Asm. John DiMaio

Maddy summaryThis bill provides a $17 million supplemental appropriation for New Jersey's Fiscal Year 2023 budget to fund lake management grants through the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The grants will support qualified entities - including lake commissions (like the Lake Hopatcong Commission), local governments, and nonprofits focused on publicly accessible lakes - to cover costs for maintenance, water quality improvement, and preventing harmful algal blooms. The DEP must establish a program prioritizing projects that enhance public access, recreational use, and conservation, with funds also covering eligible stormwater and pollution management activities that directly benefit lake use. This one-time funding is specifically directed at lake management activities for recreation and conservation purposes.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies that BB guns commonly used for recreation (which fire small pellets using air or compressed air at low speed) are not classified as firearms under New Jersey law. As a result, these devices will no longer require firearm permits, background checks, or other licensing under state law. The amendment specifically excludes such BB guns from the legal definition of "firearm" in New Jersey statutes. This change directly affects BB gun owners, retailers, and law enforcement by removing firearm regulatory requirements for these devices. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a program for New Jersey's State Agriculture Development Committee to preserve farmland threatened by development for warehouses or other high-density projects. It appropriates $50 million from the Global Warming Solutions Fund to establish a "Protection of Farmland from Development Fund" to purchase fee simple titles or development easements on agricultural land. Landowners selling land for warehouse or high-density development must notify the committee, which then has the first right to purchase the land at terms matching or exceeding the landowner's offer. The committee must determine if land is suitable for preservation based on factors like regional agricultural significance, impact on farming communities, and environmental considerations. Any land acquired would be held by the state with agricultural deed restrictions to ensure it remains available for farming purposes.

Maddy summaryThis bill criminalizes occupying an empty or vacant home without the owner's permission, addressing what the bill calls "squatting." It creates three specific offenses: forcibly entering a vacant dwelling (housebreaking), taking up residence without permission (unlawful occupancy), and reentering after a court-ordered eviction (unlawful reentry). All are classified as fourth-degree crimes punishable by up to 18 months in jail or a $10,000 fine. The bill presumes a person knows they lack permission unless they provide a notarized rental agreement with the owner's contact details, changing the current process where owners must seek civil court eviction.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes fifth or subsequent drunk driving convictions a criminal offense (third-degree crime) instead of a traffic violation, imposing penalties including up to 5 years in jail and a $15,000 fine. It requires a 10-year driver's license suspension for these offenses, increasing to 20 years if the offense occurs on school property within 1,000 feet, through a designated school crossing, or near a school crossing where juveniles are present. Offenders must complete alcohol education, mental health evaluations, and pay a $100 fee to support the Intoxicated Driving Program. The law applies to offenses committed after its effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new fourth-degree criminal offense for using GPS or location-tracking devices to follow a vehicle with the intent to commit an unlawful act, such as domestic violence, sexual assault, or theft. It directly affects individuals who misuse tracking technology to monitor others for harmful purposes. The key provision mandates a minimum five-year prison sentence for this offense under New Jersey's sentencing law (N.J.S.2C:43-7), which is an enhanced penalty compared to standard fourth-degree crimes. The bill aims to address technology-facilitated abuse by imposing stricter consequences for tracking used in unlawful contexts.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts medical marijuana sales from New Jersey's state sales and use tax. It directly affects patients prescribed medical marijuana under the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act for qualifying conditions like cancer, multiple sclerosis, or seizure disorders, who currently pay the tax on their medication. The bill amends the tax code to explicitly add medical marijuana as an exempt item - alongside prescription drugs and medical devices - by listing it as item (11) in the tax exemption rules. The exemption takes effect 90 days after enactment, applying to sales made on or after the first day of the first month of the following calendar quarter.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1111) requires commercial trucks over 26,000 pounds gross weight to have GPS systems that provide real-time alerts about low-clearance bridges and weight restrictions, plus route directions adjusted for the vehicle's specific height and weight. It directly affects most commercial freight haulers operating in New Jersey, excluding government vehicles, school buses, and religious/charitable transportation. The GPS must display infrastructure warnings and dynamically reroute based on the truck's size when entered by the driver. The Motor Vehicle Commission will create implementation rules, with the law taking effect 180 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A150) eliminates the requirement for most New Jersey public employees to maintain their main home in the state. It removes the residency rule for all state officers and employees except for the Governor, legislators, heads of major executive departments, and judges (Supreme, Superior, and inferior courts), who must still reside in New Jersey. Existing exceptions - such as faculty at public colleges with special expertise needs or temporary staff - remain unchanged. The change applies to all other public roles covered under statute R.S.52:14-7, including county, municipal, and school district employees.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new criminal offense called "victimization of a senior citizen or a person with a disability" in New Jersey. It applies when someone commits any crime listed in Chapters 11-18 of Title 2C (like assault or theft) against a person aged 62 or older, or someone with a medically determinable disability that substantially limits their ability to resist. The victimization charge is sentenced as one degree more serious than the underlying crime (e.g., a disorderly persons offense becomes a fourth-degree crime), requires separate sentencing for both the underlying crime and victimization, and adds mandatory parole supervision (3-5 years) after prison if the underlying crime was first or second degree. The bill defines "senior citizen" as 62+ and "person with a disability" as someone meeting federal Social Security disability criteria.