Asm. Roy Freiman

Maddy summaryThis bill removes an exemption in New Jersey's Smoke-Free Air Act that previously allowed smoking in casinos and casino simulcasting facilities. Currently, these venues could permit smoking in areas used for gambling (like slot machine rooms or table games), but the bill would eliminate that exception. After passage, all indoor areas of casinos and simulcasting facilities open to the public for gambling would be required to be smoke-free. This change aligns these venues with the state's general indoor smoking ban, which applies to most public workplaces and spaces.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey solid waste management districts (including counties and the Hackensack Meadowlands District) to create a strategy reducing food waste by 50% by 2035 compared to 2022 levels. Districts must submit these strategies as amendments to their waste management plans, counting food donations, composting, and anaerobic digestion toward the goal. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) must publish a list of actionable measures for districts (like donation programs, composting infrastructure, and public campaigns) and establish tiered regulations for composting facilities. The policy directly affects local waste management systems and aims to divert food waste from landfills, reducing methane emissions.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to create rules for small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), defined as reactors under 300 megawatts capacity requiring U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing. It authorizes the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) to use 60% of funds from the Global Warming Solutions Fund to provide grants and financial incentives for the construction and operation of SMRs. The policy directly affects commercial entities building or operating these reactors, with funding prioritizing projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or energy demand. The bill establishes a concrete mechanism for state support of SMR development through EDA’s grant programs, without specifying project outcomes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A-2540, "Cancer Patient Care and Compassion Act") requires health insurance plans and Medicaid in New Jersey to cover specific cancer treatments without cost-sharing for patients with Stage III, IV, or terminal cancer. It mandates coverage for parenteral treatments (like IV medications), survivorship care plans, and other services determined by regulators. The bill also adds protections: mortgage lenders must pause foreclosure during active treatment, creditors cannot initiate collections, and tenants facing eviction can request a 45-day stay with physician certification. These provisions directly affect cancer patients and their families by removing financial barriers to care and preventing housing/financial instability during treatment. The bill is pending before the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee.

Maddy summaryBill A 1291 requires New Jersey's Cannabis Regulatory Commission to establish stricter testing standards for licensed cannabis testing laboratories, directly affecting all facilities currently operating under P.L.2021, c.16. Key provisions include mandating validated testing methods, detailed documentation for lab procedures, and an external audit program using statistical tools to detect anomalies or fraud in test results. The bill also creates a secret shopper program to anonymously verify compliance with packaging, labeling, and safety rules at cannabis retail facilities. These changes aim to improve product safety and testing accuracy across medical and adult-use cannabis markets, with enforcement including potential product recalls or facility penalties for violations.

Maddy summaryACR 61 is a New Jersey legislative resolution urging Congress to provide emergency funds to modernize air traffic control infrastructure and increase staffing at facilities supporting Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). It directly addresses EWR's operational challenges, including system disruptions from outdated infrastructure (like aging copper lines), insufficient controller staffing at Philadelphia TRACON (only 22 certified controllers), and resulting flight delays, cancellations, and ground stops. The resolution emphasizes that EWR serves 50 million passengers annually and is vital to New Jersey's economy, with immediate action needed before a planned long-term FAA system upgrade completes. It does not create new law but formally requests federal funding and staffing adjustments to improve safety and efficiency.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Agriculture to promote state-produced aquaculture products (farmed fish and shellfish raised in New Jersey waters) through the existing Jersey Fresh Program. It mandates the department to create a specific quality grading system for these products - distinct from wild-caught seafood - and allocate $25,000 annually from the General Fund to fund advertising and promotion. The program will apply only to aquaculture products meeting state quality standards, expanding Jersey Fresh's current focus on locally grown produce. This change directly affects New Jersey aquaculture producers seeking to market their products under the state's agricultural branding initiative.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how New Jersey school districts calculate their local share for state school funding. It requires using a five-year average of each district's equalized property valuation (instead of just the previous year's value) in the formula that determines state aid. This directly affects all public school districts and county vocational school districts when calculating their state funding. The change takes effect for the 2024-2025 school year, making the funding calculation more stable by smoothing out annual property value fluctuations.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new hiring preference for Class Two special law enforcement officers seeking positions with municipal police departments in New Jersey. It places these officers ahead of other non-veteran applicants in the hiring order, ranking them third after veterans and children of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The preference applies only to initial appointments (not promotions) and covers all municipal law enforcement agencies that classify applicants by residency. The policy affects how municipalities rank qualified candidates during new-hire selections.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a four-year grant program to fund partnerships between eligible New Jersey school districts and entities like county colleges or urban districts for career and technical education (CTE) programs. It directly affects county vocational school districts and other school districts operating approved CTE programs, allowing them to partner with others to create new CTE programs in existing facilities not owned by the applicant. Key provisions require applicants to detail partnership roles, employer involvement, student capacity, facility suitability, and post-grant sustainability plans, with grants awarded based on available state funds. The program mandates a four-year progress report to the governor and legislature, including outcomes and recommendations for permanent funding.