Asm. Shanique Speight

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 13-member Youth Sports Task Force in New Jersey to study and address issues in youth sports. The task force, appointed by legislative leaders and the Governor, includes experts on bullying, parents/guardians of athletes, youth victims of bullying, and coaches representing different youth sports settings. It will examine specific issues including protecting athletes from unscrupulous for-profit sports entities, financial oversight for youth sports organizations, coach training to recognize bullying, parent education on abusive coaching, and safeguarding sports officials from abuse. The task force must issue a final report with recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within one year of its formation, after which it will expire.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey nursing homes to create detailed outbreak response plans within 180 days of the law taking effect. These plans must include protocols for isolating infected residents, notifying families and staff, monitoring for illness, reporting to health officials, and securing additional staff during outbreaks. Nursing homes must also establish an infection prevention committee with a dedicated infection preventionist (trained in infection control and qualified with five years' experience or certification). The Department of Health will verify compliance, enforce penalties for non-compliance, and require annual training exercises to test the plans.

Maddy summaryThis bill excludes environmentally sensitive and flood-prone land from being counted as "vacant" for affordable housing requirements under New Jersey's Fair Housing Act. It specifically applies to land regulated by agencies like the Highlands Water Protection Council (for Highlands Preservation/Planning Areas), the Flood Hazard Area Control Act, or the Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act. Municipalities must no longer count such land toward their affordable housing obligation, meaning they aren't required to use these areas for housing projects. The change clarifies that land under active state or federal environmental regulation - such as wetlands, flood zones, or conservation areas - is automatically excluded from housing calculations.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the New Jersey Higher Education Student Advisory Commission, composed of 14 student members representing all types of higher education institutions (state colleges, public research universities, county colleges, independent colleges, and proprietary schools). The commission will advise the Secretary of Higher Education on student concerns including college affordability, mental health, and campus safety. Members serve one-year terms and must submit applications detailing campus leadership experience. The commission will annually report to the state legislature on student perspectives and may propose legislative recommendations.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A4120 prohibits public libraries (including county, regional, and municipal types) and school districts from banning or restricting access to books based on political or religious views. It requires these entities to adopt the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights or a similar policy explicitly banning such restrictions. Noncompliant libraries risk losing state library aid, while noncompliant school districts could face withheld education funding. The law explicitly states it does not require libraries or schools to purchase specific books for their collections.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4103) expands eligibility for New Jersey's disability parking permits to include individuals diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), or Crohn's disease, as certified by specific licensed medical professionals. It amends existing law to add these conditions to the definition of "person with a disability" for parking purposes, allowing affected individuals to obtain disability license plates, identification cards, and placards. The bill directly affects New Jersey residents with these chronic digestive conditions who experience mobility challenges or urgent restroom needs during flare-ups. Certification must come from a physician with a plenary license, military physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner licensed in New Jersey or a bordering state. The bill was introduced in the Assembly on April 4, 2024, and referred to the Transportation Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey municipalities to authorize their municipal clerks, rather than the full governing body, to provide written statements supporting affordable housing projects. This change would make it easier for housing projects to qualify for state funding from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund by accepting a clerk's statement instead of requiring a formal resolution from the entire municipal council. The bill also streamlines the application process for housing loans by allowing the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) to accept the clerk's statement as proof of municipal need. It applies to any affordable housing project that conforms to the municipality's fair share housing plan. The bill is designed to simplify the process for communities to support affordable housing development without requiring full council approval for every project.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows for-profit organizations that provide low- and moderate-income housing to join with non-profit housing groups and housing authorities in shared insurance funds. It defines eligible for-profit entities as those focused on housing developments under state fair share plans or federal Section 8 programs. The shared funds cannot include municipalities, school boards, or offer health/life insurance to employees, but may provide environmental liability coverage or join higher-level insurance pools for excess risks. This changes how these housing entities access insurance options under existing law, without creating new funding or a pilot program.

Maddy summaryThis bill abolishes New Jersey's Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) and replaces its system with a new municipal framework for meeting affordable housing obligations. Municipalities must now determine their own "fair share" of low- and moderate-income housing through binding resolutions, using state-published calculations, while allowing advocates to contest these determinations. The law appropriates $16 million for housing programs to support new construction and rehabilitation of substandard housing, particularly in urban areas. It directly affects all New Jersey municipalities and low-to-moderate-income residents seeking housing, ending regional contribution agreements and establishing clearer deadlines to prevent previous compliance gaps.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 1422) modifies state tax rules to encourage new affordable housing development. It allows developers to deduct a larger portion of construction costs over a 10-year period based on the percentage of affordable units in a project - specifically, 2 times the ratio of affordable units to total units. To qualify, projects must include at least 20% affordable units (for households earning ≤80% of regional median income), avoid federal/subsidy funding for affordable units, and begin construction after the bill's effective date. The change applies to eligible construction costs for developments completed in the 2025 tax year and later.