Asm. Heather Simmons

Maddy summaryThis non-binding New Jersey Assembly Resolution (AR 166) urges the Miss America Organization to return the annual pageant to Atlantic City for 2025 and future years. It cites the pageant’s historical origins in Atlantic City since 1921, its 10-year hosting there from 2013 to 2024, and its role in awarding over $150 million in scholarships since 1945. The resolution specifically requests the organization host the event in Atlantic City, noting its long-standing ties to the city. It does not impose legal requirements but expresses the legislature’s preference based on the pageant’s historical significance to Atlantic City.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey Assembly Resolution (AR 158) urges generative AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google to voluntarily commit to protecting employees who report safety concerns. It asks companies to: establish anonymous channels for employees to raise risk-related issues with boards or regulators, prohibit retaliation for speaking out, and provide legal and technical safe harbor for employees conducting good-faith safety evaluations without fear of account suspension or legal action. The resolution directly affects current and former employees of AI companies who might want to disclose risks like misinformation, bias, or system flaws. It is not a binding law but a call for companies to adopt specific protections to enable safer AI development, emphasizing that employees possess critical knowledge about AI risks but face barriers like confidentiality agreements.

Maddy summaryThis bill caps annual electricity rate increases for low- and middle-income households at the rate of inflation (measured by the Consumer Price Index). It defines "low-income" as households earning up to 200% of the federal poverty level and "middle-income" as up to 400% of that level. Utilities must not raise rates for these households beyond the previous year's inflation rate, and violations trigger fines set by the Board of Public Utilities. Utilities must annually report program coverage, financial impact, and improvement suggestions to the Board, which then submits a summary to the Legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes New Jersey's "Car Insurance Reduction Act," requiring auto insurers to stop using credit history, education, or occupation when setting rates or classifying drivers. Insurers must provide policyholders with clear online explanations of how premiums are calculated - including whether non-driving factors were used - and allow customers to compare coverage options and estimated costs on their websites. The law also mandates premium discounts for safe driving behavior, potentially using telematics devices to track driving habits, and requires insurers to share fraud-detection data with state agencies. These changes directly affect all auto insurers writing policies in New Jersey and their customers, aiming to increase transparency and reward safe driving.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes mandatory support programs for toddlers and children aged 3-5 who are deaf or hard of hearing and receiving early intervention services. It requires two annual meetings per year between the child, parent/guardian, and a language team (including a pediatric audiologist, teacher of the deaf, deaf mentor, and speech pathologist) until language development benchmarks are met. Parents/guardians must be paired with a trained deaf mentor who shares lived experience and actively supports language development. Children are automatically enrolled in these services unless parents decline, with programs transitioning from the Department of Health (under age 3) to the Department of Education (ages 3-5) until kindergarten entry.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a 10% tax credit against New Jersey's corporation business tax and gross income tax for commercial farm operators who donate eligible fruits and vegetables (fit for human consumption) to qualifying charitable organizations in New Jersey. To claim the credit, farms must obtain written verification from the charity detailing the donation's value, quantity, and origin, and submit it with their tax return. Unused credits can be carried forward for up to five years, but the total credit cannot exceed 50% of a farm's tax liability for the period. The bill also requires the state tax division to publish annual reports tracking credit usage, donation volumes, and beneficiary organizations.

Maddy summaryThis bill reinstates automatic cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirement benefits of certain retired police and firefighters in New Jersey's Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS). It applies specifically to members who have been retired and receiving benefits for at least 10 years, excluding those hired after the bill's effective date, those in deferred retirement, and those with 20-24 years of service. The COLAs are tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners, with benefits up to $75,000 receiving full adjustment, while higher benefits are capped at a 1% annual increase. The $75,000 threshold will adjust annually based on inflation, and the bill requires the Legislature to appropriate funds to cover both state and local costs for these adjustments.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Jersey's Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) to provide current non-retired members and those applying for retirement after the bill's effective date with the same benefits as members enrolled before July 1, 2007. It eliminates tiered membership by moving all current TPAF members to Tier 1, requires public employers to enroll eligible employees (earning above minimum salary but not meeting hour requirements) in TPAF, and allows Defined Contribution Retirement Program participants to transfer service credit to TPAF without transferring contributions. Participants in the Defined Contribution Retirement Program have six months to opt out of the transfer after receiving notice. These changes apply only to retirement applications processed after the bill becomes law.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies New Jersey's Farmland Assessment Act of 1964 by stating that land taxed at agricultural rates will not trigger additional "roll-back" taxes if farming stops due to retirement, disability, or similar reasons - without actively converting the land to non-farming use (like building homes or commercial sites). Roll-back taxes, which equal the difference between the lower farmland tax rate and the standard rate for non-farm land, are only required when the land is actively changed to non-agricultural purposes. The bill also maintains existing exemptions for land acquired by government or conservation groups for parks and recreation. This update aligns with a 1981 court ruling that deemed it unfair to penalize farmers who cease farming without altering land use.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A5101 would eliminate the requirement for remote sellers and out-of-state corporations to collect sales tax or pay corporate business tax based on the number of transactions in the state. Currently, sellers must collect tax if they exceed $100,000 in revenue *or* have 200+ transactions in New Jersey; this bill removes the transaction threshold, leaving only the $100,000 revenue requirement. It directly affects online retailers and businesses selling digital products or services into New Jersey without a physical presence. The change simplifies tax collection obligations by focusing solely on revenue volume rather than transaction volume for both sales tax and corporate business tax purposes. This applies to all sales occurring after the bill's effective date.