Asm. Dan Hutchison

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3384) extends the time limit for human trafficking victims in New Jersey to file civil lawsuits against perpetrators. It changes the statute of limitations to allow victims to sue within 10 years of the trafficking incident, 10 years after turning 18 if they were minors during the abuse, or two years after discovering the injury and its connection to the trafficking. The bill also prevents the clock from starting until a continuing trafficking pattern ends, tolls the time during disabilities (like mental illness or intellectual disability), and blocks defendants from using the statute of limitations if they caused delays through intimidation or fraud. This directly affects human trafficking victims seeking civil remedies for harm caused by traffickers.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey municipalities to submit quarterly reports to the Department of Community Affairs about affordable housing, senior citizen housing, and veteran housing units within their borders. The reports must include building addresses, management contacts, application status (including waitlists), and online application links. The state will compile this information into a public online directory on official housing websites (including the Department of Community Affairs, Housing Finance Agency, and Housing Resource Center) and mandate that municipalities link to these sites from their own websites. Municipalities will receive state reimbursement for costs related to gathering and submitting the data.

Maddy summaryThis bill reduces the minimum cost threshold for public works projects that may include project labor agreements from $5 million to $3 million. It affects state and local government entities (such as counties, municipalities, and school districts) managing construction, renovation, or demolition projects over $3 million. The key change expands the scope of projects where project labor agreements - pre-hire contracts between employers and unions - can be required. This adjustment lowers the financial barrier for applying such agreements to smaller public construction projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a program to reward employees who report tax law violations by employers in New Jersey's construction industry. Whistleblowers who provide specific, credible information leading to an administrative or judicial action against an employer can receive 15% to 30% of recovered taxes, penalties, and interest, or up to 10% if the tip came from media or government sources. It excludes employees who obtained information through their official duties or planned the violations themselves, and includes protections against retaliation under New Jersey's Conscientious Employee Protection Act. The program applies specifically to employers engaged in building, construction, repair, or maintenance work as defined in the bill.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's school restraint and seclusion rules to apply to **all students** (previously limited to students with disabilities). It requires schools to: 1) Use physical restraint or seclusion **only in emergencies** posing immediate danger, 2) **Notify parents immediately** (by phone/electronic message) and provide a written report within 48 hours, 3) **Collect and report annual data** to the Department of Education (DOE) on usage, including student demographics like race, gender, and disability type. The DOE must publish this data publicly while protecting student privacy, and schools must hold meetings with parents for repeated incidents.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes the default assumption that defendants charged with specific serious offenses can be released before trial. It directly affects individuals accused of sex offenses (as defined by law), violent crimes involving a deadly weapon (like aggravated assault or robbery), or repeat vehicle theft/receiving stolen property. Courts must now actively assess each case for safety risks and flight risk before granting pretrial release, rather than presuming release is appropriate. The bill does not eliminate pretrial release entirely but requires judges to justify release decisions for these offenses based on individual circumstances.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Attorney General to create a training program for municipal police departments to manage large gatherings (over 500 people) and "flash mobs" (50+ people organized via social media without advance notice, impacting safety). The training covers crowd control techniques, juvenile-specific approaches, social media response strategies, and inter-agency coordination. It also establishes protocols allowing local police to request state resources like mobile command units, social media monitoring tools, and additional personnel during such events. The bill, now effective as part of P.L.2025, c.246, directly affects municipal police departments across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows students receiving Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) grants to use a portion of their award for summer courses that count toward graduation or their major. Students must notify the Higher Education Secretary before the academic year starts, which reduces their regular academic year disbursement by a specific amount. The Secretary must annually report how many students used the summer option and their graduation rates within standard timeframes. It directly affects EOF grant recipients at participating New Jersey institutions, implementing a 2016 commission recommendation to improve college affordability.

Maddy summaryThis bill caps annual tuition increases for resident undergraduate students at New Jersey's public colleges and universities at no more than 2% above the previous year's rate. It directly affects public higher education institutions and in-state undergraduate students by limiting how much tuition can rise each academic year. The key provision prohibits any institution from raising resident undergraduate tuition rates beyond this 2% threshold, regardless of existing laws or regulations. The law takes effect immediately for the first full academic year after enactment, applying to all public institutions of higher education in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill restructures the governance of New Jersey's State Health Benefits Program (SHBP), which provides health coverage to state employees. It creates a new 11-member State Health Benefits Commission (replacing the previous structure) and a separate 12-member Plan Design Committee. The Commission includes the Treasurer, agency heads, and members appointed by labor unions representing state employees, while the Plan Design Committee focuses specifically on designing health plan benefits like medical, dental, and prescription coverage. These changes affect all state employees enrolled in the SHBP by altering who oversees their health plan offerings and administration. The bill does not change the actual benefits provided, only the decision-making bodies managing the program.