Asm. Erik Peterson

Maddy summaryThis bill would provide discounted fees for senior citizens (65+) on several hunting and trapping licenses, permits, and stamps that currently don't offer such discounts. Specifically, it extends existing discount rates to trapping licenses, the All-Around Sportsman License, deer permits, turkey permits, rifle permits, and pheasant/quail stamps. The bill amends existing statutes to establish these discounts at rates consistent with current senior discounts on firearm and bow licenses. It directly affects New Jersey residents aged 65 and older who participate in hunting and trapping activities. The policy change would reduce fees for these senior citizens while maintaining the same discount structure already applied to other related licenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits retirement payments for unused sick leave to $15,000 and prohibits payment for sick leave earned after the bill's effective date. It requires public employees to provide medical documentation for six or more consecutive days of sick leave, with penalties including unpaid leave and potential termination for violations. The bill also suspends retirement payments if an employee is indicted for certain crimes and forfeits payments upon conviction for those crimes. These provisions apply to state, local government, and school board employees in New Jersey. The bill will take effect two months after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows students at New Jersey public colleges and universities to be excused from health, family life, or sexual education classes if those classes conflict with their conscience, moral beliefs, or religious views. Students must submit a signed statement to school officials, and the institution must excuse them from the conflicting instruction without penalizing them for credit or graduation requirements. The policy mirrors an existing law for K-12 schools and applies only to institutions that do not offer substitutions for these classes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires telemarketers making sales calls to display their actual name and phone number on caller identification (caller ID) services. If their own details aren't available through their phone company, they may instead show the seller's name and customer service number. Telemarketers cannot block, misrepresent, or circumvent caller ID displays. It directly affects telemarketing companies and aims to increase transparency for consumers receiving sales calls.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires foreign corporations providing electronic communication services (like email or messaging apps) or remote computing services (like cloud storage) to comply with New Jersey court orders, search warrants, and subpoenas seeking customer data. Specifically, these companies must produce records - including customer identities, stored data, communication content, and usage details - within five business days of receiving a valid request from a New Jersey court or law enforcement agency. Domestic New Jersey-based companies providing similar services must also comply with out-of-state requests for the same customer information. Violations trigger contempt of court charges and civil penalties ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 per violation, with potential license suspension.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires presidents and vice-presidents of New Jersey education unions (like the NJEA and AFT-NJ) to sign an acknowledgement of their legal duty to report suspected child abuse and complete training on those reporting requirements before taking office. It specifically targets union leaders representing K-12 teachers, not classroom staff. The training covers existing obligations under New Jersey law (including statutes C.9:6-8.10 and C.18A:36-25) and state regulations for school employees to notify authorities about abused, missing, or neglected children. The bill does not change reporting laws but ensures union leadership understands and complies with current requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow counties to establish county-municipal courts with limited, countywide jurisdiction. These courts would handle cases currently processed in individual municipal courts, including traffic violations, municipal ordinance violations, and criminal pretrial hearings. Counties would create these courts through ordinance, and each municipality within the county would need to agree (by ordinance within two years) to have violations heard in the county court rather than their local municipal court. Municipalities that fail to agree would be responsible for administrative costs until they comply. All fines and fees collected would go to the county treasury to help cover court operating costs.

Maddy summaryThe "Empower the Principal Act" (A393) eliminates local school superintendents and assistant superintendents in New Jersey school districts, prohibiting boards of education from reappointing or hiring new superintendents. It transfers superintendent duties to executive county superintendents, who will have general supervision over all school districts in their county while having a non-voting seat on school board meetings. The bill also prohibits schools from employing more than one vice-principal or assistant principal, giving principals direct oversight over their individual schools. The legislation repeals existing provisions related to superintendents and modifies rules for sharing school business administrators. The effective date is the first full school year following enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2525) changes New Jersey law to allow homeowners or occupants to use force - including deadly force - against intruders unlawfully in their dwelling without first retreating. It removes the current "duty to retreat" requirement when defending one's home, stating that force is justified if the person reasonably believes it's needed to protect themselves or others inside the dwelling. The law creates a presumption that someone using force in their home reasonably believes danger exists, shifting the burden to the state to prove otherwise beyond a reasonable doubt. This applies specifically to intruders in dwellings, not to property defense elsewhere.

Maddy summaryThis bill would establish "county-municipal courts" that serve entire counties rather than single municipalities. These courts would handle all matters currently handled by municipal courts (including traffic violations, ordinance offenses, and civil cases with damages under $15,000) while using the existing Automated Traffic System for case processing. Each municipality within a county establishing such a court would need to agree, by ordinance within two years, to have violations heard in the county court rather than their local municipal court. Municipalities would not be responsible for administrative costs, but would face those costs if they failed to agree to the arrangement. Existing municipal courts in participating municipalities would be abolished, with cases transferred to the county-municipal court on a specified date.