Asm. Mitchelle Drulis

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $52,798,268 from existing farmland preservation funds to the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) for farmland preservation. It provides $21 million for acquiring development easements or fee simple titles to farmland, including grants to counties (up to 80% of costs) and nonprofits (up to 50% of costs). An additional $3.45 million supports stewardship activities like soil conservation and deer fencing on preserved farmland, while $28.3 million covers administrative costs for SADC operations and enforcement. The funding directly affects landowners, local governments, and nonprofit organizations working to preserve agricultural land in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A5862 appropriates $34 million from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax (CBT) revenues to fund farmland preservation. The funds will provide planning incentive grants to eligible counties - specifically five counties receiving base grants of $500,000-$1 million, plus 10 additional counties eligible for competitive grants - to cover up to 80% of costs for permanent land protections (development easements) on farmland. The grants are administered through the State Agriculture Development Committee under the Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund, with a county’s maximum total award capped at $8.5 million. This bill directly affects participating counties in agricultural areas by enabling local governments to preserve farmland through permanent land protections.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Medicaid program and Plan First program to cover fertility preservation services for individuals whose fertility may be impaired by medically necessary treatments like cancer therapy. It defines "iatrogenic infertility" as fertility loss caused by medical treatments affecting reproductive organs, and specifies that covered services include storage of sperm, eggs, embryos, and cryopreserved ovarian tissue. The coverage must be provided without discrimination based on age, gender, sexual orientation, or other personal characteristics, making these often-expensive services accessible to low-to-moderate income patients who would otherwise be unable to afford them.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes standardized credit transfer rules for New Jersey public colleges and universities, replacing previous "collective agreements" with requirements set by the Secretary of Higher Education. It creates a New Jersey Transfer Ombudsman within the Secretary's office to resolve disputes between students and institutions about credit transfers, conduct compliance reviews every three years, and publish annual reports on transfer outcomes. Public institutions must now provide transfer students with data on program completion rates and ensure associate degrees earned at community colleges are fully transferable toward bachelor's degrees. The changes directly affect students transferring between NJ public colleges and universities, as well as the institutions themselves, by standardizing credit recognition and adding oversight.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurance carriers in New Jersey to cover prostate cancer screening without cost sharing (no deductibles, copays, or coinsurance). It expands the definition of "prostate cancer screening" to include more diagnostic methods beyond digital rectal exams and PSA tests, such as urinary analysis, serum biomarkers, and medical imaging. The coverage applies to men age 50+ who are asymptomatic, and men age 40+ with family history of prostate cancer or other risk factors. The bill extends these requirements to additional insurance types, including individual health insurance policies, that weren't previously required to cover prostate cancer screening under current law.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey Assembly Resolution (AR 204) urges the U.S. Congress to pass the bipartisan "Afghan Adjustment Act." It directly addresses over 76,000 Afghans who aided U.S. forces in Afghanistan and were evacuated to the U.S. under temporary humanitarian parole after the 2021 withdrawal, leaving them without a clear path to permanent legal status. The resolution describes the Act as providing a pathway for these individuals to apply for permanent residency, similar to past legislation for Cuban, Southeast Asian, and Iraqi allies. It emphasizes that these Afghans endangered their lives to support U.S. missions and now face legal uncertainty despite their service. The resolution is a formal request to Congress, not a binding law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to create a public awareness campaign about low-speed electric bicycles (e-bikes). The campaign must inform the public about safety concerns and legal traffic rules for e-bike riders, including developing bilingual (English/Spanish) materials and distributing them through MVC offices, bike shops, libraries, community centers, and middle schools. The bill appropriates $250,000 from the state General Fund to fund this effort. It directly affects all e-bike riders and families in New Jersey, with a specific focus on reaching parents and children through accessible community locations.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4603) allows commercial farmers in New Jersey to recover reasonable legal costs and attorney fees when defending against complaints they win under the "Right to Farm Act." It directly affects farmers who successfully prove a complaint was filed in bad faith and that their farming activity met the Act's legal standards. Key provisions require farmers to apply to their county agriculture board or the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC), which must then determine if the complaint was filed in bad faith (by a preponderance of evidence) and if the costs/fees are reasonable before ordering the complainant to pay. The change provides a specific remedy for farmers facing frivolous legal challenges, strengthening existing protections under the Act.

Maddy summaryThis bill would amend New Jersey's Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) rules to include pay for extracurricular activities in teachers' pension calculations. Currently, additional compensation for duties like coaching sports teams, directing school plays, or supervising clubs is not counted toward pension benefits. The bill changes the definition of "compensation" to include remuneration for extracurricular activities beyond the regular school day or year. This change would affect teachers who receive extra pay for these activities, potentially increasing their future pension benefits. The bill applies to all teachers whose extracurricular duties qualify under the new definition.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4971) creates a "Small Business Interruption Grant Program" administered by New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA). It provides grants to small businesses in low-income communities (defined as municipalities under 10,000 population with >7.5% poverty rate) that suffered economic loss due to prolonged state infrastructure or construction projects. Grants are based on actual or projected revenue loss from closures or reduced business, with $750,000 appropriated from the General Fund to fund the program. Businesses must independently own and operate (<100 employees), be located in a qualifying community, and demonstrate project-related revenue loss to qualify.