Asm. Brian Rumpf

Maddy summaryThis bill designates salt water taffy as New Jersey's official state candy. It does not create new regulations, allocate funding, or affect any individuals or businesses. The legislation simply establishes a symbolic recognition of salt water taffy's historical connection to New Jersey, referencing its origins in Atlantic City and association with shore communities. The designation takes immediate effect upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A6226) directs the State to transfer all unspent funds received from a 2024 settlement with Orsted (the company behind canceled offshore wind projects) to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU). The BPU must use these funds to provide direct ratepayer relief to electricity customers, lowering their monthly bills. The BPU will determine the exact timing, method, and form of this relief through its own rulemaking process. This policy change directly affects electric utility customers in New Jersey by redirecting unused settlement money toward bill reductions.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A6228) expands who can legally operate emergency warning lights on their personal vehicles. It specifically authorizes county emergency medical services coordinators and deputy coordinators (in addition to existing volunteer fire/rescue personnel and county fire coordinators) to use such lights while performing official duties. The bill requires these coordinators to carry a special identification card issued by county officials, and mandates they follow all traffic laws - including yielding to emergency vehicles - while operating the lights. It does not grant new exemptions but clarifies existing rules for these specific roles.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) commission to use $78 million from a 2025 False Claims Act settlement with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield to lower health care contribution costs for public employees. It directly affects local government and school district employees (not state employees or independent authorities) who receive health coverage through the SHBP, reducing their out-of-pocket costs for themselves and dependents. The settlement funds, part of a $100 million total payment from Horizon, must be applied immediately to decrease employee contribution amounts. The bill does not change eligibility or coverage but specifically targets lowering employee payment shares using these settlement proceeds.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires boat rental businesses in New Jersey to maintain written records of pre-rental safety instruction for three years, as currently mandated under State Police regulations. It adds a new requirement for the Superintendent of State Police to annually audit these records and publish the audit results on the State Police website. The bill does not change existing rules that renters must complete safety instruction before renting a boat. Violations of the record-keeping or audit requirements carry fines of $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second, and $100 for third or subsequent offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a 14-day annual period when only New Jersey residents can purchase mobile sport fishing permits. These permits allow motor vehicle use on beaches for fishing (including annual, 3-day, weekday, and daily options). The DEP must create rules to verify residency during this window, but the core change is limiting initial permit sales to residents for 14 days each year. The policy directly affects non-residents seeking these specific permits during the designated period.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a proportional property tax exemption for New Jersey veterans who are honorably discharged and have a service-connected permanent disability rated at 10% or higher. It directly affects qualifying veterans (and their surviving spouses) by reducing their property taxes in line with their disability rating, with a $10,000 cap for exemptions below 100% disability. Veterans deemed unemployable due to service-connected disability receive a full 100% exemption, matching current benefits for those with 100% disability ratings. The bill also requires the state to reimburse municipalities 102% of the tax costs for these exemptions, including administrative expenses, through annual reporting by local tax authorities.

Maddy summaryACR 98 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow New Jersey's Legislature to extend civil service hiring preferences to veterans who served during peacetime, not just those who served in wartime. Currently, state law grants hiring preference only to veterans who served during active war periods. The amendment would change the state constitution to remove the "in time of war" limitation, enabling future laws to include non-wartime veterans in this preference. This would directly affect veterans applying for state government civil service positions who did not serve during declared wars. The amendment requires voter approval before the Legislature could implement such a policy change.

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates New Jersey's tiered fee structure for property transfers valued over $1 million, replacing it with a flat 1% fee on the entire sale price. It directly affects sellers (grantors) of residential, farm, cooperative, and commercial properties exceeding $1 million in value, reducing fees for properties above $2 million (e.g., lowering from 3% to 1% on a $3 million transfer). The bill maintains existing exemptions for tax-exempt organizations, corporate mergers, and intercompany transfers, while requiring the fee to be collected by county recording officers and deposited into the General Fund. This change simplifies the fee calculation but lowers costs for high-value property transactions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires drivers in New Jersey to carry minimum liability insurance coverage for standard auto policies, with increasing limits over time: $15,000/$30,000 for pre-2023 policies, $25,000/$50,000 for 2023-2025 policies, and $35,000/$70,000 for 2026 onward. It also mandates uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage with minimum limits of $250,000 per person/$500,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $100,000/$500,000 for property damage. The law restricts "stacking" multiple policies for higher coverage and requires uniform statewide rates for these coverages. It directly affects all drivers purchasing standard auto insurance in New Jersey, ensuring minimum financial protection for injury and property damage claims.