Asm. Clinton Calabrese

Maddy summaryThis bill requires sellers to attach a red tag with the warning "UNPLUG WHEN NOT IN USE" to the charging cord of certain electric products. It applies to low-speed electric bicycles, scooters, motorized bicycles/scooters/skateboards, and their lithium-ion or storage batteries before sale or distribution. The Division of Consumer Affairs must provide a model tag on its website for compliance. The law takes effect 180 days after enactment, directly affecting retailers and distributors of these products.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create a program allowing qualified entities - including local governments, nonprofits, and individuals - to lease state-owned land for developing and managing pollinator habitat. The DEP must establish rules (in consultation with the Department of Agriculture) to identify suitable land and select appropriate lessees, focusing on areas beneficial for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The program requires no new taxes or fees but formalizes how state land can be used to support pollinator conservation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to restore in-person service levels to 2019 standards by increasing staffing, expanding service hours, and adjusting appointment scheduling. Specifically, the MVC Chief Administrator must report staffing needs within 15 days and demonstrate progress on hiring, service hours, and reducing wait time differences (to no more than three days across service types) within 90 days. The bill expires when full-time staffing and service volumes return to 2019 levels or on the final day of the fourth state fiscal year after enactment, whichever comes first. It directly affects MVC operations and New Jersey residents seeking motor vehicle services.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA) to create a free website connecting eligible businesses and organizations with suppliers for their specific needs. It directly affects entities in tech and science sectors like biotechnology, renewable energy, and advanced computing - such as businesses, research facilities, and nonprofits - that can post needs (e.g., equipment, labor, space) and find matching suppliers. The website must also list public and private funding sources, including state/federal grants, to help these entities access resources. The EDA must develop and maintain this tool, prioritizing the needs of these eligible groups. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A1539, "Safe Mobility Education Act") requires public schools to teach pedestrian, cycling, and motor vehicle safety to all students in grades K-12. It mandates the State Board of Education to update curriculum standards to include age-appropriate lessons on topics like bike safety rules, helmet use, visibility gear, legal responsibilities, and consequences of traffic violations. School districts must implement this curriculum starting in the first full school year after the standards are updated, and teachers must complete a required professional development module on the topic. The bill directly affects New Jersey public school students, educators, and school districts through mandatory curriculum changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public water systems in New Jersey to provide specific notices when issuing or lifting a boil water advisory. It mandates that water systems notify municipal officials (mayors/clerks) within one hour, schools (districts, charter, nonpublic) and customers within 24 hours, and post updates on their websites/social media. Notices must include affected areas, corrective actions, and contact information for questions. Water systems must also collect customers' preferred contact methods (phone, email, text) via water bills to improve future notifications. The law directly affects public water systems, local governments, schools, and residential customers during water safety emergencies.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires insurers to obtain prior approval from the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance for rates on group-based long-term care insurance policies, expanding an existing requirement that previously applied only to individual policies. It directly affects insurance companies selling group long-term care plans in New Jersey. The key change mandates that all group rate filings must demonstrate compliance with state loss ratio standards and that rates are not excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory - aligning group policies with the same regulatory review as individual policies.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows supermarkets in New Jersey to sell alcoholic beverages manufactured within the state. It creates a new "plenary retail distribution license" specifically for grocery stores, enabling them to sell locally produced beer, wine, and spirits in original containers for off-premise consumption (e.g., at home). The license excludes sales of alcohol in grocery stores that also operate as restaurants or hotels. This change directly affects supermarkets and New Jersey beverage producers, expanding where locally made alcohol can be sold without requiring on-site consumption. The bill amends existing licensing rules (R.S.33:1-12) to add this grocery-specific provision.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 2066) establishes the "New Jersey STEM Scholars Grant Pilot Program" to provide competitive grants to public school districts, renaissance schools, and charter schools. The program funds three specific STEM education approaches: project-based learning, after-school STEM activities, and out-of-school STEM experiences. Schools applying must detail how funds will enhance existing programs or create new ones, recruit students, support educators, and ensure long-term sustainability. Grants must supplement, not replace, existing STEM funding and are subject to annual state appropriations. The program runs for four years, with funding sourced from state appropriations and private donations.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes an exemption in New Jersey's Smoke-Free Air Act that previously allowed smoking in casinos and casino simulcasting facilities. Currently, these venues could permit smoking in areas used for gambling (like slot machine rooms or table games), but the bill would eliminate that exception. After passage, all indoor areas of casinos and simulcasting facilities open to the public for gambling would be required to be smoke-free. This change aligns these venues with the state's general indoor smoking ban, which applies to most public workplaces and spaces.