Asm. Robert Karabinchak

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A455) allows municipalities to extend the 10-day interest-free grace period for property tax payments during specific emergencies. It directly affects property taxpayers who fall behind on payments during public health emergencies (declared by the Governor), natural disasters (like floods or hurricanes), or federal government shutdowns. The bill requires towns to notify all taxpayers about extended grace periods using methods like mail, email, or text, and to report these changes to the state within three business days. It clarifies that interest won’t accrue if payments are made by the new deadline, while maintaining the existing 8% interest rate cap on delinquent taxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all individuals providing pet grooming services (bathing, brushing, clipping, or styling) to obtain a state license from the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. To qualify, applicants must be 18+, of good moral character, and pass a written and practical exam. Businesses offering pet grooming must register with the board, maintain clean facilities with proper caging (separate for non-grooming pets), provide constant water access, install 24/7 surveillance cameras (with footage kept 60 days), and submit annual incident reports detailing pet injuries, illnesses, or escapes. Exemptions apply to supervised students in licensed schools and individuals training under licensed groomers.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1435) changes the deadline for New Jersey school boards to submit public questions for April school election ballots. Currently, school board secretaries must submit these questions by 10 a.m. on the 18th day before the election; the bill extends this to the 35th day before. It directly affects school districts holding April elections, giving them more time to prepare ballot questions. The change applies to both annual April school elections and special school elections.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey's state pension and annuity funds from investing in companies that manufacture or distribute tobacco products. It requires the state to sell all existing investments in such companies within three years and mandates annual reports to the legislature detailing divestment progress and financial impacts. The policy directly affects the state's pension funds managed by the Division of Investment, ensuring these funds no longer support tobacco industry businesses.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits local zoning restrictions for installing small electric battery storage equipment (up to 25 kilowatts) at both residential and commercial properties. Residential installations must be treated as permitted accessory uses without requiring zoning variances. Commercial installations no longer need site plan review or variances, allowing approval through standard zoning permits if they meet construction codes and safety standards. The bill also requires the state to create a model ordinance for installation requirements, which municipalities can adopt or modify with reasonable standards but cannot use to require site plan review solely for battery storage.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to study and implement methods that would allow more rooftop solar, small wind, and other distributed energy systems to connect to the electrical grid. Specifically, the BPU must examine four key technical solutions: enabling electricity flow between grid segments, requiring solar inverters to manage electricity flow more efficiently, making energy storage systems adjust to demand, and allowing solar panels to automatically adjust output based on weather. Within one year, the BPU must submit a report with recommendations, followed by a pilot program testing these solutions in a small area before potential statewide adoption. This directly affects renewable energy developers, utility companies, and homeowners with distributed energy systems by potentially easing grid connection barriers.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Attorney General to create and maintain multilingual (in the five most common languages) online and printed materials listing banned weapons, accessories, modifications, and related items. It mandates that real estate licensees include the Attorney General's website link in all property contracts and leases, the Motor Vehicle Commission must link to these materials on its website for applicants, and colleges must provide the link to enrolled students. The materials would detail specific prohibited items like modified barrels, magazines, scopes, and certain ammunition. This applies directly to new residents, drivers, and students through these mandatory informational channels. The bill focuses on notification, not changing existing weapon laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a four-year pilot program allowing up to 15 New Jersey school districts to create mental health assistance programs for students in grades K-12. Participating districts must develop programs including confidential student referrals, mental health support services, and partnerships with community resources, staffed by trained counselors or contracted providers. The programs aim to identify mental health issues affecting students, provide intervention, and improve academic outcomes while maintaining student confidentiality. After the pilot, districts must report on participation and outcomes, and the Commissioner of Education will evaluate the program's effectiveness and recommend statewide expansion to the Legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Office of Supportive Action Functionality Experts (S.A.F.E.) within New Jersey's State Office of Emergency Management. The office would analyze risks and impacts of a widespread technology failure (like a major outage affecting communication, medical services, or transportation), develop response plans for essential services, and provide quarterly reports to the Governor and Legislature. It would also research technological dependencies, hold public hearings, and create public guides on preparing for such events. The bill directly affects state emergency management operations and planning, not individual citizens or private entities.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey resident taxpayers to deduct 50% of their E-ZPass toll payments for New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) tolls - including Turnpike and Garden State Parkway tolls - from their taxable income. It applies to amounts paid through electronic toll systems like E-ZPass, excluding fines, administrative fees, or reimbursed amounts. Taxpayers cannot claim deductions for tolls already deductible under other business or partnership tax rules. The deduction takes effect immediately for taxable years beginning January 1 after enactment.