Asm. Mike Torrissi

Maddy summaryThis bill (A726) exempts surviving spouses and civil union partners of disabled veterans from New Jersey's realty transfer fees when selling a one- or two-family home. Specifically, it applies to veterans who were 100% disabled in active wartime service and qualified for a property tax exemption at their death. The exemption covers both the state's basic fee and supplemental fee for these home sales during the survivor's widowhood/widowerhood. This expands existing exemptions for senior citizens and disabled individuals to include these veterans' survivors, removing a prior requirement that survivors themselves must be disabled or a senior.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows certain drivers to renew their licenses online or by mail instead of in-person. It specifically applies to individuals with a valid commercial driver license who already hold a federal Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TSA) or a hazardous materials endorsement requiring TSA fingerprinting and background checks. These individuals have already met REAL-ID requirements through their existing federal credentials, so the bill removes the need for them to visit a Motor Vehicle Commission office to renew their licenses into REAL-ID compliant versions. This change aims to reduce wait times for in-person appointments while ensuring compliance with federal identification standards.

Maddy summaryThe "Improved Suicide Prevention, Response, and Treatment Act" (A1536) requires psychiatric facilities, outpatient mental health providers, and suicide hotlines in New Jersey to maintain 24/7 access to trained suicide prevention counselors who conduct standardized risk assessments and provide ongoing counseling to at-risk patients. The bill mandates "warm hand-offs" to appropriate care during transitions, requires law enforcement officers to complete annual suicide response training focused on de-escalation, and requires health insurance to cover suicide prevention assessments and counseling services. It prohibits discharging at-risk patients into homelessness or having them arrested unless they pose an uncontrollable risk to others. The law aims to improve coordinated care for people experiencing suicidal crises across health, emergency, and law enforcement systems through standardized protocols and accountability measures.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A727 establishes a Farm Vitality Planning Reimbursement Grant Program within the Department of Agriculture, appropriating $1 million from the General Fund. The program reimburses farm owners and operators for up to 75% (capped at $7,500) of eligible costs incurred when developing or implementing specific long-term viability plans, such as business strategies, ownership transitions, or preserved farmland maintenance. Eligible costs include hiring professionals like accountants, attorneys, or mediators, but exclude capital improvements, taxes, insurance, or travel expenses. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis with annual reporting required to assess program effectiveness.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2848) allows New Jersey businesses to claim a tax credit against their corporation business tax or gross income tax for hiring employees with developmental disabilities. The credit equals 10% of the employee’s salary (capped at $3,000 per employee annually) and totals $60,000 per business per year. To qualify, the employee must have a developmental disability as defined by state law (N.J.S.A. 30:6D-25) and be declared eligible by the Division of Developmental Disabilities. Businesses cannot claim this credit for the same employee if they also claim the existing credit for hiring at a sheltered workshop or training center.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes New Jersey's Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS) rules to ensure death benefits are available for police and fire personnel who die before enrolling in the system. It deems such employees retroactively enrolled from their first day of employment, allowing surviving spouses, children, or parents to receive death benefits they would have otherwise been ineligible for. For deaths occurring before the bill's enactment, survivors can apply for retroactive benefits within 12 months of the law taking effect. The change applies specifically to active police and fire department members who died prior to formal PFRS enrollment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A698) stops the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) from charging a $100 fee when restoring a driver's license suspended due to a mental or physical condition that affects a driver's ability to operate a vehicle safely. It directly affects drivers whose licenses were suspended based on medical evaluations, ensuring they don't face an additional cost to regain driving privileges. The bill amends existing law to explicitly exclude these cases from the standard restoration fee, which previously applied to all suspended licenses. This creates a clear policy change: no fee is required for license reinstatement in mental/physical condition cases. The amendment takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a New Jersey state grant program to preserve, extend, and manage Revolutionary War battlefields, encampments, and skirmish sites threatened by development. The Department of State will award competitive grants to local governments and qualified non-profits based on specific preservation plans and administrative capability. It appropriates $50 million from the state's General Fund to implement the program, requiring grant recipients to report on fund usage and project outcomes. The initiative aims to protect New Jersey's significant Revolutionary War historical sites, which the bill notes hosted more battles than any other original state.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to provide motorcycle licenses and Military Veteran motorcycle license plates to eligible veterans free of charge. It waives the standard $18 fee for a standard motorcycle license and $29 fee for a REAL ID motorcycle license for veterans who provide proof of honorable military discharge (through documents like DD-214, NGB-22, or a veteran ID card). The bill also eliminates the $50 application fee and $10 annual renewal fee for Military Veteran motorcycle license plates, though regular motorcycle registration fees would still apply. Veterans must submit proof of honorable discharge to qualify for these fee waivers. The MVC would need to receive 500 completed applications before beginning production of the special Military Veteran motorcycle license plates.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows active-duty U.S. military service members serving on local and state government boards - such as city councils, county commissions, school boards, and state committees - to attend meetings remotely. Local and state entities must pass a resolution to permit remote participation, and remote attendees count toward the quorum needed for meetings to proceed. The Department of Community Affairs and Department of Education will develop and publish guidelines for remote participation upon request. The bill takes effect immediately and applies to all qualifying government bodies.