Asm. Craig Coughlin

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2640) requires public employees in New Jersey who are married to other public employees to select health care coverage through the employer of the higher-earning spouse. It prohibits public employers from paying employees to waive coverage (ending a previous practice where employers could pay up to 50% of savings from waived coverage). The law prevents dual coverage for spouses: if both work for public employers, the lower-earning spouse cannot receive health benefits from their own employer's plan. This applies to all public employers, including counties, municipalities, school districts, and related agencies. The bill updates existing health benefit enrollment rules to enforce this single-coverage requirement for married public employee couples.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Division of Pensions and Benefits to provide a report on available funds in the local government portion of New Jersey's State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) before transferring money from the State portion to cover shortfalls. It mandates monthly reporting to the State Health Benefits Commission and State Treasurer detailing local fund balances, claims payable, and anticipated premiums. The report must be submitted prior to any temporary fund transfer, ensuring transparency before moving funds to cover 10 days of payments. This directly affects the Division of Pensions and Benefits (as the reporting entity) and the State Health Benefits Commission (as the recipient).

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A1887 proposes to remove specific date and location requirements for veterans to qualify for state benefits. Currently, eligibility depends on service during defined conflict periods (e.g., WWII service between September 1940-December 1946), but this bill would amend the definition of "veteran" to eliminate those time-bound criteria. It directly affects veterans who served in conflicts like World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or later missions but may not meet the current narrow date windows. The change would broaden eligibility by focusing on service-connected status rather than exact historical dates. The bill is currently pending in the Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes mandatory basic training for New Jersey auxiliary police officers (volunteers who assist with crowd control, traffic, and foot patrols) and requires the Police Training Commission to approve training programs. It directs counties and municipalities to award auxiliary officers 3-10 additional points on civil service exam scores if they served at least two years in the agency before applying for a paid position. The training must be completed within six months of the bill’s effective date for current officers. The policy aims to formalize auxiliary officer qualifications and provide a pathway to paid law enforcement roles.

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates a $15 fee for special license plates designated for firefighters and first aid/rescue squad members in New Jersey. Currently, these emergency service members pay an additional $15 fee on top of standard vehicle registration costs to obtain the plates. The bill would allow eligible volunteer, part-time, and paid members of fire departments or first aid/rescue squads to receive these plates at no extra cost (only standard registration fees would apply). It requires annual renewal with proof of continued membership and was withdrawn after being approved as P.L.2025, c.354.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes creating a pilot program that would allow New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA) to provide loan guarantees to qualifying non-profit organizations. The program would specifically support non-profits that are 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, have existed for 10+ years, received prior state assistance, and plan to build new facilities creating at least 10 full-time jobs. Loan guarantees would cover up to $15 million per organization for new physical spaces, with repayment terms limited to 20 years. The program would be funded using moneys from the Economic Recovery Fund and repayments from guaranteed loans, but remains pending before the Assembly Commerce Committee as of its January 2026 introduction.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require public schools receiving state aid to begin regular high school instruction (grades 9-12) no earlier than 8:30 a.m. It directly affects school districts, charter schools, and specialized school districts that receive state funding. The requirement aligns with medical recommendations for adolescent sleep needs and applies starting the 2024-2025 school year. Exceptions exist for students with individualized education plans under federal law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires insurers writing private passenger auto insurance in New Jersey to revise their territorial rating plans. It mandates that new territories be defined using contiguous zip code+4 areas (instead of standard zip codes) that follow municipal boundaries as closely as possible, with a maximum of 100 territories per map. Insurers must consider factors like traffic density, population, driving environment similarities, and loss experience - while avoiding unfair subsidies between areas with different risk profiles. The change allows for more precise risk-based pricing by enabling insurers to create smaller, more geographically specific rating areas than current rules permitted.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3876) requires New Jersey state-chartered banks, credit unions, and similar financial institutions to hold reserves equal to five times their previous year's reported losses from fraud, theft, cyber theft, or robbery, plus related damages. It directly affects these institutions by mandating higher reserve balances to cover customer losses during investigations. Key provisions include annual audits of these losses and mandatory reporting of audit findings to the Banking Commissioner. The law aims to ensure institutions maintain sufficient funds to return lost or stolen customer money while investigations occur, taking effect one year after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 3859) creates a public online tool allowing individuals to check if they have an outstanding arrest warrant. The system, managed by the state courts, lets users voluntarily enter personal details via the judiciary website to verify warrant status. If a warrant is found, the tool provides details about the charge, the responsible law enforcement agency, and steps to resolve it (like paying fines or scheduling court appearances). The bill aims to help people learn about warrants before being arrested, which often happens without their knowledge. The system must interface with existing court databases and include security features developed with state police and IT experts.