Asm. Michele Matsikoudis

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 requires New Jersey colleges and universities to maintain naloxone nasal spray in residence halls for opioid overdose emergencies and permits licensed campus medical staff and trained resident assistants to administer it in emergencies. Institutions must store naloxone securely but accessibly, develop policies for its use (including mandatory hospital transport after administration), and ensure staff receive required training on overdose response. The law provides liability protection for good-faith actions by medical professionals, resident assistants, and pharmacists following its provisions. It directly affects campus health protocols, student safety, and institutional emergency response procedures.

Maddy summaryAJR 88 adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) non-binding working definition of antisemitism for New Jersey, stating it as "a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews." This resolution serves as an educational tool for public officials, law enforcement, educators, and employees to recognize and address antisemitism, without creating new legal obligations. It explicitly clarifies that criticism of Israel similar to criticism of other nations does not constitute antisemitism, and emphasizes the definition is not intended to infringe on free speech protections under the First Amendment or New Jersey's Constitution. The bill references data showing 298 and 347 antisemitic bias incidents in New Jersey during 2020-2021, aiming to improve awareness and response to such incidents.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $50,000 accidental death benefit for surviving spouses, children, or parents of New Jersey State Police recruits who die during required pre-service training or related complications. It reclassifies such deaths as occurring "in the line of duty" for benefit purposes, addressing a current gap where recruits aren't covered until after training completion. The benefit is retroactive to the recruit's death date for cases before this law's enactment, with specific payment tiers (e.g., $50,000 minimum for spouses, 70% of final compensation for children if no spouse exists). Survivors have 12 months from the bill's effective date to apply.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides free admission to New Jersey State parks, forests, and beaches for two groups: (1) all New Jersey-resident veterans (defined as honorably discharged service members), and (2) active-duty military personnel (including reserves) who are either New Jersey residents or stationed in the state. It expands existing exemptions that previously covered only National Guard members after basic training, seniors 62+, and disabled residents. The bill amends current law to remove residency barriers for active military personnel and explicitly includes all veterans under the free access provision. The policy change takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the Council on Local Mandates membership from nine to twelve members. The Governor must appoint three members based on recommendations from the New Jersey State League of Municipalities' executive director (including two current local officials and one from the Association of Counties). The council must meet at least quarterly to review the state budget and governor's executive orders, then publish public opinions on these topics. This changes the council's structure and meeting requirements but does not alter local government mandates themselves.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A286 requires the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to assist former service members who received an "other than honorable," bad conduct, or dishonorable discharge and were later diagnosed with a service-connected mental health condition (defined as a condition linked to military service by a licensed professional). The DMVA must provide free, uniform assistance with federal petitions to change discharge designations to "honorable," create public awareness materials, and ensure all related information remains confidential. Former service members whose discharge designation is changed will receive the same state rights, privileges, and benefits as those honorably discharged. The bill expands existing DMVA support (previously limited to discharges based on sexual orientation or gender identity) to include mental health cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1123) changes the payment timeline for the ANCHOR Property Tax Relief Program in New Jersey. It requires that eligible applicants receive their 2020 property tax benefit as a rebate within 30 days of submitting a completed application (or 30 days after the bill's enactment, whichever is later), instead of the current requirement of "as soon as possible but no later than May 2024." The ANCHOR program provides property tax relief to qualifying homeowners and renters (with income limits) who owned or rented their principal residence on October 1, 2020. This change aims to accelerate payments to beneficiaries who meet program criteria.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the New Jersey Commissioner of Transportation to permit the painting of a blue line between double yellow centerlines on public roads. The Commissioner may approve this at their discretion for roads under state, county, or municipal jurisdiction. It does not require approval but provides the authority to allow this specific marking, modifying existing traffic control rules without mandating changes to road safety standards. The bill aligns with the state's uniform traffic control device system.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 13-member "COVID-19 Learning Loss Study Commission" to study how pandemic school closures affected student learning in New Jersey. The commission, appointed by legislative leaders and the Governor to include education stakeholders and public members, will analyze academic data from March 2020 (when schools closed) through the bill’s effective date. It must examine impacts on overall student outcomes, disaggregated by school size, grade, and subject, and analyze pre-existing achievement gaps. The commission must submit a final report with findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within six months, and dissolve 30 days after submission.