Asm. Aura Dunn

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health care professionals to provide new or expecting parents with positive prenatal or postnatal test results for conditions like Down syndrome with specific, evidence-based information about outcomes and referrals to support services. It mandates the establishment of a state hotline, updated website resources, expanded peer support programs, and provider networks offering current information on living with diagnosed conditions. The Department of Health must coordinate these services, prioritize partnerships with disability advocacy groups, and align with the federal Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act. The law applies directly to parents receiving positive test results and health care providers who deliver those results.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A3209) requires that resource family parents, relatives, preadoptive parents, or caretakers be made formal parties to any review or hearing involving a child under the care of the Division of Child Protection and Permanency. Currently, these caregivers can receive notice and be heard at such proceedings but are not formally made parties. The bill amends sections of P.L.1999, c.53 and P.L.1977, c.424 to ensure these individuals have formal standing in court proceedings regarding the child in their care. This change directly affects children in foster care and their non-biological caregivers who provide daily care.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides free entry to New Jersey State parks, forests, and certain historic sites for qualifying veterans on Veterans Day (November 11 or a designated date). It directly affects New Jersey residents who are honorably discharged veterans from the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard, or American Merchant Marine (WWII). Key provisions require state parks/forests, historic properties funded by state bonds (like Green Acres), and county/municipal historic sites to waive admission fees for veterans on Veterans Day, with veterans needing to show proof of service. The policy expands existing free access for veterans at state parks to include additional historic properties and sites.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's child care subsidy payments to licensed centers and registered family day care providers to be based solely on the number of enrolled eligible children, not on actual attendance each day. It also mandates that staffing ratios for these providers must be calculated using enrollment numbers, not attendance, to maintain consistent care standards. The bill makes permanent a temporary rule (P.L.2021, c.324) that was scheduled to expire on June 30, 2022, ensuring subsidy calculations remain enrollment-based moving forward. The Department of Human Services must adopt new rules to implement these changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey Transit (NJT) to expand or modify routes and hours for its motorbus, paratransit, and rail services - including light rail - within one year of the bill's effective date to better serve people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. NJT must first seek input from autistic individuals and their advocates before making any changes. The bill also mandates annual consultations with these stakeholders to assess whether current service hours and routes adequately meet mobility needs and whether further adjustments are needed. It directly affects NJT’s service planning and autistic riders in New Jersey. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to review all public services it currently offers that aren't available online. Within six months, the MVC must study which services can be provided online (checking for federal law conflicts), then submit a report to the Governor and Legislature within nine months. The MVC must then make all feasible services available online within three years of the bill's effective date. This directly affects New Jersey drivers and vehicle owners who use MVC services, such as license renewals or registration, by shifting them to digital access where possible.

Maddy summaryThis bill would provide New Jersey businesses with tax credits for hiring members of the New Jersey National Guard or military reserves (the reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces). Businesses would earn a $1,500 credit for each service member not returned from deployment and $2,500 for each who has returned, applicable against corporation business tax or gross income tax. The credits cannot reduce a business's tax liability below zero. The policy aims to incentivize hiring military service members by offering direct financial benefits to employers.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from charging fees for mobile sportfishing vehicle permits to eligible residents, including veterans, active military members, current/former NJ National Guard/Reserve members, and volunteer emergency workers. It allows these individuals to obtain one free permit per vehicle for operating motor vehicles on designated fishing beaches at state parks, while still requiring compliance with all other permit rules and safety regulations. The DEP must establish verification processes to confirm eligibility, such as proof of military service or volunteer status. The fee exemption applies only to resident permits and does not alter existing fishing regulations or safety requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the State of New Jersey to create a searchable public finance website displaying annual state revenue, expenditures, and bonded indebtedness data for fiscal year 2013 and subsequent years. It mandates that public entities receiving state funds - including counties, municipalities, school boards, and authorities - must establish similar websites showing their financial data within 180 days of the state website's implementation. The bill creates a Public Finance Transparency Committee to advise on website content and appropriates up to $100,000 annually from the General Fund to help public entities cover implementation costs. All data must be updated annually and made publicly accessible without charge, though the state is not required to include information not available in existing accounting systems or that would violate privacy laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2613) requires candidates for New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) positions involving school facility access to undergo criminal history background checks. Applicants must provide written consent, pay for the check, and submit fingerprints; the DOE will use existing public school employment standards (from P.L.1986, c.116) to determine disqualification for specific crimes. If a conviction for disqualifying offenses is found, the DOE cannot hire the candidate. The bill also mandates ongoing checks: if an employee later faces a conviction for disqualifying crimes, they lose eligibility for school-access roles. This applies only to positions requiring school facility entry, not all DOE employment.