Asm. Anthony Verrelli

Maddy summaryAJR 55 designates March 16 each year as "Paws Healing Heroes Day" in New Jersey to recognize service dogs that assist veterans with conditions like PTSD, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, and seizure disorders. The resolution directly affects veterans, service dog organizations (such as Paws Healing Heroes in Glassboro), and the public by raising awareness of these animals' role in veteran support. Its key mechanism is an annual designation requiring the Governor to issue a proclamation encouraging public observance. This is a ceremonial resolution, not a law with funding or regulatory changes, and it takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryAJR 65 designates the date of the second new moon following the winter solstice (or the third if a leap month is needed) as "Lunar New Year" in New Jersey. The resolution requests the Governor to issue an annual proclamation recognizing this date and encourages schools and cultural institutions to observe it with appropriate activities. It directly acknowledges the cultural significance of Lunar New Year for New Jersey's Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, which make up approximately 10% of the state's population. This symbolic gesture does not create a legal holiday but formally recognizes traditions celebrated by many residents.

Maddy summaryACR 35 is a ceremonial resolution recognizing the 138th anniversary of the Knights of Columbus. It formally honors the organization's charitable work and membership, directing that copies be sent to the Knights of Columbus New Jersey State Council. This resolution has no legal effect beyond expressing the state's acknowledgment of the group's contributions. It does not create new laws, funding, or obligations.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows small private theaters (with seating under 400 people) that regularly host paid live musical or theatrical performances to obtain an alcohol retail license. Currently, only nonprofit theaters with 1,000+ seats can get a similar "theater license" under New Jersey law. The bill creates a new category for incorporated private theater entities meeting these size and performance criteria, enabling them to serve alcohol during shows and for two hours before/after. Municipalities must approve the license with the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control's consent, but the license won't count toward municipal license limits.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 17-member "Police Body Camera Implementation Task Force" to study and make recommendations about body camera use by law enforcement in New Jersey. The task force includes diverse stakeholders like law enforcement leaders, public defenders, civil rights advocates, and municipal representatives, with the Attorney General serving as chair. It will examine implementation requirements, best practices for camera use, and rules for accessing body camera recordings. The task force must submit its final report to the Governor and Legislature by December 30, 2021.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2846) requires New Jersey's Department of Health (DOH) to ensure its policies for allocating scarce medical resources - like hospital beds, ventilators, or medications during shortages - do not discriminate. It prohibits policies that exclude or deprioritize individuals based on disability (e.g., denying care because someone needs more resources due to a disability), consider long-term survivability in treatment decisions, or reallocate personal ventilators from people who rely on them daily. The bill also mandates that hospitals adjust medical scoring systems to prevent bias against patients with unrelated health conditions and bans blanket "do not resuscitate" orders, requiring facilities to honor individual patient preferences through advance directives or POLST forms. It directly affects DOH, hospitals, and nursing homes in New Jersey when developing resource allocation plans during critical shortages.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the State Planning Commission to create and adopt model buffer ordinances that specify regulatory rules for siting warehouses near zoning district boundaries, including design standards and setbacks. Municipalities can then update their local master plans and zoning ordinances to align with these state model rules. The bill defines "warehouse" broadly to include distribution centers, flex-warehouses, and any facility storing goods for later retail or wholesale distribution. This provides standardized options for local governments to manage warehouse development while maintaining zoning consistency.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a COVID-19 Memorial Commission within New Jersey's Department of Health to design and build a memorial honoring state residents who died from the pandemic. The commission, composed of 11 members including state officials and appointed public representatives (with at least one having personal pandemic experience), will select the memorial's location, design, and funding approach. A dedicated "COVID-19 Memorial Fund" will be created in the Department of the Treasury to collect donations and appropriations for the memorial's construction and long-term maintenance. The commission will operate until six months after the memorial is completed.

Maddy summaryThis bill would expand eligibility for New Jersey's special probation drug court program to individuals with certain prior criminal convictions that would otherwise make them ineligible. Specifically, it would allow people with two or more prior convictions for crimes of the first or second degree if those convictions are at least five years old from the date of completing probation, parole, or release from incarceration. To qualify, applicants must also meet other criteria including being drug or alcohol dependent at the time of the current offense, not having a firearm at the time of the offense, and not having certain violent crime convictions. The program would require participation in substance use disorder treatment with specific monitoring and conditions for compliance.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $25 million fund within New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to support the Blue Acres program. The fund provides relocation assistance for homeowners and tenants displaced when the state acquires flood-prone properties through Blue Acres projects, and covers the cost of purchasing those properties. All money in the fund must be used for these purposes, with no more than 5% of annual funds allowed for administrative costs. The fund is non-lapsing (does not expire) and will be administered by the DEP to help residents affected by flood risk mitigation efforts.