Asm. Jay Webber

Maddy summaryThis bill creates anonymous safe havens for abandoned pets by allowing anyone to leave domestic companion animals (like dogs or cats) at shelters, veterinary hospitals, or police stations without disclosing their identity or providing animal history. Facilities must accept the animals and provide necessary care, but are not required to reunite them with owners or attempt to identify previous caregivers. It also mandates public education through school materials for grades 3-12 and a 24-hour hotline to inform people about the safe haven process. The law directly affects pet owners unable to care for their animals and facilities that receive abandoned pets, aiming to prevent unnecessary suffering.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 20-year adverse possession standard for most property owners in New Jersey, meaning someone who openly and continuously occupies land for 20 years may gain full ownership if they meet specific conditions (actual, notorious, uninterrupted possession). It includes a special 40-year rule for properties that were once tidal-flowed but are no longer tidal, requiring 40 years of possession plus tax payments. The bill explicitly protects public entities (like government agencies, utilities, and public trust properties) from adverse possession claims, ensuring these properties remain accessible for public use. It repeals conflicting existing statutes and clarifies that the 20-year rule applies to property owners who have held land for decades, particularly benefiting homeowners in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy who faced difficulties securing repairs due to state tidelands claims.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement to join a national or multi-state self-exclusion program for casino gambling. It enables individuals who want to voluntarily ban themselves from casinos to use a single form to exclude themselves across multiple states, rather than submitting separate requests to each state. The bill requires the division to create forms and procedures ensuring people can select which states they want excluded from, and explicitly prohibits sharing their personal information without their direct consent. This directly affects gamblers seeking to self-exclude from casinos in multiple jurisdictions.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires public school districts to allow home-schooled students to join school-sponsored activities like sports, clubs, music, and theater in their resident district, using the same rules as enrolled students. To participate, home-schooled students must prove residency, meet eligibility requirements, and follow district policies. The bill specifically prohibits students from switching to home-schooling solely to play sports, and it mandates that districts provide home-schooled students access to required physical exams if offered to public school students. It takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's professional licensing boards to issue licenses to veterans who hold a valid, good-standing license in another state, regardless of when they earned it during or after military service. To qualify, veterans must provide proof of honorable discharge, evidence their out-of-state license is current, and meet all other standard requirements like exams. The law mandates boards to evaluate equivalent training/experience without requiring the same number of hours as local applicants. It directly helps veterans licensed in other states who face barriers to working in New Jersey due to differing licensing standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill renames the Morris Plains rail station to "Frank J. Druetzler Station - Morris Plains, New Jersey" to honor his 32-year service as mayor and contributions to the community. It requires NJ Transit to use private funding - such as gifts or grants from non-profits - for signage, prohibiting public funds from covering these costs. The designation is purely commemorative, with no changes to transit operations or services. The bill follows standard practice for naming public facilities after notable individuals.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Commissioner of Health to create a "Count the Kicks" public awareness campaign. It directly affects pregnant women in New Jersey by providing information on tracking fetal movements in the third trimester, including why movement matters for fetal health, how to monitor kicks per medical guidelines, and the correlation between tracking and reduced stillbirth risk. The campaign must be available online in English and Spanish and distributed through healthcare providers, WIC centers, pharmacies, libraries, and community organizations. The Commissioner must also report on the campaign's progress to the Governor and Legislature within two years. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's assault statute to elevate certain assaults against specific healthcare workers to aggravated assault. It directly affects direct care workers at State or county psychiatric hospitals, developmental centers, or veterans' homes who are clearly performing their duties. The key provision (added as subsection b(5)(k)) makes it aggravated assault to intentionally cause bodily injury to these workers while they're identifiable in their roles, increasing penalties. The law does not cover disabled individuals as victims but protects the workers who support them. The bill is currently pending before the Assembly Judiciary Committee after introduction on January 13, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's State Police hiring rules to extend the maximum age limit for applicants with military service. Currently, applicants must be under 35; this bill allows the maximum age to increase by one year for each year of active military service, up to a total six-year extension (max age 41). It directly affects veterans seeking to join the New Jersey State Police by making them eligible at older ages. The change applies to all applicants who completed active duty service in any U.S. military branch, without requiring additional qualifications beyond the existing fitness and examination standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill bans lawsuits claiming "wrongful birth" (that a child should not have been born) or "wrongful life" (that a child's life is not worth living). It directly affects parents who might sue healthcare providers over birth outcomes and healthcare providers facing such lawsuits. The law prohibits these specific claims but allows lawsuits for intentional misrepresentation or standard negligence (like medical errors). It takes effect immediately for all cases filed after its enactment.