Asm. Vicky Flynn

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires State employers and contracted service providers to conduct comprehensive background checks for all employees in positions involving regular contact with children. It mandates applicants disclose any history of child abuse or sexual misconduct investigations, and requires criminal history checks for specific offenses like child molestation, sexual assault, and abuse. Employees or applicants with substantiated child abuse convictions or certain criminal histories would be permanently disqualified from these positions, though rehabilitation evidence may allow exceptions for other offenses. The policy aims to prevent individuals with relevant histories from working with children in State-related positions.

Maddy summaryThis Assembly Resolution (AR 29) is a symbolic statement urging the U.S. President to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) and stop funding it. It directly addresses the President, citing concerns about the WHO's pandemic response - including delayed actions, inconsistent guidance on masks, and perceived deference to China during the COVID-19 crisis - as reasons for withdrawal. The resolution does not create new law or change policy but expresses the New Jersey General Assembly’s position that the WHO’s failures and broad authority warrant U.S. disengagement. It is a non-binding request, not a legislative mandate.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for carjacking and theft of vehicles by deception targeting minors. It adds a $10,000 fine (plus vehicle value over $5,000 if unrecovered) for carjacking convictions and automatically subjects perpetrators of vehicle theft by deception against minors to child endangerment penalties. The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption requiring pretrial detention for these offenses - meaning defendants must be held in custody before trial unless they prove otherwise - unless they can show conditions would ensure court appearance and public safety. This applies specifically to carjacking under N.J.S.2C:15-2 and theft by deception against minors under N.J.S.2C:20-4.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for assault and harassment against sports officials and participants in school or community-sponsored youth sports events. It defines "sports official" broadly to include referees, umpires, coaches, athletic trainers, and others performing duties for these events. Simple assault against these individuals becomes a fourth-degree crime with mandatory fines ($1,000-$10,000), exclusion from youth sports for 1-4 years, and 20+ hours of anger management training. If the victim is under 18, penalties increase to a third-degree crime with higher fines ($2,500-$15,000), longer exclusion (2-5 years), and 50+ hours of anger management training. Harassment against sports officials is also upgraded from a petty disorderly persons offense to a fourth-degree crime.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new category for excusing individuals from jury duty due to a developmental disability. It requires the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to develop and maintain a list of people automatically excused from jury service if they meet the legal definition of "developmental disability" (e.g., autism, cerebral palsy, or intellectual disabilities meeting specific criteria like onset before age 22 and lifelong limitations). To qualify, applicants must submit medical verification and complete an AOC form; the AOC then determines eligibility and adds approved individuals to the list. Once on the list, these individuals are automatically excused from jury duty without needing to reapply each time. The bill does not change existing jury service requirements but adds this new exemption pathway.

Maddy summaryThis bill waives all pet adoption fees at local government-run animal shelters, kennels, and pounds for active-duty military personnel (including New Jersey National Guard members after initial training), reservists, and veterans. Shelters must accept military IDs or discharge papers as proof of eligibility, with verification standards set by the Secretary of Agriculture. To offset costs, shelters may adjust fees for non-eligible adopters. The waiver covers the full adoption fee, which typically includes veterinary services, vaccinations, and spaying/neutering.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides supplemental state school aid to New Jersey school districts that experienced reduced state funding between the 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 school years due to the state's school funding formula. It requires the state to restore the full amount of aid that was reduced during those years, to be paid in the 2022-2023 school year. The bill specifically applies to districts that had a positive State aid differential or met certain ratio thresholds under the School Funding Reform Act of 2008. This change directly affects eligible school districts by returning previously reduced funding without altering the underlying funding formula.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires most health insurance plans in New Jersey to cover diagnosis and treatment for autism and several related developmental disabilities, including central auditory processing disorder, childhood apraxia of speech, sensory processing disorder, and social communication disorder. It mandates coverage for occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and behavioral interventions based on applied behavioral analysis for children under 21 with autism or social communication disorder. Insurance plans must provide these benefits without denying coverage based on treatments not being "restorative" and must cover up to $36,000 per year (with annual inflation adjustments starting in 2012). The bill applies to a wide range of health insurance plans, including individual policies, group plans, health maintenance organizations, and state health benefit programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the State of New Jersey to annually reimburse municipalities for 10% of the property tax revenue they lose due to disabled veterans' total property tax exemptions, plus an additional 2% to cover administrative costs. It directly affects municipalities that grant these exemptions to veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities (such as paraplegia, blindness, or amputations) under existing law. The reimbursement is calculated based on the total value of exemptions granted in each taxing district each year. Currently, municipalities bear the full cost of these exemptions without state reimbursement. The policy change shifts part of this financial burden from local governments to the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides a 50% sales tax exemption on retail sales of tangible personal property for qualifying small businesses in New Jersey. It applies to businesses with their principal NJ location, independently owned, and employing fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees. The exemption excludes sales of motor vehicles, alcohol, digital products, cigarettes, and sales already subject to reduced rates in Urban Enterprise Zones or Salem County. The exemption would lower the state sales tax rate from 6.625% to approximately 3.3% for eligible transactions.