Asm. Mitchelle Drulis

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the State Treasurer to sell surplus property located at 1600 Brooks Boulevard (4.30 acres, former Hillsborough Social Services Office) in Hillsborough Township, Somerset County. The property must be sold to the Manville Borough Board of Education for $870,000, or to the highest bidder via internet auction with that as the minimum price if the Board declines. It directly affects the State (as owner), the Manville Board of Education (as potential buyer), and local taxpayers (through the sale process). The bill is procedural, requiring no new policy changes beyond this specific property transaction, and took effect immediately upon approval.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A4135 (A4135) requires all counties to establish crisis intervention services programs for law enforcement officers, firefighters, and sheriff's officers. The bill mandates counties provide up to 12 counseling sessions (with possible additional sessions within one year) for first responders affected by critical incidents like witnessing trauma, dangerous child crime investigations, or life-threatening rescues. Employers cannot require use of paid leave for counseling attendance, and if deemed unfit for duty during counseling, employees receive full pay/benefits for up to 30 days per incident. Counties must report program data annually to the state, and the state will reimburse counties for program costs. The law expands eligibility to include volunteer firefighters, 9-1-1 dispatchers, and state-employed officers residing in or working within the county.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force to study and evaluate the state's current teacher and administrator evaluation system under the TEACHNJ Act. The 12-member task force, including educators, principals, and education organization representatives, must report findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by September 30, 2024. It temporarily pauses new student growth data collection for the 2024-2025 school year, requiring schools to use existing data instead - except for new, non-tenured, or first-year teachers who must set new objectives during that year. Starting in 2025-2026, school districts will implement updated data collection guidelines based on the task force's final recommendations. The bill directly affects all public school teachers, principals, and administrators in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis symbolic Assembly Resolution (AR 122) condemns the Alabama Supreme Court ruling in *LePage v. Mobile Infirmary Clinic* (which treats embryos as "extrauterine children") and federal bill H.R. 431 (which would extend constitutional personhood to embryos from fertilization). It reaffirms New Jersey’s existing protections for reproductive health care access, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), which the state already supports through laws requiring insurance coverage for fertility services. The resolution does not create new legal requirements but publicly opposes actions that threaten IVF access and reproductive freedom. New Jersey has previously enacted measures to shield patients and providers from out-of-state prosecution for legally accessed reproductive care.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the State Treasurer (acting for the Department of Children and Families) to sell the former Hillsborough Social Services Office property at 1600 Brooks Boulevard in Hillsborough Township, Somerset County. The 4.3-acre property, now surplus to state needs, is to be sold to the Borough of Manville for $870,000. If the borough declines, the property will be sold via internet auction with a $870,000 minimum bid. The sale must follow terms approved by the State House Commission.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey school districts experiencing reductions in state school aid to temporarily increase their property tax levies beyond the usual 2% cap. It specifically provides adjustments equal to the amount of state aid lost in the 2023-2024 or 2024-2025 school years, or to reach adequate funding levels after 2024-2025. The bill prohibits districts using these adjustments from reducing teacher staffing or cutting appropriations for instruction and support services, though the Commissioner of Education may approve such reductions in specific circumstances. This policy change helps districts maintain budget stability when state funding decreases without requiring voter approval for tax increases beyond standard limits.

Maddy summaryThe "John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New Jersey" establishes a state-level voting rights law to protect racial, color, and language-minority groups' voting rights. It requires election policies to be narrowly tailored to compelling justifications and prohibits methods that impair protected class members' ability to elect their preferred candidates. The bill creates a preclearance process for political subdivisions with prior voting rights violations before implementing election policies, mandates language assistance for language-minority groups meeting census thresholds, and provides remedies including alternative election processes and redistricting changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A3778) reaffirms the ongoing operation of the Rutgers Institute of Management and Labor Relations, established in 1947, and appropriates $750,000 annually from the state General Fund to support its work. The Institute will continue offering affordable educational programs - including classes, conferences, and webinars - focused on labor-management relations, with tuition designed to be free for New Jersey residents. It mandates an advisory council with equal representation from labor, management, and the public to guide the Institute’s programs. The funding is supplemental to existing state allocations and must be used to support the Institute’s educational and research activities on workplace issues.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A942) changes how New Jersey calculates the local share of funding for public schools. It requires school districts to use a five-year average of their equalized property valuation (instead of just the previous year's value) when determining their local contribution to the state school funding formula. This change, effective for the 2024-2025 school year, aims to stabilize funding by smoothing out annual fluctuations in property values across districts. It directly affects all New Jersey public school districts in their state aid calculations.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 7-member School Funding Formula Evaluation Task Force to study New Jersey's current school funding system under the 2008 School Funding Reform Act. The task force, including education and finance experts appointed by legislative leaders, will examine how school budgets are calculated, how student needs are weighted (including at-risk students and special education), and the impact of funding formulas on school finances. It must hold public meetings across the state and submit a final report with recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within one year, though the bill itself does not change funding. The study directly affects all public school districts and their funding allocations.