Asm. Gerry Scharfenberger

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 1512) allows trained operators of New Jersey’s Suicide Hopeline to make follow-up calls to minors aged 16 or older who contact the hotline and are identified as high-risk for suicide, without requiring parental consent. It directly affects minors in crisis by enabling immediate, confidential support from the Hopeline after an initial call. The key mechanism amends existing law to explicitly permit these brief, supportive follow-up calls - specifically for suicide prevention - while clarifying they do not constitute formal mental health treatment. The bill was withdrawn after being approved as part of P.L.2025, c.238, meaning the policy change is now in effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill criminalizes squatting in vacant homes by creating three new offenses: "housebreaking" (forcibly entering without permission to live there), "unlawful occupancy" (living in a vacant home without permission), and "unlawful reentry" (returning after being evicted via court order). It presumes people know they lack permission unless they have a notarized rental agreement with the owner's contact details. The law directly affects individuals occupying vacant properties without legal authorization, making these acts fourth-degree crimes punishable by up to 18 months in jail or a $10,000 fine. The bill aims to replace current eviction processes with criminal penalties for unauthorized occupancy.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new exclusion from New Jersey's gross income tax and corporation business tax for certain small business income. It directly affects qualifying small businesses by allowing them to exclude specific income from their taxable base under these two tax codes. The key mechanism establishes a defined exclusion for small business income while revising statutory definitions related to tax calculations, such as "net worth" and "taxpayer." The bill does not specify exact income thresholds but provides the framework for excluding qualifying small business revenue from state taxation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Secretary of State to create a real-time database tracking election-related incidents like voting rights issues or suspected fraud, categorizing details such as location, date, and response actions. It also mandates that county election boards post a new "voter information notice" at all polling places, including specific instructions on voting rights, how to report problems, and contact numbers for the U.S. Attorney's Election Hotline and New Jersey Election Hotline. The notice must be available in languages spoken by 10%+ of local voters and include key details like ballot status tracking and provisional ballot rules. The Secretary must submit a public report 30 days after each election summarizing all incidents and responses. This applies directly to voters, election officials, and county boards, aiming to improve transparency and voter access.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires schools to immediately notify parents or guardians by phone or electronic message when seclusion is used on a student with disabilities, with a full written report provided within 48 hours. It also mandates the New Jersey Department of Education to annually collect and publish data on restraint/seclusion use, including the number of students excluded from school pending psychiatric clearance. The collected data must be published online with privacy protections and broken down by student race, gender, age, and county. These provisions directly affect public/private schools, students with disabilities, and their families.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A 255, the "Energy Storage System Procurement Act," requires electric utilities, power suppliers, and basic generation providers (collectively "electric service providers") to integrate energy storage systems into their long-term grid planning. The bill directs the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to establish rules within 180 days for procuring storage systems that improve grid reliability, reduce peak-demand generation needs, and defer infrastructure investments. It allows providers to submit early applications for systems under 15 megawatts before the rules are finalized and mandates that planning include cost-benefit analyses and safety safeguards for grid integration. The law explicitly preserves existing approved storage projects and aims to standardize how utilities evaluate storage as part of grid planning.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 946), now law as P.L.2025, c.177, requires mental health services to be provided in the communication method preferred by each deaf or hard of hearing individual - such as sign language or oral communication - based on their assessment. It mandates that mental health professionals be fluent in that method, trained in cultural needs, and able to collaborate with interpreters. The law also requires a state resource guide listing specialized mental health services and ensures individuals can help shape their own care plans. It directly affects all deaf or hard of hearing residents seeking mental health support in New Jersey, addressing long-standing barriers in access and care quality.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's gross income tax credit for family caregivers of veterans with service-connected disabilities. It allows caregivers to qualify if the veteran has any service-connected disability (not limited to post-9/11 conflicts), provided the veteran meets other existing requirements like honorable discharge, VA disability rating, and six months of residency with the caregiver in New Jersey. The credit equals 100% of the veteran's federal disability compensation, up to $675 per year, and is refundable if it reduces tax liability to zero. It directly affects New Jersey family caregivers (with income limits of $50,000 single/$100,000 joint filers) who support veterans with disabilities from any military service.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 901, "Max's Law") requires New Jersey public school districts to include age-appropriate instruction on the dangers of fentanyl and xylazine in health education for students in grades 6-12. Key provisions mandate teaching specific topics like abuse prevention, poisoning symptoms, emergency response, and legal protections for seeking help, using resources from federal agencies like the CDC and DEA. The bill also requires the state education department to provide resources, maintain online materials for schools and parents, and submit annual reports on the curriculum's effectiveness. The bill was withdrawn after being approved as P.L.2025, c.278.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals New Jersey laws that allowed certain undocumented students meeting specific criteria to qualify for in-state tuition and state financial aid at public colleges. It eliminates the requirement that students must have attended a New Jersey high school for three or more years, graduated from a New Jersey high school (or equivalent), and enrolled as an entering student or currently enrolled as of a specified date. The bill also removes the requirement for undocumented students to file an affidavit about applying for legal immigration status. This change directly affects undocumented students who previously met these criteria but no longer qualifies them for these benefits. Provisions for students with T/U visas or dependents of H-1B/O-1/O-2 visa holders remain unchanged.