Asm. Brian Rumpf

Maddy summaryThis bill adds the Sons of The American Legion to a list of veteran organizations whose authorized representatives in New Jersey state, county, and municipal government jobs can receive paid leave to attend conventions. It modifies existing law (R.S.38:23-2) to include this group while removing two outdated organizations from the list. Public employees representing eligible groups may take up to five paid days annually for convention attendance, including travel time, but unused leave expires each year. The change directly affects government workers serving as official representatives for these veteran organizations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires candidates for any elective office in New Jersey to disclose criminal convictions when filing their nomination petitions. Specifically, candidates must sign a statement confirming whether they have been convicted of any criminal offense (in New Jersey, other states, U.S. jurisdictions, or internationally) that would be a crime if committed in New Jersey. If convicted, they must provide detailed information including the offense type, dates, penalties, and time served - either in writing or via official documents - and must disclose all prior convictions. This applies to all candidates filing petitions with relevant clerks (state, county, or municipal) and takes effect January 1 after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public employees or officers convicted of crimes related to their job, or found at fault in civil cases involving their employment, to repay public costs for their legal defense. It specifically targets expenses paid by the state or local government, excluding standard public defender services unless recoverable under separate law. The law allows pension payments to be reduced to collect these debts, covering both prosecution costs and illegally obtained funds. It applies to current and former state or local government workers in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A1887 proposes to remove specific date and location requirements for veterans to qualify for state benefits. Currently, eligibility depends on service during defined conflict periods (e.g., WWII service between September 1940-December 1946), but this bill would amend the definition of "veteran" to eliminate those time-bound criteria. It directly affects veterans who served in conflicts like World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or later missions but may not meet the current narrow date windows. The change would broaden eligibility by focusing on service-connected status rather than exact historical dates. The bill is currently pending in the Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's 9-1-1 trust fund law to explicitly allow state funds to cover costs incurred by counties and municipalities for 9-1-1 emergency services. It permits the use of trust fund money for expenses like emergency response training, operating costs, and equipment purchases related to maintaining 9-1-1 systems. The bill establishes a priority system for distributing funds, directing them first to county, regionalized, or large centralized 9-1-1 centers, then to other local providers. This change expands the fund's existing scope to directly support local governments' 9-1-1 operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies New Jersey law to improve leave and compensation for public employees who serve in military reserves or the National Guard. It guarantees up to 30 work days of paid leave per year (90 days for National Guard members) for military duty, including travel days and pre-deployment rest periods (5-10 days based on service length). Public employers must continue covering retirement and health insurance contributions during leave, and employees cannot be forced to use vacation time during military leave. The law directly affects state, county, and municipal employees who are active military reservists or National Guard members.

Maddy summaryBill A-1838 removes a current prohibition that prevents New Jersey state/local government agencies and private detention facilities from entering agreements to detain noncitizens for civil immigration violations. Currently, such agreements are barred under state law, but this bill would permit them. The key change eliminates the ban on immigration detention agreements, allowing entities to enter, renew, or extend these contracts. This directly affects how New Jersey manages noncitizen detention under state law.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey shore municipalities to offer free or reduced beach access fees to the spouse and dependent children (over age 12) of veterans who were honorably discharged after at least 90 days of active duty or due to a service-connected injury/disability. It amends existing law, which already permits fee waivers for active military personnel, National Guard members, seniors, and others, by adding veterans to the eligible group. Municipalities are not required to adopt this policy but may choose to do so via local ordinance. Veterans can verify eligibility using standard documents like a DD-214 form or state veteran ID.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special "Support Our Veterans" license plate in New Jersey, available to vehicle owners who pay a $50 application fee plus a $10 annual fee. The collected fees fund a dedicated "Support Our Veterans License Plate Fund," which annually supports the Veterans Haven Council's services for homeless veterans housed at Veterans Haven facilities. The fund, managed within the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs, covers costs for veterans' housing and support programs. The plate design will be chosen with input from the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs, and initial costs are offset by donations from the Veterans Haven Council and other donors, not public funds.

Maddy summaryAJR 16 designates March 16 as "Paws Healing Heroes Day" in New Jersey to recognize service dogs' role in assisting veterans with conditions like PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), military sexual trauma, and seizure disorders. The resolution requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation to promote public awareness, highlighting that service dog training costs $3,000-$5,000 (not covered by veterans' benefits) and relies on nonprofit organizations like Paws Healing Heroes. This ceremonial resolution does not create new funding or legal requirements but aims to honor the support service dogs provide to veterans.