Asm. Anthony Verrelli

Maddy summaryThis bill grants full police powers and the authority to carry firearms at all times to special agents in New Jersey's Department of Treasury. It directly affects these Treasury special agents, expanding their role beyond tax enforcement to include standard police duties like arrests and investigations. Key provisions require them to complete approved police training and establish them as peace officers under state law, enabling warrantless arrests for tax law violations and seizure of related contraband. The bill amends existing statutes to formally include Treasury special agents in the list of authorized firearm carriers under state law.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill criminalizes the creation, sale, or use of fake COVID-19 vaccination verification cards. It imposes penalties including up to 10 years in prison and $150,000 fines for selling or making fake cards (second-degree crime), up to 5 years and $15,000 for displaying them (third-degree), and up to 18 months and $10,000 for possessing them (fourth-degree). The Attorney General must establish a fraud prevention program within 30 days, using confidential data from the state's immunization system solely to investigate fake card cases. The program targets individuals and businesses involved in producing or distributing counterfeit cards to falsely claim vaccination status.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey counties to appoint a pretrial release coordinator for defendants charged with serious offenses (indictable or disorderly persons) who are released before trial. The coordinator evaluates each defendant's needs and voluntarily connects them to services like substance abuse treatment, food assistance (SNAP), Medicaid, housing aid, job training (Work First NJ), and insurance applications. Counties must track which defendants access these services, along with demographic data and any subsequent arrests, and submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature. The bill directly affects defendants on pretrial release and aims to improve access to supportive services during their court process.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to provide all standard vehicle and licensing services - such as driver's license renewals, registration, title transfers, and ID cards - in person at every MVC agency location. It prohibits the MVC from mandating online completion for these services and ensures walk-in customers can access them without appointments. The bill also mandates a permanent online scheduling system for commercial driver's license tests, making these tests available at all MVC locations. This directly affects all New Jersey residents needing routine MVC services, particularly those without reliable internet access or preference for in-person transactions.

Maddy summaryThis proposed New Jersey bill (A 1931) prohibits auto insurance companies from using a person's educational level, occupation, or credit score to set insurance rates or determine policyholders' risk tiers. It also bans insurers from asking applicants about these factors during the application process. The law would require insurers to file all underwriting rules with the state commissioner and apply them uniformly statewide. If passed, this would directly affect all auto insurance applicants and policyholders in New Jersey who might have previously faced higher rates based on these factors. The bill is currently pending before the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to add instruction about e-cigarette dangers to health education for students in grades 6-12, starting in the 2020-2021 school year. The curriculum must cover: nicotine content in e-cigarettes, how e-cigarette use can lead to addiction to tobacco or other drugs, health effects of chemicals like formaldehyde found in e-cigarettes, and the state's ban on e-cigarette use on school grounds. The state’s Education Commissioner will provide schools with sample lesson materials to support this teaching. The law directly affects all public school districts and students in grades 6-12 across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $450,000 from the "Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund" (funded by fines from drug offenders) to support the Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program. The program, administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, uses free fishing events to engage youth in drug prevention activities. The bill requires the state to ensure annual funding from this fund or other sources to maintain the program's operations. It does not create new policy but secures dedicated funding for an existing youth outreach initiative.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey colleges and universities to maintain a supply of naloxone nasal spray (for opioid overdose emergencies) in secure, accessible campus locations and develop a campus policy for its emergency use. It directly affects institutions of higher education, licensed campus medical staff, and designated campus personnel like resident assistants who may administer naloxone after required training. Key provisions include mandating hospital transport for overdose victims after naloxone use, permitting trained non-medical staff to administer the drug in good faith, and providing liability protection for those acting in compliance with the law. The policy must be developed with guidance from the state’s higher education and human services departments.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $3 million from the General Fund to provide one-time bonus awards to members of Local 195 of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers who worked as frontline state employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds will be distributed by state agencies to eligible union members who provided essential emergency workplace service. The bonus amount is determined per agency through consultation between the Division of Budget and Accounting and the union president. This supplemental appropriation directly affects approximately 3,000 Local 195 members across state departments, as specified in the bill text. It does not create new policy but provides targeted financial recognition for pandemic-era service.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires state entities (like state agencies and departments) to submit a reforestation plan to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for any tree removal project, eliminating the previous half-acre size limit. The plan must ensure "no net loss" of forested area by planting trees according to a specific Tree Replacement Factor (TRF), which calculates the required number based on the area cleared and tree size (e.g., 204 trees per acre for mature trees). Planting must follow a strict priority order: first on-site, then within the municipality, then within five miles, and finally off-site if needed, with requirements for native species, proper spacing, and diversity to reduce disease risk. If on-site reforestation isn't feasible, the state entity must pay into a fund managed by the DEP for reforestation.