Asm. Alex Sauickie

Maddy summaryThis bill would increase the number of paid work days public employees can take for federal active duty service in the U.S. Reserves from 30 to 90 days per calendar year. It applies to state, county, school district, and municipal employees who are members of the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, or affiliated reserve units (including the National Guard of other states). Under current law, any leave beyond 30 days is unpaid; this bill extends the paid period to 90 days, with unpaid leave after that still without loss of time. The change would take effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill clarifies that municipalities must provide affordable housing based only on current and future housing needs ("present and prospective need"), not on needs that arose during a gap period between housing cycles. It amends the Fair Housing Act to eliminate court interpretations that required municipalities to account for housing needs from a 15+ year period without clear state guidance. The bill ensures municipalities' affordable housing obligations are based on planning for current and future needs rather than retroactive calculations. This affects all New Jersey municipalities required to comply with the Fair Housing Act's affordable housing requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey municipalities to count transitional housing reserved for low or moderate-income veterans toward their affordable housing requirements. Specifically, municipalities earn one credit and one bonus credit for each bedroom in such housing occupied by eligible veterans for at least 10 years. "Transitional housing" refers to housing with supportive services (like counseling or job training) designed to help homeless veterans move to permanent housing within 24 months. It applies to veterans who are New Jersey residents and were honorably discharged from active military service (excluding certain court-martial separations). The change modifies existing affordable housing rules to incentivize veteran-focused housing projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey law enforcement agencies to provide victims of domestic violence with copies of specific records upon request, including police photos, body camera footage, 9-1-1 recordings, and police reports. Victims or their legal representatives can request these records within 10 calendar days at no cost, with records to be provided electronically or in paper form as requested. If records can't be provided within 10 days, agencies may request additional time from the court but must deliver within 24 hours once available. The bill clarifies that this right supplements existing open public records access under OPRA and requires courts to note record access delays during domestic violence hearings. This policy directly affects domestic violence victims seeking evidence to support their cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A3344) requires developers to provide extended notice to property owners before building large warehouses (over 100,000 square feet) or high-density developments. It mandates that municipal clerks give at least 20 days' notice to property owners within the development municipality, and to owners in adjacent municipalities if the project is within 300 feet of a municipal boundary. For projects in rural Planning Area 4A, notice must extend up to 1,000 feet to adjacent municipalities. The bill defines "high-density development" as projects exceeding current master plan density limits and allows municipalities to recover notice costs from developers.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A3121 establishes a matching grant program to help schools address pandemic-related learning loss. It requires the Commissioner of Education to provide 50% matching funds (up to $200 million total) to eligible public school districts, charter schools, and "renaissance school projects" that use federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for specific interventions. Schools must demonstrate increased learning loss (higher percentages of students below grade level in 2023 vs. 2018-2019) and use funds for evidence-based programs like extended learning time, tutoring, summer academies, or career pathways. The program mandates detailed applications and annual reports to evaluate effectiveness in improving student outcomes.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A1244 (A1244) requires the Commissioner of Community Affairs to develop and publish model land use ordinances for "eruvin" within 90 days. Eruvin are boundary markers (typically on utility poles) that allow certain Jewish Sabbath activities within a defined area, as recognized by court rulings. The model ordinances will cover establishing, constructing, and maintaining these boundaries to help municipalities regulate them while addressing public safety, aesthetics, and legal concerns. Municipalities may adopt these models or modified versions to create their own local regulations. The bill aims to provide clear guidance based on existing case law affirming that eruvin regulations do not violate religious freedom.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's public colleges and universities to offer tuition-free job training courses to workers displaced by automation. It specifically applies to individuals who have been in the workforce for at least two years, are currently unemployed, or received a layoff notice due to factory closures or automation (expanding current law, which only covered factory closures). To qualify, applicants cannot receive state or federal financial aid, and courses must have available space with sufficient paying students to meet minimum enrollment. Public institutions may still charge a $20 registration fee per term. The law aims to help workers transition to new careers as automation impacts more jobs.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a nine-member "Revolutionary War Park Study Commission" to evaluate creating a National Historical Park combining three existing New Jersey sites: Washington Crossing State Park, Trenton Battle Monument, and Princeton Battlefield State Park. The commission, including state environmental and historical officials plus appointed members with expertise in preservation, will assess feasibility, potential impacts on historical/ecological resources, local communities, tourism, and tax revenue. It must issue a final report to the Governor and Legislature within one year of its first meeting, after which the commission expires. The bill does not create the park itself but studies whether it could be formed.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new "Statewide Farmland Preservation Formula" to determine the value of farmland to be acquired for preservation purposes. The formula requires the committee to conduct appraisals, consider values in neighboring areas, assess agricultural importance, evaluate natural resources, and factor in elements like inflation, soil quality, and land size. Landowners would receive multiple value determinations, with the highest value used as the basis for acquisition negotiations. This applies to farmland preservation efforts using state funds, including the Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund. The committee would adopt rules for this formula, which would initially be effective for up to three years before needing formal re-adoption.