Asm. Mike Inganamort

Maddy summaryThis bill allows restaurants and licensed alcohol beverage retailers and manufacturers to expand their operations into designated outdoor spaces adjacent to their business locations, including public sidewalks. Businesses must apply for a "premises expansion permit" with their municipal zoning officer and the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, providing detailed plans for outdoor space design, sanitation, and safety measures. Municipalities can set reasonable operating hour limits (generally allowing most hours except late-night on Sundays-Wednesdays and early morning on Thurs-Saturdays), but must follow state requirements for permit renewal. Restaurants without alcohol licenses must renew their outdoor permits annually, while those with alcohol licenses renew with their main business license. The bill specifies that municipal ordinances on sanitation, noise, and other matters still apply unless specifically modified by the municipality.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public institutions of higher education in New Jersey to pay prevailing wage rates for construction, repair, and maintenance work intended for their use. It expands the definition of "public work" to include projects under agreement to be purchased by public bodies and work paid for through "take-out financing." The bill ensures that workers on these projects, including those employed by entities associated with public institutions of higher education, receive the prevailing wage rate determined by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development. This applies to construction, reconstruction, demolition, alteration, custom fabrication, and maintenance work done under contract with entities associated with public institutions.

Maddy summaryBill A4957 clarifies that the "Fair Chance in Housing Act" does not apply to county and municipal governments that directly rent residential units to tenants. It amends the Act's definition of "housing provider" to explicitly exclude county and municipal landlords from its requirements. This change resolves ongoing disputes about whether the law's rules - prohibiting housing providers from considering criminal records during tenant screening - apply to government-owned rental properties.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the "United Border Security Act" (A4910), requires the New Jersey National Guard to deploy at least 1,500 members to Arizona or Texas upon a lawful request from either state's governor to assist with securing their southern border with Mexico. It mandates funding from the state's General Fund to cover deployment costs and specifies that the deployment would last up to 12 months or end when Arizona or Texas declares the support no longer needed. The bill cites New Jersey's estimated $7.3 billion annual cost for supporting undocumented immigrants (8% of the state's population) as justification for the deployment. The measure would take effect immediately upon enactment.

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 eliminates New Jersey's inheritance tax for step-grandchildren by reclassifying them as tax-exempt beneficiaries, aligning their treatment with biological grandchildren and stepchildren. Currently, step-grandchildren (the children of a stepchild) are taxed at 15% on the first $700,000 and 16% on amounts above that, while biological grandchildren and stepchildren pay no tax. The bill amends tax law to exempt step-grandchildren from this tax, effective January 1, 2025. It directly affects step-grandchildren inheriting property from a step-grandparent who dies on or after that date.

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 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.