Asm. Aura Dunn

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public schools to include data on graduates' post-high school pathways in their annual performance reports ("report cards"). Specifically, schools must report the number and percentage of students achieving "positive placement" after graduation, including those entering apprenticeships. The requirement applies to all schools and districts, adding this metric to existing report card content like graduation rates and college enrollment. The change aligns with current reporting standards for student outcomes and takes effect for the first full school year after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Governor to appoint a Chief Accountability Officer (CAO) who will directly oversee multiple state oversight roles, including ombudsmen, compliance officers, and comptrollers across agencies like Transportation, Education, and Human Services. The CAO must coordinate these officers' work through regular meetings (at least twice yearly) to prevent duplication, share information, and ensure audits and investigations follow state laws and professional standards. The CAO will also establish the office's internal structure, require cooperation from all state agencies, and submit annual public reports to the Governor and Legislature. This position aims to improve coordination and efficiency among existing oversight bodies without altering their core responsibilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's State Auditor to conduct a performance audit of the Division of Unemployment Insurance (DUI) within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The audit must examine how the division uses federal and state funds, whether staffing levels meet its legal duties, the efficiency of its operations (especially during emergencies), and evaluate its IT system's replacement costs. The State Auditor must submit a report to the Governor and Legislature within 90 days of the bill's effective date. The audit directly affects the DUI division's operations and compliance, with findings potentially guiding future resource allocation and system improvements.

Maddy summaryThis bill would make tuition free at New Jersey's four-year public colleges for spouses and dependent children of disabled veterans who have applied for all other eligible state, federal, and Veterans Affairs benefits. To qualify, students must be accepted as undergraduates in good standing, have applied for all available financial aid, and meet classroom space requirements. The state would reimburse colleges for waived tuition costs. A "disabled veteran" is defined as someone with a VA-certified service-related disability.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A902) requires all New Jersey public school districts to close on days of general and primary elections, replacing current law that allows school boards to decide. It directly affects school districts statewide by mandating closures on these specific election days instead of leaving the decision to individual boards. The law takes effect immediately upon passage, changing the school calendar requirement for election days.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill establishes a legal presumption that joint legal and physical custody is in a child's best interest, meaning courts must assume both parents should share decision-making authority and the child should spend equal or nearly equal time with each parent. A parent seeking to avoid joint custody must provide clear and convincing evidence that it would harm the child, and the court must document its reasoning if it deviates from this presumption. The bill does not change the requirement that custody arrangements must align with the child's best interests but shifts the starting point for court decisions to joint custody. It applies to all child custody cases in New Jersey and takes effect immediately.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's child tax credit to include taxpayers with children aged six through eleven, currently only covering children under six. Eligibility remains tied to New Jersey taxable income of $80,000 or less, with credits ranging from $200 to $1,000 based on income levels (e.g., $1,000 for income under $30,000). The change applies to tax years beginning January 1, 2023, and does not alter existing income thresholds or refundability rules. It directly affects New Jersey resident taxpayers with children in this age group who meet the income criteria.

Maddy summaryThis bill redirects fines collected from people convicted of "prostitution as a patron" (paying for sex) to the existing Human Trafficking Survivor's Assistance Fund. Specifically, it requires municipal courts to send these fines directly to the state Treasury for deposit into the fund, instead of the local treasury. The fund, established in 2013, uses these monies to provide services for trafficking victims, promote awareness, and develop educational materials. This policy change applies only to fines from the specific offense of paying for sex, not other prostitution-related crimes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey colleges and universities to maintain a supply of naloxone nasal spray (an opioid overdose reversal medication) in secure but accessible campus locations and develop specific emergency response policies. The policy must designate a licensed medical professional to oversee naloxone use, permit trained staff (including resident assistants) to administer it in good faith during suspected overdoses, and mandate hospital transport after administration. Institutions must also provide required training on naloxone protocols to designated personnel, with liability protection for good-faith actions. The bill specifically exempts licensed athletic trainers from violating their licensure act when using naloxone under these protocols.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows state employees who were temporarily working at New Jersey psychiatric hospitals or correctional facilities before joining the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) to apply for accidental disability benefits if injured during that temporary employment. It deems injuries sustained while performing duties (e.g., as nurses, correction officers, or healthcare workers) at those facilities as occurring "during membership" for PERS benefit eligibility, even if the injury happened before PERS enrollment. The change applies retroactively to January 1, 2003, and covers employees who later become PERS members without interruption in their job. This specifically affects temporary workers in state psychiatric or correctional facilities who were previously ineligible for PERS disability benefits after becoming members.