Asm. Carmen Morales

Maddy summaryThis bill reduces the daily surcharge for rental motor vehicles in New Jersey from $5 to $2 per day. It directly affects rental car companies and drivers who rent vehicles in the state, lowering rental costs by $3 per day for each rental period. The $2 daily fee will continue to be collected and deposited into the New Jersey Domestic Security Account, which funds emergency medical disaster preparedness, security at nuclear facilities, State Police security services, and counter-terrorism programs. The legislation reverses a 2006 increase that raised the fee to $5 per day while maintaining the dedicated funding for security initiatives.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides New Jersey veterans with up to 60 tuition-free college credits at the county college in their county of residence. To qualify, veterans must have applied for all available state and federal education grants/scholarships and VA benefits (like the Post-9/11 GI Bill), be honorably discharged, and be enrolled in good standing at their local county college. Military service credits earned by veterans count toward the 60-credit limit. The bill does not cover non-tuition fees (such as books or housing), which veterans may still need to pay.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the New Jersey Student Emergency Aid Program within the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to provide grants for living expenses to undergraduate students at public colleges facing unexpected financial crises. The program covers costs such as groceries, housing, and medical bills, but explicitly prohibits using the funds to pay tuition or repay student loans. A nonlapsing revolving fund is established with an initial appropriation of $1.5 million from the state General Fund to support these grants. Each public institution will manage its own applications and distribution while adhering to statewide guidelines set by the authority, which also requires annual reporting on program usage and student retention rates.