Asm. Lisa Swain

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the treatment, discharge, disposal, application to roadways, or storage of wastewater, sludge, drill cuttings, or other byproducts from hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas exploration or production within New Jersey. It applies to all such materials regardless of where the fracking occurred, targeting contaminants like heavy metals, radioactive materials, and chemicals that risk contaminating water supplies and overwhelming wastewater treatment systems. The law bans these activities immediately upon enactment, aiming to prevent environmental harm and health risks associated with fracking waste. It directly affects natural gas companies and waste handlers operating in New Jersey who manage fracking byproducts.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases financial aid to New Jersey municipalities from the Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund over two years, restoring approximately $331 million in reduced aid payments that municipalities received during fiscal years 2009-2011. In fiscal year 2023, municipalities will receive 50% of the difference between their 2008 and 2012 aid distributions, with full restoration beginning in 2024. Municipalities must subtract any additional aid received from their property tax levy calculations and cannot anticipate this aid when creating annual budgets. The bill requires municipalities to amend their budgets to properly reflect the total aid amount, ensuring the aid directly reduces the amount they need to raise through property taxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey registrars to issue certified electronic copies of vital records - including birth, death, marriage, civil union, and domestic partnership certificates - alongside paper copies upon request. It requires the Commissioner of Health to establish security standards for electronic copies, including identity verification, data encryption, and privacy protections. The change applies to authorized requesters (such as individuals, family members, or government agencies) who already qualify for paper certified copies under current law. Electronic copies must be distinguishable from non-certified informational versions and maintain the same authentication requirements as paper records.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a five-year WATER Pilot Program within New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development to support new apprenticeship programs in water infrastructure, utilities, and related sectors. It appropriates $1 million to fund grants for eligible organizations (including businesses, colleges, nonprofits, and public utilities) that partner with industry to create accredited apprenticeships, with priority given to programs serving underserved communities. Grant recipients must demonstrate workforce needs, recruitment plans, and how funds will be used, while annual reports will track participant enrollment, completion, and job placement outcomes. The program requires coordination with New Jersey's existing workforce development initiatives and mandates annual evaluations of its effectiveness by the Department of Labor.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the manufacture, sale, and promotion of consumer products containing tiny plastic beads (microbeads), with the full ban taking effect on January 1, 2022. It expands existing law - which only banned microbeads in personal care products like face scrubs - to cover all consumer products, including household cleaners and other items designed for personal care or household use. The bill defines "consumer products" as items intended to be consumed or expended during use, such as exfoliating scrubs or toothpaste. The prohibition phases in over time, banning personal care product manufacturing in 2018 (except for over-the-counter drugs), with all products fully banned by 2022.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Commissioner of Education to create a sensitivity training program for high school athletic directors, coaches, and sports officials in public and nonpublic schools. The training covers topics including gender/sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, disabilities, religious tolerance, unconscious bias, and diversity. Coaches and athletic directors must complete the training every four years, with new hires required to complete it in their first year. Sports officials must certify completion when applying to officiating associations and renew every four years. The program must be developed with input from the Division on Civil Rights.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires licensed child care centers in New Jersey to provide parents or legal guardians with 45 days' notice before changing tuition rates. Centers must send the notice via certified mail (with return receipt), receipted first-class mail, or in-person delivery to each parent or guardian, and also post it on their website and display it prominently at the center. It applies to all child care centers operating under New Jersey law (P.L.1983, c.492). The goal is to give families sufficient time to plan for tuition adjustments without requiring new financial commitments.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public community water systems (serving at least 15 connections or 25 year-round residents) to provide specific lead-related information to customers. It mandates that water systems include details about lead sources, health effects, and reduction measures in annual Consumer Confidence Reports (as required by federal law), and send written notices to new customers within 90 days of service. Additionally, systems must notify all customers 48 hours before lead pipe work (or as soon as practicable in emergencies), including temporary water safety risks and mitigation steps. All notices must align with guidelines published by the Department of Environmental Protection within 120 days of the bill's effective date. The law directly affects residents, businesses, and institutions receiving water from covered systems across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates tax credits for New Jersey residents and employers who pay student loans used for education expenses. Individual taxpayers can claim a credit against their state income tax for payments made on qualifying loans (federal, state, or commercial) used for tuition, fees, and related education costs, equal to the lesser of their actual payments or a standard benchmark amount. Employers can claim a similar credit for payments made on behalf of qualifying employees (with part-time employees reducing the credit by 50%). The credit is refundable for STEM graduates (associate or bachelor’s degrees) who earned the degree and worked in New Jersey during the tax year. It applies to loans obtained for enrollment at accredited institutions of higher education.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A2819 prohibits creating or sharing deceptive audio or visual media ("deepfakes") that falsely depict someone's speech or conduct using technical means, targeting individuals who generate or distribute such media for unlawful purposes. Creating deepfakes for offenses like harassment, theft by deception, or invasion of privacy would be a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months jail or $10,000 fine), while sharing unmarked deepfakes knowing they violate the law would be a third-degree crime (up to 5 years jail or $30,000 fine). Victims could sue for $1,000 per violation plus damages, attorney fees, and other remedies, with the civil action separate from criminal penalties. News media are exempt unless they knowingly share unmarked deceptive content created in violation of the bill.