Asm. Mike Inganamort

Maddy summaryThis bill expands eligibility for motor vehicle registration fee exemptions and toll exemptions on New Jersey toll roads to include disabled veterans approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to receive adaptive vehicle equipment. Specifically, it adds veterans who have completed VA Form 21-4502 and received approval under 38 U.S.C. §3901 to the existing list of exempt veterans. The law requires the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and South Jersey Transportation Authority to waive tolls for eligible veterans using E-ZPass on the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Expressway. It does not change existing exemptions for veterans of World War II, the Korean Conflict, or the Vietnam War who meet current criteria.

Maddy summaryThis procedural bill updates New Jersey's Civil Service statutes by replacing references to "Civil Service Commission" with "chairperson of the commission" to clarify who is responsible for certain duties. It also transfers the State Employee Awards Committee from the Civil Service Commission to the Department of the Treasury, making technical corrections to clarify authority within the civil service system without creating new policies.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow individuals 18 years of age or older to possess bear spray for the purpose of repelling aggressive bears during outdoor activities like hiking and biking. Currently, New Jersey law limits personal defense sprays to devices containing no more than 3/4 ounce, but EPA-approved bear spray typically contains 7.6 ounces. The bill specifically permits possession of bear spray products that are EPA-approved and clearly labeled as such. It also provides civil immunity for reasonable use of bear spray in self-defense against bears, while maintaining that willful or grossly negligent use would not be protected.

Maddy summaryThis proposed constitutional amendment would guarantee New Jersey registered voters the right to vote in person at their local polling place on election day. It would require voters to submit a written request to receive a mail-in ballot, rather than automatically receiving one. The amendment aims to prevent future laws or executive orders from restricting in-person voting options or sending mail-in ballots to all voters without an individual request. It does not change current voting methods but establishes these requirements as constitutional rights.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs to approve a nonprofit organization to develop a voluntary certification program for recovery residences (sober living homes for people with substance use disorders) and their administrators. The program would establish certification standards including background checks, inspections, and annual recertification, with certified residences needing to be managed by certified administrators (or be peer-managed). Recovery residences must obtain certification to be listed publicly, and misrepresenting certification status would be prohibited with civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation. Certified recovery residences would be exempt from certain regulatory requirements that previously applied to sober living homes, and health care providers would be required to refer patients only to certified residences or those owned by licensed treatment providers.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides a $17 million supplemental appropriation for New Jersey's Fiscal Year 2023 budget to fund lake management grants through the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The grants will support qualified entities - including lake commissions (like the Lake Hopatcong Commission), local governments, and nonprofits focused on publicly accessible lakes - to cover costs for maintenance, water quality improvement, and preventing harmful algal blooms. The DEP must establish a program prioritizing projects that enhance public access, recreational use, and conservation, with funds also covering eligible stormwater and pollution management activities that directly benefit lake use. This one-time funding is specifically directed at lake management activities for recreation and conservation purposes.

Maddy summaryThe Opportunity Scholarship Act establishes a five-year pilot program providing tax credits to New Jersey taxpayers who contribute to scholarship organizations. These organizations would distribute scholarships to low-income children (from households earning no more than 250% of the federal poverty threshold) attending chronically failing schools in eight targeted districts (Asbury Park, Camden, Elizabeth, Lakewood, Newark, Orange, Passaic, and Perth Amboy). The program would award up to 10,000 scholarships in its final year, with schools receiving scholarship students required to accept them without additional fees and provide annual assessments to track student progress.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a program for New Jersey's State Agriculture Development Committee to preserve farmland threatened by development for warehouses or other high-density projects. It appropriates $50 million from the Global Warming Solutions Fund to establish a "Protection of Farmland from Development Fund" to purchase fee simple titles or development easements on agricultural land. Landowners selling land for warehouse or high-density development must notify the committee, which then has the first right to purchase the land at terms matching or exceeding the landowner's offer. The committee must determine if land is suitable for preservation based on factors like regional agricultural significance, impact on farming communities, and environmental considerations. Any land acquired would be held by the state with agricultural deed restrictions to ensure it remains available for farming purposes.

Maddy summaryThis bill criminalizes occupying an empty or vacant home without the owner's permission, addressing what the bill calls "squatting." It creates three specific offenses: forcibly entering a vacant dwelling (housebreaking), taking up residence without permission (unlawful occupancy), and reentering after a court-ordered eviction (unlawful reentry). All are classified as fourth-degree crimes punishable by up to 18 months in jail or a $10,000 fine. The bill presumes a person knows they lack permission unless they provide a notarized rental agreement with the owner's contact details, changing the current process where owners must seek civil court eviction.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A3339, "Parents Bill of Rights Act") gives New Jersey parents and guardians the right to review and direct their child's education in public schools. It requires school districts to provide parents with a curriculum summary, allow them to review textbooks/media used, and permit opting children out of any curriculum conflicting with their conscience or beliefs - without academic penalties like grade loss or graduation delays. The law prohibits schools from interfering with these parental rights or denying requested information. It directly affects all K-12 public school parents/guardians and school districts across New Jersey.