Asm. Aura Dunn

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a legal presumption that joint legal and physical custody is in a child's best interest for all New Jersey child custody cases. It requires courts to assume equal or approximately equal time with both parents and shared decision-making on health, education, and welfare, unless a parent provides clear evidence that joint custody would harm the child. To rebut this presumption, a parent must prove harm with "clear and convincing evidence," and courts must document their reasoning. The law applies directly to parents and judges handling custody disputes in New Jersey courts. If passed, it would shift the default custody arrangement from flexible court discretion to equal shared parenting, with limited exceptions.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's definition of "firearm" to explicitly clarify that BB guns are not considered firearms under state law. It directly affects recreational BB gun owners, manufacturers, and retailers by removing these devices from firearm regulations. The key provision updates the legal definition to exclude air guns using compressed air or CO2 to fire .177-caliber pellets at under 500 feet per second. This change prevents misclassification of BB guns under firearm laws, ensuring they are not subject to firearm licensing, registration, or possession restrictions.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (AR 111) urges New Jersey public high schools to establish "Pathways to Purpose Week" during the week of May 1. It directly affects high school students and administrators by encouraging schools to recognize and celebrate multiple post-graduation options - including college enrollment, apprenticeships, and military service - alongside traditional "College Decision Day" celebrations. The key provision requires schools to honor all pathways equally, addressing that nearly 30% of seniors do not pursue immediate college enrollment and apprenticeship participation has declined since 2016. The resolution is non-binding, recommending schools adopt this observance to highlight diverse success routes after high school.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A-3233) adjusts the New Jersey veterans' income tax exemption amount annually for inflation. It directly affects veterans honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard, or New Jersey Reserve. The exemption amount, currently $6,000, will be updated each year based on the Chained Consumer Price Index (C-CPI-U) for the 12-month period ending August 31 of the prior year. If inflation is zero, the exemption amount remains unchanged. The change applies to tax years starting in 2023 and beyond.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey's electric utilities to proactively manage "dangerous vegetation" (trees or plants near power lines) to prevent outages, following ANSI tree care standards. It requires utilities to notify property owners and local governments before trimming or removing vegetation, with specific timing (7-45 days for property owners, 2 months for municipalities). The law overrides existing forestry protections like the Shade Tree Act to prioritize grid reliability after storms caused widespread power disruptions. It directly affects investor-owned electric utilities, property owners near utility rights-of-way, and local government entities through new management and notice requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts specific military compensation from New Jersey's gross income tax for service members who are domiciled in New Jersey but stationed outside the state. It directly affects New Jersey-resident military personnel serving away from New Jersey, including active duty, reserve, and National Guard members on state active duty. The key provision amends the state tax code to exclude military pay received for service performed outside New Jersey, housing allowances, and mustering-out payments from taxable income. The exemption applies to taxable years ending after the bill's enactment, which took effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts sales of pet food purchased for personal use by household pets from New Jersey's sales and use tax. It directly affects pet owners and businesses selling pet food, as they will no longer collect or pay tax on these items. The law defines "pet food" broadly to include feed, medicines, vitamins, and other commercially prepared products intended for domesticated animals kept in or near a household. The exemption applies to purchases made for individual pets, not commercial or agricultural use, and takes effect in the second calendar quarter following enactment. This is a straightforward tax change with no new government programs or complex requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands accidental death benefits under New Jersey's State Police Retirement System to cover recruits who die during required pre-service training at the academy or from related complications. It directly affects surviving spouses, children, or parents of such recruits by reclassifying these deaths as "in the line of duty" for benefit purposes. Key provisions set a minimum $50,000 benefit for surviving spouses, with calculated amounts for children or parents if no spouse exists (e.g., 70% of final compensation for children, 25-40% for parents). The law also allows retroactive payments for past deaths, with survivors having 12 months from enactment to apply. Current law previously excluded recruits since they weren't sworn officers during training.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A-1260) requires manufacturers and sellers of internet-connected devices to include digital blocking technology that automatically restricts access to obscene material, child pornography, revenge porn, and websites linked to human trafficking or prostitution. It directly affects device companies and minors (who must have blocking active unless they pay a $20 opt-out fee to deactivate it). Key provisions include mandatory blocking of harmful content, a 5-day window to unblock mistakenly blocked material upon consumer report, and quarterly fees ($20 per device) sent to fund the state’s Human Trafficking Commission. The bill is not yet law - it was introduced January 2026 and referred to committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 830) redirects the "nondedicated General Fund portion" of New Jersey's realty transfer fees - paid when property is bought or sold - to provide direct property tax relief for municipalities. Currently, these fees (collected at rates based on property value) contribute to the state's General Fund, but this bill would require that specific portion to instead fund local tax reductions. The key mechanism amends existing laws (P.L.1968, c.49; P.L.2004, c.66; P.L.1992, c.148) to change the allocation of these fees. It directly affects municipalities, which would receive these funds to lower property taxes for residents, and property owners who pay the transfer fees.