Asm. Bob Auth

Maddy summaryThis bill requires veterinarians to issue prescriptions for animal medications in the name of the animal's owner, not the animal itself. It prohibits unnamed individuals from possessing prescribed drugs and mandates that veterinarians check the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) before prescribing controlled substances for animals. The law directly affects pet owners, veterinary clinics, and pharmacies by requiring owner identification on prescriptions and adding PMP checks for controlled drugs. Key provisions include allowing multiple owners to be listed for joint ownership cases and updating PMP definitions to include veterinary-controlled substance data.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a program to help New Jersey volunteer emergency responders (like fire department members and first aid squad volunteers) reduce student loan debt. To qualify, applicants must be state residents, have completed an in-state undergraduate degree or certificate, and provide proof of active volunteer status. The program redeems up to $16,000 of eligible student loans over three years of continued service: $4,000 in year one, $4,000 in year two, and $8,000 in year three (capped at specified percentages of the original loan balance). Participants must maintain active volunteer status each year to receive payments.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how municipalities calculate impervious surfaces for parks in the Highlands preservation area. It specifies that all municipal parks within a single town should be treated as one property (not individually) when measuring impervious surface percentage against the 3% limit. The calculation excludes Highlands open waters and solar panels from the impervious surface count. This directly affects municipal park development projects in the Highlands region, making compliance with the 3% limit easier by allowing combined park area calculations.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts the retail sale of used passenger cars, motorcycles, motor homes, and off-road vehicles from New Jersey's sales and use tax. It applies to all transactions - private sales, casual sales, and dealer sales - where the vehicle has been previously owned and title transferred from the original buyer. The tax exemption covers both in-state sales and out-of-state purchases, removing the tax obligation for these secondhand vehicle transactions. This change directly affects buyers and sellers of used motor vehicles in New Jersey by reducing the cost of these purchases.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes creating a pilot program that would allow New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA) to provide loan guarantees to qualifying non-profit organizations. The program would specifically support non-profits that are 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, have existed for 10+ years, received prior state assistance, and plan to build new facilities creating at least 10 full-time jobs. Loan guarantees would cover up to $15 million per organization for new physical spaces, with repayment terms limited to 20 years. The program would be funded using moneys from the Economic Recovery Fund and repayments from guaranteed loans, but remains pending before the Assembly Commerce Committee as of its January 2026 introduction.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases annual payments from New Jersey's Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund to municipalities by $15 million (from $740 million to $755 million) over two years. It directly affects most municipalities (excluding those with a municipal purposes tax rate of $0.10 or less per $100) by requiring them to subtract this additional aid from their property tax levies. The bill also prohibits municipalities from anticipating certain revenue when creating annual budgets. These changes aim to provide more direct property tax relief to local governments through the existing fund, which receives energy-related tax revenues.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's NJ STARS scholarship program to include students who receive equivalent instruction outside traditional schools (such as homeschoolers). It allows these students to qualify for the first year of scholarship funding if they meet academic achievement criteria set by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, similar to requirements for traditionally schooled students. The policy change specifically updates eligibility rules in Section 5(b) of the NJ STARS statute to include this group. For subsequent years, scholarship renewal would still require maintaining a 3.0 GPA, as currently required for all recipients. This change applies to students beginning college enrollment in the 2018-2019 academic year or later.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 540) requires New Jersey state parks, forests, State-owned beaches, and Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) facilities to remain open to the public if a budget emergency is declared due to the state failing to pass its annual budget by the constitutional deadline. During such emergencies, the state cannot charge parking fees at park and beach locations, and essential staff at these facilities must continue operations. The bill applies to all state parks, beaches, MVC agencies, regional service centers, and supporting offices. It would take immediate effect if passed.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of Fish and Wildlife (which issues hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses) to automatically register eligible residents to vote when they apply for these licenses. It mandates that license offices, which already collect proof of age, citizenship, and address, electronically send voter registration details to the Secretary of State - unless the person chooses to opt out. The process mirrors the existing automatic voter registration system used at the Motor Vehicle Commission, including required notices for applicants. This directly affects license applicants and the environmental department offices handling these transactions.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 522) requires New Jersey's "Local Unit Alignment, Reorganization, and Consolidation Commission" to study how to dissolve county governments and recommend a process for doing so. The commission must examine county functions, funding, relationships with other governments, and how to reallocate services and debt, with a report due within 18 months. It directly affects all 21 New Jersey counties by initiating a formal process to potentially eliminate county-level government. The bill aims to address claims that county functions are redundant and costly, potentially reducing property taxes by transferring responsibilities to municipalities or the state. It does not dissolve counties but sets the stage for future legislative action based on the commission's findings.