Asm. Bill Spearman

Maddy summaryS 3353 requires New Jersey's State Agriculture Development Committee to establish rules for housing resident farm employees on commercial farms, mandating compliance with state construction and safety standards and restricting use exclusively to such employees. The bill defines a "resident farm employee" as a full-time agricultural worker on the farm (excluding full-time equine-related staff), ensuring housing meets specific criteria. Once adopted, this housing will be eligible for "Right to Farm" protection under state law, preventing municipalities from denying building permits or occupancy certificates for compliant housing. The policy change extends existing agricultural protections to farm worker housing, aligning it with the "Right to Farm Act" framework.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts serving grades 4 through 12 to hold annual, 3- to 5-day bullying prevention programs. The programs must include age-appropriate sessions on cyberbullying, bystander intervention, empathy, and conflict resolution for students, while mandating staff training on bullying prevention strategies. Districts must ensure all students attend grade-level sessions and may apply for grants from the new Bullying Prevention Fund to support implementation. Failure to comply could result in the Commissioner of Education withholding state education aid.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $1 million annual "Census Complete Count Trust Fund" within New Jersey's Department of State to support efforts ensuring a full population count during each federal decennial census. The fund, financed by $1 million yearly from the State General Fund, will be invested to generate interest that replenishes the fund. Moneys will directly support state, local, and community initiatives - like outreach and education campaigns - that help residents participate in the census. The Legislature will determine eligible activities for funding in the months leading up to each census.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates 5% of constitutionally dedicated Corporation Business Tax revenues to a new Urban Agriculture and Horticulture Fund starting in fiscal year 2026, with $25 million to be deposited immediately. It authorizes the Garden State Preservation Trust to acquire urban land for farming and gardening purposes, prioritizing small parcels, and lease this land for agricultural use through a competitive bidding process. The bill also establishes a grant program to support activities that improve soil health and climate resiliency on acquired urban farmland. Additionally, it expands existing county and municipal trust funds to specifically include urban agriculture and horticulture as a purpose for land acquisition.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes the title of New Jersey's "Chief Diversity Officer" to "Chief Equity Officer" and creates the "New Jersey Office of Supplier Diversity and Business Opportunities" within the Department of the Treasury. The new Office will support the Chief Equity Officer in monitoring state contracts awarded to "small and diverse business enterprises" (including minority-owned, women-owned, economically disadvantaged, socially disadvantaged, and disabled veterans' businesses), processing business certifications, and developing outreach programs. State agencies must submit annual procurement plans and data to the Office, which will analyze these plans and provide feedback to improve contracting with diverse businesses. The Chief Equity Officer will report directly to the State Treasurer and oversee all efforts to increase transparency and participation of diverse businesses in state procurement.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "Minority and Women-Owned Businesses State Contractor Remedies Act" requiring New Jersey State agencies to set specific contract utilization goals for minority and women-owned businesses based on a 2024 disparity study. It sets detailed percentages for contracts across different categories, including 24.26% of construction contracts for women-owned businesses and 10.14% for Hispanic American-owned businesses. State agencies must develop annual plans to achieve these goals and make a "good faith effort" to meet them, with remedial actions required if they fail to do so. Prime contractors are also required to make good faith efforts to meet subcontractor goals for minority and women-owned businesses. The bill amends previous set-aside laws by removing goals for minority and women-owned businesses and shifting oversight to the Department of the Treasury's Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands eligibility for wrongful imprisonment claims in New Jersey by allowing two new groups to sue: individuals wrongfully civilly committed as "sexually violent predators" under P.L.1998, c.71, and those who entered guilty pleas but were later exonerated. It also clarifies that claimants have two years from their release (or conviction vacatur) to file suit, with a special two-year window for those affected after December 27, 2013. Damages now include $25,000 per year for time served on parole, probation, or as a registered sex offender after incarceration, in addition to existing compensation for wrongful conviction. The bill modifies existing statutes without changing the core calculation of damages (twice prior income or $50,000/year for incarceration).

Maddy summaryBill A4163 requires health insurers in New Jersey to cover biomarker testing for diagnosis, treatment, management, or ongoing monitoring of diseases when supported by medical evidence such as FDA approvals, drug labels, or clinical guidelines. The bill applies to all health insurance plans including individual, group, Medicaid, and health maintenance organization contracts. Insurers must provide coverage without causing unnecessary disruption (like multiple biopsies) and must make prior authorization decisions within 24 hours for urgent requests or 72 hours for non-urgent requests. This ensures patients can access precision medical testing that's clinically supported without excessive administrative barriers.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $22,431,294 from the 2003 Dam, Lake and Stream Project Revolving Loan Fund and $6,239,630 from the 1992 Dam Restoration and Clean Water Trust Fund - totaling $28,670,924 - to provide loans for dam restoration and inland waters projects. The funds, drawn from unused monies due to project cancellations and repayments, directly support 17 specific projects, including repairs for private dams (like High Crest Lake Dam and Mountain Creek Lake Dam) and lake associations, as well as local government-owned dams. These loans finance restoration costs for dam owners, private lake associations, or local governments working together. The bill specifies that unexpended funds will return to the respective bond funds for future projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes clear criteria to determine when a hotel or motel occupant qualifies as a "tenant" (entitled to residential eviction protections) rather than a "transient guest." It requires property owners to consider seven factors, such as staying three+ months, changing official addresses to the hotel, using it as a primary residence, or having kitchen facilities, before applying residential eviction rules. Exceptions include occupants receiving emergency housing assistance (who retain tenant status until benefits end) and those who refuse to provide registration details (who lose tenant status). The law codifies existing court practices to prevent hotels from bypassing tenant protections for long-term guests.