Asm. Linda Carter

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the "Community Wealth Preservation Program" to help residents purchase homes at sheriff's sales after foreclosure. It allows qualifying buyers who will live in the home as their primary residence for 84 months to pay a 3.5% deposit (instead of 20%) and have 90 business days to complete the purchase with no interest for the first 60 days. Buyers must complete HUD-approved homebuyer education and provide mortgage pre-approval documentation, with penalties up to $500,000 for not occupying as primary residence. The program requires sheriff's offices to provide clear program information in plain language, excludes investment properties, and gives nonprofit community development corporations special rights to purchase properties while preserving affordability for future buyers.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A902) requires all New Jersey public school districts to close on days of general and primary elections, replacing current law that allows school boards to decide. It directly affects school districts statewide by mandating closures on these specific election days instead of leaving the decision to individual boards. The law takes effect immediately upon passage, changing the school calendar requirement for election days.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds "Middle Eastern and North African" (MENA) descent to the definition of "minority" for minority business enterprise (MBE) certification in New Jersey. It ensures that businesses owned by at least 51% by MENA individuals can now qualify for state certification, financial assistance, and set-aside contracts with school boards and local governments - programs they were previously excluded from. Currently, MENA business owners faced barriers because they were categorized as "white" under state law, despite experiencing discrimination similar to other communities of color. The bill amends two existing laws (P.L.1985, c.490 and P.L.1985, c.482) to include MENA in qualifying definitions for these programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a four-year "New Jersey STEM Scholars Grant Pilot Program" within the Department of Education to provide funding for schools. It directly affects public school districts, charter schools, and "renaissance schools" (a New Jersey term for publicly funded alternative schools) seeking to expand STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education. The program awards competitive grants for three specific areas: project-based learning (student-led STEM projects), afterschool STEM (after-class programs like clubs), and out-of-school STEM (non-classroom activities like workshops). Grants must supplement, not replace, existing STEM funding, and schools must submit detailed plans for program design, student recruitment, teacher support, and long-term sustainability. Funding comes from annual state appropriations and private donations, administered through a new "STEM Scholars Grant Fund."

Maddy summaryThis bill makes it a fourth-degree crime for a landlord or property owner to knowingly rent a dwelling that violates housing safety regulations (an "illegal occupancy") and causes serious injury or death to someone. It directly affects landlords who rent properties failing to meet health/safety codes, zoning rules, or housing standards. Violators face up to 18 months in jail, a $10,000 fine, or both. The law does not replace existing civil penalties, such as requiring landlords to cover tenant relocation costs under current law.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill establishes a legal presumption that joint legal and physical custody is in a child's best interest, meaning courts must assume both parents should share decision-making authority and the child should spend equal or nearly equal time with each parent. A parent seeking to avoid joint custody must provide clear and convincing evidence that it would harm the child, and the court must document its reasoning if it deviates from this presumption. The bill does not change the requirement that custody arrangements must align with the child's best interests but shifts the starting point for court decisions to joint custody. It applies to all child custody cases in New Jersey and takes effect immediately.

Maddy summaryThis bill would expand the authority of municipal arson investigators by granting them the same powers as police officers throughout New Jersey, not just within their own municipalities. Currently, full-time members of municipal fire department arson investigation units can only exercise police powers within their own municipality while conducting arson investigations. Under this bill, these investigators would have statewide authority to investigate arson when performing their official duties. The change would apply to full-time, paid members of fire departments who have completed required training and are assigned to arson investigation units.

Maddy summaryThis bill redirects fines collected from people convicted of "prostitution as a patron" (paying for sex) to the existing Human Trafficking Survivor's Assistance Fund. Specifically, it requires municipal courts to send these fines directly to the state Treasury for deposit into the fund, instead of the local treasury. The fund, established in 2013, uses these monies to provide services for trafficking victims, promote awareness, and develop educational materials. This policy change applies only to fines from the specific offense of paying for sex, not other prostitution-related crimes.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an Office of Financial Assistance within New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA) to help eligible small businesses access public financial assistance like grants, loans, and tax credits. It directly affects companies with fewer than 225 employees (75% working in New Jersey) operating in specified industries like biotechnology or renewable energy. The key mechanism requires the office to create a digital platform allowing these businesses to identify available programs, store application documents, submit multiple applications simultaneously, and track their status. State agencies offering such assistance must use this platform for all applications and ensure its information stays current.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs to reimburse emergency shelter operators for costs incurred when evicting guests who refuse to leave after the time limit specified in state law (P.L.2013, c.204). It allows shelters to apply for reimbursement within 30 days of a court-ordered eviction, covering lost revenue and expenses during the legal process. Shelters must submit a form with basic details (shelter name, dates, amount) and proof of the guest's refusal to vacate. The state must annually appropriate funds from the General Fund to cover these reimbursements.