Asm. Dawn Fantasia

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4256) requires New Jersey's Attorney General to repeal Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive No. 2018-6. The directive currently restricts state, county, and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities in specific ways, such as providing assistance solely to enforce civil immigration law or extending detention based only on immigration detainer requests. If passed, the bill would eliminate these restrictions, allowing law enforcement to share information and cooperate with federal immigration authorities under federal law. The bill directly affects all New Jersey law enforcement agencies operating under the Attorney General's authority.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires contractors covered by New Jersey's Prevailing Wage Act (those paying prevailing wages under state law) to verify the work authorization of all new employees using the federal E-Verify program. Starting June 30, 2025, these contractors must complete E-Verify checks for every new hire. The Department of Labor will conduct random audits and investigate complaints about violations, imposing civil penalties of $500-$1,000 per violation. For first violations, contractors can avoid penalties by verifying eligibility within 72 hours; repeat violations within five years may lead to license suspension.

Maddy summaryThis bill restores state school aid reductions for certain New Jersey school districts by appropriating $210,135,047. It shifts $64,920,000 from existing FY2024 appropriations and adds $145,215,047 from the General Fund. The funding ensures districts that received Supplemental Stabilization Aid under prior law (P.L.2023, c.32) get their full 2023-2024 aid amount, and districts facing proposed aid cuts in 2024-2025 receive the difference between their 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 aid amounts. The bill directly affects school districts subject to state aid reductions under P.L.2018, c.67.

Maddy summaryThis bill, A4249, provides limited legal protection to New Jersey farmers hosting agritourism activities like pick-your-own fruit, farm tours, animal exhibits, or nature watching. Farmers are not liable for injuries or deaths resulting from "inherent risks" (such as animal behavior, weather, land conditions, or participant negligence) if they post a required warning sign and include the warning in written contracts. However, farmers remain liable for gross negligence, intentional harm, failing to warn about known dangers, or willful misconduct. The bill repeals an older law (P.L.1997, c.378) and expands immunity to cover all agritourism activities beyond just "pick-your-own" operations.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A4200 bill would prohibit ratepayers from being required to pay or prepay costs associated with subsidies for qualified offshore wind projects. Currently, electric utilities collect an OREC surcharge from ratepayers upfront to cover these costs, with later refunds based on revenue from selling ORECs. The bill specifically prohibits the Board of Public Utilities from requiring ratepayers to make any payments or prepayments for these subsidies, including OREC surcharges. This change would prevent ratepayers from having to pay for these subsidies before they are actually incurred.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's Assembly Resolution 132 denounces the alleged practice of harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners and political prisoners in China, citing reports of systemic organ harvesting from unconsenting prisoners since the early 2000s. The resolution specifically references China’s historical use of executed prisoners for organ transplants (documented since 1984) and claims Falun Gong practitioners were targeted, with estimates suggesting 65,000 deaths for organs between 2000-2008. It directs the state to transmit the resolution to the U.S. Secretary of State, the Chinese Ambassador to the U.S., and the UN representative. As a symbolic resolution, it does not create new laws but formally expresses New Jersey’s stance against these practices.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4238) prohibits New Jersey school districts from banning active or retired law enforcement officers or registered security officers from carrying firearms while performing school security duties, provided those officers are authorized under state law to carry. It directly affects school districts that hire such officers (including "safe schools resource officers" or Class Three special law enforcement officers) and the officers themselves. The key provision requires school districts to allow these authorized personnel to carry firearms in school buildings or on grounds during their assigned security duties, overriding any existing restrictions. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Agriculture to promote community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, where consumers pay for a share of a farm's seasonal harvest. The Department must create a public website with searchable CSA listings and subscription links, use various media to advertise CSA benefits, and develop promotional labels for CSA products. It also establishes "Community Supported Agriculture Week" in February and requires schools to incorporate CSA into meal programs and curriculum through the existing Farm to School program. The bill expands the use of the "New Jersey Farm Products Publicity Fund" to include CSA promotion and updates the Farm to School website to facilitate CSA subscriptions between schools and farms.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires dental clinics affiliated with public university dental schools (like Rutgers) to give priority scheduling to 100% disabled veterans seeking oral health services. Specifically, clinics must schedule appointments for these veterans within 30 days of request. The law defines "100% disabled veterans" as those honorably discharged and certified as permanently 100% disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It applies directly to veterans needing dental care and the public dental clinics operating at New Jersey's public universities.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's definition of "landlord" to include owners and operators of rooming and boarding houses, expanding the scope of existing ordinances that hold landlords to certain standards. It directly affects municipalities (which can now adopt new local rules) and rooming/boarding house operators (who would face similar requirements as small rental property owners). The key mechanism is amending the definition in state law to explicitly cover these housing providers under the same responsibility standards applied to properties with fewer than four units. This change allows communities to address issues like maintenance and safety in rooming/boarding houses through local ordinances. The bill does not alter current ordinances but enables new local regulations for this housing type.