Asm. Cleopatra Tucker

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A3258 requires all public school districts to add age-appropriate instruction about interacting with law enforcement to Social Studies curriculum, starting immediately. The bill mandates teaching students about law enforcement roles, individual responsibilities to comply with directives, and legal rights during interactions, emphasizing mutual respect. It specifies two curriculum tiers: foundational lessons for K-4 students and more detailed instruction for grades 5-12. An advisory committee - including police unions, civil rights groups, and education organizations - must develop the curriculum, ensuring balanced input on this requirement.

Maddy summaryAJR 91 is a New Jersey legislative resolution calling on Congress to provide funding for three state-operated veteran memorial homes. It specifically requests $15 million in federal funds to cover pandemic-related losses (including staffing costs, PPE, and lost revenue from halted admissions) and to fully rebuild the aging Paramus and Menlo Park facilities, which are decades old compared to Vineland’s 2005 rebuild. The resolution directly affects approximately 950 residents - veterans, spouses, and families of fallen service members - across these homes. The bill does not create new law but urges Congress to act on these financial and infrastructure needs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires owners of multiple dwellings (apartment buildings, etc.) to maintain properties free of bedbugs and respond within 10 days (7 days for seasonal rentals) to tenant reports of infestations. Owners must provide tenants with a bedbug education pamphlet explaining prevention methods, tenant responsibilities, and legal processes, and give 48 hours' notice before entering units for inspections or treatments. Tenants must notify owners in writing of bedbug presence and allow access for eradication efforts. Owners who fail to act face civil penalties up to $300 per unit, and local health boards can step in to handle infestations, with costs later billed to the owner.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires residential mortgage lenders to grant a six-month forbearance period upon written request from borrowers facing foreclosure on "high-risk mortgages," which include subprime loans, interest-only mortgages, or loans with negative amortization. During this period, lenders must pause all foreclosure actions, cannot increase interest rates, and must notify borrowers of their right to forbearance within 30 days of filing a foreclosure complaint. Borrowers must participate in mediation (via the Judiciary's Foreclosure Mediation Program or another option), and lenders must certify documentation accuracy and ownership of the mortgage note to proceed with foreclosure. The forbearance provisions expire two years after enactment, but existing forbearance periods continue in full.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A3170 bill would create special license plates displaying "Combat Action Ribbon" and its emblem for veterans who earned this military award. Applicants must provide proof of receiving the ribbon (via DD-214 form) and pay a $50 application fee plus a $10 annual renewal fee. The fees fund a dedicated account supporting veteran programs, with private donations covering initial costs up to $25,000. The program requires private funding to launch and could end if annual plate costs exceed the $50 fee for two consecutive years.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides a one-time $10,000 deduction from gross income for certain New Jersey taxpayers filing for the 2020 tax year. It directly affects married couples filing jointly, heads of household, and surviving spouses with taxable income under $250,000, as well as single filers, married filing separately, and estates/trusts with taxable income under $125,000. The deduction is applied in addition to existing personal exemptions and is available only for the 2020 tax year. The bill aims to offer tax relief to lower-to-moderate income households following the pandemic.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey Assembly Resolution (AR 90) requests the U.S. Department of Defense to allow transgender veterans to update their DD Form 214 (military discharge document) to reflect their current legal names and genders. It directly affects transgender veterans who face barriers in accessing benefits like medical care, employment preferences, and funeral services due to outdated information on their military records. The resolution asks the DoD to authorize changes to the DD Form 214, which currently cannot be modified after service, to align with veterans' current identities. This would eliminate discrepancies between their military records and current legal documents, reducing denial of benefits and potential discrimination.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a task force within New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to study challenges faced by service members returning from deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, including those in the New Jersey National Guard. The task force, composed of state agency leaders and five public members with relevant expertise (such as mental health support or veteran homelessness), will hold public hearings statewide and review current programs affecting veterans' physical, mental, and social well-being. It must issue a final report with recommendations - including potential legislation - within six months of organizing, with the task force dissolving 30 days after the report is submitted. The bill does not enact new laws but creates a structured process to identify solutions for veterans' needs.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A3158) requires New Jersey's Office of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to submit an annual report to the oversight boards of each veterans' facility. The report must summarize the ombudsman's work related to veterans' facilities, document significant care system issues, analyze trends, and include recommendations to improve care quality and protect residents' rights. It mirrors the existing annual report the ombudsman submits to the Governor and Legislature but specifically targets veterans' facilities. The bill applies to all facilities designated as "veterans' facilities" under state law (P.L.1989, c.162). The report must be submitted by September 30 each year and made publicly available.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A2224) creates a state income tax credit for residents who pay postage to send priority mail packages to active-duty military personnel or National Guard members stationed at any military location, both in the U.S. and abroad. The credit equals the exact postage cost paid for these packages during the taxable year, directly reducing the taxpayer's state income tax bill after other credits are applied. Excess credit amounts result in a refund to the taxpayer. The policy specifically targets postage expenses for sending care packages to service members, with no other eligibility requirements.