funding is calculated under the School Funding Reform Act (P.L.2007, c.260) and the S-2 funding formula (P.L.2018, c.67). Key provisions mandate the DOE to release all underlying data, proprietary software algorithms, and a district-by-district reconciliation showing how local shares plus equalization aid equal total state adequacy budgets. The bill aims to enable school districts to verify that state aid calculations comply with existing law.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides New Jersey taxpayers with corporation business tax (CBT) and gross income tax (GIT) credits for completing qualified construction projects on abandoned commercial building sites. The credits cover 25% of qualified costs (up to $1 million per project) for activities like demolishing abandoned buildings, constructing new commercial buildings on those sites, removing debris, or remediating environmental contamination. To qualify, taxpayers must apply for certification from the Division of Taxation, and the total credits awarded across all projects are capped at $5 million. The bill requires the Division of Taxation to report on the program's effectiveness in replacing abandoned commercial buildings with new construction within one year of the credits' expiration.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates the third full week of May each year as "Clinical Trials Awareness Week" and May 20 as "Clinical Trials Volunteers Appreciation Day" in New Jersey. It requests the Governor issue annual proclamations encouraging public recognition of clinical trials and their volunteers. The measure serves as symbolic acknowledgment of New Jersey's medical research community and has no new requirements or funding.