Asm. Aura Dunn

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5449) exempts specific oral healthcare products from New Jersey's sales and use tax. It adds "oral healthcare products for human use" to the list of tax-exempt items, covering products like toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, and oral irrigators designed to maintain oral health. The exemption excludes food, dietary supplements, and durable medical equipment. This change directly affects consumers purchasing these everyday oral care items, reducing their cost by removing the state tax.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A5417 allows military working dogs to be buried at state-operated veterans' memorial cemeteries, including the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans' Memorial Cemetery. The bill defines "military working dog" as a dog that performed or currently performs Department of Defense services like tracking, explosive detection, patrol, search and rescue, or attack. This policy change directly affects military working dogs and their handlers by providing a dignified burial option at state facilities. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment, requiring no further administrative steps for eligibility.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires that medications in New Jersey's community-based residential programs (like group homes and supervised apartments) and day programs for individuals with developmental disabilities must be administered only by a nurse or a certified medication aide working under a nurse's direct supervision. It mandates that parents or legal guardians must provide detailed medical documentation of medication instructions and dosages to the program's chief nurse before admission and whenever a medication or dosage changes. The bill directly affects residential facilities, day programs, their staff, and families managing medications for individuals with developmental disabilities. It defines key terms like "community-based residential program" and "day program" to clarify which facilities and services are covered.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows prior military law enforcement officers with honorable discharges to receive credit toward New Jersey's police training requirements when seeking law enforcement jobs in the state. Specifically, they will be exempt from parts of the basic police training course that match their military training, as determined by the Police Training Commission. The credit does not cover the entire course, so officers must still complete any training not deemed similar. This applies to those who served in the military within the last three years and are applying for state or local law enforcement positions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires mental health services in New Jersey to be provided in a culturally affirming and linguistically appropriate manner for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. It mandates that services be delivered in the client's primary method of communication, as determined by the client's preference or a communication assessment, and that mental health professionals be certified as fluent in that method. The bill establishes a deaf services coordinator position within the Department of Human Services to oversee implementation, develop certification standards for professionals, and ensure access to services statewide, including through telemedicine in underserved areas. It also requires the development of a statewide system of care with specific standards for communication accessibility and cultural competence in mental health services.

Maddy summaryThis bill upgrades the offense of purchasing sexual services (prostitution as a patron) from a disorderly persons offense to a crime of the fourth degree for first offenses, with higher penalties for repeat violations. It requires convicted patrons to participate in a mandatory education program about human trafficking and pay a $500 fee. All fines and fees collected from these offenses are directed to the "Human Trafficking Survivor's Assistance Fund," which provides services to trafficking victims and supports educational programs about human trafficking. The fund was established by prior legislation to assist survivors and combat human trafficking through prevention and awareness efforts.

Maddy summaryThe "Welcome Home Veterans Act" (A4733) requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to provide veteran benefit information packets to veterans when issuing certain documents. It directly affects veterans who receive an initial license, renewal license, probationary license, or ID card displaying a veteran designation under existing state law. The MVC must distribute both hardcopy packets at agency locations and digital versions online, including the NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Benefits Guide, the VA's "Federal Benefits for Veterans" booklet, and resources for finding additional benefits. This policy change ensures veterans accessing MVC services receive standardized, accessible information about available state and federal support programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new "preservation bonus credit" that municipalities can use to help meet their affordable housing requirements. Municipalities that protect specific environmental and cultural resources - including drinking water sources, wildlife habitats, historical sites, and climate-resilient areas - can earn these credits by enacting regulations to safeguard these resources. The Department of Community Affairs, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection, will develop formulas to determine credit amounts based on factors like ecological importance and societal value. These preservation bonus credits count toward the 25% cap on bonus credits that can be applied to a municipality's affordable housing obligation under current law.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides an additional $500,000 in state funding to the Main Library Alliance, a nonprofit organization supporting libraries in northwestern New Jersey. The funds, designated as a supplemental grant-in-aid under the Division of State Library, will help the Alliance maintain services like technology support, programming, and cost-sharing for its 50+ member libraries. These libraries serve over 700,000 patrons across 100+ municipalities in Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Union, and Warren counties.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allocate $7.5 million annually from constitutionally dedicated Corporation Business Tax (CBT) revenue to preserve land in New Jersey's Highlands Region. It redirects $5 million from the existing Green Acres program (for recreation and conservation) and $2.5 million from the Farmland Preservation program into a new Highlands Preservation Fund managed by the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. The fund will be used to acquire land for recreation, conservation, and farmland preservation through fee simple purchases, conservation easements, and development rights. The bill specifies that funds can't be used for contaminated land or land already preserved, and prioritizes areas identified in the Highlands regional master plan.