Asm. Clinton Calabrese

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey law enforcement officers to complete training on interacting with people experiencing behavioral health crises, such as mental illness or substance use disorders. The training curriculum, developed by the Department of Law and Public Safety with the Department of Human Services, covers recognizing symptoms, de-escalating situations, suicide prevention, understanding common medications, identifying community resources, and state standards for involuntary treatment. It mandates specific content including behavioral health disorder recognition, interview techniques, medication effects, and local treatment options. The Attorney General may issue guidelines for implementing this training, which applies to all officers encountering such situations. The bill aims to improve officer responses during mental health crises through standardized, evidence-based training.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands workers' compensation coverage for cardiovascular or cerebrovascular injuries or deaths occurring during emergency work for public safety personnel. It applies to volunteer and professional firefighters, police, emergency medical technicians (including those employed by private entities), 911 dispatchers, and volunteer emergency management staff. The law creates a rebuttable presumption that such injuries are work-related if they occur during emergency response or within 24 hours of "remediating" (post-emergency protocols). Rebuttal requires clear medical evidence showing work wasn't a substantial cause, or proof of factors like intoxication or self-infliction.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1779) requires businesses and public entities in New Jersey to disclose security breaches involving geolocation data to affected consumers. It amends existing law by adding "geolocation" (the location of an individual determined by electronic devices like phones or tablets) to the definition of "personal information," which already includes Social Security numbers and financial account details. Under this bill, entities that collect geolocation data must notify consumers if a breach compromises that data, aligning geolocation protection with current requirements for other personal information. The law applies to businesses (including corporations and financial institutions) and public entities that maintain such data.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes signature requirements for candidates seeking nomination in municipal primary elections in New Jersey. It specifies that in municipalities with fewer than 7,000 residents (based on the latest federal census), candidates must collect signatures equal to at least 5% of the total votes cast in the previous primary election for that party's General Assembly candidates. This applies only to full-municipality petitions, not to wards or election districts - which retain the existing 5% rule. The change affects candidates running for local office in smaller towns, requiring them to gather fewer signatures than under previous thresholds for those specific municipalities.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A937) expands what certain New Jersey alcohol manufacturers can sell on their premises. It allows limited breweries, wineries producing under 250,000 gallons annually, farm wineries, cideries, meaderies, and craft distilleries to sell each other's products for off-premises consumption. The bill also permits these manufacturers to coordinate with third-party restaurants for food service (without operating restaurants themselves), increases the annual brewing limit for restricted breweries from 10,000 to 50,000 barrels, and removes the requirement for tours to sell products on-site. Additionally, it allows limited breweries to host up to 52 annual on-premises special events and private parties without needing permits or notifying authorities.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the threshold for public contracts requiring competitive bidding in New Jersey. It raises the default limit from $17,500 to $50,000 for most local governments and school districts, allowing contracts under this amount to be awarded without public bidding. For entities with a State-certified purchasing agent, the threshold increases from $25,000 to $100,000. The bill also establishes automatic inflation-based adjustments every five years, rounding to the nearest $1,000, to keep thresholds current. These changes directly affect school boards, counties, and municipalities managing public contracts.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to update safety and power quality standards for connecting Class I renewable energy projects (like residential solar panels and small wind systems) to the electric grid, and to establish a fixed fee structure for interconnection costs. The BPU must adopt new standards within 18 months that align with national models, while creating "grid modernization fees" based on project size - capping residential fees at $50 per kilowatt for systems under 10 kW for the first three years. Utilities may recover costs exceeding these fees through approved rate adjustments if infrastructure upgrades are deemed necessary for public benefit. The BPU must also set maximum interconnection cost thresholds and report on economic impacts and progress toward clean energy goals within one year of implementation.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey employers from refusing to hire or firing employees based on their legal use of cannabis outside of work hours. It allows drug testing only under specific circumstances like reasonable suspicion of impairment during work, observable intoxication, or after work-related accidents. Employers may not conduct pre-employment cannabis testing except for certain safety-sensitive positions involving critical infrastructure, public utilities, transportation safety, or law enforcement where firearms are required. The bill also establishes a certification program for workplace impairment recognition experts to help determine if an employee is impaired by cannabis while on the job. These protections do not apply to employees in jobs where impairment could pose a high risk to safety or public health.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A1133 bill standardizes rules for deploying small wireless facilities (like cell towers on street poles) across the state. It requires local authorities to allow wireless providers to install these facilities on existing poles without special zoning approval, with specific height limits (50 feet or 10% taller than surrounding structures), and sets maximum fees for deployment. The bill prevents local governments from creating exclusive contracts with wireless companies for pole space and establishes clear timelines for permit approvals (60 days for existing structures, 90 days for new poles). It also requires wireless providers to repair any damage to public rights-of-way and to notify authorities before removing facilities.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A3028) requires Internet service providers (ISPs) to follow net neutrality principles before installing broadband infrastructure on poles or underground facilities owned by public utilities or cable companies. Specifically, ISPs must publicly disclose network management practices, stop charging companies for prioritized content delivery ("paid prioritization"), and ensure customers can access all lawful internet content and apps at full speed without discrimination or slowdowns. The law applies to any ISP installing equipment on public utility-owned poles along roads or underground facilities within the state. It directly affects ISPs seeking to expand broadband infrastructure on existing public utility infrastructure.