Asm. Verlina Reynolds-Jackson

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of the Rate Counsel to commission an independent third party to study the feasibility and cost savings of moving the state's electric and gas utility services from private companies to public ownership. The study must evaluate two main options: public entities (like state agencies) fully acquiring utilities or sharing ownership with current providers, and analyze factors including service reliability, environmental impacts, customer costs, and long-term financial effects. All electric/gas utilities and public entities must cooperate by providing requested information to the study team. The state will allocate $100,000 from the General Fund to cover the study costs, with a final report due to the Governor and Legislature within one year.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires new flooring installed in schools (K-12) and licensed childcare centers to be certified as mercury-free by the manufacturer before a construction permit can be issued. For renovations involving existing flooring, applicants must either provide certification that current flooring is mercury-free (pending health department rules) or confirm it will be removed before new flooring is installed. Manufacturers falsely claiming mercury-free flooring face civil penalties of $10,000 for a first offense and $25,000 for repeat violations. The bill directly affects construction projects in these facilities and establishes a process for health department certification of mercury-free flooring.

Maddy summaryThe bill establishes a three-year pilot program for electronic monitoring of defendants charged with or convicted of sexual assault, human trafficking, kidnapping, domestic violence crimes, or contempt of domestic violence orders in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Union counties. Electronic monitoring would require victim consent and be ordered only after a court hearing considering risk factors using a standardized assessment tool. Defendants would pay an initial $250 fee and $50 per day (with waivers for financial hardship), with all funds going to the Electronic Monitoring and Crime Victim Notification Fund. The monitoring system would operate 24/7 and notify victims when offenders approach within specified distances (3 miles, 1 mile, and 1/2 mile). The bill appropriates $15 million total ($12 million for the monitoring program, $3 million for domestic violence victims).

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens protections for individuals with expunged criminal records by imposing new requirements on background check providers and licensing boards. Background check companies must delete expunged records immediately upon knowing they are expunged, report only records received within the last 30 days, and provide free corrections within 30 days. It also allows individuals to sue for $5,000 per violation or actual damages if their expunged record is wrongfully disclosed. Additionally, professional licensing boards must redact references to expunged convictions in their records while keeping the fact of disciplinary action visible.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5440) requires New Jersey state agencies like the Department of Community Affairs, Department of Human Services, and the Board of Public Utilities to review and potentially raise income limits for residential customers to qualify for utility bill payment assistance and energy efficiency programs. It mandates that these agencies increase the income thresholds within one year of the bill's effective date. Agencies may seek public input or collaborate with other departments to determine appropriate increases. The change would directly help low-to-moderate income households by expanding eligibility for programs that reduce energy costs. The bill expires once the required income threshold increases are finalized.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Medicaid program to cover assisted living services for individuals with serious mental illnesses who do not need help with basic self-care activities (like bathing or dressing) but struggle with more complex daily tasks necessary for independent living (such as managing medications, following treatment plans, or handling finances). The bill specifies that a licensed mental health professional must determine eligibility through a functional assessment process considering medical records, psychiatric history, and input from treating professionals and family members. It also requires the Commissioner of Human Services to apply for federal Medicaid plan amendments to secure funding for these services. The coverage would become effective six months after the bill's enactment, expanding Medicaid benefits to include this specific assisted living support for eligible individuals.

Maddy summaryBill A5241 prohibits local governments (counties, municipalities, or other approving authorities) from approving site plans for large warehouses within 1,000 feet of a historic district. It defines a "large warehouse" as any storage facility of 100,000 square feet or more used for goods intended for sale or distribution, and a "historic district" as areas listed on both the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places (excluding waterway-designated districts). The law applies immediately to all pending construction permit applications that haven't yet been declared complete by the enforcing agency. This prevents new large warehouse developments near designated historic areas without requiring additional approvals.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Eviction and Homelessness Prevention Program to provide rental assistance to New Jersey tenants who can't pay rent due to pandemic-related circumstances. The program offers different assistance levels based on income: deep subsidies for very low-income households to limit rent to 40% of income, shallow subsidies up to $800 per month for low-income households, and $250 flat grants for moderate-income households paying more than 50% of income on rent. Eligible households can receive assistance for up to two years, with income reevaluations every six months to adjust support as needed. The program is funded by $300 million in CARES Act funds, with the goal of preventing evictions and homelessness while protecting public health.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals a 1995 law that restricted how New Jersey public colleges could charge students for fees related to legislative advocacy. The repealed law prohibited mandatory tuition fees for student groups engaging in legislative activity but allowed optional fees with specific disclosures (e.g., stating the fee isn’t mandatory and isn’t endorsed by the college). The repeal removes these disclosure requirements and restrictions, allowing public colleges to handle such fees without mandated statements. It directly affects public universities and student organizations seeking to fund nonpartisan legislative advocacy efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes it a third-degree crime (carrying up to 5 years in prison or a $15,000 fine) for someone to enter the dwelling of a domestic violence victim protected by a restraining order against them, if they intend to cause harm or commit another crime. It creates a legal presumption that such intent exists if a restraining order is active or if the person has prior domestic violence charges or convictions involving the victim. This presumption prevents judges from imposing nonimprisonment sentences (like probation) for these offenses. The bill directly affects individuals who violate domestic violence restraining orders by trespassing in a victim's home.