Asm. Roy Freiman

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4143, "Long-Term Budget Outlook Act") requires New Jersey's State Treasurer to prepare and submit two annual reports to the Governor and Legislature. The reports must project the state's budget outlook for the next three fiscal years (current year plus two subsequent years), including distinct forecasts of potential long-term budget gaps under optimistic, pessimistic, and baseline economic scenarios. Key provisions include detailed projections of all state revenues, appropriations, and fund balances using a "current services basis" (projecting costs to maintain existing programs), along with clear explanations of the assumptions used. These reports aim to provide transparency about future fiscal challenges to inform budget decisions.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A4428) creates a new criminal offense called "political violence," defined as committing violent acts (such as assault, kidnapping, or terrorism) specifically to interfere with or retaliate against someone because of their political affiliation (e.g., party membership) or political expression (e.g., attending protests, donating to campaigns). It increases penalties for these offenses, requiring separate sentencing for both the underlying violent crime and the political violence charge. The bill also establishes an independent "Political Violence Review Board" to collect and analyze data on complaints, identifying potential disparities in how cases are handled based on race, gender, or political affiliation. This directly affects law enforcement, prosecutors, and individuals targeted for political reasons, while requiring oversight of how such cases are investigated and prosecuted.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey state agencies, counties, municipalities, school districts, and other local government entities to purchase at least 5% of their goods and services from the Central Nonprofit Agency (CNA), which supports rehabilitation facilities. It grants the CNA a "right of first refusal" for any goods/services typically bought through cooperative purchasing catalogs, provided they can match prices within 15% of fair market value. The bill also mandates that the Division of Purchase and Property create training protocols for all purchasing agents to ensure awareness of the CNA program, with annual reporting on compliance by all affected entities. These requirements apply to all state and local government bodies authorized to make purchases.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires drivers to stop at least 25 feet from school buses loading/unloading children or individuals with developmental disabilities on undivided highways, and to slow to 10 mph on divided highways. It establishes that violations captured by school bus monitoring systems (like cameras) will result in a $300 civil penalty instead of criminal charges or license points. The law directly affects drivers near school buses, school bus operators, and enforcement agencies. Key provisions include standardized stopping distances, speed limits for divided highways, and shifting penalties for monitored violations to a civil fine system. This changes enforcement by prioritizing evidence from monitoring systems to reduce penalties for documented violations.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's Assembly Bill A3125 bans the sale of menstrual products containing regulated perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chemicals linked to health concerns. It directly affects manufacturers selling products like tampons, pads, cups, or underwear in New Jersey, prohibiting both intentionally added PFAS and PFAS above trace levels. The bill requires the Department of Environmental Protection to establish a testing system using approved labs, with results available for inspection by the Department of Health. Violations would be treated as consumer fraud under state law, with penalties up to $20,000 per offense, and takes effect two years after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4009, "Fair Funding for Vulnerable Residents Act") requires licensed community-based residential providers serving adults or children with intellectual or developmental disabilities to spend at least 70% of their state and federal revenue directly on resident care each year. Providers must annually report detailed financial breakdowns - including staff wages, administrative costs, and other expenses - to the Department of Human Services by October 31. If a provider fails to meet the 70% requirement, they must issue credits to the state by June 30 of the following year, with federal funds returned to federal entities. The bill mandates public reporting of these financial details on department websites to increase transparency for residents and families.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the "Justice Center for the Protection of Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities" to handle abuse, neglect, and exploitation complaints in state-licensed residential and day habilitation facilities. It directly affects people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) living in these settings, as well as state-funded caregivers (excluding immediate family members). The key mechanism establishes a centralized, independent office to investigate complaints - replacing current systems managed by the Department of Human Services and Department of Children and Families - and creates a Medical Review Board to address related deaths. The bill aims to improve safety and accountability by implementing a model inspired by New York's oversight system.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Education to partner with a nonprofit to create a free, public online registry of tutors and tutoring organizations. It allows eligible participants - including certified teachers, retired educators, college students, industry professionals, and relevant organizations - to list their contact details, subject expertise, and availability without charging students for services. All registrants (except certified teachers with prior background checks) must undergo a criminal history check, and the registry will include a disclaimer noting the information hasn't been verified or endorsed by the state. The registry will be accessible on the Department of Education's website to connect students with free tutoring support.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health to use the Basic Screening Survey (developed by dental directors' associations) to assess oral health in pre-school and school-aged children across all counties. It mandates biannual collection of random data samples from each county, with parental consent required for any data collection, and requires all data to comply with privacy laws. The Department must submit biennial reports to the Governor and Legislature containing findings and recommendations based on this data. The survey is designed to identify major oral health issues through basic screenings - not clinical diagnoses - and applies directly to children in New Jersey public health assessments.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to cancel all classes on election days when a public school serves as a polling place. Instead, school boards may use the day for staff training or professional development. The law aims to improve student safety by preventing large crowds of voters from entering school buildings during elections. It applies immediately, first affecting the November 2021 general election. The bill does not change voting procedures but modifies school operations on election days.