Asm. Robert Karabinchak

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4359) would require New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to create rules allowing low- and moderate-income residential customers to self-attest to their income - instead of providing traditional documentation like tax returns - to qualify for community solar programs. It directly affects low- and moderate-income households seeking to join community solar projects established under existing law (P.L.2018, c.17). The key mechanism is replacing strict income verification with a simplified self-attestation process, defined by the BPU in its rules. This change aims to reduce barriers for qualifying households in accessing community solar benefits.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires juveniles accused of delinquency to appear in court in the county where the alleged incident occurred, rather than their county of residence. It directly affects juveniles facing delinquency charges and the juvenile courts handling these cases. The key mechanism changes venue rules by mandating appearance in the incident county, while requiring courts to provide reasonable transportation to ensure attendance. This replaces current practice where venue could be set in the juvenile's residence county.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's Money Transmitters Act to strengthen consumer protections and increase regulatory oversight for money transmission businesses. It requires licensees to maintain records for five years (up from three), file quarterly reports (in addition to annual reports), and prominently display licenses at business locations. The bill also increases penalties for non-compliance to $200 per day and raises the crime level for operating without a license from a third to second degree offense. Additionally, it mandates that licensees provide FinCEN registration details annually, requires authorized delegates to display clear identification notices, and expands public access to licensee and delegate information through a department website. The changes directly affect money transmitters and their authorized delegates operating in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2165) allows spouses and dependent children of active-duty military service members to maintain New Jersey in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities if the service member is transferred to another state. It specifically applies to those who were already enrolled in a New Jersey public institution before the transfer and maintain continuous enrollment. The bill also extends this benefit to military dependents who attended New Jersey high school for at least three years, regardless of where they live when enrolling. These changes amend existing law (P.L.1985, c.231) to ensure military-connected students avoid sudden tuition increases due to relocation.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a tax credit for New Jersey employers who hire eligible military spouses. It directly affects employers (including businesses, nonprofits, and corporations) that hire nonresident spouses of active-duty service members who have moved to New Jersey due to military orders (e.g., permanent change of station or legal domicile). The credit equals 15% of wages for 120-400 hours worked ($2,400 max) or 25% for over 400 hours worked ($2,400 max), applied against state business or income taxes. The program is administered by the Department of Labor, with annual reports tracking credit awards.

Maddy summaryThe bill would broaden veterans' benefits eligibility by removing specific war or conflict service requirements. Instead of needing to have served during designated wars (like World War II or Vietnam), veterans would only need at least 90 days of active duty service (excluding basic training), or Reserve members would need to serve the full period called to active duty. Veterans discharged due to service-connected disabilities would qualify regardless of service duration. This change would expand access to benefits including civil service hiring preference, retirement allowances, and the ability to purchase military service credit for retirement.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires drivers in New Jersey to safely pass pedestrians, cyclists, and users of mobility devices like wheelchairs, scooters, and skateboards. Drivers must either change lanes (if safe), maintain at least four feet of distance, or slow to 25 mph when passing these road users. It specifically defines "personal conveyance" to include devices such as electric scooters, manual wheelchairs, and skateboards, and expands "pedestrian" to cover workers and emergency responders on roadways. Violating these rules results in fines of $100 (without injury) or $500 (with injury), plus penalty points for serious violations. The law, now effective as P.L.2024, c.11, aims to improve safety for vulnerable road users.

Maddy summaryThe "Healthy and Affordable Construction for Tomorrow Act" requires New Jersey's building code to prohibit combustion of high-emission fuels (defined as substances emitting 25+ kg CO₂ per million BTU) in new construction. Starting 12 months after enactment, the ban applies to new buildings under seven stories; it expands to all new buildings 36 months later. Exceptions include emergency systems, emergency facilities, and commercial kitchens, but these must still be designed for future all-electric conversion where feasible. The bill also mandates a joint report on utility rate adjustments and subsidies within 12 months of enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public community water systems in New Jersey to test water quality quarterly for compliance with secondary drinking water standards. Systems must sample at least 10% of customer taps (in addition to entry points) and report results to the state environmental department, local municipalities, and customers. If tests exceed standards, systems must create a compliance plan within 30 days to fix issues within 30 days, and submit a maintenance plan to ensure ongoing adherence. The law aims to improve transparency and consistency in water quality monitoring for residents served by public water systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Agriculture to promote community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, where consumers pay for a share of a farm's seasonal harvest. The Department must create a public website with searchable CSA listings and subscription links, use various media to advertise CSA benefits, and develop promotional labels for CSA products. It also establishes "Community Supported Agriculture Week" in February and requires schools to incorporate CSA into meal programs and curriculum through the existing Farm to School program. The bill expands the use of the "New Jersey Farm Products Publicity Fund" to include CSA promotion and updates the Farm to School website to facilitate CSA subscriptions between schools and farms.