Asm. Vicky Flynn

Maddy summaryThis bill, now law as P.L.2025, c.272, provides employment protections for New Jersey paid first responders (including police, firefighters, EMTs, and 9-1-1 dispatchers) diagnosed with work-related PTSD. It prohibits employers from firing, harassing, or discriminating against employees who take leave for qualifying PTSD treatment, requiring reinstatement to their previous position after documented recovery. Employers violating these protections face civil fines ($5,000 for first violation, $10,000 for subsequent), court-ordered reinstatement, lost wages, and attorney fees. The law applies only when PTSD arises from on-the-job trauma or vicarious trauma experienced during official duties.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Education (DOE) to provide any school district with a request the specific data, software algorithms, and detailed calculations used to determine state school aid. It mandates disclosure of all data for every district - including how adequacy budgets, equalization aid, and local shares are calculated, adjusted when local shares exceed budgets, and the reconciliation showing total local share plus equalization aid equals statewide adequacy budgets. The DOE must share this information regardless of whether the software is considered proprietary. This transparency measure aims to help school districts verify that state aid formulas are applied correctly under existing law.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a 1% tax credit for New Jersey corporations that pay small New Jersey businesses for subcontracted work performed within the state. A "small business" is defined as a New Jersey entity with fewer than 50 employees that is not affiliated with the paying corporation. The credit applies to payments made for work the corporation subcontracts to fulfill its own contracted duties, but cannot exceed 50% of the corporation’s tax liability or reduce the tax below the statutory minimum. The credit applies to privilege periods beginning after the bill’s enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all members of New Jersey's county Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs) to receive mandatory training on effectively interacting with victims who have developmental disabilities. It amends existing law by adding "interacting with victims who have developmental disabilities" as a required training topic within the standardized education program for SART members. The training will cover communication strategies and sensitivity to the unique needs of these victims, alongside other existing topics like trauma response and evidence handling. This change directly affects SART members - including nurses, advocates, and law enforcement - by expanding their required training curriculum under current protocols.

Maddy summaryACR 36 proposes a constitutional amendment to increase New Jersey's annual property tax deduction for veterans from $250 to $1,250, effective 2024. It directly affects honorably discharged veterans and their surviving spouses who reside in New Jersey, allowing them to deduct this larger amount from property taxes or have taxes canceled if the bill is below $1,250. The amendment would require voter approval at the next general election following its passage. This change updates a long-standing provision that previously capped the deduction at $250. The bill does not alter eligibility requirements for veterans or surviving spouses.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how energy tax payments are handled in New Jersey. It requires energy companies (like gas, electric, and utility providers) to pay their taxes directly to local municipalities instead of the state, ensuring the full $740 million annual property tax relief aid is distributed directly to towns and cities. The State Treasurer will determine each municipality's share based on historical payments and direct energy taxpayers to make payments to specific local governments. This replaces the previous system where the state collected taxes and redistributed funds, aiming to streamline relief for municipalities.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes the State Treasurer's authority to annually adjust the tax rates on petroleum products based on changing fuel prices. It freezes the tax rates at levels determined by 2016 data, eliminating future quarterly or annual adjustments tied to average retail fuel prices. This directly affects petroleum companies that pay the tax on gasoline, diesel, and other fuels, as their tax burden will no longer automatically change with market prices. The bill ensures tax rates remain fixed at the 2016 benchmark, preventing future adjustments by the Treasurer.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds "Sikhism" to New Jersey's list of protected classes under the state's bias intimidation law (N.J.S.2C:16-1), explicitly including Sikhs in legal protections against hate crimes motivated by religious bias. It directly affects Sikh residents and community members who face discrimination or violence due to their religious identity, such as attacks targeting turbans, beards, or gurdwaras. The key mechanism amends the statute to cover offenses committed "because of their membership within a protected class," including Sikhism, and creates a legal presumption that bias was a motivating factor in such crimes. The bill also appropriates $100,000, likely for educational or support programs related to Sikh community awareness, though specific funding details aren't outlined in the text.

Maddy summaryThis bill (AR 18) directs New Jersey's Attorney General to repeal and amend specific parts of the 2018 Law Enforcement Directive (No. 2018-6), which previously restricted state and local law enforcement from sharing immigration status information with federal authorities like ICE. It specifically targets the restriction on sharing citizenship/immigration status details, allowing law enforcement to coordinate with federal immigration agencies when necessary for public safety. The bill preserves exceptions for T-Visa (human trafficking victims) and U-Visa (crime victim) certification procedures. It directly affects New Jersey police departments, sheriffs' offices, and state law enforcement agencies by removing legal barriers to cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill creates a 17-member Military Suicide Prevention Task Force within the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and Department of Human Services. The task force includes military leaders, veterans, mental health experts, and representatives from state agencies, with specific requirements for veteran representation and expertise in areas like PTSD and military sexual trauma. Its key duties are to review military suicide issues, identify evidence-based prevention strategies, recommend state actions (including legislation), and submit biannual reports to the Governor and Legislature. The task force directly affects active-duty service members, veterans, and state agencies responsible for military and veteran services in New Jersey.