Asm. Aura Dunn

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3773) would allow students receiving financial aid from New Jersey's Educational Opportunity Fund to qualify for SNAP benefits without meeting the standard 20-hour weekly work requirement. It directly affects low-income college students who receive Educational Opportunity Fund awards, which support attendance at higher education institutions. The bill requires the state to first seek federal approval for a waiver of the work requirement, with the Department of Human Services applying for this within 90 days of the law's effective date. Once approved, the state must implement the change and run a public awareness campaign to inform eligible students about the new SNAP eligibility rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires group homes licensed by New Jersey's Division of Developmental Disabilities (serving adults with developmental disabilities receiving Tier C+ services) to install electronic monitoring devices in common areas only when all residents and their authorized representatives unanimously consent in writing. It mandates that group homes must actively seek this consent, provide annual notices about the option, and allow residents to withdraw consent anytime without affecting housing placement. Devices must record continuously, retain footage for 90 days, undergo weekly inspections, and permit residents to review recordings upon request. The bill explicitly prohibits using refusal to consent as a barrier to housing and requires visitor notices at entrances.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey nursing homes to allow residents or their legal representatives to use electronic monitoring devices (such as cameras, audio devices, or video phones) in the resident's room upon request. Residents must pay for the device, submit a written request, and post a notice on their door; for shared rooms, they must obtain written consent from the other resident. Nursing homes must inform residents of this right, provide physical accommodations for the device (like mounting space and power), and cannot deny admission or remove residents for requesting monitoring. Tampering with these devices without consent is defined as a third-degree crime.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey National Guard members to transfer their tuition benefit to a spouse or dependent child. Specifically, members can transfer 50% of their benefit (covering up to 8 credits per semester) to a dependent child or 100% (covering up to 16 credits per semester) to a spouse. To qualify, the spouse or child must be enrolled full-time at a public New Jersey institution, apply for all available state and federal grants/scholarships, and the Guard member can only transfer the benefit to one person. The bill amends existing law to expand benefit eligibility to family members while maintaining current requirements for enrollment and financial aid applications.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides additional state aid to New Jersey school districts that meet three specific criteria related to nonpublic school student transportation costs. Districts qualify if they saw over a 100% increase in eligible students over five years, experienced a 20%+ cost jump in one year, and allocated at least 20% of their transportation budget to nonpublic students in 2023-2024. Qualifying districts receive 100% reimbursement for transportation costs for regular education nonpublic school pupils. The bill directly affects districts facing exceptional demographic shifts that strain their transportation budgets, aiming to support constitutionally required educational funding. It takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1685) reinstates automatic annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for retirement benefits paid to members of New Jersey's state-administered retirement systems, including teachers' pensions. It directly affects current and future retirees in these systems by ensuring their benefits automatically increase each year to match inflation, rather than requiring separate legislative action for each adjustment. The key mechanism is amending existing law to restore the automatic COLA provision that was previously removed, linking benefit increases directly to the Consumer Price Index. This change simplifies the process and provides predictable income growth for retirees without requiring new votes for each adjustment. The bill is sponsored by Assemblywomen Reynolds-Jackson and Speight and co-sponsored by multiple legislators.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes establishing New Jersey's "Gold Star Family Annuity Program" within the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. It would provide eligible surviving family members of service members who died on active duty with an annual $600 payment starting January 1 each year, with future increases tied to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefit adjustments (minimum 1%, maximum 4% annually). The program specifically supports New Jersey residents who are spouses, domestic partners, parents, siblings, children, or legal guardians of fallen service members. Residency is required for eligibility, and remarriage does not disqualify recipients. The bill defines "Gold Star family member" and outlines application requirements, including proof of relationship and New Jersey residency.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires funeral directors to notify the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) when they possess unclaimed cremains of veterans one year after cremation, after making diligent efforts to locate relatives. It mandates the DMVA to create and maintain a central online registry of unclaimed veteran cremains to help veterans' organizations locate these remains. Qualified veterans' organizations can then receive these unclaimed cremains and dispose of them by scattering at sea or interring them at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery if eligible. The bill aims to address the issue of veteran cremains being unclaimed for decades (up to 66 years in some cases), reducing the burden on funeral directors and helping organizations locate remains more efficiently.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the sale, distribution, import, export, and propagation of 31 specific invasive plant species (including Japanese barberry, English ivy, and Japanese wisteria) in New Jersey, directly affecting nurseries, garden centers, landscapers, and anyone importing or selling these plants. It establishes a New Jersey Invasive Species Council to advise state agencies and develop rules for future prohibitions, with key timelines starting 13 months after enactment for propagation/import and 49 months for sales. Certain exempt cultivars (like specific Japanese barberry varieties) may still be sold but must include educational labels about invasive species. The law aims to protect New Jersey's ecosystems, natural resources, and public health by preventing the spread of harmful non-native plants.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies procedures in contested child custody cases in New Jersey. It requires courts to give greater weight to a child's expressed preferences (if age-appropriate) and consider recommendations from the child's licensed mental health professional when making custody decisions. The bill also restricts courts from ordering reunification therapy (family therapy to reconnect estranged parents and children) unless there's scientific evidence of its safety and effectiveness, and the child consents. Additionally, it mandates courts to document specific reasons when overriding a child's preference or ordering reunification therapy, and directs the State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners to develop professional standards for reunification therapy within a year.