Asm. Brian Rumpf

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey counties to expand community mental health programs to include mental health services specifically for veterans and prohibits denying veterans these services based solely on their military status. It amends existing law to explicitly list "Services for veterans" as a required component of community mental health centers and mandates that state funding for mental health services must cover veterans in need. Counties must refer veterans to the VA for eligibility determination while ensuring they receive county services during the wait, and cannot deny services due to veteran status or VA wait times. The bill directly affects veterans seeking mental health care and county mental health programs receiving state funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2748) expands New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination to explicitly protect individuals based on "service in the Armed Forces of the United States" and "liability for service" (meaning being subject to military service requirements). It directly affects current military members, veterans, and those subject to military service obligations in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The key change adds these categories to the list of protected characteristics under the law, ensuring discrimination claims related to military service can be addressed under existing anti-discrimination statutes. The bill was withdrawn after being enacted as P.L.2025, c.307, meaning it is now law.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 360) prohibits New Jersey school districts and public colleges from banning active-duty military members or veterans from speaking to students at school events, classes, assemblies, graduation ceremonies, or student groups. It requires schools to forward any correspondence from military/veterans seeking to speak to county superintendents and mandates that schools cannot adopt policies blocking such addresses. Violations risk state aid reductions for school districts (via the Commissioner of Education) or public colleges (via the State Treasurer). The law applies immediately to all public educational settings in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an annual $15,000 death benefit for families of New Jersey forest firefighters who die while performing volunteer duties in the line of duty. The benefit applies specifically to hourly-paid firefighters employed by the forest fire service, with payments going first to a surviving spouse, then to children, parents, or a designated beneficiary if no closer relatives exist. Payments must be requested within 30 days of the death (with possible waiver by the Environmental Protection Commissioner) and are funded from the State General Fund. The benefit continues until the initial beneficiary dies and cannot be transferred to others.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a $10 million grant program to support New Jersey's volunteer fire companies. It creates a permanent fund within the Division of Fire Safety to provide annual grants covering operational costs and emergency equipment (like protective gear, tools, and maintenance), but not new vehicles or buildings. Volunteer fire companies must apply with detailed plans for how funds will be used to sustain operations, and recipients must report on expenditures and impacts. The program aims to strengthen community fire services through direct financial support to local volunteer departments.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts small businesses from a requirement to participate in registered apprenticeship programs when registering to bid on public works contracts in New Jersey. It defines "small business" as an employer with 10 or fewer workers on every working day during most of the calendar workweeks in the current and previous year. The exemption applies specifically to the apprenticeship participation requirement listed in Section 5(a)(6) of the Public Works Contractor Registration Act (P.L.1999, c.238). This change directly affects small construction and contracting firms seeking public projects, removing a regulatory burden related to workforce training programs.

Maddy summaryAJR 101 designates June 1 of each year as "Robert 'Bob' Popovics Day" in New Jersey to honor his community contributions. The bill recognizes Bob Popovics - a Trenton-born Marine Corps veteran, Seaside Park resident, and founder of the fly-tying company Pop Fleyes - who operated Shady Rest restaurant in Bayville and was influential in New Jersey's fishing community. It requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation for this day, symbolically celebrating his legacy of service and local impact. This is a commemorative resolution with no policy changes or direct effects on specific groups.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes a fifth or subsequent drunk driving conviction a third-degree crime in New Jersey, punishable by up to $15,000 in fines or 5 years in prison. It requires a 10-year driver's license suspension for these offenses, increasing to 20 years if the offense occurs near schools (on school property, within 1,000 feet, or at an unmarked school crossing with juveniles present). Offenders must complete alcohol education and treatment programs or face a mandatory two-day jail term and extended license suspension. The law applies to all fifth or subsequent DUI convictions occurring after its effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill upgrades penalties for failing to report child abuse or cooperate with investigations in New Jersey. It increases the penalty for failing to report general child abuse from a disorderly persons offense to a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months in jail or $10,000 fine). For sexual abuse reports, the penalty rises from a fourth-degree to a third-degree crime (3-5 years in jail or $15,000 fine). It also creates a new fourth-degree crime for failing to cooperate with child abuse investigations conducted by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency. These changes apply to anyone with reasonable cause to believe abuse occurred, such as mandated reporters (e.g., teachers, healthcare workers).

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $26,140,000 from the General Fund to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for dredging navigational waterways and related disposal projects. It directly funds 25 specific dredging projects (e.g., Double Creek, Ocean County; Shark River Back Channel) and $4 million for non-designated waterways used for recreational/residential boating (e.g., Hancy's Pond, Manahawkin Creek). The funds cover dredging, material disposal, and stabilization of sites, with unspent money to be reallocated to other navigational channels. This is a funding measure, not a new policy, addressing long-unfunded dredging needs critical for navigation and boating access.