Asm. Dawn Fantasia

Maddy summaryThis bill requires certifying officers to complete a detailed eligibility checklist for public employees enrolled in New Jersey's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) who provide professional services as attorneys, engineers, accountants, auditors, physicians, or architects. The checklist, based on the IRS employee test, verifies that these workers are employees (not independent contractors) and must include supporting documents like position resolutions and appointment records. The bill mandates a retirement system audit program to review all such enrollments within 60 days of enactment, with initial focus on existing enrollments. Certifying officers or supervisors who knowingly enroll ineligible employees face escalating fines: $1,000 for the first violation, $2,500 for a second within 10 years, and $5,000 for subsequent violations.

Maddy summaryThis bill lowers New Jersey's alcoholic beverage tax rate for small distilleries from $5.50 to $2.75 per gallon on liquors produced by distilleries making 20,000 gallons or less annually. Larger distilleries producing over 20,000 gallons per year will continue to pay the $5.50 rate. The change applies immediately to all sales and deliveries starting with the next bimonthly tax reporting period after enactment. The bill directly affects small craft distilleries seeking to reduce their tax burden.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires voters who wish to receive mail-in ballots to complete a new application each calendar year, ending the current automatic mail-in ballot designation for voters who voted by mail in 2016-2018. It repeals a provision that automatically designated those voters as automatic mail-in voters for future elections. County clerks must notify affected voters within 30 days of implementation, with the policy taking effect immediately but being implemented after the November general election following its effective date. The bill maintains the option for voters to choose mail-in ballots for all elections in a calendar year or for single elections.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4251) requires New Jersey school districts to allow students receiving equivalent instruction outside traditional schools (e.g., homeschooling, virtual programs) to join extracurricular activities in their resident district. It directly affects these students, who must provide residency proof, meet the same eligibility criteria as enrolled students, and follow all district policies to participate. The bill specifically mandates access to required physical exams for sports and prohibits students from transferring solely for athletic advantage in interscholastic competitions. School districts must publish exam schedules online if they offer them to enrolled students. The law takes effect immediately.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to create an online system for verifying vehicle insurance coverage. It mandates that insurers provide policy data to this system, which law enforcement officers can use in real-time during traffic stops to confirm if a vehicle has valid insurance. The system replaces all previous verification methods and allows the Commission to suspend or revoke registration for uninsured vehicles until proof of insurance and fees are provided. Insurers must maintain records of system interactions for six months and cooperate with the Commission’s implementation. The Commission must also report on the system’s costs and effectiveness in reducing uninsured vehicles within two years.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A4240 (introduced May 2, 2024) allows owners of properties within the Highlands preservation area to request removal under specific conditions. It applies only to properties continuously owned since the 2004 Highlands Act by the current owner or their immediate family. If the state rejects a sale offer due to lack of funds to purchase at the 2004 fair market value (based on land use zoning and environmental regulations), the owner can submit a written request with state documentation of insufficient funds. Upon approval, the property is exempt from preservation regulations, treated like standard planning area property, and the exclusion must be recorded on the deed and official maps. The bill takes effect August 10, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4235) creates a new registration category for street rods and custom motor vehicles in New Jersey. It defines street rods as pre-1948 vehicles (or resembling them) with alterations, and custom vehicles as 25+ year old vehicles (post-1948) with modifications. Owners must certify the vehicle won’t be used for daily transportation and will instead be used for exhibitions, parades, or club activities. The bill requires special license plates ($50 application fee + $10 annual fee), exempts these vehicles from standard safety inspections based on their modeled year, and allows "blue dot tail lights" (red lamps with small blue/purple inserts).

Maddy summaryThis bill removes restrictions that previously prohibited police officers from being within 100 feet of ballot drop boxes and polling places during elections. It repeals a 2021 law (P.L.2021, c.459) that had created this prohibition. The bill also eliminates reporting requirements related to police presence at election locations, such as notifying county election boards and the Secretary of State about police dispatches. This change allows police to be present at these locations in their official capacity during elections, affecting how law enforcement interacts with election processes in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis Assembly Resolution (AR 135) is a symbolic statement by the New Jersey Assembly opposing President Biden's 2021 decision to revoke the Presidential Permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. It does not create new laws or affect residents directly but formally urges President Biden to reverse his decision and requests Congress to override the revocation if needed. The resolution cites arguments about energy security, economic benefits (including potential job creation), and safety comparisons between pipeline and rail transport. It has no binding effect and serves only to express legislative opinion to federal officials.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey children's psychiatric facilities to provide continuous visual supervision of all patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It mandates that facilities designate trained staff members to actively monitor children, including through video systems that stream live footage to staff who must continuously watch the monitors. The supervision must cover all areas except bathroom, shower, or changing facilities, and children cannot be left alone with other children without active supervision. This applies specifically to hospitals contracted for acute child psychiatric care or private facilities providing short-term psychiatric treatment for children.