Asm. Julio Marenco

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill sets standards for how law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and emergency management offices can use drones. It generally requires law enforcement to obtain a warrant before conducting drone surveillance, with exceptions for search and rescue operations (like missing persons or Amber Alerts), written consent from property owners, or urgent situations where obtaining a warrant would be unreasonable. The bill also mandates that any drone recordings unrelated to investigations be deleted within 14 days, requires strict data protection, annual drone inspections, and prohibits drones from being equipped with weapons designed to harm people.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to offer the driver's license knowledge test in Italian. It would restore a language option that the MVC eliminated in recent years, as the current law mandates the test be available in English and the three most commonly spoken foreign languages in the state. The MVC would need to specifically add Italian to its language options for the knowledge test. This change would directly affect Italian-speaking residents applying for driver's licenses in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThe Palisades Cliffs Protection and Planning Act establishes a Palisades Cliffs Preservation Council with 10 members appointed by municipalities along the Palisades cliffs. It creates a "Palisades Planning Region" extending up to 2000 feet east of the cliff crest and sets height restrictions for development to preserve views of the Hudson River. The council will review development applications and create model land use regulations to prevent overdevelopment. This bill directly affects the 10 municipalities along the Palisades cliffs: Jersey City, Hoboken, Union City, North Bergen, Weehawken, West New York, Guttenberg, Cliffside Park, Edgewater, and Fort Lee. The council must report annually to local governments and counties about its activities and financial operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow New Jersey courts to modify alimony awards when the recipient spouse begins cohabiting with another person, rather than just suspending or terminating payments. Currently, courts can stop alimony payments upon cohabitation but cannot adjust the amount. The bill requires courts to consider factors like intertwined finances, shared living expenses, and whether the cohabitation has reduced the recipient's financial needs. It would not affect existing court orders or agreements about cohabitation that were already established in final judgments or written agreements.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new first-degree crime called "home invasion" for entering a residence with intent to commit certain serious crimes (like robbery, sexual assault, or kidnapping) while another person is present and using force, threats, or being armed. It mandates a 10-30 year prison sentence with 85% served without parole under the No Early Release Act. Additionally, it upgrades burglary of a residence to a second-degree crime if anyone other than the offender is present in the home (regardless of the offender’s knowledge), increasing the maximum sentence from 5 years to 10 years. These changes directly affect individuals committing such offenses in residential settings.

Maddy summaryBill A2774 requires New Jersey's general hospitals to create private bereavement areas for individuals receiving upsetting news about family members in care, including death notifications. Licensed hospitals must designate at least one private room for this purpose, as directed by the Commissioner of Health. The policy applies to all general hospitals operating under New Jersey law and takes effect 180 days after enactment. This is a concrete policy change mandating physical space for grief support during critical hospital moments.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A1368 allows municipalities to create rules for events organized online but held in person. It authorizes cities to require businesses hosting such events to pay a registration fee of up to $5 per attendee, collected from the businesses. The fees must cover public costs like safety and crowd management for large gatherings. The bill takes immediate effect and does not change existing laws about event safety or liability.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides free admission to New Jersey State parks, forests, and beaches for two groups: (1) all New Jersey-resident veterans (defined as honorably discharged service members), and (2) active-duty military personnel (including reserves) who are either New Jersey residents or stationed in the state. It expands existing exemptions that previously covered only National Guard members after basic training, seniors 62+, and disabled residents. The bill amends current law to remove residency barriers for active military personnel and explicitly includes all veterans under the free access provision. The policy change takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey law to authorize current members of the New Jersey State Legislature to solemnize marriages and civil unions while serving in office. It directly affects all sitting state assembly members and senators, adding them to the existing list of authorized officiants (which includes judges, clergy, and certified civil celebrants). The key mechanism is an amendment to Section 37:1-13, explicitly including "every current member of the New Jersey State Legislature" in the list of individuals permitted to legally officiate weddings. This is a procedural change to officiant qualifications, not a substantive shift in marriage law.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new third-degree crime for knowingly filing false reports or providing false information to law enforcement with the purpose of implicating an officer in a crime, offense, or professional misconduct that would lead to disciplinary action. It directly affects individuals who make such false reports against police officers, potentially facing up to 5 years in prison or a $15,000 fine. The law establishes this as a separate offense that does not merge with existing crimes for falsely incriminating others (third degree) or filing fictitious reports (fourth degree). The bill amends New Jersey Statute 2C:28-4 to clarify this new provision, which would apply immediately if enacted.