Asm. Dawn Fantasia

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts volunteer firefighters and members of emergency response squads from New Jersey's unemployment compensation law. It excludes stipends (including clothing allowances) they receive from gross income calculations for tax purposes. Volunteer first responders who receive these stipends will not be subject to unemployment insurance taxes or counted toward temporary disability benefits contributions. The legislation aims to support municipalities in recruiting and retaining volunteer emergency personnel by making stipends tax-exempt, addressing staffing challenges in emergency services.

Maddy summaryAJR 204 designates May of each year as "Apraxia Awareness Month" in New Jersey. The bill requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation to encourage state agencies, organizations, and citizens to observe the month with awareness activities. This resolution aims to increase public recognition of apraxia, a neurological disorder affecting motor planning and movement, which may impact daily activities like speaking, walking, or dressing. It does not create new laws, funding, or services but promotes education and early diagnosis for those affected.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill would allow service industry workers to deduct reported tip income from their state taxable income. It requires tips to be documented through employer statements matching federal tax reporting (per 26 U.S.C.S. §6053(a)) or other approved documentation. The deduction applies to taxable years beginning after the law's effective date, directly affecting workers in tipped occupations like restaurants and hospitality. It modifies New Jersey's tax code to align tip reporting with federal requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4886) raises fines for damaging agricultural or horticultural lands in New Jersey. It increases the minimum civil penalty from $1,000 to $2,500 when court-ordered damages exceed $10,000 for acts like vandalizing crops, fences, or livestock. Landowners can also seek reimbursement for restoration costs and attorney fees. The law directly affects individuals who trespass or cause damage on farmland or gardens, strengthening legal remedies for property owners.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new "Type S School Bus Certificate" that would allow certain qualified drivers to operate specific school buses without needing a commercial driver's license, passenger endorsement, or school bus endorsement. To qualify, drivers must be at least 21 years old, have held a basic driver's license for three years, pass physical and eye exams, complete a knowledge exam, and finish special training for students with special needs. The certificate would apply to "Type S school buses," defined as vehicles designed for nine passengers or less (excluding driver) with a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or more, used for transporting students to and from school. This would streamline school bus operations for qualified drivers while maintaining safety standards for student transportation. The bill amends existing school bus regulations to include this new certification pathway.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey law to allow taxicabs, limousines, and transportation network companies (like Uber and Lyft) to provide paratransit services for a two-year period. Currently, paratransit services - transportation for people with disabilities that are not fixed-route bus services - are legally excluded from being provided by these companies, but the bill removes that exclusion. The change modifies the definition of "paratransit service" in state law to include these providers, expanding potential service options. This directly affects transportation companies and people with disabilities who rely on paratransit services, without altering the core requirements for such services.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of Travel and Tourism to create and maintain a public website featuring information on the state's historic sites, districts, and roadside markers. The website must include an interactive map, driving directions from all compass points, tour schedules, photos, contact details for site owners, and links to local historical marker programs. It mandates regular updates when new sites are added by state agencies and allows public submissions for new roadside markers through an electronic form. The initiative aims to improve public access to New Jersey's historical resources for tourists and residents.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires contractors and subcontractors working on public projects covered by New Jersey's prevailing wage law to provide a mandatory orientation meeting to each new employee before their first workday. The meeting must explain the employee's wages and job classification under the prevailing wage law, and the employee must sign a form confirming they received the information. Contractors must retain these signed forms for six years and provide them to the New Jersey Department of Labor upon request. Employers with a collective bargaining agreement covering the employee are exempt from this requirement.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for assaulting law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel. If bodily injury occurs, assaulting a law enforcement officer would become a second-degree crime (5-10 years in prison) rather than third-degree under current law. The bill also requires offenders to submit to testing for communicable diseases when assaulting these professionals, with positive results shared with the victim. It expands the list of protected professionals to include firefighters and emergency medical personnel under the assault with bodily fluids provision. These changes would apply to offenses occurring after the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes the requirement for surgical practices to be licensed as ambulatory care facilities to provide surgical services. Instead, surgical practices will need to register with the New Jersey Department of Health, contingent on maintaining certification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) or accreditation from recognized bodies like the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities. The bill also removes the current moratorium preventing the Department of Health from issuing new registrations for surgical practices. Existing licensed surgical practices will continue to be exempt from the ambulatory care facility assessment under current law.