Asm. Carol Murphy

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey school districts that have moved their annual school election to November to submit separate proposals for additional funding for either the current budget year, the following year, or both. Currently, districts that move elections to November must implement funding increases during the school year when the election occurs, creating budgeting challenges. The bill provides these districts with greater flexibility by enabling them to delay implementing tax levy increases for approved proposals until the subsequent school year. It specifically prevents districts from using "banked" tax levy amounts for the subsequent year if they approve a separate proposal for that year. This change helps districts better plan for initiatives like expanding educational programs, as they can time funding implementation to align with their budget cycles.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a four-year pilot program in Ocean County called "Lisa's Law" that would require electronic monitoring of certain domestic violence offenders with the victim's informed consent. The program would apply to defendants convicted of contempt of domestic violence orders, and courts would consider factors like the severity of past violence, access to weapons, and mental health history before ordering monitoring. The bill appropriates $2.5 million from the General Fund to the Domestic Violence Victim Notification Fund, which would collect monitoring fees ($250 per defendant, waivable in cases of financial hardship) and cover program costs. Electronic monitoring devices would need to meet National Institute of Justice standards, and the Attorney General would submit annual reports evaluating the program's effectiveness and recommending whether to continue it statewide.

Maddy summaryThis bill upgrades cyber-harassment targeting public servants or their family members to a third-degree crime (up from fourth-degree), increasing penalties. It establishes the Office of Cyber-Harassment Support within New Jersey’s Department of Law and Public Safety to provide victim assistance, develop educational programs, and coordinate with law enforcement and social media platforms to prevent such harassment. The office will create accessible reporting systems, offer counseling and legal aid, promote cyber ethics education in schools, and train law enforcement on handling cyber-harassment cases. The bill appropriates necessary funds from the General Fund to implement these provisions.

Maddy summaryS 1385, known as "Lisa’s Law," establishes a four-year pilot program in Ocean County (or another county chosen by the Attorney General) requiring electronic monitoring for certain domestic violence offenders who violate restraining orders. The law mandates that courts obtain a victim’s informed consent before ordering monitoring, considering factors like the offender’s history of violence, weapon access, and mental health. It requires monitoring devices to meet federal tracking standards, allows courts to charge offenders a $250 fee (with waivers for hardship), and directs funds to a Domestic Violence Victim Notification Fund. The program applies only to defendants convicted of contempt for violating domestic violence orders under New Jersey’s Prevention of Domestic Violence Act.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires funeral directors to notify the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) when they possess unclaimed cremains of veterans one year after cremation, after making diligent efforts to locate relatives. It mandates the DMVA to create and maintain a central online registry of unclaimed veteran cremains to help veterans' organizations locate these remains. Qualified veterans' organizations can then receive these unclaimed cremains and dispose of them by scattering at sea or interring them at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery if eligible. The bill aims to address the issue of veteran cremains being unclaimed for decades (up to 66 years in some cases), reducing the burden on funeral directors and helping organizations locate remains more efficiently.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A3739) makes it a fourth-degree crime in New Jersey to use devices that block or interfere with wireless communications, such as cell phones, Wi-Fi, GPS, or emergency services. It directly affects anyone using "signal jammers" (also called signal blockers or cell phone jammers), which prevent calls, texts, or emergency location signals. The law updates existing state law to explicitly prohibit interfering with radio communications licensed under federal law, including blocking cellular frequencies or using modified scanning receivers. These devices are already illegal under federal law, but this bill strengthens state enforcement by adding specific language to criminalize their use. The key provision ensures that jamming technology cannot disrupt public safety communications or commercial services.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to develop a mobile application providing veterans and their families with access to key resources. The app must include information on veterans' legal rights, medical and insurance issues, education, housing, and transition support from military to civilian life - mirroring content already available on the DMVA website. It directly affects all New Jersey veterans and their families who use DMVA services. The bill amends state law (N.J.S.38A:3-6) to mandate this mobile resource, aiming to improve accessibility and user experience compared to web-based resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to develop a mobile application that provides veterans and their families with guidance on available state and federal resources. The app would consolidate information about benefits, healthcare, housing, education, and other support services into a single accessible tool. It specifically mandates the DMVA to create this mobile resource as a new method for delivering the existing public information requirement currently covered by subsection (y) of N.J.S.38A:3-6. The bill directly affects all New Jersey veterans and their families who rely on state and federal veteran support programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a minimum daily reimbursement rate of $950 for pediatric special care nursing facilities (SCNFs) participating in New Jersey's Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare programs. It directly affects SCNFs providing specialized long-term care to children and youth up to age 21 who require medical services beyond standard nursing care. Facilities must comply with state and federal regulations on licensure, patient safety, and care quality to qualify for this rate. The state will appropriate funds from the General Fund to cover the increased reimbursement costs, and the Department of Human Services must seek necessary federal approvals for implementation.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Sexual Assault Evidence Submission Act, requires New Jersey law enforcement agencies to submit rape kits (sexual assault evidence) to a forensic lab within 10 business days of receipt and have them analyzed within six months, if staffing and resources allow. For cases collected before the bill's effective date, agencies must report unsubmitted cases within 45 days and arrange for submission within 180 days. The Superintendent of State Police must submit a plan for analyzing these cases - including a timeline and resource requests - within 120 days of the bill taking effect. Each submitted kit must include a certification stating it is for a criminal investigation.