Asm. Claire Swift

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's process for health insurance carriers to credential physicians seeking to join their provider networks. It requires carriers to notify applicants within 30 days if an application is incomplete (or deem it complete if no notice is given) and to review complete applications within 30 days. The bill mandates carriers to use a standardized universal application form, post clear process details online - including required documents and timelines - and reimburse physicians for services provided during the credentialing wait period if approved. It also prohibits carriers from requiring physicians to resubmit applications solely due to changing employers within the state, and gives the Department of Banking and Insurance authority to enforce these rules and handle complaints.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows restaurants and licensed alcohol beverage retailers and manufacturers to expand their operations into designated outdoor spaces adjacent to their business locations, including public sidewalks. Businesses must apply for a "premises expansion permit" with their municipal zoning officer and the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, providing detailed plans for outdoor space design, sanitation, and safety measures. Municipalities can set reasonable operating hour limits (generally allowing most hours except late-night on Sundays-Wednesdays and early morning on Thurs-Saturdays), but must follow state requirements for permit renewal. Restaurants without alcohol licenses must renew their outdoor permits annually, while those with alcohol licenses renew with their main business license. The bill specifies that municipal ordinances on sanitation, noise, and other matters still apply unless specifically modified by the municipality.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill would exclude tips earned from gross income tax calculations. Currently, tips are considered taxable income under state law, but this bill would remove them from the definition of gross income for tax purposes. The change would directly affect service industry workers who receive tips, making those earnings non-taxable for state income tax. The bill specifically amends tax code sections to treat tips as "property acquired by gift" rather than taxable income.

Maddy summaryBilly Cray's Law (A1364) requires group homes and supervised apartments for individuals with developmental disabilities to install electronic monitoring devices in common areas when residents request them, with consent from all roommates. The law makes monitoring noncompulsory, requires licensees to provide written notice of residents' rights, bear all installation and maintenance costs, and post visible notices when devices are installed. Licensees must ensure reasonable accommodations for monitoring requests and provide access to recordings for residents and authorized representatives. The law aims to improve safety and care quality by enabling residents to monitor treatment conditions, with penalties including $5,000 fines for first-time noncompliance.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4914) requires New Jersey's Cannabis Regulatory Commission to create rules allowing individuals to voluntarily exclude themselves from cannabis dispensaries. It directly affects cannabis consumers who wish to restrict their own access and all licensed cannabis retailers. Key provisions mandate the Commission to establish procedures for adding/removing names from the self-exclusion list, sharing the list with retailers, and requiring retailers to deny entry and stop marketing to excluded individuals. The self-exclusion list itself is exempt from public disclosure, ensuring privacy for those who choose this option.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A4830 bill authorizes the Division of Gaming Enforcement to join a national self-exclusion program, allowing individuals who wish to voluntarily exclude themselves from gambling to register once for exclusion across multiple states. The bill requires the Division to create forms enabling self-excluders to select which states they want to join and prohibits sharing their information without explicit consent. This directly affects gamblers seeking to avoid casino access and requires casinos to verify exclusion status and deny services to self-excluded individuals. The policy change streamlines the process for multi-state self-exclusion while maintaining privacy protections for participants.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Cyber Security Reserve Corps, a volunteer program within New Jersey's Office of Information Technology, to develop cyber security expertise and assist during critical cyber incidents. Volunteers must have at least two years of information security experience, hold a security certification, pass technical tests and background checks, and commit to 10 days of annual training; they serve without pay but are reimbursed for necessary expenses. The Corps will be headquartered in Atlantic City with two full-time staff, and will coordinate with state agencies, counties, municipalities, and school systems through formal cooperation frameworks. The bill appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund to fund recruitment, training, equipment, and operations of the program.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's "Design Professional Self-Certification Act" (A4360, now law as P.L.2024, c.58) creates a program allowing licensed architects and professional engineers to self-certify that certain construction projects comply with building codes. It directly affects qualified design professionals who can now submit construction permit applications with self-certification forms for eligible projects (like renovations under specific size limits for residential or commercial buildings), bypassing full code reviews by local agencies. Local building departments must then conduct a simple "supervisory check" to confirm all required documents are present and issue permits - same as before - within 1-5 days. This applies only to projects not excluded (e.g., structural alterations requiring special inspections, new kitchens, or electrical upgrades over 400 amps), with the Department of Community Affairs setting qualification rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the interchange between State Highway Route 42 and Interstate Route 295 as the "Ensign John R. Elliott Memorial Interchange" to honor Ensign John R. Elliott, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate killed in a 2000 drunk driving accident. The bill requires that private funding - not public funds - be used for producing, erecting, and maintaining signs bearing this designation, with the New Jersey Department of Transportation authorized to accept gifts or grants from private entities for this purpose.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill revises property tax lien foreclosure procedures to align with a recent Supreme Court ruling requiring property owners to retain equity beyond unpaid taxes. It allows property owners to protect remaining property equity by requesting a judicial sale (like mortgage foreclosures) or online auction through the county sheriff within 45 days of receiving foreclosure notice. If owners don't make this request, lien holders (municipalities or private investors) can take full property title without conducting a sale. Lien holders must clearly inform property owners about this option in bold text with foreclosure notices. The bill ensures any surplus funds from a sale would go to the property owner after lien holders are paid.