Asm. Jim Kennedy

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's disability parking program to include individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or dementia who have limited, impaired, or unsafe walking ability. It adds this condition to the existing definition of "person with a disability" for parking privileges, requiring certification from a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. Eligible individuals and their caregivers can then obtain the standard disability placard or license plates displaying the wheelchair symbol. This change allows them to use reserved parking spaces without altering current requirements for obtaining the placard or plates.

Maddy summaryBill A2100 creates a presumption that public safety workers (firefighters, police, EMTs) who responded to the September 11, 2001 attacks and developed illnesses covered by the CDC’s World Trade Center Health Program are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. It removes time limits for filing claims and requires documentation from the CDC program to prove eligibility. Benefits cannot duplicate existing state or federal compensation for the same condition. This applies only to workers currently enrolled in the CDC’s WTC Health Program, not to all 9/11 responders.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Transportation (DOT) to create and annually update a public awareness campaign focused on motorcycle safety. The campaign must include educational materials about motorcycle safety, information on distracted driving risks, and variable message signs promoting safe road-sharing practices between drivers and motorcyclists. It directly affects all New Jersey drivers and motorcyclists by aiming to reduce motorcycle-related accidents on state roads. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes legal protections for patients and healthcare providers accessing or providing reproductive and gender-affirming health care services in New Jersey. It creates a new crime for interfering with these services (including physical obstruction, intimidation, or damaging property), with penalties ranging from a disorderly persons offense to a fourth-degree crime. The bill also prevents New Jersey from extraditing people for legally protected health care activities, prohibits licensing boards from penalizing providers for services that are legal in New Jersey but illegal in other states, and protects patient privacy related to these services. It specifically ensures that a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus has no independent legal rights under New Jersey law.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) to use funds from the "Global Warming Solutions Fund" to provide grants or financial assistance to commercial, institutional, and industrial entities. The funds specifically support projects that refurbish or upgrade existing electricity generation facilities to modernize, expand, or extend their lifespan. To qualify, projects must demonstrate measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions or energy demand, though combined heat and power projects are exempt from this requirement. The fund, sourced from New Jersey's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), is allocated 60% to the EDA for these purposes under the bill's amendments to P.L.2007, c.340.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's rent receivership law to change the court's requirement from mandatory appointment to discretionary. Courts will no longer be required to appoint a receiver when a building meets conditions like persistent dangerous housing code violations (90+ days) or a pattern of violations (four times in 12 months or six times in two years), but may choose to do so instead. It removes language requiring courts to base decisions solely on the plaintiff's evidence, allowing judges to consider all relevant evidence. This change, recommended by the New Jersey Law Revision Commission, aims to provide courts greater flexibility in addressing tenant safety concerns.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's bias intimidation law to specifically include Sikhism as a protected class, making it illegal to commit hate crimes against Sikhs based on their religious identity. It appropriates $100,000 annually for three years to fund Sikh awareness educational initiatives, including law enforcement training on Sikh identity features like turbans and religious symbols to prevent misclassification of hate incidents. The bill requires the Office of Attorney General to develop public awareness campaigns and educational programs about Sikhism for public schools, and mandates that all public entities incorporate anti-Sikh hate into their bias intimidation policies and diversity programs. These changes directly affect Sikhs in New Jersey (who are the second-most targeted religious group for hate crimes) and all public institutions across the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to create a rebate program for eligible electric bicycles, targeting residents in municipalities with over 70,000 people. It provides up to $2,000 per bike (capped at the purchase price) paid in two installments: 50% upon application approval and 50% after one year of continued use and ownership. The program aims to reduce vehicle emissions by encouraging short-distance electric bike trips in urban areas, using $250,000 in state funds. BPU will determine eligible bike types, application processes, and program rules to meet this goal.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A3875) requires that low-speed electric bicycles, powered mobility devices, and their batteries undergo safety testing by an accredited lab before being sold, rented, leased, or distributed to consumers in New Jersey. The testing must verify compliance with established safety standards (like UL 2849 for e-bikes or UL 2272 for mobility devices), and proof of testing must be visibly displayed on the product or its packaging. Retailers and distributors who fail to comply face a $1,000 penalty per violation after an initial warning. The requirement does not apply to second-hand sales without original packaging or documentation.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's "Dry Cell Battery Management Act" to expand the types of batteries covered under the law. It defines "covered batteries" as any rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery weighing up to 25 pounds or storing up to 2000 watt-hours of energy, whether embedded in products or sold separately. Manufacturers must submit "battery management plans" to the Department of Environmental Protection within nine months of enactment, including requirements for collection sites (at least one permanent site for portable batteries within 15 miles of 95% of residents, and within 25 miles of all residents, plus one site per county for medium format batteries). The bill also prohibits curbside recycling for covered batteries and removes requirements for retailers to accept used batteries or post specific signage.