Asm. Gerry Scharfenberger

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill prohibits most government entities, schools, and employers from requiring COVID-19 vaccination for the general public. It exempts healthcare workers and others at licensed health facilities who must get vaccinated to work with medically vulnerable patients, maintaining existing exemptions for medical or religious reasons. The bill also creates a state reimbursement program for healthcare workers to cover out-of-pocket vaccine costs not covered by insurance, requiring them to certify the expense causes financial hardship and isn't a standard insurance copay. Eligibility requires verifying costs aren't covered by health benefits, employer coverage, or standard insurance cost-sharing.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Education to annually collect data from schools on the use of physical restraints and seclusion on students with disabilities. Schools must report the number of incidents, types of restraint/seclusion used, duration, and the number of affected students. The Department must publish this data online each year, broken down by county, student race, gender, and age, while protecting student privacy. It directly affects all public and private schools serving students with disabilities in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 396) prohibits posting, publishing, or disclosing on the Internet the home address or unpublished phone number of active-duty military personnel, New Jersey National Guard members, or their spouses/children without consent. It directly affects military members and their families by preventing online exposure that could lead to harassment or safety risks. Violations carry criminal penalties (up to 5 years in prison for intentional acts) or require paying $1,000 per violation plus damages in civil lawsuits. Government agencies must obtain written permission before sharing such information online.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 360) prohibits New Jersey school districts and public colleges from banning active-duty military members or veterans from speaking to students at school events, classes, assemblies, graduation ceremonies, or student groups. It requires schools to forward any correspondence from military/veterans seeking to speak to county superintendents and mandates that schools cannot adopt policies blocking such addresses. Violations risk state aid reductions for school districts (via the Commissioner of Education) or public colleges (via the State Treasurer). The law applies immediately to all public educational settings in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 853) requires certain residential care facilities in New Jersey to provide parents, legal guardians, or authorized representatives with real-time online access to residents' medical and personal histories. It directly affects residents of community-based residential programs (like group homes for people with developmental disabilities) and long-term care facilities (such as nursing homes and assisted living centers). The online portal must include all medications, treatments, procedures, and important incidents like falls or injuries, updated continuously during the resident's stay. The law mandates this access at all times and allows health and human services officials to create necessary rules to implement it, effective 90 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a $10 million grant program to support New Jersey's volunteer fire companies. It creates a permanent fund within the Division of Fire Safety to provide annual grants covering operational costs and emergency equipment (like protective gear, tools, and maintenance), but not new vehicles or buildings. Volunteer fire companies must apply with detailed plans for how funds will be used to sustain operations, and recipients must report on expenditures and impacts. The program aims to strengthen community fire services through direct financial support to local volunteer departments.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the New Jersey Commissioner of Education to appoint a State monitor for school districts receiving 70% or more of their total revenue from state aid, based on the Department of Education's Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending. The monitor will oversee the district's business operations and personnel matters, with authority matching existing State monitors under the School District Fiscal Accountability Act. It applies to districts like Trenton, Newark, and Camden City, which reported over 70% state funding in the 2022-2023 school year (e.g., Trenton at 86.3%). The law takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill upgrades penalties for failing to report child abuse or cooperate with investigations in New Jersey. It increases the penalty for failing to report general child abuse from a disorderly persons offense to a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months in jail or $10,000 fine). For sexual abuse reports, the penalty rises from a fourth-degree to a third-degree crime (3-5 years in jail or $15,000 fine). It also creates a new fourth-degree crime for failing to cooperate with child abuse investigations conducted by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency. These changes apply to anyone with reasonable cause to believe abuse occurred, such as mandated reporters (e.g., teachers, healthcare workers).

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Rutgers University's Bloustein School to study the economic impact of military installations (like bases and camps) in New Jersey. The study will analyze how these installations affect the state's economy, including their impact on gross domestic product, jobs, tax revenue, and infrastructure projects. Rutgers must submit a report to the Governor and Legislature within one year, using $155,000 appropriated from the state budget for this specific purpose. The study aims to provide data-driven insights to inform future budget and planning decisions.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill excludes military reenlistment and voluntary extension bonuses from state gross income tax. It directly affects active-duty service members in the U.S. Armed Forces who receive these bonuses while residing in New Jersey. The key provision amends state tax law to specifically exempt these bonuses from taxable income, meaning eligible service members won't pay state income tax on them. The change applies to taxable years beginning after the bill's enactment date.