Asm. Craig Coughlin

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a public registry for individuals convicted of specific financial crimes in New Jersey, including insurance fraud, mortgage fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering. The Department of Law and Public Safety will operate a website listing offenders' names (excluding internet identifiers), physical descriptions, photos, and the crimes committed. Registration lasts 10 years for a first offense, an additional 10 years for a second, and for life for a third conviction. Offenders may apply for removal after five years if they've paid all restitution, completed court-ordered treatment, and have no new convictions (excluding minor traffic offenses). The registry includes disclaimers about accuracy and prohibits harassment, with strict verification of removal applications.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Office of Community Schools within the New Jersey Department of Education to support public schools in creating integrated community school models. The office will provide training, grants, and technical assistance to public school districts, charter schools, and renaissance schools seeking to adopt community school strategies that connect students and families with educational, health, and developmental services. It appropriates $10 million (with $2 million from the state's General Fund and $8 million from federal recovery funds) to fund these efforts, including publishing a statewide list of schools using community school models. The office must submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature detailing its activities and impact, starting with the first full school year after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public and nonpublic schools with lunch programs in New Jersey to gradually expand free lunch eligibility over a five-year period, eventually providing free lunch to all students regardless of income or federal eligibility. Starting with the 2023-2024 school year, schools must provide free lunch to students from families with incomes between 186-199% of the federal poverty level, with the income threshold increasing each year until all students qualify by the 2028-2029 school year. The state would provide funding to school districts to cover the costs of serving free lunch to students who are federally ineligible but meet the income criteria. The bill also includes reporting requirements for schools to track eligibility and income levels of students receiving free lunch, and mandates that schools take steps to minimize program costs while maintaining nutritional standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's State Board of Education to create three new teaching certifications (endorsements) for educators. It allows teachers to teach students with disabilities across all grade levels (excluding blind/visually impaired or deaf/hard of hearing students), combine elementary and middle school teaching under one K-8 endorsement, and teach bilingual education with new language proficiency requirements. Currently, teachers must hold separate certifications for different grade levels or subject areas. The changes aim to simplify certification for special education, K-8 instruction, and bilingual programs while requiring language skills for bilingual educators.

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 summaryThis bill extends New Jersey's ANCHOR Property Tax Relief Program to include homestead owners and tenants who made payments in lieu of taxes (PILT) to their municipality. Currently, the program covers eligible homeowners and renters based on income, but the law didn't explicitly include those with PILT agreements - though the Division of Taxation has allowed it for tenants in rental properties. The bill formalizes this by adding "including principal residences on which a homestead owner or tenant made one or more payments in lieu of taxes" to the eligibility criteria. To qualify, applicants must submit an application to the Division of Taxation by March 1, 2024, with benefits based on 2019 property tax amounts.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's Open Public Records Act (OPRA) to explicitly require that email addresses be redacted from public records when released under the law. It adds "email address" to the existing list of confidential personal information, such as social security numbers and driver license numbers, that must be removed from disclosed records. This change protects individuals' personal contact details from public disclosure, ensuring email addresses are treated like other sensitive identifiers. Government agencies must now consistently redact email addresses in all public records they release under OPRA.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows certain New Jersey state agencies (excluding the lottery) with .com, .org, or .net websites to participate in a three-year pilot program selling internet advertisements on their sites. Agencies must ensure ads align with their mission, ban tobacco/alcohol/political ads, and include a disclaimer stating the State doesn’t endorse them. Revenue from ads must go to the State General Fund, with 10% reserved for agency innovation, while agencies must report on program effectiveness after the pilot ends. The program targets high-traffic agency websites to generate new state revenue without creating public forums for expression.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's criminal mischief statute (N.J.S.2C:17-3) to specifically address damage to historical sites. It defines a "historic place or site" as a location approved for the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, identified in local master plans as historically significant, or officially recognized by state criteria. Knowingly damaging, interfering with, or tampering with such a site is now classified as a third-degree crime, punishable by up to 5 years in prison, a $15,000 fine, or both. The law directly affects individuals who intentionally harm protected historical properties, including buildings, monuments, or structures meeting the defined criteria.

Maddy summaryThis bill transfers administration of all school meal programs in New Jersey from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Education. It covers programs including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, and emergency meal distributions, which provide nutritious meals to students and children in childcare settings. The transfer includes all related functions, funding, staff, records, and existing rules (which remain in effect until replaced by the Department of Education). The change aims to align program management with the Department of Education’s mission of supporting student academic success through school-based services.