Asm. Barbara McCann Stamato

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public utilities to charge nonprofit organizations the residential electricity or gas rate - instead of the higher commercial rate - for services at the property where the nonprofit primarily operates, if the residential rate is lower. It applies to organizations recognized as tax-exempt under IRS Section 501(c)(3), such as community centers or shelters. Utilities must create a simple process for nonprofits to verify their status, working with the Board of Public Utilities. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.

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 bill requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services (for SNAP and WFNJ programs) and Department of Health (for WIC) to provide recipients with clear information about card skimming and cloning fraud risks, prevention tips, and how to report stolen benefits. It mandates that both departments establish a process to replace stolen benefits using federal funds first (following federal SNAP rules), then state funds if federal funds are unavailable. The bill also requires departments to work with card vendors to implement security upgrades like microchips, transaction alerts, and usage limits on electronic benefits cards. Additionally, departments must report annually on fraud incidents, replaced benefits, and fraud prevention efforts to the Governor and Legislature.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A4042, the "Municipal and School Board Voting Options Act," allows municipalities and school boards to adopt ranked-choice voting for local elections (mayor, council, school board seats) through voter approval. It permits communities to choose ranked-choice voting via a referendum on an ordinance or a voter-initiated petition requiring 10% of the last General Assembly election votes. The bill defines two counting methods: "instant runoff" for single-winner races (like mayor) and "single transferable vote" for multi-winner races (like at-large council seats), where votes transfer based on voter rankings if no candidate reaches a threshold. This applies only to general elections, not primaries, and requires the Division of Elections to provide implementation guidelines.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's tax lien foreclosure process to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court's Tyler v. Hennepin County decision (2023), which found that taking a property owner's full equity when delinquent on taxes violates the Fifth Amendment. It requires courts to order a judicial sale of the property rather than awarding ownership to the lienholder, with proceeds used to reimburse the lienholder for taxes, interest, and costs before returning any excess to the former property owner. The law applies retroactively to pending cases and affects both municipal and private lienholders. This change prevents "equity theft" by ensuring property owners retain value beyond what they owe in taxes.

Maddy summaryThe Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Prevention Act requires manufacturers and sellers of Internet-connected devices (like smartphones and tablets) sold in New Jersey to include a digital blocking feature that prevents access to obscene material, child exploitation content, and websites involved in human trafficking or prostitution. Companies must ensure the blocking works properly, provide a reporting system for users to flag unblocked obscene content or wrongly blocked material, and actively block child pornography and revenge pornography. Users aged 18+ can disable the blocking by paying a one-time $20 fee, and companies may pay a $20 opt-out fee per device; collected funds support the state’s Commission on Human Trafficking. Violations can result in fines up to $20,000 for repeat offenses, with lawsuits allowed for unreported unblocked content.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and state developmental/psychiatric facilities in New Jersey. It requires specific ratios (such as 1 nurse for every 4 medical/surgical patients, 1 nurse for every 2 critical care patients, and 1 unlicensed personnel for every 7 daytime patients) while mandating hospitals to implement an acuity-based staffing system to ensure adequate staffing levels. Hospitals found in violation may face civil penalties that increase with repeat offenses, with penalty revenue funding a dedicated "Patient Protection and Staffing Fund" to support nursing recruitment, retention, education, and inspector staffing. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Human Services to review staffing standards in developmental centers and psychiatric hospitals to align with these new requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for human trafficking involving children under 18 in New Jersey. It changes the punishment for any trafficking of a child (for sexual activity or forced labor) from a minimum 20-year sentence to life imprisonment without parole. Convicted individuals must also pay fines of at least $25,000, which fund a survivor assistance program. The law applies to all forms of child trafficking, regardless of whether the perpetrator mistakenly believed the child was 18 or older.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public agencies receiving state funds for public work to publicly post on their websites a monthly breakdown of how much of those funds was used for contracts with minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses versus other businesses. If an agency lacks a website, it must submit the data to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, which will post and update it monthly. The Department of Labor must also annually summarize this information in a report to the Governor and Legislature. The requirement applies to all state and local government entities, including departments, boards, and public institutions, but excludes contracts for goods or products.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey private employers to provide employees with two hours of paid leave annually to vote in general elections. Employees must give two business days' notice, and employers must display voting leave rights 10 days before elections. The law excludes construction workers under collective bargaining agreements, per diem healthcare workers, and public employees already receiving paid voting leave. It applies to most private-sector workers in the state, with enforcement tied to existing wage laws.