Asm. Vicky Flynn

Maddy summaryThis bill requires group homes for individuals with developmental disabilities to install electronic monitoring devices (EMDs) in common areas when all residents and their authorized representatives consent. It also permits residents to install EMDs in private rooms with the consent of roommates in double occupancy rooms. The bill specifies that EMDs must be unobstructed and recording at all times, with common area footage retained for 90 days. Group home licensees must develop internal policies for EMD use, and residents can access footage related to incidents of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The bill aims to balance resident safety with privacy rights through voluntary, consensual use of EMDs.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides mortgage payment relief and foreclosure protection for New Jersey homeowners who received federal disaster assistance after Hurricane Ida damaged their primary residence in September 2021. It requires mortgage servicers to grant a one-year payment pause (forbearance) without fees, penalties, or credit reporting, retroactive to payments missed since September 1, 2021. Homeowners must meet income limits (≤150% of area median income) and asset thresholds (less than six months of income in bank accounts), and submit a written request. The relief ends either after one year or July 1, 2024, whichever comes first, and does not apply to federally-backed loans like FHA or VA mortgages.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare programs to cover motorized wheelchairs for nursing facility residents under specific conditions. It mandates coverage if a resident's licensed doctor prescribes the wheelchair and their managed care organization grants prior authorization. Residents gain temporary possession of the wheelchair as long as they need it, returning it to the state when no longer required, with nursing facilities notifying the managed care organization of this change. The bill also directs the state to seek necessary federal approvals to fund this coverage under existing Medicaid rules.

Maddy summaryS 1017 (now P.L.2024, c.59) requires New Jersey law enforcement agencies to notify sexual assault victims about key developments in their criminal cases, specifically regarding DNA evidence. Victims have the right to be informed whether DNA from the assault was collected, entered into forensic databases, or matched to a suspect’s DNA (with exceptions if disclosure would compromise an ongoing investigation). Victims can request written or email updates about evidence processing status, and agencies must provide this information in a timely manner upon request. This law directly affects sexual assault victims in New Jersey by ensuring they receive specific, actionable updates about their case evidence under the state’s crime victim rights framework.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows members of New Jersey's Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS) to purchase retirement credit for prior service as a class two special law enforcement officer with a public employer in the state. To qualify, the member must have worked in that role and then started a PFRS-covered position within 120 days of ending that service. Members can purchase up to 10 years of credit by paying the cost, calculated based on their salary and an actuarial factor, with current members having one year from the bill's effective date to apply. This change aligns the process for purchasing such credit with existing rules for federal or military service.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to provide reading intervention programs for kindergarten through third-grade students who show reading deficiencies, as identified by approved assessments. The programs must use a data-driven, multi-tiered system of supports to deliver explicit instruction in phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension while monitoring student progress throughout the year. School districts must adopt scientifically based instructional materials, and the Department of Education must provide age-appropriate resources and develop an evaluation process for the program. The law takes effect immediately for the first full school year after enactment.

Maddy summaryS 2793 appropriates $1.723 million from two existing state funds - the constitutionally dedicated "Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund" (using CBT revenues) and the "2009 Farmland Preservation Fund" - to the State Agriculture Development Committee. The funds provide grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations for up to 50% of the cost to acquire development easements or fee simple titles on farmland, with the land maintained for agricultural use through deed restrictions. This directly supports five specific farmland preservation projects across Hunterdon, Sussex, and Warren counties, as approved by the committee. The bill reallocates previously designated funds without creating new taxes or policies.

Maddy summaryThe "Real Estate Consumer Protection Enhancement Act" (S 3192) establishes clearer definitions and duties for different types of real estate agents and brokers in New Jersey. The bill requires written agency disclosure before services begin, mandates specific duties including loyalty, confidentiality, and disclosure of material information, and sets requirements for property condition disclosures in residential transactions. It also establishes specific signage requirements at open houses and updates continuing education requirements to include specific hours on agency topics for real estate licensees. This legislation directly affects real estate brokerage firms, agents, and consumers involved in real estate transactions across the state.

Maddy summaryS 2825 removes the time limit that required municipalities to issue or transfer special licenses for bars and restaurants within areas formerly occupied by federal military installations. Under current law, municipalities had three years to issue these licenses and two additional years to transfer unissued licenses to other municipalities in the project area. This bill eliminates those deadlines, giving municipalities more time to act without penalty. The change applies to the three host municipalities in a "project area" (a redevelopment zone of a former military base, like Fort Monmouth) that are entitled to issue these licenses. The bill does not alter the number of licenses, fee structure, or other rules governing their issuance.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to screen all students in kindergarten through third grade three times annually using assessments that measure reading skills like phonological awareness and decoding to identify those not reading at grade level or at risk of falling behind. The New Jersey Department of Education must establish a working group on student literacy, contract with at least two approved assessment providers, and make these assessments available to schools. School districts must notify parents within 15 days of a reading concern, provide evidence-based interventions, and annually report screening data to the state.