Asm. Aura Dunn

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a program offering financial support to licensed mental health professionals in New Jersey who provide full-time services to children and adolescents. Eligible professionals can receive up to $1,000 annually toward student loan repayment (max 4 years) and a $1,000 annual gross income tax credit for working in qualifying roles. To qualify, applicants must be NJ residents, hold relevant licenses, work full-time serving youth, and have outstanding student loans without default. The program requires annual verification of residency, employment, and loan balance, with penalties for false claims.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school boards to give hiring preference to veterans for teaching positions when veterans are equally qualified as other candidates in all measurable criteria. It applies to all public school districts except those using Civil Service rules (Title 11A), where existing civil service veteran preference provisions would take precedence for classified staff. The preference is limited to the hiring process itself and does not guarantee employment. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires certain individuals to undergo child abuse record checks before working in specific roles. It applies to public school employees (including current staff within five years), school bus drivers (before hiring and during license renewal), and youth camp employees or candidates. Applicants must provide written consent and pay for the check, conducted by the Department of Children and Families. If substantiated child abuse allegations are found, the individual is permanently disqualified from these positions. The bill takes immediate effect, with current school staff checks to be completed within five years.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey mail-in ballot outer envelopes from displaying any visible political affiliation or designation. It affects all voters who participate in mail-in elections across the state. The key provision requires county clerks to ensure both the outer envelope and the envelope used to mail ballot materials to voters don't contain political party information on their exterior. This change applies to all mail-in ballots, including those for primary elections. The policy aims to maintain voter privacy by preventing political information from being visible on ballot envelopes.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey to issue special childhood cancer awareness license plates for motor vehicles. Vehicle owners who choose these plates would pay a $50 one-time application fee and a $10 annual renewal fee, with the excess funds (after covering production and administrative costs) deposited into a dedicated fund for childhood cancer research. The fund, managed by the state, would annually provide grants to the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research. The program requires the WITH Grace Initiative to secure initial funding (up to $25,000) and 500 applications before plates are issued, and it can be discontinued if costs exceed fees for two consecutive years.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A3211 requires the Department of Human Services (DHS) to contract with service dog training agencies to provide psychiatric service dogs at no cost to eligible frontline workers suffering from pandemic-related PTSD. It directly affects New Jersey residents who are first responders, healthcare workers, or other frontline workers, and who have a medical certification of PTSD linked to the COVID-19 pandemic under federal disability law. Eligible individuals must apply through DHS, receive the dog at no cost, register it locally, and cover ongoing care costs, while having the option to keep the dog or return it to DHS for retraining. The bill defines PTSD broadly using DSM criteria and specifies that dogs must be trained to assist with symptoms like anxiety, flashbacks, or sensory overload. This policy creates a structured state-funded program to support mental health recovery for pandemic-exposed workers.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A1339 prohibits the online posting or publication of personal identifying information - including home addresses and photos - about judicial officers (federal, state, or local judges) and their immediate family members, unless done with intent to harass or risk harm. It makes reckless violations a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months in jail or $10,000 fine) and purposeful violations a third-degree crime (3-5 years in jail or $15,000 fine). The bill also allows victims to sue for $1,000 per violation plus damages, attorney fees, and other relief, and requires government agencies to get written permission before publishing such information online. This directly affects judges, their families, and anyone sharing their personal details online with harmful intent.

Maddy summaryACR 101 requires New Jersey state legislators and their spouses to annually disclose all public employment held during the previous year. Starting May 15 each year, members must file a public employment disclosure statement with the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards, including details about any government jobs, positions, or public-sector roles held by themselves or their spouse. Legislators must also report any new or terminated public employment within 30 days as an addendum to their annual filing. This bill amends the 2008 Legislative Code of Ethics to expand transparency requirements beyond financial disclosures to specifically cover public employment status. It directly affects all current and future members of the New Jersey General Assembly and Senate and their spouses.

Maddy summaryACR 102 is a non-binding resolution urging New Jersey's Department of Education to impose a two-year moratorium on developing or implementing new Student Learning Standards. It requests this pause due to recent adoption of standards in 2020, parent concerns about current standards, and pandemic-related learning loss. The resolution does not change existing standards but asks the Department to halt new standards development while the Legislature considers related bills addressing learning loss. This affects the Department's curriculum planning process during the moratorium period.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey taxpayers to claim a state income tax deduction for charitable donations made to qualifying New Jersey-based organizations. It mirrors the federal deduction limit (under IRS Section 170) for donations that would be deductible on federal returns, without requiring taxpayers to itemize federal deductions. To qualify, organizations must be registered under New Jersey's Charitable Registration Act or meet specific in-state presence requirements (maintaining an office, employing staff, and providing services in New Jersey). The deduction applies to donations made in tax years beginning January 1 following enactment.