Asm. Aura Dunn

Maddy summaryThis bill (A3243) directs New Jersey's Commissioner of Education to create guidelines for incorporating outdoor education into public school curricula. The guidelines must specify ways to expand outdoor learning opportunities - such as field trips - and provide resources and training for teachers on outdoor learning practices. School districts are encouraged, subject to available funding, to adopt these guidelines for elementary and secondary students. The bill takes effect immediately for the first full school year after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Children and Families (DCF) to allow children in its care and their families to access essential services - including crisis intervention, mental health care, financial aid, and housing support - remotely via phone or video during the COVID-19 public health emergency. It also mandates the Department of Education (DOE) to provide remote child abuse prevention education to students and families through online programs, covering topics like recognizing abuse, reporting procedures, and accessing DCF resources. School districts must implement remote attendance tracking policies, including notifying parents about absences and contacting DCF if unexplained absences persist. The bill applies directly to children under DCF supervision, their families, and public school students receiving remote instruction. All provisions are limited to the duration of the declared public health emergency.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows small private theaters (with seating under 400 people) that regularly host paid live musical or theatrical performances to obtain an alcohol retail license. Currently, only nonprofit theaters with 1,000+ seats can get a similar "theater license" under New Jersey law. The bill creates a new category for incorporated private theater entities meeting these size and performance criteria, enabling them to serve alcohol during shows and for two hours before/after. Municipalities must approve the license with the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control's consent, but the license won't count toward municipal license limits.

Maddy summaryAJR 79 is a New Jersey joint resolution designating September 22nd of each year as "Veterans Suicide Awareness & Remembrance Day." It does not create new programs but establishes an annual observance to raise public awareness about suicide risks among veterans and active military personnel. The resolution requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation encouraging state officials and citizens to observe the day with activities honoring veterans who died by suicide and supporting those at risk. This designation aims to reduce stigma around mental health treatment and highlight existing resources provided by the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and other organizations. The resolution originated from a veteran's initiative to memorialize those lost to suicide, including Senior Airman Robert McRae Dean.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new packaging requirements for cannabis products to prevent appeal to minors, prohibiting designs that might attract children (such as toys, cartoon characters, or candy-like features) and requiring clear consumer warnings with poison control contact information. It creates a new disorderly persons offense for individuals who know or should reasonably know that a minor (defined as under 16) is likely to gain access to improperly stored cannabis at their premises. The penalties for this offense mirror those for providing alcohol to minors. The bill also codifies existing packaging and labeling regulations from the Cannabis Regulatory Commission to ensure consistent safety standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the income limit for certain sources of income that disqualify New Jersey taxpayers from claiming a retirement income exclusion. Currently, individuals aged 62+ cannot claim the exclusion if they earn over $3,000 from sources like wages or business income; the bill raises this threshold to $25,000. However, taxpayers with total gross income exceeding $100,000 remain ineligible for the exclusion regardless of this change. The bill directly affects New Jersey residents aged 62+ receiving retirement income who also earn income from other sources.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides supplemental state school aid to New Jersey school districts that experienced reduced state funding between the 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 school years due to the state's school funding formula. It requires the state to restore the full amount of aid that was reduced during those years, to be paid in the 2022-2023 school year. The bill specifically applies to districts that had a positive State aid differential or met certain ratio thresholds under the School Funding Reform Act of 2008. This change directly affects eligible school districts by returning previously reduced funding without altering the underlying funding formula.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a four-year "VETeach Pilot Program" within New Jersey's Department of Education to help veterans become certified teachers. It directly affects veterans who served in the U.S. military on or after September 11, 2001, by providing them with a 36-month teacher preparation program at Rowan University. The program leads to a teaching certification allowing veterans to work in K-8 classrooms and certain secondary subjects, addressing teacher shortages while supporting veteran employment. Upon completion, the program requires a report on participant enrollment, hiring rates, and recommendations for potential permanent expansion.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's endangering welfare of a child law (N.J.S.2C:24-4) to specifically criminalize parents or caregivers who unlawfully use, manufacture, or distribute drugs while a child is present. It makes violating drug laws (N.J.S.2C:35-5 or N.J.S.2C:35-10) in a child's presence a third-degree crime (if manufacturing/distributing) or fourth-degree crime (if possessing/using), separate from the underlying drug offense. The law directly affects parents or caregivers with legal responsibility for a child who commit drug-related actions in the child's presence. The policy change adds a distinct criminal penalty for exposing children to drug activity, without altering existing drug offense penalties.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public school districts to adopt a suicide prevention policy covering prevention (proactive measures to identify risk), intervention (response to suicidal behavior), and postvention (support after a suicide attempt or death). The New Jersey Department of Education must create a model policy to guide school boards, which must develop their own policies in consultation with mental health experts and community stakeholders. School boards must post their adopted policies online and notify students, parents, and guardians of their availability. The policy must address all three areas (prevention, intervention, postvention) and specifically consider the needs of high-risk student groups.