Asm. Roy Freiman

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires health insurance plans to cover additional orthotic and prosthetic appliances when a physician determines they're necessary for physical and recreational activities like running, biking, swimming, and sports. It expands current coverage requirements, which already mandate coverage for basic orthotic and prosthetic appliances that are medically necessary, to include additional devices needed for recreational activities. The bill applies to all health insurance contracts in New Jersey, including hospital, medical, and health service corporations, and requires reimbursement at the same rate as federal Medicare. It would take effect 90 days after enactment for policies issued or renewed after that date.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new process for handling court cases involving property owned by multiple people, specifically when at least one owner inherited the property from a relative. It establishes a special master to determine the property's fair market value, gives other owners the opportunity to buy out those who want to sell, and provides guidelines for when property should be divided physically or sold. The process applies to properties where no agreement exists about division, at least one owner acquired title from a relative, and 20% or more of interests are held by relatives or acquired from relatives. The bill aims to provide a more equitable resolution than the current system by considering factors like sentimental value and practical division. The new process would apply to all such cases filed 30 days after the bill becomes law.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A3363) creates a centralized online directory for affordable housing and senior citizen housing units across New Jersey. It requires each county to submit monthly data to the Department of Community Affairs, including building addresses, management contacts, application status, and online application links for all qualifying housing units. The information must be published on the websites of the Department of Community Affairs, New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, and New Jersey Housing Resource Center. This system aims to make it easier for residents to find available housing options by consolidating location-specific details in one public online resource.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits how school districts and charter schools can use or disclose student waiver forms related to financial aid applications. It requires waiver forms to collect only basic information (name, contact details, date, and signature) and prohibits schools from sharing waiver content or personal details without student or parent consent, in line with federal privacy laws like FERPA. The bill mandates that all waiver forms include clear, prominent language about these privacy restrictions. This applies to both new waivers and those submitted before the bill's effective date, directly affecting students, parents, and schools handling these records.

Maddy summaryS 3587 upgrades retail theft offenses in New Jersey, including elevating "leader of organized retail theft enterprise" to a first-degree crime punishable by 10-20 years in prison. The bill creates a new offense for "fostering the sale of stolen property" (including online sales), which is a disorderly persons offense punishable by up to six months in jail. It establishes a retail theft unit within the Department of Law and Public Safety to investigate and prosecute organized retail theft, appropriating $1 million for this purpose. The bill also includes new requirements for gift card sales to prevent fraud, such as mandatory notices for retailers and packaging restrictions for both open- and closed-loop gift cards.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5509) appropriates $67.9 million to ensure New Jersey school districts do not experience a reduction in state school aid during the 2025-2026 school year compared to the 2024-2025 school year. It directly affects approximately 200 school districts identified as facing aid cuts based on the February 2025 state aid notice. The law requires districts receiving less state aid in 2025-2026 than in 2024-2025 to receive additional funds to match their prior year's total aid amount. This provision supplements existing tax levy cap rules, which generally limit property tax increases to the greater of the Consumer Price Index or 2%.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey state agencies to improve public access to their rulemaking processes. It mandates that agencies publish detailed information online, including organizational descriptions, permit fees, deadlines, final decisions, and a quarterly rulemaking calendar. Agencies must now provide a 90-day public comment period for proposed rules (up from 60 days) and make all rulemaking documents accessible via websites. These changes directly affect all state agencies by increasing transparency and public engagement in regulatory decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes New Jersey's property tax exemption for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability retroactive to the date the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs determined their total disability. It directly affects veterans who qualify under the law (e.g., those with paraplegia, blindness, or amputations) by requiring municipalities to refund property taxes paid since that determination date. The state must reimburse municipalities 102% of the refunded taxes to cover the cost of returning payments to veterans.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A3667 (A3667) amends the Dental Service Corporation Act of 1968 to explicitly permit dental service corporations to operate as subsidiaries of nonprofit parent companies. This change directly affects dental service corporations and nonprofit parent organizations that wish to structure their operations this way, while maintaining all existing regulatory requirements for the dental service corporations themselves. The key provision removes a current barrier that prevented such nonprofit subsidiary structures, though the dental service corporations must still comply with all statutory limits on investments and operations under the 1968 Act. The bill does not alter the core regulatory framework but allows greater organizational flexibility for nonprofit entities seeking to provide dental services.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2423, now P.L.2025, c.35) formally renames New Jersey's "Juvenile Justice Commission" to "Youth Justice Commission" throughout state law. It updates all statutory references, definitions, and provisions (such as in Sections 1, 3, and 1 of related laws) to replace "Juvenile" with "Youth" while preserving all existing legal procedures and policies unchanged. The bill has no policy impact - it solely adjusts terminology to reflect the commission's focus on youth services rather than juvenile justice. The name change is now law, effective March 17, 2025.