Asm. Dawn Fantasia

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates funds to New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for fiscal year 2026 to provide zero-interest and principal-forgiveness loans to local governments and public water utilities for environmental infrastructure projects. It directly affects municipalities and water utilities that need financing for clean water projects (like combined sewer overflow reduction and water quality restoration) and drinking water projects, with specific funding limits based on project type and affordability criteria. The bill includes detailed lists of 151 qualifying clean water projects totaling $1.7 billion and 59 drinking water projects totaling $652 million, all intended to meet federal requirements under the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. The loans may offer full principal forgiveness for eligible projects or a blended interest rate based on project costs and borrower affordability.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3052) expands academic flexibility for New Jersey public college students who are active-duty service members or their dependents (spouses/children) unable to finish a course due to unplanned military obligations like deployment. It changes the attendance threshold from 8 weeks to 55% of a course’s duration to qualify for grade options, adding temporary grades and online course transfers as choices. Students who complete 55% of a course can select a letter grade, pass/fail, incomplete, withdrawal, or online transfer (with approval), while those under 55% can choose incomplete or withdrawal. It also clarifies that pass/fail grades can later be converted to letter grades within a year by completing missed work, and ensures full tuition refunds for withdrawals. The law applies to all public institutions of higher education in New Jersey and takes effect immediately for the next academic year.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4878) ensures service members and their dependents (spouses or children) enrolled at New Jersey public colleges can choose specific grade options if unexpected military duty prevents course completion. It raises the required course completion threshold from 8 weeks to 55% of the course duration before certain options apply, and adds "temporary grade" and "transfer to equivalent online course" (if available) as choices. Dependents are now explicitly included under the same protections previously only for service members themselves. The bill clarifies that faculty must determine if sufficient work was completed to justify grades like pass/fail or letter grades, with options like incomplete grades remaining valid for one year.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey schools and colleges to designate sports teams based on biological sex at birth (male, female, or coed), prohibiting students identified as male from participating on teams designated for females. If a student's sex is disputed, they must provide a physician's statement verifying reproductive anatomy, natural testosterone levels, and genetic makeup. The bill shields schools from penalties for maintaining sex-specific teams and allows students or schools to sue for violations or retaliation within two years, seeking damages and legal fees.

Maddy summaryThe bill appropriates state and federal funds to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for environmental infrastructure projects in fiscal year 2026. It authorizes the DEP to provide zero-interest and principal-forgiveness loans to local governments and public water utilities for clean water and drinking water projects, including 151 clean water projects totaling $1.7 billion and 59 drinking water projects totaling $651.7 million. The bill specifies different funding mechanisms, including full principal forgiveness for qualifying projects and blended interest rates for larger projects, with all funding expiring on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires voters in New Jersey to present specific identification documents to vote starting with the first election after January 1, 2025. Voters must show a document with their name matching registration, a photograph, an unexpired or recently expired date, and issued by the federal government or New Jersey state. If voters don't provide acceptable ID, they'll receive a provisional ballot and must submit required documentation to their county commissioner within two business days for the ballot to count. The bill includes an exemption for voters with religious objections to being photographed, requiring a sworn affidavit. It does not apply to voters using absentee ballots under federal law (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act or Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act).

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act" to improve transparency around vehicle recalls and provide fair compensation for dealers. It requires motor vehicle dealers to check for open recalls on used vehicles using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website before sale, inform prospective buyers about any recalls found, and not sell vehicles subject to stop-sale or do-not-drive notices. Dealers must also provide the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission with lists of vehicles with long-unfixed recalls (six months or more), triggering the Commission to send official notices to vehicle owners. The bill also establishes compensation requirements for dealers when parts are unavailable for recalled vehicles, requiring 1.75 percent of the vehicle's value per month for used vehicles or the manufacturer's suggested retail price for new vehicles.

Maddy summaryAssembly Resolution 197 calls on Cranbury Township to halt its plan to use eminent domain to seize the Henry family's 21-acre historic farm - owned by the family since 1850 and currently farmed - arguing the action contradicts local farmland preservation efforts. It also urges the state legislature to reform eminent domain laws to prevent taking active farmland for housing, noting New Jersey's goal of preserving 500,000 acres of farmland by 2050. The resolution highlights that Cranbury has already preserved over 2,000 acres of farmland and that the township's approval of the seizure conflicts with its own agricultural heritage and state policy. This resolution does not change law but formally requests reconsideration of the township's housing-focused eminent domain action.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the government or other entities from using eminent domain to take farmland actively used for farming or gardening for non-farming purposes, such as housing or commercial development. It directly affects farmers whose land is currently under threat of being seized for non-agricultural projects. The key provision amends New Jersey's eminent domain law to require that any property taken must remain for agricultural use, barring condemnation if the intended purpose is non-farming. The bill does not change existing rules for taking land for public projects like roads or parks, only prevents conversion of active farmland to non-farming uses.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts grooming and hygiene products (like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and sunscreen) and specific baby products (child car seats, cribs, nursing bottles, and strollers) from New Jersey's sales and use tax. It adds these items to the existing list of tax-exempt goods under the Sales and Use Tax Act. The exemption applies to all qualifying products regardless of whether they meet the legal definition of "over-the-counter drugs" (e.g., some toothpastes). This change directly affects consumers purchasing these everyday items, reducing their out-of-pocket costs for essential personal care and infant products.