Asm. Bill Spearman

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A3558 bill establishes the state's official definition of antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) standard, including specific examples of antisemitic conduct. State agencies and institutions must use this definition when reviewing, investigating, or deciding on cases involving discriminatory acts motivated by antisemitism. The bill appropriates $100,000 for a public awareness campaign by the Attorney General's office to educate residents on identifying and reporting bias crimes through community outreach and the existing bias crimes hotline. This campaign aims to improve reporting of antisemitic incidents without affecting First Amendment rights or conflicting with existing anti-discrimination laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill reorganizes New Jersey's State Health Benefits Program governance by expanding the State Health Benefits Commission to 11 members and eliminating the previous Plan Design Committee. It requires the program to offer exactly five health plans for employees and non-Medicare-eligible retirees, including a new "NJ Gold" plan that doesn't require salary-based employee contributions. The bill establishes an escalator system to adjust employee contribution rates based on premium cost trends, increasing rates if premiums rise significantly above inflation and decreasing them if premiums fall. Additionally, it mandates that local government employers must decide within one year whether to join the SHBP, with a two-year commitment if they choose to participate.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes a permanent annual $500,000 allocation from New Jersey's Clean Communities Program Fund to fund public outreach for the state's single-use plastics reduction program. The funding supports the Department of Environmental Protection's outreach efforts, including educational campaigns and a bag redistribution program that repurposes reusable bags for food banks and pantries. The bill changes current law, which limited this funding to the first three years after the 2020 single-use plastics ban law, making it permanent. This directly affects the DEP's outreach activities and the public receiving information about reducing plastic use.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes permanent an annual $500,000 allocation from the Clean Communities Program Fund for public outreach about New Jersey's single-use plastics reduction program. The fund is financed by fees from businesses that produce litter-generating products, penalties, and voluntary donations. The funds will continue to support public education campaigns and the distribution of reusable bags, as established under current law. This change removes the temporary three-year limit that previously applied to this specific allocation.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases tax credits for investors who fund New Jersey emerging technology businesses by raising the credit rate from 20% to 60% of qualified investments (with an additional 5% available for investments in opportunity zones, low-income communities, or diverse entrepreneurs, making it 65% total). It lowers the employee threshold for qualifying businesses from 225 to 150 employees, expanding eligibility to more small technology companies. The bill also revises definitions of qualifying businesses and investments under the "New Jersey Angel Investor Tax Credit Act" while repealing the "New Jersey Ignite Act." These changes directly affect investors, emerging technology businesses, and qualified venture funds seeking tax benefits.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act" to improve transparency around vehicle recalls and provide fair compensation for dealers. It requires motor vehicle dealers to check for open recalls on used vehicles using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website before sale, inform prospective buyers about any recalls found, and not sell vehicles subject to stop-sale or do-not-drive notices. Dealers must also provide the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission with lists of vehicles with long-unfixed recalls (six months or more), triggering the Commission to send official notices to vehicle owners. The bill also establishes compensation requirements for dealers when parts are unavailable for recalled vehicles, requiring 1.75 percent of the vehicle's value per month for used vehicles or the manufacturer's suggested retail price for new vehicles.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey individual taxpayers to deduct certain capital gains from selling qualified small business stock held for more than five years. It applies to stock in C corporations that meet specific requirements, including having no more than $50 million in assets at issuance, using at least 80% of assets in active qualified businesses (not service industries like law or finance), and having 80% of payroll in New Jersey. The deduction is limited to the greater of $10 million (reduced by prior years' deductions) or ten times the stock's adjusted basis. The bill aims to encourage investment in New Jersey-based small businesses by reducing capital gains tax on qualifying stock sales after a five-year holding period.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases tax credits for investors who fund New Jersey emerging technology businesses, raising the credit rate from 20% to 60% of qualified investments, with an additional 5% available for investments in opportunity zones, low-income communities, or certified minority/women-owned businesses. It also lowers the maximum employee count for qualifying businesses from 225 to 150 employees. The bill repeals the "New Jersey Ignite Act" while updating definitions and mechanisms for the tax credit program to better support technology startups across fields like biotechnology, renewable energy, and advanced computing. This change directly affects individual investors and venture funds making qualifying investments in New Jersey-based technology businesses.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5373) allows New Jersey municipalities to acquire real property that is abandoned, vacant, or subject to unpaid taxes through two new methods: purchasing it at fair market value or using eminent domain (instead of relying solely on existing laws like the Abandoned Properties Rehabilitation Act). It defines "abandoned" or "vacant" as property meeting at least four specific conditions (e.g., overgrown vegetation, disconnected utilities, accumulated debris, or neighbor reports), while excluding properties under active renovation, seasonal occupancy, or in legal ownership disputes. Municipalities may deduct unpaid taxes and liens from the purchase price, and if they cannot locate an owner, they must hold funds for one year before turning them over under unclaimed property laws. The bill directly affects municipalities seeking to clear blighted properties and owners of properties deemed abandoned under the new criteria.