Asm. Joe Danielsen

Maddy summaryThe New Jersey Transit Villages Act encourages municipalities to create compact, mixed-use communities centered around transit hubs within a half-mile radius. It requires municipalities to adopt transit village plan elements in their master plans, promoting higher density development, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and reduced parking for single-occupancy vehicles. The bill offers incentives like tax credits for developers, priority funding for transit projects, and expedited permitting to support these developments. This policy aims to reduce automobile dependency, increase transit ridership, and provide more affordable housing options in areas near transit. The bill codifies an existing transit village initiative by the state transportation agency and provides up to $10 million annually for implementation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Commissioner of Community Affairs to compile and annually update a public list of all unfunded State and federal mandates imposed on municipalities and counties, including a good-faith cost estimate for each mandate. The Commissioner must post the list and its annual updates on the Department of Community Affairs website by July 1 of each year. This creates a transparent record of financial obligations local governments must cover without full State or federal funding.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A435 (A435) changes the definition of "veteran" for civil service hiring preferences by removing specific service duration requirements (like 90 days for WWII or 14 days for certain operations) and broadening eligible service locations. It adds that "veteran" and "disabled veteran" also includes individuals meeting federal definitions under 5 U.S.C. §2108 who apply for preference after the bill's enactment. This expands eligibility to more veterans, including those whose service doesn’t align with historical war periods but meets federal criteria. Existing veterans already eligible under current law remain unaffected, and non-war veterans would require a constitutional amendment to qualify.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Education to create a confidential registry tracking concussions and head injuries among high school student-athletes participating in sports or cheerleading programs. Coaches must immediately report injuries to school athletic directors, who then submit weekly data - including injury type, sport, incident details, and recovery time - to the registry. The collected data will help identify injury patterns to develop evidence-based safety protocols for student-athletes. The registry specifically covers both public and nonpublic school athletic programs across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A452 establishes an Ombudsman of Student Discipline within the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. This position directly supports students at New Jersey colleges and universities facing disciplinary actions, particularly those at risk of suspension, dismissal, or academic disqualification. The ombudsman reviews student requests for assistance during disciplinary processes, investigates concerns about fairness or due process, and issues reports to students and schools. Institutions must then notify the ombudsman whether they will adjust disciplinary outcomes if the report finds issues like unclear student codes, inadequate due process, or overly harsh penalties. The ombudsman also publishes a public list of institutions that agree to respond to these findings.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases New Jersey juror pay from $5 to $40 per day for all grand and petit jurors, effective immediately on the first day of service. It also adds travel reimbursement (based on mileage or actual fare) and toll reimbursement for jurors traveling to court, requiring proof of expenses. Private employers with 10+ employees must pay up to five days of salary during jury duty, cannot use paid time off to offset this, and may deduct the jury pay received from the employer's payment. The $20 million appropriation from the General Fund funds these changes, covering the pay increase and new benefits for jurors.

Maddy summaryThis bill would establish a program to subsidize up to 20% of the purchase price of medical cannabis for patients enrolled in New Jersey's Medicaid or NJ FamilyCare programs. The subsidy would be applied at the point of sale after other discounts, reducing costs for eligible patients. Medical cannabis dispensaries would need to verify patient enrollment in Medicaid or NJ FamilyCare at the patient's request, and would be reimbursed for the subsidies they provide through the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Fund. This program would directly affect registered qualifying medical cannabis patients enrolled in Medicaid or NJ FamilyCare.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a licensing framework for digital asset businesses in New Jersey, requiring businesses engaging in activities like buying, selling, storing, or exchanging digital assets to obtain a license from the Bureau of Securities. It defines "digital asset" to exclude securities but includes virtual currency and digital consumer assets, while exempting certain activities like digital assets used within gaming platforms or prepaid cards. Businesses must disclose risks to consumers, maintain compliance policies, and face $500 per day penalties for operating without a license. The bill also creates a Digital Asset Enforcement Fund to support regulatory oversight and establishes requirements for application processes, background checks, and annual renewals.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A3348 requires the State Planning Commission to create plain-language guidance for local planning boards reviewing warehouse development applications. The guidance must include examples of questions addressing community concerns like traffic, road safety, and environmental impacts, and will be published online. It also mandates that the Commissioner of Community Affairs incorporate this guidance into mandatory land use training courses for local planning and zoning board members. The bill directly affects municipal authorities reviewing warehouse projects (including distribution centers and flex-warehouses) and aims to standardize how communities evaluate such developments. The guidance must be finalized within three months of the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A463) establishes an Advisory Committee on Family Services and Communications within New Jersey's Division of Developmental Disabilities (DHS). The committee, composed of nine members including division staff and six public members appointed by the Governor (with specific representation from family members and legal guardians of individuals with developmental disabilities), directly affects family members and legal guardians of people with developmental disabilities. Its key duties include evaluating DHS communication systems, gathering feedback on service shortcomings, identifying improvements, and making annual written recommendations to DHS leadership to enhance transparency and responsiveness. The committee must meet at least twice yearly and publish member contact information online for public input.