Asm. Roy Freiman

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to create rules and regulations for small modular nuclear reactors, defined as reactors with up to 300 megawatts of capacity that require U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing. It authorizes the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) to use funds from the Global Warming Solutions Fund to incentivize construction and operation of these reactors. The BPU must consider whether proposed reactors will replace capacity lost from retiring coal or natural gas facilities and whether they will create job opportunities for workers displaced by those retirements. The bill also requires reactor owners to meet all federal requirements before storing spent nuclear fuel on-site.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Farm to School Local Food Procurement Reimbursement Grant Program to help school districts increase their sourcing of local foods for students. It appropriates $6,500,000 from the General Fund, with $5.5 million dedicated to grants and $1 million for administrative costs. Eligible school districts (those serving students eligible for subsidized meals) can apply for annual grants based on size: small districts (under 5,000 students) receive $10,000-$50,000, medium districts (5,000-10,000 students) get $20,000-$125,000, and large districts (10,000+ students) receive $44,000-$250,000. At least 80% of grant funds must reimburse costs for sourcing additional local foods, while up to 20% can cover equipment or staff training, with priority given to districts in food deserts or those sourcing from small/mid-sized farms.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's child endangerment statute to specifically address AI technology that can simulate sexual conduct with children. It creates a new fourth-degree crime for anyone who knowingly or recklessly causes or allows a child to be subjected to such AI-generated sexual conduct through the creation, control, possession, or promotion of the technology. The law includes an exception for AI systems designed to prevent sexual interaction with children, and violations would be punishable by up to 18 months in prison or a $10,000 fine. This amendment targets situations where AI chatbots or similar technology are deliberately programmed to engage in sexual interactions with children, as highlighted in recent reports.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey law to extend the cancellation period for home improvement contracts from three to five business days for consumers aged 65 or older. It requires contractors to include a clear, conspicuous notice in contracts detailing the five-day window for seniors (and the existing three-day window for all consumers) and the written cancellation process (via registered mail or in-person delivery). If canceled within the timeframe, contractors must refund all payments within 30 days and cancel related credit agreements without penalty. The change specifically aims to provide additional time for senior citizens to review contracts, reflecting their potential need for more consideration.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4577) requires all New Jersey state departments, agencies, and the Office of Information Technology (OIT) to submit annual reports detailing plans to improve digital services for the public and enhance remote work capabilities for employees. Departments must outline strategies like user research for cohesive online/mobile/in-person service experiences and upgrading hardware/software for remote work. The OIT must also provide annual reports with specific recommendations, including transitioning to cloud services, integrating data into a single portal, ensuring secure access, and moving remote work tools to web portals instead of Virtual Private Networks. The goal is to improve government efficiency and maintain operations during emergencies.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 3663 requires the Department of State to create a public "Reproductive Health Travel Advisory" for residents. The advisory will inform pregnant New Jersey residents about state laws restricting reproductive healthcare access in other U.S. states, using a color-coded system: Blue (full access), Yellow (restricted access), and Red (extreme restrictions risking health or legal consequences). The advisory must be published online and updated whenever other states change their reproductive healthcare laws. This bill directly affects pregnant New Jersey residents planning travel who may need emergency reproductive care.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's child care assistance program to include full-time graduate and post-graduate students who meet income, asset, and residency requirements and are enrolled full-time in good academic standing at a public or private college or university. Currently, the program covers only full-time undergraduate students pursuing associate's or bachelor's degrees. The state must update its eligibility rules and seek federal funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant to cover the costs of this expansion. This change directly affects graduate and post-graduate students who are parents and rely on the program for child care support.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill ensures that district and county election boards, not judges, make the initial determination on whether ballots with unclear markings should be counted. The boards will use their judgment to decide if marks were intended to vote for a candidate (counting the ballot) or to identify the ballot (rejecting it). Currently, such decisions often required judicial review, but this bill shifts that authority to the election boards directly. This change affects how election results are finalized for ballots with ambiguous marks, streamlining the counting process without altering the criteria for ballot validity.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the time teachers can be away from service while maintaining membership in New Jersey's Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF). It increases the standard discontinuance period from two to seven years, and extends the return-to-service window to 25 years for teachers who were laid off or voluntarily left with 10 or more years of service. Teachers returning within these extended timeframes will be re-enrolled in the TPAF at their previous tier with no additional contributions required. The changes apply to all current and future TPAF members who meet the specified conditions.

Maddy summaryS 4506 exempts minor league baseball players covered by a union-negotiated agreement between Minor League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association from New Jersey's wage and hour laws and recordkeeping requirements. The exemption applies only while the agreement is active and requires the league and union to notify the state labor department within one week of any agreement termination or replacement. This aligns state law with the 2023 agreement, which provides players with salaries, health care, housing, retirement benefits, and other protections that conflict with standard wage laws due to minor league baseball's irregular schedules.