Asm. Linda Carter

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution, not a policy bill. It honors the late Congressman William J. Pascrell, Jr. (who served in Congress from 1997 until his death in 2024), specifically recognizing his founding role in the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force. The resolution urges New Jersey's current and future U.S. Congress members to join and support this bipartisan task force, which focuses on advancing brain injury awareness, research, and policy. It has no effect on laws or funding - it is purely a commemorative statement.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act" to improve transparency around vehicle recalls and provide fair compensation for dealers. It requires motor vehicle dealers to check for open recalls on used vehicles using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website before sale, inform prospective buyers about any recalls found, and not sell vehicles subject to stop-sale or do-not-drive notices. Dealers must also provide the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission with lists of vehicles with long-unfixed recalls (six months or more), triggering the Commission to send official notices to vehicle owners. The bill also establishes compensation requirements for dealers when parts are unavailable for recalled vehicles, requiring 1.75 percent of the vehicle's value per month for used vehicles or the manufacturer's suggested retail price for new vehicles.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends a pause on collecting new student growth objective data for teacher evaluations in New Jersey schools. It applies to the 2024-2025 school year and subsequent years until the next revision of education regulations (N.J.A.C.6A:10). During this pause, school districts must use existing student growth data from the previous year for evaluations, though new teachers or those without prior data must still set objectives and collect data during this period. The pause ends once updated evaluation guidelines are implemented following recommendations from the New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force. This directly affects teachers, principals, and school districts in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises the structure and responsibilities of New Jersey's Commission on Environmental Education. It increases the commission's membership from 23 to 32 members, adding specific roles including a Board of Public Utilities designee, a Department of Agriculture representative, an additional public school teacher, an extra industry representative, an additional cultural institution representative, and a new environmental justice organization representative. The bill also updates the commission's duties to specifically advise on implementing climate, sustainability, and environmental literacy education statewide, while requiring efforts to appoint members from overburdened communities. The changes aim to strengthen the commission's role in coordinating environmental education across state agencies and schools.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires payment processors to use a specific international code (established by ISO) for all firearm and ammunition sales by businesses where such sales represent the majority of revenue. It directly affects firearms merchants (like gun stores) and payment networks (such as banks or credit card companies) by mandating this code starting May 2027. The key mechanism is standardizing transaction categorization to improve tracking of firearm-related purchases. The Attorney General enforces compliance, with penalties including $10,000 per violation for non-compliance after a 30-day correction period.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5376) creates two new state entities: the Health Care Cost Containment and Price Transparency Commission (18 members) and the Office of Healthcare Affordability and Transparency within the Department of Health. It requires hospitals to publicly disclose pricing data for inpatient, outpatient, emergency, and physician services (using standard billing codes) and sets annual benchmarks for health care cost growth and hospital prices. Health care entities exceeding these benchmarks must submit improvement plans, and hospitals failing to comply with transparency rules face civil penalties of $10 per bed per day. The bill directly affects all hospitals, health care providers, and payers in New Jersey, with $5 million appropriated for implementation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey law enforcement and criminal justice agencies to promptly process judicial orders expunging criminal records without filing objections in six specific situations, such as when petitions contain minor errors or incomplete biographical information. It establishes clear timelines for agencies to expunge eligible records and mandates online notifications to petitioners about any limitations via state e-filing systems. The law directly affects individuals seeking to clear records under the "Clean Slate" law (P.L.2019, c.269) or other expungement statutes, particularly those with municipal violations or incomplete applications. Agencies must still follow existing disqualification rules (e.g., N.J.S.2C:52-13) but cannot delay valid petitions.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A5720 requires all public school districts, charter schools, and renaissance school projects to install exterior key boxes meeting safety standards at every school building by June 2027. These key boxes must contain building keys, access devices, and updated emergency access maps, with locations chosen in collaboration with first responders. The state appropriates $2.5 million from the General Fund to reimburse schools for installation costs. The bill directly affects school safety infrastructure and emergency response access.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5799) requires pharmacies in New Jersey to provide written notice of an intended closure to the local municipality’s governing board at least 90 days before closing. It directly affects pharmacy owners and operators planning to shut down locations, in addition to their existing requirements to notify the State Board of Pharmacy and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The key provision mandates this advance notice to give communities time to address potential gaps in healthcare access. The bill takes immediate effect and directs the Board of Pharmacy to create implementing rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to display a person's full legal name - including Roman numerals - on specific driver's licenses, identification cards, and permits. It directly affects residents whose legal names (as recorded on birth certificates) include Roman numerals (e.g., "John Smith III"), ensuring their name appears exactly as documented without omitting the numeral. The MVC must display the full legal name if applicants provide standard verification documents proving identity, age, and residence. This change applies to all standard licenses, permits, and REAL ID documents without altering existing name-change procedures.