Asm. Don Guardian

Maddy summaryThis bill allows public school students in New Jersey to miss class for musical performances at military funerals, including playing "Taps," without penalty. It requires schools to record such absences as excused on attendance records, meaning they won't count against perfect attendance or appear on transcripts. The policy specifically covers students participating in ceremonies honoring veterans or military members, including those organized by veterans' groups. Schools may request documentation to verify the student's participation in the event.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides tax credits to New Jersey farm employers who offer lodging or transportation benefits to their employees. Farm employers can claim a $250 credit per employee for lodging and up to $500 per employee for transportation benefits, provided the lodging is on-site, required for employment, and offered continuously for six weeks, while transportation benefits must reimburse documented commute costs like public transit or fuel. Unused credits can be carried forward for up to four years. The credits apply against corporation business tax and gross income tax liabilities, but cannot exceed 50% of the tax owed.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey law to explicitly authorize Class Three special law enforcement officers to provide security at four-year public and private colleges. Currently, these officers (retired police officers with specific training) are allowed to work at schools and county colleges, but the law was unclear about whether private colleges were included. The amendment updates the statute to remove ambiguity by specifying that private colleges are covered under the authorization. It does not change the training or certification requirements for these officers, which require prior experience as a full-time police officer and specialized safety training.

Maddy summaryThis bill permits New Jersey municipalities governed by the Uniform Nonpartisan Elections Law to adopt instant run-off voting (IRV) for local elections where a single candidate is elected, such as for mayor or city council positions. Under IRV, voters rank candidates in order of preference on the ballot. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to the next preferred candidate on each ballot until one candidate achieves a majority. The Secretary of State must update voting equipment and ballots to accommodate IRV before it can be implemented in any municipality.

Maddy summaryThis bill permits county sheriffs in New Jersey to appoint Class Three special law enforcement officers, who are authorized to perform police duties similar to full-time officers. Currently, only municipalities or counties with established police forces could make such appointments for school security. The bill expands this authority to county sheriffs, allowing them to deploy these officers to provide security at public or nonpublic schools and county colleges during normal operating hours. It directly affects sheriffs' hiring powers and school safety staffing options, without changing the officers' duties or security requirements.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A1918 requires state government agencies (like departments and bureaus providing public services) to translate vital documents and provide interpretation services in the 15 most common non-English languages spoken by limited-English proficiency residents, based on U.S. Census data. Agencies must complete translations for the 10 most common languages within 365 days of the law's effective date and the additional 5 within 730 days, with immediate translation for applications, rights notices, and privacy documents. Each agency must create a language access plan within 90 days detailing how they'll provide services, train staff, document usage, and assign a language access coordinator to monitor compliance and produce annual reports. Funding for implementation comes from American Rescue Plan Act funds and state General Fund, with no requirement to remove existing translation obligations (like Spanish services).

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey automobile insurers from using gaps in an applicant's previous insurance coverage (known as a "lapse") as a factor to increase premiums or deny coverage. It amends existing law to specifically ban underwriting rules that assign higher risk ratings based solely on any period without insurance, regardless of how long the gap lasted. The law directly affects auto insurance applicants who have had a gap in coverage, preventing insurers from penalizing them for this history. Insurers must adjust their underwriting practices to comply with this new prohibition, ensuring coverage gaps cannot be used as a rating factor.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a three-year "Summer Earn and Learn Pilot Program" in New Jersey to help students recover from pandemic learning loss while gaining work experience. It provides eligible students (NJ residents enrolled in school with a 3.0+ GPA) with paid summer employment opportunities (at minimum wage) paired with supplemental learning assistance (3+ hours/day, 5 days/week). School districts must apply to participate, and the program will be funded using existing federal pandemic relief funds (CARES, CRRSA, ARP Acts). The Department of Education will develop guidelines, create employer partnerships, and require a two-year evaluation report on the program's effectiveness.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides tax credits to New Jersey breweries and wineries equal to the full cost of purchasing "Jersey Fresh" agricultural products (grown in New Jersey) for use in producing beer or wine. The credit covers up to $10,000 per business per tax year, requiring documentation like receipts, Department of Agriculture verification, and an affidavit confirming the products were used in production. Breweries and wineries must apply the credit against their corporation business tax or gross income tax, with limits preventing credits from reducing tax below the statutory minimum or exceeding 50% of liability. Unused credits can be carried forward for up to 20 years (for corporate tax) or 5 years (for gross income tax).

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1559) establishes a 11-member task force within New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs to study technology and other methods for reducing telemarketing harassment and intimidation. The task force includes government officials, telecommunications experts from AT&T and Verizon, AARP, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, and three senior citizens who have experienced such harassment. It must issue a report within 180 days of its first meeting, including a cost-benefit analysis of solutions, financing options, and potential legislation. The report will help inform future policy decisions to protect consumers from unwanted telemarketing practices.