Asm. Jay Webber

Maddy summaryThe "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act" (S 3309) requires used car dealers to check for open recalls on vehicles before sale using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website and provide prospective buyers with printed recall information if any are found. Dealers cannot sell vehicles subject to stop-sale or do-not-drive notices issued by NHTSA. The bill mandates dealers to report vehicles with unresolved recalls (for which repairs remain uncompleted six months after initial notice) to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission every 180 days, prompting the Commission to send notices directly to vehicle owners. For vehicles with unavailable parts for recalls, dealers receive monthly compensation equal to 1.75% of the vehicle's value until repairs are completed.

Maddy summaryThis is a procedural resolution (not a bill) establishing a special committee. It creates the "Assembly Special Committee on Staten Island Annexation" with 12 members (6 appointed by the Assembly Speaker, 6 by the Minority Leader). The committee's sole purpose is to investigate New Jersey's historical, legal, and geographic claims to Staten Island - including colonial land grants, the 1834 boundary compact, and relevant case law - and to report on lawful avenues for annexation, subject to consent from Staten Island residents, New York State, and Congress. The committee must publish a final report after completing its work.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A3558 bill establishes the state's official definition of antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) standard, including specific examples of antisemitic conduct. State agencies and institutions must use this definition when reviewing, investigating, or deciding on cases involving discriminatory acts motivated by antisemitism. The bill appropriates $100,000 for a public awareness campaign by the Attorney General's office to educate residents on identifying and reporting bias crimes through community outreach and the existing bias crimes hotline. This campaign aims to improve reporting of antisemitic incidents without affecting First Amendment rights or conflicting with existing anti-discrimination laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act" to improve transparency around vehicle recalls and provide fair compensation for dealers. It requires motor vehicle dealers to check for open recalls on used vehicles using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website before sale, inform prospective buyers about any recalls found, and not sell vehicles subject to stop-sale or do-not-drive notices. Dealers must also provide the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission with lists of vehicles with long-unfixed recalls (six months or more), triggering the Commission to send official notices to vehicle owners. The bill also establishes compensation requirements for dealers when parts are unavailable for recalled vehicles, requiring 1.75 percent of the vehicle's value per month for used vehicles or the manufacturer's suggested retail price for new vehicles.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all employees, volunteers, and organizers of youth sports and activity organizations (including for-profit groups) to undergo annual criminal history background checks. It applies to organizations providing recreational, cultural, or social activities for people under 18, excluding public/nonpublic schools. Organizations must request checks through the state, with individuals covering costs (capped at actual expense), while school staff with existing equivalent checks are exempt. Failure to comply results in civil fines up to $1,000 per offense, and knowingly participating while disqualified or ignoring check results is a fourth-degree crime punishable by up to 18 months in prison or a $10,000 fine.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts spouses and dependents of active-duty U.S. military members from paying application fees for professional licenses in New Jersey. It requires licensing boards to add a checkbox on all applications for applicants to indicate military family status. Boards must issue temporary licenses to qualifying military spouses based on their home-state credentials, without charging the standard fee for these licenses. The law applies to all licensed professions regulated by New Jersey boards, effective 90 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A5772, the "Uniform Electronic Wills Act," authorizes individuals to create legally valid wills using digital tools. The bill requires electronic wills to be readable text at signing, signed by the person making the will (or someone acting under their direction), and witnessed by two people physically present with them - remote witnessing is not permitted. It also establishes procedures for notarization, self-proving affidavits, and creating certified paper copies, while ensuring electronic wills are treated equally to paper wills under state law. The law applies immediately to wills of people who die after its effective date.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A1211) upgrades criminal penalties for stealing payment card data and requires merchants to prevent such theft. It increases penalties for using scanning devices to steal card information: first-time use becomes a third-degree crime (up to 5 years in prison), while repeated offenses causing $50,000+ in theft become a second-degree crime (5-10 years). Merchants must implement reasonable security measures like regular terminal inspections, employee training on scanning devices, security cameras, and encryption software, as defined by the Division of Consumer Affairs. The law applies to all businesses accepting payment cards in New Jersey and takes effect seven months after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's bribery statute (N.J.S.2C:27-2) to clarify that it applies to benefits received either before or after an official act. The amendment explicitly states that "benefit as consideration" includes any unauthorized benefit, regardless of timing relative to the act. It directly affects public officials who may accept or offer benefits in exchange for votes, decisions, or duties in government matters. The change responds to a 2024 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limited federal bribery law to pre-act benefits, ensuring New Jersey's law covers all such exchanges.

Maddy summaryS 3466 extends the special appraisal process for Green Acres and farmland preservation programs in the Highlands Region through 2029, requiring landowners to be provided with two appraisal values when selling property for preservation. The bill allocates $7.5 million annually from constitutionally dedicated Corporation Business Tax revenue to the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council for land preservation, with $5 million for recreation and conservation and $2.5 million for farmland preservation. It creates a new "Preserve New Jersey Highlands Preservation Fund" to support land acquisition and conservation efforts in the Highlands Region, including matching federal funding for watershed protection. The bill also requires distributing state aid to municipalities hosting watershed lands that don't receive existing watershed moratorium offset aid.