Asm. Anthony Verrelli

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection to prioritize projects that include or allow for flood mitigation when funding land acquisition for recreation and conservation (known as "Blue Acres" projects) and certain environmental infrastructure projects. It mandates that these projects receive additional priority points in the ranking system used to determine which projects get funded through the Green Acres Program and environmental infrastructure programs. The change affects local governments, nonprofit organizations, and others applying for DEP funding for projects that protect against flooding while serving recreation, conservation, or infrastructure needs. The bill implements this by amending existing laws to require the DEP to factor flood mitigation into its evaluation criteria for funding applications.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes funding to protect the safety of cooperating witnesses - individuals who testify for the government to help prosecute crimes, including confidential informants. It expands New Jersey's Crime Victim's Bill of Rights to guarantee these witnesses assistance with psychological and practical challenges of testifying, protective measures before, during, and after trials, and court procedures ensuring their safety. The bill amends existing laws to allow the Victims of Crime Compensation Office to cover relocation and safety expenses, and authorizes the Victim and Witness Advocacy Fund to provide grants to organizations offering services like emergency shelter, medical advocacy, and safety planning for these witnesses and their families. These changes directly affect witnesses who cooperate with law enforcement in criminal cases, ensuring they receive concrete support and protection while navigating the justice system.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Jersey's Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) to provide current non-retired members and those applying for retirement after the bill's effective date with the same benefits as members enrolled before July 1, 2007. It eliminates tiered membership by moving all current TPAF members to Tier 1, requires public employers to enroll eligible employees (earning above minimum salary but not meeting hour requirements) in TPAF, and allows Defined Contribution Retirement Program participants to transfer service credit to TPAF without transferring contributions. Participants in the Defined Contribution Retirement Program have six months to opt out of the transfer after receiving notice. These changes apply only to retirement applications processed after the bill becomes law.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "New Jersey Target Zero Commission" within the Department of Transportation, consisting of 13 state agency representatives (including Transportation, Health, and Public Safety officials). The commission’s primary duty is to develop a statewide action plan by 2040 aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries through engineering, education, and enforcement strategies focused on equitable road safety for all users. Key mechanisms include creating a public data portal for crash statistics, requiring annual public hearings and reports to the Governor and Legislature, and advising on policy changes to support safer transportation infrastructure. The commission must adopt its action plan within 12 months of the bill’s effective date and host public feedback sessions before finalizing it. This is a procedural bill creating a study body, not a direct policy change.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends New Jersey's existing telemedicine pay parity law, requiring health insurance plans to pay providers the same rate for telehealth services as in-person visits for covered services. It applies to all health benefits plans in New Jersey (including Medicaid and private insurers) and affects providers delivering telehealth care. The extension, now ending December 31, 2025 (previously 2024), maintains the requirement that telehealth reimbursement equals in-person rates for covered services, excluding audio-only visits (which receive 50% of in-person rates) and behavioral health services (which receive full in-person rates). This is a procedural extension of an existing policy, not a new mandate.

Maddy summaryThis bill sets specific working hour limits for minors (ages 14-15) employed as professional athletes by national sports associations, leagues, or teams in New Jersey. It permits such minors to work after 11 p.m. only if the shift continues a workday starting before 11 p.m., with a written parental or guardian permission letter specifying allowed hours. The bill prohibits employment after 3 a.m. or before 6 a.m. on days preceding a regular school day. These rules apply only to professional athletic employment, not other minor work types covered under existing labor laws. The changes take immediate effect upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $18.5 million from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax (CBT) revenues to fund historic preservation projects in New Jersey. It allocates $15 million for restoration and preservation work on 43 specific historic sites (like the Atlantic City Fire Station and USS New Jersey), $1.47 million for site management projects (including heritage tourism planning), and $100,000 for historic preservation easements. All projects must be listed or eligible for state/national historic registers and require recipient matching funds. Additionally, $1.92 million covers administrative costs for the New Jersey Historic Trust under the Preserve New Jersey Act.

Maddy summaryThis resolution urges the New Jersey Department of Health to increase public awareness about xylazine, a veterinary drug not approved for human use that is being used recreationally and linked to overdose deaths. It requests the Department to provide educational resources informing residents about xylazine's health risks - including its incompatibility with naloxone (used for opioid overdoses) and its frequent combination with fentanyl - which can cause severe complications like skin ulcers and dangerous respiratory depression. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new law but calls on the Department to address this public health concern through targeted outreach. The resolution specifically highlights xylazine's role in rising overdose deaths in New Jersey and surrounding states.

Maddy summaryThis bill redirects a portion of worker contributions from the unemployment compensation trust fund to the unemployment compensation administration fund. Currently, workers contribute 0.3825% of wages to the trust fund, which funds unemployment benefits. The bill would reduce this to 0.3625% for the trust fund while directing 0.0200% of wages to the administration fund instead. This reallocation aims to address chronic underfunding in the administration fund, which handles system operations but lacks sufficient resources. The change would take effect for wages paid on or after January 1, 2024.

Maddy summary# Summary of New Jersey Unemployment Insurance Bill This legislative bill amends New Jersey's unemployment insurance (UI) laws to make several significant changes: 1. **Expanded Dependent Coverage**: Adds disabled, unmarried adult children of UI claimants (whose disability began before age 22) to the dependents counted when calculating weekly benefit amounts. 2. **Student Eligibility**: Removes the current requirement that claimants must have earned sufficient wages while enrolled in full-time education. Eligible individuals who are students in full-time attendance or on vacation from an educational institution are no longer deemed ineligible for UI benefits, provided they remain available for work. 3. **Training Program Eligibility**: Shifts provisions allowing UI benefits for participants in department-approved training programs from being an exception to being a standard eligibility circumstance, with participation required to align with existing provisions. 4. **Electronic Communication**: Allows claimants to request electronic notification of their initial benefit determination. 5. **Appeal Process**: Clarifies that benefits paid pending appeal are based on the initial determination until the appeal tribunal makes a decision, after which benefits are paid according to the appeal tribunal's decision. 6. **Overpayment Rules**: Removes the requirement that employers be charged for overpayments before appeal resolution. It also revises overpayment repayment rules to provide full waiver if the overpayment was caused by department or employer error (without claimant misrepresentation), or if the claimant is deceased, disabled, or recovery would be contrary to equity and good conscience. 7. **Average Weekly Wage Calculation**: Changes how average weekly wage is calculated to be based on wages with all base year employers (not just the most recent employer), with the total number of base weeks limited to 52. 8. **Extended Benefits**: Modifies requirements for claimants disqualified due to misconduct or failure to accept suitable work, requiring only completion of regular UI disqualification period rather than earning four times the weekly benefit rate. The bill also requires the Department of Labor to develop electronic access for claimants to view their benefit payment status and history. Sections 4 and 6 of the bill apply retroactively to July 31, 2023, effectively making it as if the provisions they replace (added by P.L.2022, c.120) never took effect.