Asm. Tennille McCoy

Maddy summaryAJR 106 establishes a 15-member task force to address the underreported crisis of missing and murdered Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) women and girls in New Jersey. The task force, appointed by legislative leaders and the Governor with representation from impacted communities, will develop cultural competency training for first responders, create prevention materials for BIPOC communities, collect and analyze data on missing BIPOC women, identify abduction hotspots, and launch a public awareness campaign. It must submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within 18 months of its formation. The task force will use existing state agency resources and report on strategies to improve response systems and data collection for this specific population.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "New Jersey College Ready Students Program Act," creating a state-funded program that provides tuition-free dual enrollment college courses at county colleges for eligible public high school students. It directly affects 11th and 12th-grade students who meet family need criteria similar to the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund and maintain a minimum C average in college courses. Key provisions include limiting tuition-free credits to six per school year (three per semester), requiring school districts to have dual enrollment agreements with county colleges, and mandating annual reports on participation and outcomes. The state covers all tuition costs, and students who fall below the GPA requirement may take one free remedial course per semester.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of Taxation to provide clear written notice to homeowners who receive an overpayment of homestead rebates, credits, or property tax reimbursements. It guarantees recipients a fair chance to contest the overpayment or request a waiver if they didn't intentionally misrepresent facts or withhold information. Seniors (65+ or those with blindness/disability deductions) can arrange interest-free installment plans to repay overpayments, while all others get written explanations of the overpayment basis and rights to appeal. The law ensures the state must consider equity before demanding repayment and provides specific procedural steps for contesting overpayment claims.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases funding for New Jersey's Airport Improvement Program from $4 million to $10 million, adding $6 million to the state's total transportation capital program. It also raises the Airport Safety Administration's funding by $185,000 (to $650,000) and adds a provision allowing airports receiving these grants to automatically get two additional 12-month extensions to complete projects if local, county, or state permit delays occur. The extensions apply when permitting agencies are the source of delay, with the Transportation Commissioner able to grant further extensions if needed. These changes directly affect airports and grant recipients participating in the state's aviation funding programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 21-member task force to study challenges facing the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf in New Jersey, which serves deaf and hard of hearing students from birth to age 21. The task force will examine issues including declining enrollment, facility conditions, instructional barriers, governance structure, and statewide service needs to make recommendations. Its work will focus on improving the school’s ability to prepare students for postsecondary education or careers through updated programs, facilities, and governance. The task force must issue a final report to the Governor and Legislature within six months of forming.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2954) prohibits New Jersey electric utilities from charging "peak rates" to non-essential business customers during declared major public health emergencies. It directly affects businesses that closed or couldn't operate due to Governor-issued emergency orders (like during the pandemic), requiring utilities to provide credits for the removed peak rates. The credit covers the period from the emergency declaration through its end and must appear on the customer's next bill. Utilities cannot recover lost revenue from other ratepayers, and the law applies retroactively to March 9, 2020.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires investor-owned electric utilities in New Jersey to submit annual emergency response plans to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) by May 15 each year. The plans must detail procedures for restoring power during widespread outages, including staff responsibilities, customer communication systems, medical electricity needs documentation, safety protocols, crew deployment, and equipment planning. Utilities failing to file on time face daily $1,000 fines, while those violating BPU-established emergency standards could be fined up to $10,000 per day (capped at $1 million per incident). All fines collected fund municipal grants for infrastructure maintenance, such as tree trimming near power lines, to prevent future outages.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to provide in-person vehicle and licensing services at every MVC agency location. It specifically mandates these services for residents aged 65 or older and individuals with disabilities. Covered services include driver's license renewals, identification cards, and disability placards. The law reverses current MVC practices - where many services require online completion or specialized centers - that created barriers for these groups, particularly after pandemic-era operational changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes county-level educational service agencies that will centrally procure custodial and food services for New Jersey public schools. School districts using private contractors for these services must join the county agency, which will negotiate master contracts through competitive bidding. The bill protects affected employees by guaranteeing recall rights and seniority retention if displaced by the new system. It requires school districts to follow specific procedures, including public hearings and collective bargaining, before joining the agency. The agencies will operate as cooperative purchasing entities to potentially reduce costs while safeguarding employee rights.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how unspent animal control funds are handled in New Jersey. Instead of transferring excess funds from municipal and state animal control accounts to general funds after three years, the bill requires these funds to be redirected to specific entities for animal cruelty enforcement. Municipal excess funds will go to county prosecutors (with 40% retained and 60% distributed to municipalities), while state excess funds will go to the State Police (with 40% retained, 50% distributed to county humane officers, and 10% to the Police Training Commission). These funds must be used exclusively for enforcing animal cruelty laws, including investigations, prosecutions, necropsies, and training humane law enforcement officers. This affects municipalities, county prosecutors, police departments, and the Police Training Commission by providing dedicated funding for animal cruelty enforcement.