Asm. Aura Dunn

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a New Jersey Statewide Suicide Prevention Coordination and Oversight Council within the Department of Human Services. The council will collect standardized, non-identifying data from suicide prevention programs across the state - including details like age, gender, race, LGBTQ+ status, military service, and suicide method - to analyze trends and develop reporting standards. It will also create guidelines for informational materials and serve as a central hub for sharing aggregated data with state agencies, while strictly complying with privacy laws like HIPAA. The council directly affects all suicide prevention entities (hospitals, clinics, community programs) required to report data and state agencies using the findings for policy decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a system where New Jersey's state government directly pays for high-cost special education services for students requiring the most expensive placements (costing over $55,000 annually), shifting responsibility from school districts. It creates a new Office of High Needs Placement Funding within the Department of Education to contract with service providers and make 10 monthly payments starting in October each year. The bill directly affects students with disabilities needing intensive services, school districts currently covering these costs, and special education providers. The policy change aims to fulfill the state's funding obligations under federal special education law by ensuring direct state payment for these high-cost cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 1045) revises New Jersey's workers' compensation law to expand coverage for cardiovascular or cerebrovascular injuries or deaths occurring during emergency response or recovery. It directly affects volunteer and professional public safety personnel, including volunteer emergency management members, career EMTs/paramedics (even in private sector roles), and 9-1-1 dispatchers - expanding coverage beyond current law. The key change creates a rebuttable presumption that such injuries are work-related if they occur while responding to, or within 24 hours of remediating, a defined emergency (like fire suppression, medical rescue, or criminal apprehension). Rebuttal requires clear medical evidence showing work wasn't a substantial cause, or evidence of factors like intoxication or self-infliction. The law applies immediately to all pending cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new crime called "theft by financial exploitation of a vulnerable person" in New Jersey. It directly affects senior citizens and people with disabilities who are exploited financially by individuals in positions of trust (like caregivers, financial advisors, or family members). The law requires separate criminal sentences for this new offense and any underlying financial crime (such as fraud or embezzlement), preventing convictions from merging. It amends existing statutes to define "vulnerable person," "position of trust," and clarify sentencing, without changing penalty levels. The bill is currently pending before the Assembly Public Safety Committee (introduced January 13, 2026).

Maddy summaryThis bill removes a requirement that New Jersey National Guard members must have served in "federal active duty status" to qualify for a $3,000 annual state tax deduction. It directly affects New Jersey National Guard members who were honorably discharged but never activated for federal duty, making them eligible for the same tax deduction previously only available to those with federal active duty service. The key change amends the state tax code (N.J.S.54A:3-1) to eliminate the "federal active duty status" condition from the veterans' deduction provision. This is a concrete policy change that expands eligibility for the deduction to all honorably discharged National Guard members, regardless of federal activation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to identify and designate municipalities with "critical headwaters" (water sources supplying drinking water to at least 1 million residents) as "headwater guardians" within one year of the law's effective date. The DEP must develop a public process to identify these headwaters using data on watershed significance, water quality, and location in sensitive areas like the Highlands or Pinelands. Once designated, municipalities must implement environmental protections - such as enhanced stormwater management or riparian buffers - to safeguard water quality, with DEP determining specific requirements within six months. These designations will be recognized in local land use planning under state law and must undergo a 30-day public comment period.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3844) allows military working dogs to be buried in New Jersey's state-operated veterans' memorial cemeteries, including the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans' Memorial Cemetery. It defines "military working dog" as a dog that performed duties for the Department of Defense, such as tracking, explosive detection, patrol, search and rescue, or attack. The bill directly affects the burial eligibility of these dogs, which previously were not included in state cemetery provisions. It takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's State Treasurer to publish detailed state financial data on a public, searchable website. It mandates the website display quarterly expenditures, monthly revenues, public employee compensation, debt information, pension liabilities, and specific spending details (like Governor travel costs and economic development subsidies). The data must be presented in plain language with visual aids, updated regularly, and exclude only legally confidential information. This directly affects taxpayers and citizens by increasing transparency in how state funds are allocated and spent.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits the duration of emergency orders, rules, or regulations issued by New Jersey's Governor under the Civil Defense Act to 14 days (expiring on the 15th day), unless the Legislature passes a concurrent resolution extending the period. It prohibits the Governor from issuing identical or similar orders for the same emergency after one expires. Exceptions include orders rescinding prior emergency actions, federal compliance requirements, internal government operations, military orders under the Governor's command, or orders under other laws allowing longer terms. The bill applies directly to the Governor's emergency authority and takes immediate effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the New Jersey Revenue Advisory Board to provide annual forecasts of state revenue trends. The board, composed of the State Treasurer, Legislative Budget Officer, and four public members (including private sector and academic experts), must issue revenue forecasts by January 15 and May 15 each year for use in budget planning. It modifies the Governor’s budget presentation to require explanation of revenue projections that differ from the board’s forecasts and updates state revenue reporting requirements. The bill also mandates annual financial stress testing for state finances, affecting how the Governor, Legislature, and state agencies prepare and present the annual budget.