Asm. Dawn Fantasia

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A5327 prohibits state agencies, public schools, colleges, and local governments from purchasing electric vehicles or components if they may have been made using forced labor or child labor. The bill requires manufacturers or sellers to provide a sworn certification confirming no forced labor or child labor was used in production, including materials sourcing. Violations trigger civil penalties of $10,000 per false statement or 50% of the purchase price, whichever is greater. This directly affects public procurement contracts for EVs across New Jersey's government entities, aiming to prevent public funds from supporting labor exploitation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public utilities (such as gas, electric, or water companies) to reimburse state or local governments for costs incurred when securing potentially dangerous conditions on utility-controlled property that are accessible to the public. To file a claim, governments must first notify the utility of the hazard and deploy personnel to secure the scene, but utilities can avoid payment by responding within one hour with their own personnel. The bill establishes a fee schedule for claims based on federal disaster relief standards and mandates utilities to maintain updated emergency contact information for faster hazard response. Reimbursement amounts are excluded from utility rate cases to prevent these costs from increasing customer rates.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5340) prohibits foreign governments and foreign persons from acquiring or owning agricultural land in New Jersey after its effective date, with limited exceptions. Current foreign owners must sell or transfer their land to domestic entities within five years, including attaching a deed requiring continued agricultural use. Exceptions allow ownership through debt collection processes (requiring sale within two years), inheritance, or security interests, while respecting applicable U.S. treaties. The bill mandates annual reports to the Governor and Legislature tracking foreign-owned farmland acreage, ownership trends, and land use purposes.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals New Jersey's existing ban on single-use plastic carryout bags, single-use paper carryout bags, polystyrene foam food service products, and single-use plastic straws. It directly affects retail stores, restaurants, and food service businesses that previously could not sell or distribute these items. The repeal removes all prohibitions on these products, allowing their sale and distribution to resume. The bill also eliminates a $500,000 annual appropriation from the Clean Communities Program Fund that previously supported public education about reusable bag alternatives. This change takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 5304) increases penalties for prostitution offenses and creates two new crimes: "leader of a prostitution network" and "participant in a prostitution network." It directly affects individuals who organize or manage prostitution operations (leaders) or actively take part in them (participants), not clients or sex workers themselves. Key provisions include mandatory minimum prison terms of 5 years or one-third to one-half of the sentence for these new offenses, while upgrading penalties for child prostitution and adding 6-month driving suspensions for repeat offenders using vehicles in prostitution. The law amends existing statutes to clarify definitions and strengthen criminal consequences for network-related activities.

Maddy summaryThis bill would amend New Jersey's felony murder, aggravated manslaughter, and aggravated assault laws to include death or bodily injury occurring during the commission of auto theft. Currently, these laws apply to certain crimes like robbery or burglary, but this bill would add auto theft to the list of crimes for which the felony murder rule applies. Under the bill, causing death during auto theft would be considered felony murder (a first-degree crime), and causing injury during auto theft would be considered aggravated assault (a second-degree crime). This change would apply to anyone who causes death or injury while stealing a car, expanding the scope of these criminal charges.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5316) upgrades the criminal classification for auto theft when it occurs during specific burglaries in New Jersey. It raises auto theft to a second-degree crime if committed during residential burglary (breaking into a home without violence) and to a first-degree crime if committed during home invasion burglary (breaking into a home with violence or weapons). Currently, auto theft is a third-degree crime (3-5 year prison term) unless the vehicle is worth $75,000+ or multiple vehicles are stolen. The bill ensures auto theft convictions won’t merge with burglary convictions, meaning offenders face separate sentences for both crimes. It directly affects individuals who steal vehicles while committing these types of burglaries.

Maddy summaryThe "Welcome Home Veterans Act" (A4733) requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to provide veteran benefit information packets to veterans when issuing certain documents. It directly affects veterans who receive an initial license, renewal license, probationary license, or ID card displaying a veteran designation under existing state law. The MVC must distribute both hardcopy packets at agency locations and digital versions online, including the NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Benefits Guide, the VA's "Federal Benefits for Veterans" booklet, and resources for finding additional benefits. This policy change ensures veterans accessing MVC services receive standardized, accessible information about available state and federal support programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5287) reverses New Jersey's current law by allowing state agencies, local governments (like counties and municipalities), and private detention facilities to enter into agreements to detain noncitizens for immigration purposes. It amends existing law to remove the prohibition that currently prevents these entities from entering, renewing, or extending such immigration detention agreements. The key change is replacing "shall not" with "may" regarding these agreements, effective immediately. This directly affects New Jersey's state/local governments, sheriffs' departments, and private facilities that previously could not participate in immigration detention under state law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey law enforcement agencies, courts, and correctional facilities to notify federal immigration authorities within 24 hours when arresting or convicting non-citizens unlawfully present in the U.S. for specific offenses, including violent crimes (1st-4th degree), drug offenses, theft, or robbery. It mandates that sentencing courts and probation officers also immediately contact federal immigration authorities to initiate deportation proceedings upon such convictions. The bill defines "federal immigration authority" to include ICE, CBP, and DHS personnel involved in immigration enforcement. This directly affects non-citizens facing these charges and the state's law enforcement and judicial systems.