Asm. Barbara McCann Stamato

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill eliminates the 5-year statute of limitations for the state to collect income tax from taxpayers who received an erroneous refund due to a fraudulent return. Under the new law, the Division of Taxation can assess additional tax at any time if the refund resulted from a false or fraudulent return filed with intent to evade tax - aligning this treatment with the existing rule for fraudulent returns (which already has no time limit). The bill explicitly excludes cases of negligence, honest mistakes, or reliance on incorrect advice, focusing only on intentional fraud. It applies retroactively to assessments made within the 5 years preceding its enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Jersey's legal terminology by replacing "child pornography" with "child sexual abuse or exploitation material" (CSAEM) throughout state statutes. The change affects multiple sections of law including those related to crimes, sex offender registration, employment disqualifications, and educational programs. The purpose is to use more accurate language that reflects the reality of these crimes and avoids implying consent from victims. The sponsor states this terminology update is not intended to change the substance of the law, but to make the language more consistent with current understanding and international standards. The bill corrects technical inconsistencies in existing statutes while maintaining the same legal protections and penalties.

Maddy summaryThis bill bans the sale, distribution, import, or manufacture of children's products intended for children under six that contain lead, mercury, or cadmium. It requires manufacturers to issue immediate recalls if they discover such products, and retailers must remove recalled items from shelves within 48 hours and return inventory within 14 business days at the manufacturer's cost. Manufacturers must then destroy recalled products within 60 business days to prevent public access. Violations carry penalties including fines up to $20,000 for initial offenses, or criminal charges with up to 10 years in prison for repeated failures.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2188, now P.L.2024, c.66) requires large public water systems (serving over 100 connections and using surface or groundwater) and certain buildings to prevent Legionnaires' disease outbreaks. It mandates maintaining minimum disinfectant levels (0.3 mg/L chlorine or 1.0 mg/L chloramine) and creating annual maintenance plans to reduce Legionella bacteria risks. Water systems must report disruptions to the state within 72 hours and implement flushing, testing, and infrastructure upgrades. The state will create a public dashboard showing disruption reports and adopt rules for compliance, with penalties for violations like failing to meet disinfectant standards. The law directly affects water system operators and building owners, aiming to improve water safety through specific, measurable requirements.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's "Design Professional Self-Certification Act" (A4360, now law as P.L.2024, c.58) creates a program allowing licensed architects and professional engineers to self-certify that certain construction projects comply with building codes. It directly affects qualified design professionals who can now submit construction permit applications with self-certification forms for eligible projects (like renovations under specific size limits for residential or commercial buildings), bypassing full code reviews by local agencies. Local building departments must then conduct a simple "supervisory check" to confirm all required documents are present and issue permits - same as before - within 1-5 days. This applies only to projects not excluded (e.g., structural alterations requiring special inspections, new kitchens, or electrical upgrades over 400 amps), with the Department of Community Affairs setting qualification rules.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill revises property tax lien foreclosure procedures to align with a recent Supreme Court ruling requiring property owners to retain equity beyond unpaid taxes. It allows property owners to protect remaining property equity by requesting a judicial sale (like mortgage foreclosures) or online auction through the county sheriff within 45 days of receiving foreclosure notice. If owners don't make this request, lien holders (municipalities or private investors) can take full property title without conducting a sale. Lien holders must clearly inform property owners about this option in bold text with foreclosure notices. The bill ensures any surplus funds from a sale would go to the property owner after lien holders are paid.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public water systems to maintain a minimum free chlorine residual of 0.3 milligrams per liter at all times and conduct regular testing to prevent Legionella bacteria growth. It mandates water system operators to provide written notice to customers about disruptions that could increase Legionella risk and report such disruptions to the Department of Environmental Protection within 24 hours. Certain buildings - including hospitals, facilities treating immunocompromised individuals, buildings with spas or cooling towers, and structures over 10 stories - must implement water management programs following ASHRAE standards to minimize Legionella transmission. Building owners who fail to comply face penalties up to $2,000 for first violations and $10,000 for violations causing serious injury or death. The Department of Health must investigate Legionnaires' disease cases, develop public awareness campaigns, and publish annual reports on cases and prevention efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires social media companies with at least 5 million global users to implement specific safety measures for minors. Key provisions include developing algorithms to detect inappropriate adult-minor interactions (like private messaging), creating real-time monitoring systems to flag and report such activity, and restricting minors' accounts from appearing in search results unless the searcher is already connected to them. It also mandates geo-fencing to block minors from accessing inappropriate content and requires verification (via government ID) for accounts using a minor's name or likeness in over 25% of sponsored content, adding a public "adult" banner to verified accounts. Enforcement falls to New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs, with fines up to $2,500 per violation or private lawsuits allowing individuals to seek $2,500 per violation or actual damages.

Maddy summaryThis Assembly Resolution (AR 145) urges Congress and the President to pass the "Social Security Fairness Act," which would repeal two federal rules affecting Social Security benefits. Specifically, it seeks to eliminate the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for public employees - like police, firefighters, and some local government workers - who also receive government pensions (e.g., from New Jersey’s Police and Firemen’s Retirement System). These rules currently prevent affected retirees in New Jersey from collecting full Social Security benefits they earned through payroll taxes, with 4,126 NJ retirees impacted by GPO and 22,689 by WEP. The resolution does not create new law but formally requests federal action to address these provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes New Jersey's "Reproductive Health Care Access Fund" to improve access to abortion and related reproductive health services. The fund will directly support clinics and providers by funding three programs: (1) clinical training for health care professionals to expand provider capacity, (2) security grants for clinics facing threats like violence or cyberattacks, and (3) loans for facility renovations, technology, and staff retention. It targets gaps identified in southern New Jersey counties with no abortion providers and addresses security risks reported by clinics. Funding comes from the state General Fund, with specific allocations for each program’s implementation.