Asm. Gerry Scharfenberger

Maddy summaryThis bill provides a New Jersey state tax deduction of up to $5,000 annually for disabled veterans who incur expenses related to service animals. It covers costs for purchasing, training, and maintaining a service animal, including food, grooming, and veterinary care. To qualify, a veteran must be honorably discharged with a service-connected disability (as defined by the U.S. Veterans Administration) and own a service animal meeting the federal definition under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The deduction applies to expenses not already deductible under existing medical expense provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires school buses transporting students with special needs to be equipped with three specific safety features: an interior video camera for monitoring student safety, real-time GPS tracking for location and speed, and two-way communication devices (like cellular phones). It specifies that video footage and GPS data collected under this requirement are not considered government records, meaning they are exempt from public disclosure laws. The State Board of Education and New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission must create rules governing the installation, use, and retention of these devices and their data, including how long video footage can be stored. The law takes effect six months after enactment, allowing time for administrative preparation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology to study how state agencies use artificial intelligence, including which agencies currently deploy AI, the specific purposes for their use (such as for services or operations), and the associated costs of procurement, implementation, and maintenance. The Commission must gather this data and submit a written report to the Governor and Legislature within one year of the bill's effective date. The study focuses solely on documenting existing AI adoption without mandating changes to agency practices or policies.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the New Jersey Statewide Suicide Prevention Coordination and Oversight Council within the Department of Human Services. The council will standardize data collection from state suicide prevention entities, requiring non-identifying demographic and situational information (such as age, gender, military status, and suicide method) and program details. It will develop reporting guidelines, analyze data to identify trends, and issue annual reports with recommendations to the Governor and Legislature. These reports will include aggregated statistics on suicide attempts and completions to inform future prevention strategies. The council will consist of 25 members, including state agency leaders and appointed public members with mental health expertise.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey's public colleges and universities from entering any partnership (including contracts, joint ventures, or memorandums of understanding) with institutions of higher education located in Palestinian-controlled West Bank or Gaza territories. It also bans the transfer, license, or sublicense of intellectual property (such as research data or patents) to those institutions. Public institutions found non-compliant by the Secretary of Higher Education would lose eligibility for state funding covering operational and capital costs. The law applies specifically to partnerships with institutions in designated Palestinian territories and takes immediate effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits individuals, businesses, and government agencies from posting, publishing, or disclosing the home address or unpublished home phone number of military members (including U.S. Armed Forces and New Jersey National Guard personnel) or their spouses/children on the internet. It makes reckless violations a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months in jail or $10,000 fine) and intentional violations a third-degree crime (3-5 years in jail or $15,000 fine). Victims can sue for $1,000 per violation plus actual damages, attorney fees, and other remedies. The law applies to all online disclosure, requires written consent from military members before government sharing, and defines "disclose" broadly to include advertising or distributing such information.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a state hotline for reporting behavior that could undermine the integrity of sporting events, such as harassment or coercion of athletes or match-fixing. It requires sports wagering operators to report suspicious activities that might affect event outcomes and authorizes the gaming division to exclude individuals found to have engaged in prohibited conduct from future sports wagering. The bill also prohibits deceptive advertising and mandates clear warnings about prohibited actions in all sports wagering promotions. Additionally, it requires independent monitoring of sports wagering operations and annual reports to the Governor on the impact of sports wagering on problem gambling and event integrity.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A4417) prohibits displaying or flying flags of organizations designated as terrorist groups by the U.S. Department of State on any state-owned or leased property. It directly affects state agencies, schools, hospitals, parks, and other government facilities that use state property. Violating this rule results in immediate loss of state funding, with penalties determined by the Secretary of State and Budget Director. The ban does not apply to flags displayed for news, theater, historical, or educational purposes.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey colleges and universities from creating scholarship programs limited to students who are citizens or permanent residents of countries or territories controlled by terrorist organizations designated by the U.S. Secretary of State. It directly affects all public and private institutions of higher education in New Jersey by banning such restricted funding programs. Violations would result in loss of state operating aid, state bond proceeds, and state student financial aid funds distributed through the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. The bill was introduced in response to a specific incident at Rutgers University where student demands included accepting Gazan students on scholarships. The policy change focuses on ensuring state-funded educational programs remain open to all eligible students without geographic restrictions tied to terrorism designations.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey public and private colleges and universities from receiving state funding if they boycott or divest from Israel-supporting businesses or Israeli businesses. Specifically, institutions that engage in actions defined as boycotting Israeli goods/entities, divesting due to a company’s support of Israel (including through "in-kind" or for-profit ties), or participating in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement would lose access to state operating aid, education facility bonds, general obligation bonds, and state student scholarship funds. The bill explicitly excludes divestment for "prudent economic reasons," such as financial risk management. It applies to all parts of an institution, including endowments and departments, and defines key terms like "boycott" and "divestment" in plain language. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.