Asm. Carmen Morales

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a three-year School Supervisor Mentorship Pilot Program to support new school supervisors in their first year of leadership. It directly affects "novice supervisors" - certified individuals newly assigned to oversee teaching staff - in public school districts, charter schools, and renaissance schools statewide. The program requires the Commissioner of Education to partner with a nonprofit to provide each participant with at least 15 hours of mentoring and additional professional development over one school year, while ensuring geographic and demographic diversity in participant selection. The state appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund to cover program costs, and the Commissioner must report to the Governor and Legislature on the program's effectiveness and recommendations for continuation after the pilot ends.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends a pause on collecting new student growth objective data for teacher evaluations in New Jersey schools. It applies to the 2024-2025 school year and subsequent years until the next revision of education regulations (N.J.A.C.6A:10). During this pause, school districts must use existing student growth data from the previous year for evaluations, though new teachers or those without prior data must still set objectives and collect data during this period. The pause ends once updated evaluation guidelines are implemented following recommendations from the New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force. This directly affects teachers, principals, and school districts in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a symbolic resolution designating June 2025 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in New Jersey. It does not create new laws or affect specific groups through policy changes; instead, it formally recognizes the contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals to New Jersey society. The resolution urges public officials and citizens to commemorate the month with appropriate activities. It follows the state's longstanding commitment to inclusivity and aligns with federal Pride Month designations. (Note: As a procedural resolution, it has no legal force beyond symbolic recognition.)

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a one-year pilot program in New Jersey public schools to provide tourniquets and bleeding control training for school staff. School districts applying for the program must ensure each school in their district has at least one accessible tourniquet (stored in an unlocked, sign-marked location) during school hours and school events. The Department of Education will train school nurses, resource officers, and teaching staff on tourniquet use and bleeding control techniques, potentially through a contracted expert organization. At the program's conclusion, the Commissioner of Education must submit a report to the Governor and Legislature recommending whether to adopt the program statewide.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey electric utilities to obtain a certificate from the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) before starting new transmission lines or modifying existing ones (except for projects already approved by PJM Interconnection). Utilities must submit an application with necessary details and pay a fee, and the BPU must review the request within 150 days (with a possible 75-day extension), evaluating if the project is necessary, cost-effective, and financially feasible for both the utility and its customers. If approved, the BPU authorizes the project and sets a completion timeline, ensuring projects align with reliability and cost-efficiency standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires most New Jersey retail stores to disclose the percentage or dollar amount of a product's price affected by tariffs on in-store tags, online listings, or sales receipts. It exempts small businesses with under $500,000 in annual revenue and products where tariffs contribute less than 2% to the final price. The state's Consumer Affairs Director will establish specific rules for calculating and displaying tariff impacts, and retailers must undergo periodic audits to ensure compliance. Violations could result in fines up to $500 per incident.

Maddy summaryAssembly Resolution 192 urges the New Jersey Department of Agriculture to support increased local grape production and the use of locally grown fruits in wines made within the state. It specifically encourages the Department to expand existing efforts like research, promotion, and flexibility for wineries facing crop challenges (e.g., pests or weather), which currently generate over $30 million annually for New Jersey’s wine industry. The resolution highlights that grape production lags behind rising wine demand despite the state ranking in the top 10 nationally for wine output. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws but formally recommends reinforcing current programs administered by the Department and the New Jersey Wine Industry Advisory Council.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill prohibits residential landlords from charging tenants more than $5 per month for using online payment methods to pay rent. Landlords must cover any fees exceeding $5 or reimburse tenants within 10 days, and provide itemized receipts showing compliance with the $5 limit. Violations result in $1,000 penalties per offense, plus attorney fees and other costs that tenants can recover through a private lawsuit. The law applies to all residential landlords and tenants using online rent payment systems in New Jersey. It aims to prevent excessive fees that disproportionately impact low-income and fixed-income renters.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's Long Term Tax Exemption Law to require municipal tax collectors who receive payments in lieu of taxes from urban renewal projects to directly transmit 5% of those payments to counties on specific dates (February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1), with the remittance due on the 15th of each month when tax installments are paid. Municipalities that fail to make these payments on time must pay 1% monthly interest on the unpaid balance, plus legal fees and court costs. The bill affects municipal tax collectors, counties receiving the funds, and urban renewal entities that make these payments. This change ensures more timely and direct county receipt of the 5% remittance required by the law.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A5263) requires public and charter schools to offer parents a no-fee option for paying for school meals, field trips, activity fees, and other school-related expenses. It mandates that schools provide clear information about all fees charged by third-party online payment systems and disclose the availability of the no-fee alternative. Schools must also include this fee transparency in all payment requests sent to parents. The bill applies immediately to all school districts and charter schools, ensuring families can access fee-free payment methods without hidden costs.