Asm. Erik Peterson

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a permit program allowing New Jersey dairy farms to sell raw milk directly to consumers at the farm, subject to strict health and safety requirements. To obtain a permit, farmers must comply with dairy laws, undergo inspections, avoid growth hormones, and conduct regular bacterial testing to ensure milk meets limits for bacteria (10,000 colonies/mL), coliform (10/mL), and somatic cells (300,000/mL). All raw milk containers and farm signage must display a clear warning that raw milk is unpasteurized and may contain harmful organisms. The Department of Agriculture, with input from the Department of Health, will set permit fees to cover program costs and enforce testing, labeling, and cooling standards (milk must cool to 40°F within 2 hours of milking). Failure to meet testing standards twice in one year results in permit revocation.

Maddy summaryThis Assembly Resolution (AR 57) urges New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to impose an immediate moratorium on sonar testing and wind turbine mapping activities off the New Jersey coast. It is prompted by the unexplained deaths of at least 12 whales (including 8 humpbacks) and 5 dolphins recorded near offshore wind development areas since December 2022. The resolution calls for pausing these activities to allow for scientific study of potential links between sonar/mapping technologies and the marine life deaths. As a resolution, it does not create law but formally requests federal and state agencies to halt related operations pending investigation.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a "Stand Your Ground" law in New Jersey, removing the duty to retreat before using force (including deadly force) to defend oneself or others in one's home or vehicle. It creates a legal presumption that a person reasonably fears death or serious harm when using defensive force against someone unlawfully entering their dwelling or vehicle. The law defines "crime involving violence" to include offenses like murder, robbery, aggravated assault, and sexual assault, and repeals the current self-defense statute (N.J.S.2C:3-6). It directly affects homeowners, residents, and individuals defending themselves against unlawful intruders.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1098) exempts New Jersey disabled veterans from admission fees at state parks and forests, and also removes fees for motor vehicle access to park beaches for fishing. It directly affects disabled veterans who are New Jersey residents and have been honorably discharged with a service-connected disability certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill amends existing law to add "disabled veteran" as a qualifying category for free admission (currently covering residents 62+, totally disabled individuals, and National Guard members with training completion) and specifically exempts this group from beach access fees. The policy change takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThe "Transparency in Government Act" (A2617) requires New Jersey to create a free, searchable public website displaying state financial data. It mandates the State Treasurer to include annual records of state agency spending (salaries, vendor payments, local aid), revenues (taxes, fees, grants), and bonded debt (principal, interest, repayment sources) starting from fiscal year 2000. Data must be updated within 45 days after each fiscal year ends and cannot be removed, while protecting private/confidential information. The website will be maintained with oversight from a 13-member Public Finance Transparency Committee, including state officials, agency representatives, and public members. This directly affects state agencies (which must provide data), the State Treasurer's office (which develops the site), and New Jersey residents (who gain access to financial information).

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2517) prohibits New Jersey state agencies and local governments from entering into or renewing public service contracts with contractors who knowingly employ or contract with unauthorized workers. It requires all such contractors to verify employee work authorization using the federal E-Verify program and certify that subcontractors also comply. Contractors must report violations to the state agency within three days and may terminate non-compliant subcontractors after a notice period, unless the subcontractor provides proof of compliance. Contractors found violating these rules are listed publicly by the Department of Labor for two years, unless cleared by court. The law applies specifically to contracts for labor or services, not goods or products.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2638) requires New Jersey's chief law enforcement officers or the Superintendent of State Police to notify federal immigration authorities when a non-citizen who is unlawfully present in the United States applies for a firearms purchaser identification card (FPIC) or handgun purchase permit. The notification requirement applies specifically to applicants who are undocumented non-citizens, as federal law (18 U.S.C. §922(d)(5)) prohibits firearm sales to such individuals. This bill incorporates the existing federal standard into New Jersey's state law by mandating that law enforcement agencies notify federal immigration authorities when they determine an applicant is unlawfully present in the U.S. The bill does not change who qualifies for firearm permits but adds a notification process for certain non-citizen applicants.

Maddy summaryACR 81 proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow New Jersey's legislature to require parents or legal guardians to receive notice before a minor child undergoes medical or surgical treatment related to pregnancy. This amendment specifically targets unemancipated minors (those not legally independent) and aims to override a 2000 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that struck down a similar parental notification law as unconstitutional. The amendment would add a new constitutional provision permitting such notification requirements regardless of existing constitutional rights related to privacy or medical autonomy. If approved by voters, it would enable future legislation mandating parental notice for pregnancy-related care without constitutional challenges.

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 New Jersey bill strengthens child pornography laws by creating two categories: "real" pornography (involving actual children) and "virtual" pornography (images appearing to depict children). It upgrades crimes like causing a child to engage in prohibited acts with knowledge of photography to a first-degree offense, and upgrades possession of child pornography to a third-degree crime. For virtual child pornography, it makes producing, distributing, or possessing obscene images that appear to depict children a crime with strict liability, defining "obscene" as patently offensive sexual acts lacking serious value. The bill also prohibits expungement of related criminal records and requires minimum prison sentences for repeat offenders.