Asm. Brian Bergen

Maddy summaryACR 33 proposes a constitutional amendment allowing New Jersey municipalities to offer a partial property tax exemption on the primary residence of volunteer firefighters and first responders. The exemption would cover up to 10% of a home's assessed value, with each municipality setting the exact percentage through local ordinance. To qualify, the volunteer must be actively serving in a local fire company or first aid/rescue squad that serves the municipality and live in the home as their primary residence. The state would not provide reimbursement to municipalities for any lost tax revenue from this exemption.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2737) allows New Jersey public school districts to permit certain students not enrolled in public school to participate in high school interscholastic athletics within their district of residence. It enables nonpublic school students, homeschooled students, and charter school students to join district sports teams if their current school doesn't sponsor the sport and the district can't field a team due to declining interest or budget constraints. The bill requires districts to verify students meet standard eligibility requirements and permits districts to charge fees based on actual costs, except for students with financial hardship as defined by state lunch program standards. It also allows public high schools within the same district to form cooperative sports programs when one school can't field a team.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1108) excludes unemployment benefit payments made to workers laid off due to pandemic-related business closures from the calculation of employers' future unemployment insurance contribution rates in New Jersey. It directly affects New Jersey employers who had to lay off staff during the state of emergency declared March 9, 2020, related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under current law, these layoffs would have increased an employer's future insurance costs based on their "experience rating," but this bill removes pandemic-related claims from that calculation. The change takes effect immediately, preventing pandemic layoffs from raising future employer contribution rates.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey taxpayers to deduct the fair market value of cars, boats, or planes they donate to law enforcement agencies (like police departments or state police) from their state income tax. To claim a deduction over $500, donors must provide an independent appraisal, and agencies must give written confirmation including vehicle details and value. The deduction cannot reduce taxable income below zero, and agencies are not required to accept donated vehicles.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts qualified veterans from paying application and issuance fees for firearm-related permits and licenses in New Jersey. It removes fees for firearms purchaser identification cards ($5), handgun purchase permits ($2), handgun carry permits ($20), and machine gun/assault firearm licenses ($75). Qualified veterans are defined as New Jersey residents certified by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs as having service-connected disabilities, or recipients of the Medal of Honor or Purple Heart Medal. The bill amends New Jersey's firearm laws to waive these fees for eligible veterans while maintaining all other requirements for firearm permits and licenses. This change applies to all firearm-related applications submitted to either the Superintendent of State Police or local police departments.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the BRAVE Act, requires New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to prioritize vendors with higher percentages of veteran employees when awarding contracts for goods or services. Specifically, for each contract, the DMVA must compare the top three vendors based on the percentage of their full-time employees who are veterans (defined as honorably discharged veterans or disabled veterans certified by the VA), and award the contract to the vendor with the highest percentage. Vendors must submit employee data, which the DMVA must verify within 30 days; false claims can result in a five-year contract ban for the vendor and its principals. The bill directly affects businesses seeking DMVA contracts and aims to support veteran employment by creating a financial incentive for hiring veterans.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2663) allows New Jersey taxpayers to deduct charitable contributions of food from business inventory on their state gross income tax return. It directly affects businesses that donate food (meeting quality standards but not readily marketable due to appearance, age, or other conditions) to IRS-qualified charities. The deduction mirrors the federal tax deduction for such contributions as it existed in 2013, applying regardless of whether the taxpayer claims the federal itemized deduction. The policy change simplifies state tax treatment for businesses donating excess food inventory to charities, aligning New Jersey's law with federal practice.

Maddy summaryThis Assembly Resolution (AR 81) honors the life and contributions of baseball legend Hank Aaron, recognizing his historic career and civil rights advocacy. It specifically highlights his record-breaking 755 home runs, his overcoming of racism during his career - including threats while chasing Babe Ruth's home run record - and his post-baseball work with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Introduced by Assemblymen Bergen and Spearman, the resolution serves as a symbolic tribute with no legal effect or policy changes. It commemorates Aaron's legacy without imposing any new requirements or affecting specific groups.

Maddy summaryAJR 82 designates May 27 of each year as "Richard Rescorla Day" in New Jersey to honor the late Vietnam War veteran and 9/11 hero Richard Rescorla, who saved 2,700 Morgan Stanley employees during the 9/11 attacks before perishing in the World Trade Center collapse. The resolution requests the Governor to issue an annual proclamation encouraging public recognition of Rescorla's service and sacrifice. This is a commemorative measure with no new policies, funding, or obligations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to deploy mobile service units when physical agencies are overcrowded and causing customer delays. If mobile units are insufficient for all crowded locations, the MVC must prioritize their use to serve the most people or reduce wait times most effectively. The mobile units are defined as portable vehicles providing standard MVC services like license renewals and registrations. This directly affects MVC customers facing long in-person wait times and sets a new operational requirement for the MVC.