Asm. Dawn Fantasia

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for denying access to service dogs and their handlers in public facilities, New Jersey Transit (NJT), and ride-sharing companies (like Uber or Lyft) from civil fines to criminal charges. First-time offenders face a petty disorderly persons offense (up to 30 days in jail or $500 fine), while second or subsequent violations become a disorderly persons offense (up to one year in jail or $1,000 fine). Fines collected will fund law enforcement training on service dog access rights, and the bill mandates a public awareness campaign. It directly affects businesses, public venues, and transportation providers that deny access to service dog users.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes the time limit for prosecuting human trafficking crimes in New Jersey. It specifically eliminates the current 5-year statute of limitations for offenses listed under N.J.S.2C:11-3 (human trafficking) and similar statutes. As a result, prosecutors can bring charges for these crimes at any time, regardless of when the trafficking occurred. This directly affects human trafficking victims by enabling legal action even years after the crime, and it shifts the burden to prosecutors to pursue cases without time constraints. The change applies immediately to all unbarred human trafficking cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey's Secretary of State from approving voting machines or systems if the vendor is a foreign company, a domestic company that exports voting technology overseas, has major non-citizen shareholders, or has board members serving on competing companies' boards. It requires all approved vendors to be U.S.-based and mandates thorough vendor vetting for all new contracts, plus annual compliance reviews before primary elections. Existing contracts approved before the bill's effective date remain valid until expiration, after which the new rules apply prospectively. The bill directly affects voting machine vendors seeking state approval, focusing on ownership structure and technology control to ensure domestic vendor accountability.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A-1834) permits licensed hunters to ride in the bed of a pickup truck while traveling between hunting sites or to a hunting clubhouse/lodge, provided the vehicle moves at under 35 mph. It directly affects licensed hunters traveling for hunting purposes, overriding existing vehicle laws that typically prohibit such passenger arrangements. The key provision allows this exception only during specific hunting-related travel, with strict speed and location limitations. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment and does not alter general vehicle safety rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A-1189) requires New Jersey to provide additional state school funding to reduce property tax burdens for residents. It directly affects school districts that experienced state aid reductions between 2018-2019 and 2022-2023, directing the state to pay them retroactive aid equal to their past funding losses. Key mechanisms include calculating base aid amounts based on historical funding formulas, mandating districts receiving increased state aid to lower property tax levies by the same amount, and requiring annual property tax reductions if state aid rises. The bill appropriates $2.9 billion to implement these changes, aiming to ensure school funding aligns with residents' ability to pay property taxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires local police departments and the Division of State Police (which issue firearms purchaser ID cards) to implement automatic voter registration for eligible residents. It applies directly to people obtaining firearms ID cards at these locations, who would be offered voter registration unless they decline. The bill mandates that these agencies electronically transmit eligibility information (age, citizenship, address) to the Secretary of State, following existing rules used at the Motor Vehicle Commission, including providing clear opt-out notices to applicants. This expands automatic voter registration to new locations without changing eligibility requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3840) requires state legislators to obtain a fiscal note for any bill that creates a new government program or expands an existing one, if the state or a local government will cover the costs. Currently, fiscal notes are required for bills affecting state spending or revenue, but this bill specifically adds program creation and expansion to that requirement. The Legislative Budget and Finance Officer must request the fiscal note from the Treasury's Division of Budget and Accounting before the bill advances. This change applies immediately to all such bills introduced in the New Jersey Legislature. The bill is pending referral to the Assembly Oversight Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $350,000 from the General Fund to the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs (DMVA). The funds are specifically designated for the Council on Armed Forces and Veterans' Affairs to preserve military installations if the federal government initiates base realignment or closure (BRAC) actions. The provision creates a dedicated funding stream to support state efforts in maintaining military infrastructure during federal base restructuring. It directly affects New Jersey's military installations and the Council's ability to respond to federal BRAC decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey municipalities from passing ordinances that require local officials to refuse cooperation with federal immigration enforcement requests. It directly affects municipal and county governing bodies, making such policies void and imposing penalties (including fines or loss of office) on officials who vote to adopt them. The bill also requires local employees to comply with federal immigration requests and provides state defense for employees acting in good faith during such cooperation. Key provisions include banning "sanctuary city" policies and establishing legal protections for local officials who follow federal immigration enforcement requests.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Secretary of State to adjust census data used for redistricting by removing all noncitizens (including legal residents and undocumented individuals) from population counts. It directly affects all New Jersey legislative, county, and municipal districts, as these boundaries would be redrawn based solely on the citizen population. The key mechanism mandates that the Secretary of State exclude noncitizens from census data when establishing district lines, per Section 2 of the bill. This changes how districts are drawn to reflect only citizen residents, rather than the full population count used in current redistricting.