Asm. Ellen Park

Maddy summaryThis bill would amend New Jersey's Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) rules to include pay for extracurricular activities in teachers' pension calculations. Currently, additional compensation for duties like coaching sports teams, directing school plays, or supervising clubs is not counted toward pension benefits. The bill changes the definition of "compensation" to include remuneration for extracurricular activities beyond the regular school day or year. This change would affect teachers who receive extra pay for these activities, potentially increasing their future pension benefits. The bill applies to all teachers whose extracurricular duties qualify under the new definition.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates May of each year as "Water Safety Month" in New Jersey to raise public awareness about preventing water-related accidents and drownings. It specifically encourages the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE), in consultation with the Department of Health, to provide resources to public schools for water safety education programs targeting students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Schools may partner with nonprofit organizations to hold presentations and activities during this month, focusing on age-appropriate safety practices. The bill cites CDC data showing drowning as a leading cause of death for young children to justify its purpose. It does not create new legal requirements but promotes educational outreach through existing state departments.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's child endangerment statute (N.J.S.2C:24-4) to explicitly include harmful social media conduct. It makes it a crime for anyone to knowingly use social media in a way likely to harm a child's physical, mental, or moral welfare, or to direct a child into dangerous activities. Violators face penalties based on their relationship to the child: second-degree offenses (5-10 years prison, up to $150,000 fine) if they have a legal duty of care, or third-degree offenses (3-5 years prison, up to $15,000 fine) otherwise. The law applies to all social media platforms and covers actions like posting content that endangers children, regardless of whether the user intended harm.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey state agencies to extend the 60-day cure period for certain business violations by an additional 30 days, if the agency determines denial would be contrary to equity and good conscience. It applies to businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees (or equivalent) facing first-time violations that don’t endanger public safety, harm the environment, or affect employee income. The extension applies only to violations not related to criminal activity, intentional acts, labor laws, or federal program requirements. Agencies must provide written notice of the violation to trigger the cure period, and must report waived infractions annually on their public websites. The bill amends existing law (P.L.2023, c.28) to add this extension provision.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's child endangerment statute to specifically address AI technology that can simulate sexual conduct with children. It creates a new fourth-degree crime for anyone who knowingly or recklessly causes or allows a child to be subjected to such AI-generated sexual conduct through the creation, control, possession, or promotion of the technology. The law includes an exception for AI systems designed to prevent sexual interaction with children, and violations would be punishable by up to 18 months in prison or a $10,000 fine. This amendment targets situations where AI chatbots or similar technology are deliberately programmed to engage in sexual interactions with children, as highlighted in recent reports.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires courts to inform victims and abusers about counseling services for children who were physically present during or witnessed domestic violence. It establishes a legal presumption that custody should be awarded to the domestic violence victim (the non-abusive parent) in appropriate cases. Courts can now order counseling for affected children as part of domestic violence protection orders. The bill also expands court authority to require psychological evaluations and other protective measures. These changes aim to better protect children and victims in domestic violence cases by addressing their specific needs.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 3663 requires the Department of State to create a public "Reproductive Health Travel Advisory" for residents. The advisory will inform pregnant New Jersey residents about state laws restricting reproductive healthcare access in other U.S. states, using a color-coded system: Blue (full access), Yellow (restricted access), and Red (extreme restrictions risking health or legal consequences). The advisory must be published online and updated whenever other states change their reproductive healthcare laws. This bill directly affects pregnant New Jersey residents planning travel who may need emergency reproductive care.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires landlords in New Jersey to disclose lead drinking water hazards to tenants before lease agreements, including information about lead service lines, building construction dates (pre-1986 properties may contain lead), and recent lead exceedance notices. Landlords must provide a standardized disclosure statement within 90 days of the bill's effective date, with exemptions for newer buildings (post-1986), lead-safe properties, and seasonal rentals. Tenants can request free lead testing from water systems, which must test annually upon request (or every 60 days if lead levels exceed standards), and landlords cannot obstruct replacement of lead service lines - tenants may terminate leases without penalty if obstruction occurs. Violations carry fines up to $1,000 for repeated non-compliance.

Maddy summaryThe "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act" (S 3309) requires used car dealers to check for open recalls on vehicles before sale using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website and provide prospective buyers with printed recall information if any are found. Dealers cannot sell vehicles subject to stop-sale or do-not-drive notices issued by NHTSA. The bill mandates dealers to report vehicles with unresolved recalls (for which repairs remain uncompleted six months after initial notice) to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission every 180 days, prompting the Commission to send notices directly to vehicle owners. For vehicles with unavailable parts for recalls, dealers receive monthly compensation equal to 1.75% of the vehicle's value until repairs are completed.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) to issue an annual report on compensation awards to crime victims. The report must detail the number of applications granted or denied (with reasons), award amounts, demographics of recipients, services covered, and office funding, and must be submitted to the Governor and Legislature within six months after each fiscal year ends. The report will also be published on the Department of Law and Public Safety's website for public access. This formalizes an existing reporting practice without changing eligibility or funding for victims.