Asm. Shanique Speight

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts sales of materials, supplies, and services used in building or improving affordable housing projects from New Jersey's sales and use tax. It specifically applies to projects where all housing units are intended for moderate, low, or very low-income residents, as defined by state law. The exemption covers transactions with contractors or repairmen for these projects, reducing development costs for housing sponsors. This expands existing tax exemptions to include a new category of affordable housing developments.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies New Jersey tax law to allow developers building new affordable housing to use an alternative depreciation method for construction costs. It directly affects developers constructing qualifying affordable housing projects, defined as developments with at least 20% units for households earning ≤80% of regional median income. The key provision lets taxpayers depreciate a percentage of eligible construction costs over 10 years, calculated as 2 multiplied by (affordable units divided by total units in the development). This change applies to projects starting construction after the bill's effective date, with costs incurred for developments placed in service after 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires drivers in New Jersey to exercise caution when passing specific road users. It expands the definition of "pedestrian" to include workers, emergency responders, and people using mobility devices (like wheelchairs or scooters), and defines "personal conveyance" to cover devices such as electric scooters, skateboards, and mobility aids. Drivers must either change lanes, maintain at least four feet of distance, or reduce speed to 25 mph when passing these individuals. Violations result in fines of $100 (no points) or $500 (with points) if bodily injury occurs.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey Assembly Resolution (AR 108) urges the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to establish an inpatient hospital facility at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. It directly addresses veterans in southern New Jersey, where 119,200 residents live across eight counties and currently lack local inpatient VA care - forcing many to travel hours to facilities like the outdated East Orange Veterans Medical Center. The resolution highlights that establishing the facility at the base would reduce travel times (currently multiple hours for some veterans) and leverage existing veteran services at the location. As a non-binding request, it formally asks the VA to consider this action and will be sent to the VA Secretary and New Jersey’s congressional delegation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Governor to allocate federal and state disaster aid to municipalities based on the actual amount of physical damage each suffered, rather than distributing funds by county. It directly affects towns and cities impacted by disasters, ensuring residents and businesses in the hardest-hit areas receive aid proportional to their damage. The key provision mandates that when allocating Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds or state relief, the Governor must prioritize municipalities in direct proportion to their documented physical damage. This aims to correct past imbalances where some heavily damaged municipalities received less aid than less-damaged ones within the same designated counties. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryAssembly Resolution 107 urges the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to redirect funding away from current transportation providers for disabled veterans and instead support existing county paratransit services and non-profit organizations (like ARC of New Jersey and Easterseals) that already provide transportation for seniors and people with disabilities. It specifically addresses disabled veterans in New Jersey - approximately 53,000 with service-connected disabilities - who use VA medical centers in East Orange and Lyons, where current transportation has been reported as inadequate (leaving veterans stranded for hours or overnight). The resolution proposes that VA funding enable these established networks to expand their services to cover veterans’ medical travel needs, rather than relying on underfunded or inconsistent VA or volunteer-provided transport. This is a non-binding request to the VA, not a legislative mandate.

Maddy summaryAssembly Bill A4092 establishes a nine-member study commission to analyze how a 2017 Medicaid reimbursement rate increase for nursing home personal care services (P.L.2017, c.239, as amended by P.L.2019, c.275) affected nursing homes in New Jersey. The commission will examine impacts on nursing home operations, staffing compliance, financial health, resident costs, closures, and whether the rate change required reallocation of state funds. It includes representatives from nursing home operators, Medicaid policy experts, and state health/human services officials. The commission must submit a report with findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within 12 months of its first meeting.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force to study and evaluate the state's current teacher and administrator evaluation system under the TEACHNJ Act. The 12-member task force, including educators, principals, and education organization representatives, must report findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by September 30, 2024. It temporarily pauses new student growth data collection for the 2024-2025 school year, requiring schools to use existing data instead - except for new, non-tenured, or first-year teachers who must set new objectives during that year. Starting in 2025-2026, school districts will implement updated data collection guidelines based on the task force's final recommendations. The bill directly affects all public school teachers, principals, and administrators in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires the Department of Health to expand perinatal mental health services and mandates that all health insurers cover screening for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. The bill affects women during preconception, pregnancy, and the first year after birth, requiring insurers to cover these screenings using specific medical codes. Key provisions include developing a referral network for mental health services, creating a resource guide for patients, and requiring health care professionals to complete continuing education on perinatal mental health. The bill applies to all health insurance plans, including Medicaid, health maintenance organizations, and employer-sponsored plans, with implementation beginning four months after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis symbolic Assembly Resolution (AR 122) condemns the Alabama Supreme Court ruling in *LePage v. Mobile Infirmary Clinic* (which treats embryos as "extrauterine children") and federal bill H.R. 431 (which would extend constitutional personhood to embryos from fertilization). It reaffirms New Jersey’s existing protections for reproductive health care access, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), which the state already supports through laws requiring insurance coverage for fertility services. The resolution does not create new legal requirements but publicly opposes actions that threaten IVF access and reproductive freedom. New Jersey has previously enacted measures to shield patients and providers from out-of-state prosecution for legally accessed reproductive care.