Asm. Andrea Katz

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) to create suicide screening and crisis response training for its child welfare caseworkers. The training must cover recognizing suicide risk in youth, immediate response protocols, and coordinating care with mental health providers and schools. All DCP&P caseworkers must complete this training during initial onboarding and every two years, with existing staff required to finish it within 24 months of the bill's effective date. The mandate aims to equip workers handling child abuse/neglect cases with standardized tools to address youth mental health crises.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows owners of preserved farmland in New Jersey to install biomass, solar, and wind energy systems on rooftops, unpreserved farmland, or designated exception areas without being subject to certain size restrictions that normally apply to preserved farmland. The legislation permits these energy facilities as long as they do not significantly interfere with agricultural production, are owned by the landowner, and are used to power the farm or reduce its energy costs through net metering. Landowners must still obtain approval from a committee before construction, and the committee must consider input from development easement holders before making a decision. The bill also requires that energy generated from these facilities be sold only through net metering or similar agreements, and it mandates that projects in the Pinelands area comply with existing Pinelands Protection Act standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's child abuse reporting hotline (maintained by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency) to provide callers with information about available resources for victims and their families. The hotline must now include details about community services such as counseling, parenting classes, substance abuse treatment, in-home support, foster care, and residential care. It directly affects families reporting or experiencing child abuse by connecting them to immediate support options. The policy change amends existing law to ensure victims and families are informed about these resources during hotline interactions.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 2762) expands New Jersey's Jersey Fresh Program to officially include marketing and promotion of locally produced liquor, beer, and wine. It directs the Department of Agriculture to develop a quality grading system for these products - similar to its existing system for fruits and vegetables - and appropriates $100,000 annually from the General Fund to fund this promotion. The program will specifically target alcoholic products made from agricultural commodities grown in New Jersey, such as grapes for wine or grains for beer. This change formally adds alcohol products to the Jersey Fresh branding and marketing efforts, which previously focused on non-alcoholic agricultural goods.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health (DOH) to survey all antenatal and prenatal care clinics across the state - including those that have closed or reduced services in the past two years - to evaluate maternity care access and quality. The survey will collect data on clinic availability, service gaps (particularly for low- and moderate-income pregnant women), and demographic information about patients, while excluding personal health details. The DOH must analyze the data to identify disparities in care based on income or location and develop strategies to improve access and quality. Within 18 months, the DOH will publish findings online and submit a report to the legislature with recommendations for policy action.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new criminal offense for creating, sharing, or possessing digital content depicting the sexual exploitation or abuse of children - including computer-generated or manipulated images that appear to show minors. It specifically targets items where a child (under 18) is identifiable by face, likeness, or distinguishing features, or where a person is manipulated to look like a minor ("purported child"). The law prohibits distributing such content via the internet or file-sharing programs, and makes possessing it with intent to share a crime. It directly affects individuals who produce, distribute, or share these materials online, regardless of whether the child is real or digitally altered.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a symbolic resolution that recognizes the history of women's suffrage in New Jersey, honoring the first women who voted in the state more than 200 years ago. It highlights key historical moments, including the 1776 constitution that granted voting rights to certain women, the 1790 law that solidified these rights, and the 1807 law that restricted suffrage to white men. The resolution also acknowledges the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment and the decades of activism by New Jersey women that preceded it. Copies of the resolution will be sent to women's organizations and the National Women's History Museum.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to New Jersey that would allow veterans released from military service under conditions other than honorable to qualify for state property tax deductions and exemptions. The change would expand eligibility for the $250 annual property tax deduction and the disabled veterans' property tax exemption to include veterans who were discharged under other than honorable circumstances, provided they meet other residency and service requirements. The amendment also includes provisions for surviving spouses of veterans and establishes how the deduction applies to residents of continuing care retirement communities. If passed, this change would modify the state constitution to broaden the definition of eligible veterans for tax benefits without altering the existing benefits for those with honorable discharges.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands property tax benefits in New Jersey to include veterans who were discharged under other than honorable circumstances, provided they have a service-connected disability. It amends existing laws to allow these veterans to qualify for property tax deductions and exemptions that were previously limited to those with honorable discharges. The key provision removes the requirement for an honorable discharge status while maintaining the disability requirements, ensuring that veterans with qualifying injuries can access financial relief on their primary residences. The legislation also extends these benefits to surviving spouses of eligible veterans who died while serving.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows certain licensed breweries in New Jersey to sell alcoholic beverages made with at least 51% locally grown ingredients, known as "Jersey Fresh" products. The legislation amends existing liquor laws to create a new category of brewery licenses that permit on-site retail sales of these locally sourced drinks to consumers, both for consumption on the premises and for takeout. It also establishes specific fee structures for breweries based on their annual production volume and clarifies that sampling of these beverages may be offered at no charge or for a nominal fee. The changes directly affect brewery license holders and aim to support local agriculture by encouraging the sale of beverages made with New Jersey-grown ingredients.