Asm. Mike Inganamort

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 209) increases penalties for damaging agricultural or horticultural lands. It raises the minimum civil penalty from $1,000 to $2,500 when a trespasser or vandal causes over $10,000 in damages to property like crops, fences, or livestock. The bill applies to anyone who enters or damages such lands without permission, requiring them to pay the higher penalty plus costs for restoring the property. Landowners affected include farmers, orchard operators, and others using land for crop or animal production.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new criminal offense for marketing fentanyl in ways specifically designed to appeal to minors, targeting manufacturers, distributors, or sellers. It prohibits tactics like packaging resembling candy, food, or popular characters, using minor-targeted advertising, or violating FDA/DEA packaging rules. Violators face a minimum 30-year prison sentence with no parole eligibility, and prior fentanyl distribution convictions create a strong presumption of guilt. The law directly affects businesses or individuals distributing fentanyl with marketing strategies targeting youth, aiming to deter such practices through severe penalties.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to review the electricity rates and revenues of electric utilities that use smart meters for billing. The BPU must compare these rates and revenues before and after a utility installs smart meters. Within six months of the bill's enactment, the BPU must submit a written report of its findings to the Governor and Legislature. The bill applies to all electric public utilities in New Jersey using smart meter technology for customer billing.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to maintain current levels of state park and forest land available for public fishing, hunting, and trapping. The DEP must replace any closed land with equivalent acreage and cannot reduce total available land for these activities, except for public safety, wildlife protection, or land exchanges. It also mandates annual reports to the legislature detailing acreage availability, closures, and replacement efforts. The law applies to all state parks, forests, wildlife management areas, and public hunting grounds managed by the DEP.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A-1271) reduces the taxable wage base for New Jersey employers paying unemployment and disability taxes. Starting in 2025, the wage base will be calculated as 14 times the statewide average weekly wage (down from 28 times), meaning employers will pay taxes on a smaller portion of employee wages. It directly affects private employers and nonprofit organizations subject to New Jersey’s unemployment compensation and disability tax contributions. The change modifies how the taxable wage base is determined annually under Section 43:21-7 of state law, effective for calendar years beginning January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3181) prohibits using cadaveric fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions for any research and bans using any cadaveric fetal tissue to research cosmetic treatments. It specifically allows research using tissue from miscarriages or stillbirths but does not affect existing bans on buying or selling fetal tissue. The bill also requires physicians treating infertility patients to provide written information about embryo disposition options and document patient acknowledgment in medical records. These changes apply to research institutions and healthcare providers in New Jersey conducting such studies.

Maddy summaryAJR 43 is a ceremonial resolution designating The Growing Stage Children’s Theatre of New Jersey as the "New Jersey State children’s theatre." It does not create new laws, funding, or programs - it simply grants an official title to an existing theater. The resolution recognizes the theater’s 40+ years of work in arts education, community engagement, and producing family-focused performances for over 250,000 people. This designation affects no one beyond formally honoring the theater’s role in New Jersey’s cultural landscape. The resolution takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 318) modifies New Jersey's requirements for condominium and cooperative associations managing certain multi-story residential buildings. It expands the timeframes for associations to conduct required capital reserve studies - extending the deadline for first-time studies from five years to one year after the law's effective date - and mandates these studies be reviewed by licensed professionals every five years. The studies must assess funding for maintaining the building's structural components (like foundations and load-bearing systems) and include detailed cost projections for repairs, replacements, and future inspections. Associations with less than $25,000 in common-area assets are exempt from these requirements.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's Bill A-214 prohibits state contractors and entities seeking state contracts, subsidies, or tax benefits from sharing data with "foreign adversaries" as defined by the state. It requires contractors to certify they aren’t on a state-created list of entities sharing data with such adversaries, and mandates the Department of the Treasury to develop and update this list using public information, after providing notice and an opportunity to respond. Entities listed face ineligibility for state contracts, registrations, or subsidies, and may face civil penalties up to $1 million for false certifications. The law includes due process steps before listing entities and exempts data sharing required by subpoenas or court orders. The bill is currently pending before the Assembly Oversight Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 142) removes the Commissioner of Education's authority to reject a school district's budget proposal solely because it includes a lower general fund tax levy or total general fund budget than the previous year. It deletes specific language from state law that previously allowed the commissioner to reject such budgets or direct additional spending to meet "adequacy budget" requirements. The change directly affects school districts and the Commissioner of Education by eliminating a key review power during budget approval. The bill does not alter the commissioner's authority to address performance issues or require full adequacy budgets through other means.