Asm. Roy Freiman

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1416) requires New Jersey's Department of the Treasury to conduct a comprehensive stress test analysis every three years. It examines the state's ability to maintain essential services and assist residents during economic shifts, directly affecting all state-funded programs and residents. The analysis must project tax and federal revenue trends, compare them to historical data, assess changing spending needs, account for state reserves (including the Surplus Revenue Fund), and identify recession-response strategies. The results must be published online and included in the Governor's annual budget message for public transparency.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies that New Jersey's telemedicine and telehealth law does not apply to veterinary care. It specifically amends the law to state that rules and regulations adopted by the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners may require an initial in-person visit before veterinarians can provide telehealth services, unlike human medical providers. The change directly affects veterinarians and veterinary licensing standards, allowing the veterinary board to set its own requirements for telehealth without being restricted by the general law that prohibits mandatory in-person visits for human medical telehealth.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires most landlords in New Jersey to notify tenants if work on adjacent properties (such as construction or demolition) might cause damage or hazards to their rental unit, or if the landlord plans to conduct such work themselves. Landlords must provide written notice within five business days of receiving written notice about the work, using mail, posted notices, or electronic delivery. Failure to provide this notice could result in a penalty of up to $200 per offense, enforced through local courts. The requirement does not apply to landlords of small properties (e.g., owner-occupied homes with two or fewer units) or certain seasonal rentals.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a four-year "New Jersey STEM Scholars Grant Pilot Program" within the Department of Education to provide funding for schools. It directly affects public school districts, charter schools, and "renaissance schools" (a New Jersey term for publicly funded alternative schools) seeking to expand STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education. The program awards competitive grants for three specific areas: project-based learning (student-led STEM projects), afterschool STEM (after-class programs like clubs), and out-of-school STEM (non-classroom activities like workshops). Grants must supplement, not replace, existing STEM funding, and schools must submit detailed plans for program design, student recruitment, teacher support, and long-term sustainability. Funding comes from annual state appropriations and private donations, administered through a new "STEM Scholars Grant Fund."

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an Office of Financial Assistance within New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA) to help eligible small businesses access public financial assistance like grants, loans, and tax credits. It directly affects companies with fewer than 225 employees (75% working in New Jersey) operating in specified industries like biotechnology or renewable energy. The key mechanism requires the office to create a digital platform allowing these businesses to identify available programs, store application documents, submit multiple applications simultaneously, and track their status. State agencies offering such assistance must use this platform for all applications and ensure its information stays current.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey colleges and universities to maintain a supply of naloxone nasal spray (an opioid overdose reversal medication) in secure but accessible campus locations and develop specific emergency response policies. The policy must designate a licensed medical professional to oversee naloxone use, permit trained staff (including resident assistants) to administer it in good faith during suspected overdoses, and mandate hospital transport after administration. Institutions must also provide required training on naloxone protocols to designated personnel, with liability protection for good-faith actions. The bill specifically exempts licensed athletic trainers from violating their licensure act when using naloxone under these protocols.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows state employees who were temporarily working at New Jersey psychiatric hospitals or correctional facilities before joining the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) to apply for accidental disability benefits if injured during that temporary employment. It deems injuries sustained while performing duties (e.g., as nurses, correction officers, or healthcare workers) at those facilities as occurring "during membership" for PERS benefit eligibility, even if the injury happened before PERS enrollment. The change applies retroactively to January 1, 2003, and covers employees who later become PERS members without interruption in their job. This specifically affects temporary workers in state psychiatric or correctional facilities who were previously ineligible for PERS disability benefits after becoming members.

Maddy summaryACR 58 proposes a constitutional amendment to increase New Jersey's veterans' property tax deduction from $250 to $2,500 over four years. It would raise the annual deduction to $1,000 in 2024, $1,500 in 2025, $2,000 in 2026, and $2,500 starting in 2027, with the amount remaining at $2,500 annually thereafter. This change directly affects honorably discharged veterans and their surviving spouses, who qualify for the deduction on real and personal property taxes. The amendment requires voter approval after legislative passage to take effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill would raise the minimum age to obtain a firearms purchaser identification card (required for purchasing rifles and shotguns) from 18 to 21 years old. It would not affect the existing requirement that handgun purchasers must be at least 21 years old. Under the bill, people under 21 could still possess firearms for specific purposes like hunting with a valid license and safety certification, military training, or target practice under supervision. Active duty military members, reservists, and National Guard members would remain eligible for the card before age 21. Those who already had the card before the bill's effective date could continue to use it.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases financial aid to New Jersey municipalities from the Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund over two years, restoring approximately $331 million in reduced aid payments that municipalities received during fiscal years 2009-2011. In fiscal year 2023, municipalities will receive 50% of the difference between their 2008 and 2012 aid distributions, with full restoration beginning in 2024. Municipalities must subtract any additional aid received from their property tax levy calculations and cannot anticipate this aid when creating annual budgets. The bill requires municipalities to amend their budgets to properly reflect the total aid amount, ensuring the aid directly reduces the amount they need to raise through property taxes.