Asm. Jim Kennedy

Maddy summaryThis bill requires State-funded construction projects (carried out by state, county, or municipal entities) to use plastic construction materials containing at least 10% postconsumer recycled content for the first two years after enactment, increasing to 15% thereafter. Plastic construction materials are defined as those made of over 50% plastic by cost. Exemptions apply if compliant materials would raise project costs by 25% or are unavailable for the intended use. The bill aims to increase recycled content in construction without imposing undue financial burdens. (Note: This bill was withdrawn after being approved as P.L.2025, c.308.)

Maddy summaryThis bill requires businesses and public entities that handle personal information of New Jersey residents to notify affected customers promptly after a security breach involving unauthorized access to their data. It mandates written or electronic notice within the "most expedient time possible," including details about compromised information and steps to protect accounts, while eliminating the current option for "substitute notice" (like website postings) for large-scale breaches. Businesses must also cover the cost of providing customers with free credit reports from consumer reporting agencies for six months following a breach, with payment for up to 12 months of reports. The law applies to any entity maintaining computerized records with NJ residents' personal data and requires prior reporting of breaches to the State Police before customer notification.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires telecommunications companies, cable providers, and utility companies (like electric or water services) to notify New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) in writing at least 14 business days before cutting off service to public entities - such as public schools, government buildings, or state agencies - due to unpaid bills. The notice must include specific details like the amount owed, payment history, attempts to resolve the issue, and the planned shutdown date. This gives the BPU’s Customer Assistance Division time to help resolve payment disputes before service is interrupted. The bill directly affects public institutions that rely on these services and aims to prevent sudden disruptions to essential operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows members of New Jersey's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) who participated in 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations to qualify for accidental disability retirement benefits. It presumes that disabilities resulting from these operations - such as respiratory illnesses, PTSD, or skin conditions - are work-related, eliminating the need to prove direct connection to duties. To qualify, members must have worked at least eight hours at the site between September 11-12, 2001, or have a documented injury preventing them from completing eight hours. The change applies specifically to disabilities linked to 9/11 exposure, streamlining eligibility for affected first responders and workers.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A 1851 prohibits retailers and service providers from using paper receipts containing bisphenol-A (BPA) or bisphenol-S (BPS) starting immediately, with a full phase-out of all paper receipts required within 13 months. The bill mandates that businesses switch to electronic receipts (via email or text) for all transactions, with violations subject to $250-$500 civil penalties per offense. It directly affects all retail and service businesses in New Jersey, aiming to eliminate exposure to toxic chemicals linked to health issues and reduce environmental harm from receipt production. The law focuses on concrete policy changes: banning specific chemicals, setting clear deadlines, and enabling digital alternatives.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides workers' compensation benefits for New Jersey public safety workers (like firefighters, police, and emergency responders) who developed illnesses or injuries from exposure during the September 11, 2001 attacks, if they are enrolled in the federal World Trade Center Health Program. It creates a legal presumption that such conditions are compensable under state law, removing standard time limits for filing claims - requiring claims to be filed within two years of the bill's effective date or when the disability was known, whichever is later. If workers previously received federal or state benefits for 9/11-related conditions, those payments are credited against future state compensation to avoid duplicate payments. The bill also requires state agencies and employers to notify affected workers about these benefits through official channels.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A-2766) requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a prescribed burn program with specific deadlines, acreage goals, and training requirements. It directly affects landowners, lessees, and local fire officials who conduct controlled burns on private or public land to reduce wildfire risks. Key provisions include setting annual burn targets, creating mobile training units for on-site assistance, and mandating certification for burn operators through a DEP-approved program. The DEP must implement the full program within 18 months of the bill's passage. (Pending before the Assembly Agriculture Committee; not yet law.)

Maddy summaryACR 72 is a New Jersey legislative resolution requesting Congress and the President to enact specific federal gun control measures. It calls for requiring background checks on all gun sales (including at gun shows), reinstating and strengthening the assault weapons ban, funding smart gun technology research and a federal gun buyback program targeting assault weapons, and repealing the Dickey Amendment to allow CDC research on gun violence. This resolution does not create new law but formally urges the federal government to adopt these policies. It is directed at Congress and the President, with no direct impact on New Jersey residents or state law.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases annual payments from New Jersey's Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund to municipalities by $15 million (from $740 million to $755 million) over two years. It directly affects most municipalities (excluding those with a municipal purposes tax rate of $0.10 or less per $100) by requiring them to subtract this additional aid from their property tax levies. The bill also prohibits municipalities from anticipating certain revenue when creating annual budgets. These changes aim to provide more direct property tax relief to local governments through the existing fund, which receives energy-related tax revenues.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits businesses and banks from using receipt paper containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical added during manufacturing to improve paper characteristics. It directly affects retailers, financial institutions, and any entity that provides transaction records like receipts or credit card slips. Violators face civil penalties of $250-$500 per offense, with daily fines for ongoing violations, enforced by the Department of Environmental Protection or courts. The law takes effect 18 months after enactment, aiming to reduce consumer exposure to BPA through everyday transaction documents.