Asm. Sean Kean

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Office of Tourism Research within New Jersey's Division of Travel and Tourism to improve the state's tourism strategy. The office will build a database tracking potential travelers (including age, interests, and geographic location within 500 miles of New Jersey) and conduct ongoing surveys on marketing effectiveness, hotel occupancy, and tourism sector performance. It requires cataloging tourism assets by sector - such as heritage sites, sports venues, retail areas, and agricultural attractions - to inform marketing efforts. The office will also develop a comprehensive marketing plan for the state, targeting both domestic and international markets.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts most fishing methods within 300 feet of New Jersey's Sandy Hook and Axel Carlson artificial reef sites, allowing only rod-and-reel, hand line, spear, or gig fishing outside designated areas. It specifically permits commercial fishing (with limits) in small, defined sections of these reefs - using precise coordinates - to balance conservation and fishing access. Key provisions include capping lobster pots at 75 per area (25 per line), requiring weekly checks, banning lobster fishing November 1-December 15, and restricting other fish pots May 15-October 1 in those zones. The bill also mandates a new pot management plan within one year to regulate commercial use of these reefs.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 1630) establishes rules for school-based health centers in New Jersey school districts. It allows school boards to partner with health providers to set up clinics on school property, but requires centers to operate separately from schools and maintain student privacy. Key provisions include mandatory parental written consent with parent presence for minor students, voluntary participation, no incentives for enrollment, and ensuring health records stay private (not part of school records). The bill directly affects school districts, health providers, and students by setting clear operational standards for these health services.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill amends the existing Advance Directives for Health Care Act to require health care representatives making decisions for incapacitated patients to consider the patient's religious beliefs alongside the patient's best interests. It directly affects patients who have appointed a health care representative through an advance directive but lack decision-making capacity. The key change adds "in accordance with the patient’s religious beliefs" to the current standard where representatives must decide based on what the patient would have wanted or in their best interests. The amendment does not override existing requirements for informed consent or the representative's duty to act in good faith. The bill is currently awaiting review by the Assembly Health Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows members of New Jersey's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) who participated in 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations to qualify for accidental disability retirement benefits. It presumes that disabilities resulting from these operations - such as respiratory illnesses, PTSD, or skin conditions - are work-related, eliminating the need to prove direct connection to duties. To qualify, members must have worked at least eight hours at the site between September 11-12, 2001, or have a documented injury preventing them from completing eight hours. The change applies specifically to disabilities linked to 9/11 exposure, streamlining eligibility for affected first responders and workers.

Maddy summaryAJR 16 designates March 16 as "Paws Healing Heroes Day" in New Jersey to recognize service dogs' role in assisting veterans with conditions like PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), military sexual trauma, and seizure disorders. The resolution requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation to promote public awareness, highlighting that service dog training costs $3,000-$5,000 (not covered by veterans' benefits) and relies on nonprofit organizations like Paws Healing Heroes. This ceremonial resolution does not create new funding or legal requirements but aims to honor the support service dogs provide to veterans.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1183) amends New Jersey's gross income tax code to exclude certain retirement contributions from taxable income. It directly affects New Jersey residents who contribute to qualified pension plans, deferred compensation plans, or certain individual retirement savings accounts (like IRAs). The key provision allows these specific contributions to be excluded when calculating taxable income, reducing the tax burden for eligible individuals. The bill creates a new deduction for eligible retirement savings, aligning New Jersey tax treatment more closely with federal rules for these contributions. This is a procedural tax code change with no new programs or funding mechanisms.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to develop a plan for two artificial reefs within state waters (within three nautical miles of the coast) within one year of enactment. The plan must consider fishing history and both commercial/recreational uses of the sites, while the DEP will also establish rules governing the number of fish and lobster pots allowed on these reefs. Currently, 17 artificial reefs exist off New Jersey's coast - only the two within state waters are directly affected by this bill, though the DEP may seek to extend similar management to 15 federal reef sites via the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The law focuses on creating clear usage rules for existing reefs to balance fishing activities with conservation.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts certain county property sales from existing requirements, specifically when selling to local government entities with directly elected governing bodies. It removes the need for counties to prepare environmental reports, hold public hearings, or make sales details publicly available for sales to municipalities, Type II school districts, or other local units created by a municipality or county (like special districts) where officials are elected by voters. The exemption applies to property sales no longer needed for county purposes, streamlining the process for these specific transactions. The bill does not change requirements for sales to non-elected entities or general public sales.

Maddy summaryThis is a symbolic resolution (AR 28) passed by the New Jersey Assembly, not a binding law. It urges the federal government to approve construction of oil and natural gas pipelines within the U.S., specifically referencing pipelines that were previously shut down or denied approval (like the Keystone XL Pipeline). The resolution states it seeks to advance U.S. energy independence, lower fuel costs, and reduce reliance on foreign energy sources from regions like Russia and Venezuela. It has no legal effect and does not change any existing pipeline approvals or regulations.