Asm. Vicky Flynn

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey election law to allow district boards, election superintendents, or county clerks to request police officers be assigned specifically to polling places located at public schools. The request must be for maintaining order and providing security during elections. Police presence at other polling locations remains restricted under current law. The bill requires detailed public records of all such assignments, including location, reason, officer details, and duration. It does not change general restrictions on police at non-school polling sites or ballot drop boxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey Transit (NJT) to hire an independent auditor to examine its financial management and budget reporting practices since 2018. The audit must assess pandemic impacts on service demand and finances, evaluate current funding sources against service needs, and recommend improvements to governance, hiring, and customer experience. NJT must submit the auditor’s findings to the Governor and Legislature within 90 days, then decide within six months whether to adopt the recommendations - providing justification if declining any specific change. The bill does not mandate immediate action but establishes a process for transparency and accountability in NJT’s financial operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey state aid to public colleges and universities that authorize, fund, or support antisemitic events or organizations; fail to enforce campus conduct policies against harassment, intimidation, or bullying; or fail to appropriately punish perpetrators of antisemitism (including through expulsion or criminal referral). It directly affects all institutions of higher education receiving state funding in New Jersey. The law defines "antisemitism" using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's 2016 working definition and ties funding to compliance with these requirements. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for knowingly harboring or concealing a sex offender who has not complied with New Jersey's registration requirements under Megan's Law. It requires a minimum prison term without parole eligibility for anyone who shelters such an offender, with parole ineligibility lasting three years for a third-degree offense (3-5 years prison) or one year for a fourth-degree offense (up to 18 months prison). The law specifically targets individuals who knowingly aid sex offenders avoiding registration, raising the offense level from a potential disorderly persons charge to a serious criminal penalty. This directly affects people who provide shelter or assistance to non-compliant sex offenders.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey nursing homes to provide annual training for staff on caring for residents with behavioral health needs. Specifically, it mandates that certified nurse aides, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and other direct-care staff receive training covering sensitivity to behavioral health issues, information about depression and psychiatric disorders, and medication use for these conditions. The training program must be established by the Commissioner of Health (with input from the Commissioner of Human Services) and implemented by nursing homes starting seven months after the bill takes effect. It directly affects nursing home staff and residents with behavioral health conditions by setting new standards for their care.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey law to classify intentionally damaging or defacing a military monument as a third-degree crime, rather than a lesser disorderly persons offense. It defines "desecrate" as defacing, damaging, or polluting, and specifies that a "military monument" includes any structure honoring military personnel or commemorating battles. The law directly affects individuals who purposefully harm such monuments, with penalties for third-degree crimes. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey police departments to donate unclaimed bicycles to tax-exempt nonprofit organizations instead of selling them at auction. To qualify, the bicycle must have been found by a police officer acting in the line of duty, with the owner unknown or refusing to claim it after six months. Municipalities must approve the donation through an annual resolution listing eligible nonprofits, which must be exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3). This changes current law requiring unclaimed bicycles to be sold at auction, redirecting them to community organizations that refurbish and distribute bikes to residents.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Office of School Climate within New Jersey's Department of Education, led by a School Climate State Coordinator. It requires the Coordinator to develop and maintain a central online resource hub for parents and guardians, including a multilingual tutorial on identifying, preventing, and reporting harassment, intimidation, and bullying in schools. The tutorial must be available in languages commonly spoken by students' families. The bill also mandates legislative funding to support this office and its operations.

Maddy summaryBill A 3808 allows New Jersey taxpayers to deduct up to $1,500 annually from their gross income tax for charitable donations made to qualified New Jersey animal shelters. The bill defines "animal shelter" as licensed facilities caring for abandoned, lost, or endangered domestic pets needing temporary housing until adoption or euthanasia, including municipal animal control facilities. This tax deduction directly affects New Jersey residents who donate to eligible shelters, providing a financial incentive for such contributions. The policy change becomes effective for taxable years starting after the next January following enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a rebuttable presumption requiring courts to detain defendants charged with theft of a motor vehicle (N.J.S.2C:20-2) before trial, unless they prove otherwise. It directly affects individuals charged with motor vehicle theft by shifting the burden to them to demonstrate that reasonable bail or release conditions would ensure court appearance and community safety. The key mechanism requires courts to assume detention is necessary if the defendant committed the theft, unless they provide evidence that no bail or conditions would suffice. This amendment to New Jersey's pretrial detention law (P.L.2014, c.31) specifically targets motor vehicle theft cases under the statute.