Asm. Bill Moen

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's four-year public colleges to publish detailed, publicly accessible reports on their websites. The reports must include costs (tuition, fees, housing, books), graduation rates broken down by student type (on-campus, commuter, online), average student loan debt, and faculty composition for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Schools must update this information annually and link it to a state-run comparison tool for prospective students. The requirement applies to all four-year public institutions starting with the 2024-2025 academic year.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2126) requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to clearly post a toll-free customer service phone number at all official vehicle inspection facilities. Drivers using these facilities can call the number to report problems with the inspection process itself, such as technical issues or service concerns. The law takes immediate effect upon passage and directly affects drivers seeking vehicle inspections across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires undergraduate students at New Jersey colleges and universities to file a detailed degree plan with their institution by specific credit milestones: by 60 credits at four-year schools or by 30 credits at community colleges and certain private institutions. Institutions must create structured graduation pathways that include credit-bearing math and English courses in a student's first 24 credits and require remedial course students to take the corresponding credit course immediately after. Students must update their plan when changing majors, and institutions must monitor progress against defined benchmarks to help students stay on track for graduation. The policy applies to all public and licensed private higher education institutions in New Jersey, focusing on improving degree completion rates through clearer academic planning.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2154) would amend New Jersey's Open Public Records Act to prohibit requests for government records made for commercial purposes. It defines "commercial purpose" as using government records for profit through sale, rental, solicitation, or other business activities, while exempting news media, educational institutions, scientific organizations, and government entities. The bill requires requestors to certify their requests aren't for commercial use, and imposes fines of $500 for first offenses, $1,000 for second offenses, and $2,000 for subsequent violations. This would directly affect businesses, data brokers, and researchers seeking government information for commercial purposes, while maintaining access for non-commercial users like journalists and advocacy groups.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires private education lenders to register with the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance and establishes several protections for borrowers and cosigners. Lenders must provide clear disclosures to cosigners about how loans will impact their credit and must give annual notices about cosigner release options, including the criteria for eligibility. The bill prohibits lenders from accelerating loan payments except for payment default, requires lenders to release cosigners when borrowers are deemed totally and permanently disabled, and mandates detailed disclosure requirements for debt collection practices. These provisions directly affect private education lenders operating in New Jersey and protect borrowers and cosigners from unfair lending practices.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's State Board of Education to reduce clinical practice requirements for teacher candidates seeking a lifetime teaching certificate (a "certificate of eligibility with advanced standing"). Currently, candidates must complete two semesters (including 175 hours of supervised teaching in a K-12 setting), but the bill mandates reducing this to one semester. The Commissioner of Education must develop specific recommendations for the reduction and consult with education stakeholders, including teacher unions and school administrators. The change would take effect immediately for the next academic year, aiming to reduce the cost and time burden of the second semester of internship.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Veteran-Owned Business Contract Financing Loan Program within New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA). It provides low-interest loans of up to $500,000 to veteran-owned businesses and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses that have secured public contracts but lack funds to perform them, with preference given to service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. Loans are secured by future public contract payments and can be used for working capital, equipment, or other contract-related expenses. The program is funded by a $5 million appropriation from the General Fund, held in a non-lapsing revolving loan fund.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey employees to deduct from their gross income amounts paid by their employers for two types of benefits: (1) educational assistance for courses (not sports/hobbies) and (2) payments toward the employee's student loans. The deduction is capped at $5,250 per year for each benefit type, aligning with federal tax exclusion limits under Section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code. It applies to employer-paid tuition, fees, textbooks, and student loan principal/interest payments for qualified higher education expenses. The policy directly affects employees who receive these employer-provided benefits and employers offering such programs in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all polling places in New Jersey to provide free onsite parking on election day. It amends existing law (R.S. 19:8-2), which already mandates polling places be accessible (in compliance with the ADA) and preferably located in schools or public buildings. The new provision specifically ensures voters do not face parking fees when accessing polling locations, applying to all county board-selected sites including public and private buildings. This change directly affects county election boards during polling place selection and building owners designated as polling sites.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2152) expands New Jersey’s existing pilot program to authorize grants for qualified nonprofit veterans’ organizations to purchase and rehabilitate abandoned homes specifically for homeless veterans. It requires veterans to be low-income or have a disability (or both), and grants up to $400,000 per organization annually must include a 50% matching contribution. The program allocates $1 million yearly for five years, prioritizing organizations serving high-need communities and requiring energy-efficient upgrades where cost savings exceed 10%. It directly affects homeless veterans (defined as living in shelters, motels, or unsafe conditions) and qualified 501(c)(3)/501(c)(19) veterans’ nonprofits statewide.