Asm. Dan Hutchison

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all public colleges and universities in New Jersey to post a syllabus for every undergraduate course online. Each syllabus must include: (1) a summary of major assignments and exams, (2) titles/authors of required readings, and (3) a general overview of course content. Institutions must make syllabi available no later than seven days before the semester’s registration period begins. The requirement applies to all undergraduate courses offered for academic credit at public higher education institutions.

Maddy summaryThe "Used Car Buyers' Bill of Rights" prohibits dealers from selling used vehicles as "as is" without clear disclosure and requires them to offer a 2-day contract cancellation option for vehicles under $40,000, with fees capped at $75-$250 or 1% of the purchase price. It mandates written inspection reports, prohibits misleading terms like "certified" for vehicles with odometer issues, flood damage, or salvage titles, and establishes minimum warranty periods based on mileage (90 days/3,750 miles for vehicles under 40,000 miles). Dealers must include cancellation option notices in contracts and display them prominently in their business locations. The bill does not apply to vehicles over $40,000, salvage vehicles, total loss vehicles, or motorcycles.

Maddy summaryThe "Compassion for Community Cats Law" requires that community cats (stray or feral cats with no known owner) be spayed or neutered, ear-tipped, and vaccinated against rabies before being returned to their location or given to a new owner. It establishes a "Compassion for Community Cats Fund" within the Department of Health to provide grants to municipalities and counties for programs that humanely trap, sterilize, vaccinate, and return community cats. The law requires shelters to spay or neuter cats before adoption (with exceptions for kittens under two months, health reasons, or foster placements) and allows shelters to charge for the procedure. This law promotes the "trap, neuter, vaccinate, and return" (TNVR) method as a more humane and effective approach to managing community cat populations than "catch and kill" methods.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and state developmental/psychiatric facilities in New Jersey. It requires specific ratios (such as 1 nurse for every 4 medical/surgical patients, 1 nurse for every 2 critical care patients, and 1 unlicensed personnel for every 7 daytime patients) while mandating hospitals to implement an acuity-based staffing system to ensure adequate staffing levels. Hospitals found in violation may face civil penalties that increase with repeat offenses, with penalty revenue funding a dedicated "Patient Protection and Staffing Fund" to support nursing recruitment, retention, education, and inspector staffing. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Human Services to review staffing standards in developmental centers and psychiatric hospitals to align with these new requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey landlords to provide tenants with a written explanation when increasing rent. The explanation must detail why the increase is not "unconscionable," confirm compliance with local laws and ordinances, and list property-related expenses justifying the increase. For senior citizens living in designated housing, landlords must also include contact information for a representative and a specific notice about tenant rights. Landlords who fail to provide this written explanation face a $500 penalty per violation, which can be enforced by either the Commissioner of Community Affairs or the tenant. The bill aims to increase transparency in rent increases and give tenants more information to dispute unreasonable increases.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes health care benefit rules for elected public officials in New Jersey. It removes eligibility for employer-paid health benefits for officials working fewer than 35 hours per week, while current beneficiaries can keep coverage if they met the requirement before the law takes effect. It also bans elected officials from receiving payments for waiving health benefits (a practice allowed for other employees), and formally establishes the Pension Fraud and Abuse Unit within the Treasury Department to investigate pension system fraud, giving it subpoena power for investigations. These changes apply to county and municipal officials not covered by the state health benefits program.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases protections for New Jersey residents facing debt collection. It raises the homestead exemption (protecting primary homes from forced sale) to the greater of $300,000 or a county-specific median home value (capped at $600,000), doubling to $1.2 million for seniors/disabled residents. Household goods exempt from seizure rise from $1,000 to $15,000, and bank account exemptions increase to $10,000 (single) or $15,000 (joint). All exemption amounts will automatically adjust every three years based on regional inflation data.

Maddy summaryThis bill, A3362, protects tenants by restricting how landlords use past court cases in rental screening and clarifies rent receivership procedures. Landlords cannot consider most housing court records when screening applicants - only judgments for possession within three years that are final and not under appeal - and must provide written explanations for rejected applications, including disclosed screening details. It also removes the requirement for tenants to pay a rent deposit to file a rent receivership action, allowing such cases to be based on violations of the implied warranty of habitability (meaning unsafe or uninhabitable housing). These changes directly affect landlords (through new screening rules and penalties) and tenants (by reducing unfair screening barriers and improving access to housing safety remedies).

Maddy summaryACR 58 proposes a constitutional amendment to increase New Jersey's veterans' property tax deduction from $250 to $2,500 over four years. It would raise the annual deduction to $1,000 in 2024, $1,500 in 2025, $2,000 in 2026, and $2,500 starting in 2027, with the amount remaining at $2,500 annually thereafter. This change directly affects honorably discharged veterans and their surviving spouses, who qualify for the deduction on real and personal property taxes. The amendment requires voter approval after legislative passage to take effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to establish a program that encourages gas utilities to adopt renewable natural gas (RNG) and invest in related infrastructure. It provides gas utilities with a mechanism to recover costs for qualifying investments and RNG procurement from customers through regulated rate adjustments, subject to BPU approval. Utilities must purchase RNG at market rates, and the BPU will set customer charges based on actual costs, including RNG supply, commodity, and administrative expenses. The program aims to support greenhouse gas reduction efforts while ensuring ratepayer protections through BPU oversight.