Asm. Cody Miller

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) program to include eligible workforce training programs, directly affecting students seeking non-degree credentials in high-demand fields. To qualify, programs must require at least 150 classroom hours, offer industry-valued credentials, and maintain 70%+ completion and job placement rates. The Higher Education Student Assistance Authority will designate participating programs, with eligibility criteria excluding degree-granting programs only if they meet these specific standards. This change broadens access to financial aid beyond traditional colleges, targeting workforce development needs identified by the state. The bill updates reporting requirements for these programs but does not alter existing TAG eligibility for degree-seeking students.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4265) creates a program to pay monetary awards to whistleblowers who report tax law violations by employers in New Jersey's construction industry. Whistleblowers providing specific, credible information that leads to enforcement actions (like penalties or settlements) can receive 15-30% of the money collected, or up to 10% if the information came from public sources like media or government reports. It excludes current Treasury employees and individuals who planned the violations they reported, and protects whistleblowers from retaliation under existing law. The award amount is based on how much the information contributed to the case outcome.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination to explicitly protect individuals from discrimination based on membership in a labor organization. It expands the definition of "labor organization" to include any group formed for collective bargaining or mutual aid among employees, and adds membership in such organizations to the list of protected characteristics. This means employers, labor organizations, and others cannot discriminate against employees or job applicants based on their membership in a labor union or employee representation committee. The law already protects people from discrimination based on characteristics like race, gender, and disability; this bill extends that protection to include labor organization membership.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits unauthorized drone operations near schools in New Jersey. It makes it a disorderly persons offense to fly a drone below 250 feet over school property for surveillance, to hover over school grounds without permission, or to use school buildings/grounds as a drone takeoff or landing site. School administrators must provide written authorization for any drone activity within this zone. Violations carry penalties of up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. The law specifically exempts authorized public employees and first responders operating drones for official duties.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force to study and evaluate the state's current teacher and administrator evaluation system under the TEACHNJ Act. The 12-member task force, including educators, principals, and education organization representatives, must report findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by September 30, 2024. It temporarily pauses new student growth data collection for the 2024-2025 school year, requiring schools to use existing data instead - except for new, non-tenured, or first-year teachers who must set new objectives during that year. Starting in 2025-2026, school districts will implement updated data collection guidelines based on the task force's final recommendations. The bill directly affects all public school teachers, principals, and administrators in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the scope of practice for optometrists in New Jersey by allowing them to prescribe more pharmaceutical agents (including some controlled substances), administer certain immunizations (for coronaviruses, influenza, and varicella-zoster virus), and perform simple ophthalmologic procedures like non-invasive laser treatments. It clarifies that optometrists must complete specific training and credentialing to provide these expanded services, including evidence of competence through accredited education programs. The bill directly affects licensed optometrists in New Jersey and their patients, who will have access to a broader range of eye care services from optometrists. The legislation updates the legal definition of optometry practice to better align with optometrists' doctoral education and clinical training.

Maddy summaryThis bill permits New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) conservation and park police officers to use drones (unmanned aircraft systems) while enforcing environmental and park laws. It amends existing statutes to allow officers to observe violations via drone and arrest individuals without a warrant for those violations, including trespassing and park disturbances. The DEP must establish a training program for drone use, approved by the Attorney General. The bill expands current drone use (previously limited to wildlife enforcement) to cover broader enforcement duties.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's Department of Education (DOE) to create a multimedia advertising campaign promoting teaching and education support careers as engaging and rewarding. The campaign must highlight available scholarships, student loan programs, and target recruitment efforts toward underrepresented racial groups and high-demand fields like special education, STEM, and bilingual education. It appropriates $1 million - funded from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funds - to implement the campaign across digital, TV, radio, and print media. The policy aims to directly support the DOE's recruitment goals for educators and education support professionals.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides $2 million in state funding to New Jersey's Department of Labor to support county prosecutors in enforcing wage payment laws. It requires each county prosecutor's office to assign a dedicated assistant prosecutor to investigate and prosecute cases where employers fail to pay wages or violate wage-hour laws. The funding covers both financial resources and training for prosecutors to handle these cases more effectively. This directly affects workers who are owed wages and county prosecutors who will now have dedicated staff and resources for wage enforcement.

Maddy summaryThis bill would impose annual registration fees of $300 for passenger electric vehicles and $450 for commercial electric vehicles, starting in 2025, while reducing gasoline and diesel fuel taxes by about one-third (to 7 cents and 9 cents per gallon, respectively). It requires the Department of Transportation to conduct a study on alternative revenue sources for transportation funding, including mileage-based fees and carbon taxes, with a report due by August 2026. All revenues from these fees and tax changes would be directed to the Transportation Trust Fund, which supports transportation infrastructure projects. The study aims to address potential revenue shortfalls as electric vehicle adoption increases and fuel consumption decreases.