Asm. Claire Swift

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts from New Jersey's sales tax the maintenance, servicing, and repair of aircraft, along with sales of machinery, equipment, and replacement parts for those aircraft, when conducted within a designated "aviation district." The exemption applies specifically to air carriers operating aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 6,000 pounds or more, and covers services and parts used in the Atlantic City International Airport area and the Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center, including a one-mile radius around both. The aviation district is defined by existing state law (under the 2020 Economic Recovery Act). This policy change directly affects aircraft maintenance businesses and carriers operating within this zone by removing a sales tax burden on their core services and parts.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides New Jersey restaurant owners with tax credits to offset higher labor costs from the state's increased minimum wage. The credit equals the difference between the new minimum wage (post-2019) and the previous rate, multiplied by employee hours worked, or $3.00 per hour for tipped staff. Credits are capped at $12,500 per employee, limited to three restaurant locations, and only available to owners with five or fewer total locations. The credit applies for ten years following the bill's effective date, covering taxable years starting after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Office of Information Technology to create a single, centralized website to help residents navigate mental health and substance use disorder services. The website must provide easily searchable information on treatment options, hotlines, peer support groups, housing resources, emergency procedures, and agency oversight - all in plain language with direct links. It will be maintained in collaboration with state departments including Mental Health Services, Health, and Children's Services. The site must be prominently linked on those departments' websites and publicized through multiple media channels. This directly benefits individuals seeking mental health/substance use support and their families by simplifying access to critical resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides a temporary tax credit for New Jersey taxpayers to help offset rising gas prices during Tax Year 2021. It offers a $1,000 credit for joint filers, heads of household, or surviving spouses with gross income under $250,000, and a $500 credit for single filers or married individuals filing separately with income under $125,000. The credit is nonrefundable (it won’t reduce tax below zero) and applies retroactively to already-filed 2021 tax returns. It directly affects lower- and middle-income households who pay state income tax, with no additional application required for eligible filers.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies jurisdiction for regional municipal courts established under New Jersey's 2021 pilot program. It specifies that these courts will no longer automatically handle cases filed by State Police or county law enforcement agencies when the incident originated outside participating municipalities. Instead, such cases must now be filed in the municipal court of the specific municipality where the incident occurred. Pending cases remain under the regional court's jurisdiction, but new cases from non-participating areas will be routed locally. Counties may still choose via ordinance to grant regional courts additional jurisdiction over certain countywide matters.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides tuition-free education benefits to eligible retired New Jersey law enforcement officers and firefighters who retired due to service-related injuries or illnesses, as well as spouses and dependent children of officers or firefighters who died in the line of duty. Eligible individuals may take up to 16 tuition-free credits per semester at public or approved private colleges for up to eight semesters, provided they apply for all available federal and state student aid first and maintain academic standing. The state will reimburse institutions for waived tuition costs not covered by other grants or scholarships. It directly affects public safety personnel with service-connected disabilities and families of those who died while on duty.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A348) requires all public institutions of higher education in New Jersey to adopt a test-optional admissions policy for undergraduate programs, meaning students are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores. It directly affects public colleges and universities in New Jersey by eliminating mandatory standardized test requirements for most applicants. Exceptions allow institutions to require tests for students applying to honors/specialized programs, those who received equivalent instruction outside school for two+ years (grades 9-12), or those seeking scholarships requiring test scores. The bill also encourages private colleges to adopt similar policies but does not mandate it.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey shore municipalities to adopt local ordinances providing free or reduced-cost beach access for the spouse and dependent children (over age 12) of qualifying veterans. It expands current law - which already offers similar access to active military personnel and National Guard members - to include veterans who served at least 90 days in active duty or were discharged due to a service-connected injury or disability. Municipalities would track usage of this benefit but are not required to implement it. The policy change directly affects veterans' families and applies only to beaches managed by shore municipalities under existing beach access regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a program to reimburse full-time public school teachers in New Jersey for classroom supply expenses, up to $250 per school year. School districts receive funding equal to $250 multiplied by their number of full-time teachers, and teachers submit receipts to apply for reimbursement. After covering all teachers up to $250 (or their actual expenses if lower), remaining funds reimburse teachers who spent over $250 proportionally. Unused funds are held in reserve for the next school year, and the program will be funded using federal pandemic relief funds like the American Rescue Plan Act.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow individuals 18 years of age or older to possess bear spray for the purpose of repelling aggressive bears during outdoor activities like hiking and biking. Currently, New Jersey law limits personal defense sprays to devices containing no more than 3/4 ounce, but EPA-approved bear spray typically contains 7.6 ounces. The bill specifically permits possession of bear spray products that are EPA-approved and clearly labeled as such. It also provides civil immunity for reasonable use of bear spray in self-defense against bears, while maintaining that willful or grossly negligent use would not be protected.