Asm. Greg Myhre

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to review the electricity rates and revenues of electric utilities that use smart meters for billing. The BPU must compare these rates and revenues before and after a utility installs smart meters. Within six months of the bill's enactment, the BPU must submit a written report of its findings to the Governor and Legislature. The bill applies to all electric public utilities in New Jersey using smart meter technology for customer billing.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A475) expands eligibility for accidental disability retirement benefits and survivor benefits under New Jersey's Police and Firemen’s Retirement System (PFRS), State Police Retirement System (SPRS), and Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS). It extends the filing deadline for accidental disability claims from 5 years to allow for delayed disability manifestations (e.g., from 9/11 exposure), and adds new qualifying health conditions like PTSD, respiratory illnesses, and cancer linked to work exposure. Public safety workers who participated in World Trade Center rescue/cleanup operations (or sustained injuries during those efforts) can now have disabilities presumed work-related without proving negligence, using alternate medical documentation if standard proof isn’t available. This directly affects first responders and public employees with qualifying conditions tied to their duties.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public school boards to verify the work authorization of teaching staff and school employees using the federal E-Verify program. It applies to all new hires starting the first full school year after enactment and mandates annual verification for all current staff. The law directs the state education commissioner to provide schools with guidance on E-Verify requirements and federal rules. It does not prevent schools from hiring noncitizen teachers holding valid limited certificates under existing state law. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 318) modifies New Jersey's requirements for condominium and cooperative associations managing certain multi-story residential buildings. It expands the timeframes for associations to conduct required capital reserve studies - extending the deadline for first-time studies from five years to one year after the law's effective date - and mandates these studies be reviewed by licensed professionals every five years. The studies must assess funding for maintaining the building's structural components (like foundations and load-bearing systems) and include detailed cost projections for repairs, replacements, and future inspections. Associations with less than $25,000 in common-area assets are exempt from these requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for identity theft when the victim is a senior citizen (62+) or veteran. It elevates the offense level: a first offense against these vulnerable groups becomes a third-degree crime (previously fourth-degree), and repeat offenses become second-degree crimes (previously third-degree). The bill also raises penalties for cases involving multiple victims when at least one victim is a senior or veteran. These changes apply to all identity theft offenses under New Jersey law that cause financial harm or fraud.

Maddy summaryACR 87 is a New Jersey legislative resolution declaring that the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) adoption of California's "Advanced Clean Cars II" (ACC II) program rules - published in the December 18, 2023, New Jersey Register - is inconsistent with state law. The resolution states that New Jersey's 2003 law (P.L.2003, c.266) only authorized the DEP to implement California's earlier "LEV II" program, not the newer ACC II rules, and that the DEP failed to provide required notice to environmental committees before adopting them. The resolution gives the DEP 30 days to amend or withdraw the rules, or allows the legislature to pass another resolution to invalidate them. It directly affects the DEP's rulemaking authority and the implementation of vehicle emissions standards in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 575) raises the threshold for a 1% fee on commercial real property transfers from $1 million to $2 million. It directly affects purchasers of commercial properties (Class 4A) or controlling interests in entities holding commercial real property valued above $2 million. The key change is increasing the trigger amount for the fee, which is now calculated as 1% of the transfer value exceeding $2 million. The fee must be paid by the purchaser and collected by county recording officers at the time of deed recording. This adjustment applies to transfers recorded after the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryBill A 376 allows New Jersey counties to create voluntary registries for senior residents (65+ years old) to receive additional emergency assistance. Counties must establish a central registry collecting basic contact and medical information, conduct public awareness campaigns, and maintain data privacy protections. Each county may also prepare and distribute emergency supply kits to registered seniors, with kit contents determined locally. The bill does not require all counties to implement these measures but provides state funding for kit preparation upon approval.

Maddy summaryBill A 2851 prohibits electric utilities in New Jersey from including "solar subscription fees" in community solar subscribers' monthly bills. These fees, paid to companies managing community solar projects (called "subscriber organizations"), would be removed from utility bills under the bill's requirements. The law directs the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to mandate that utilities develop a method to eliminate these fees, which currently appear alongside energy credits on subscriber bills. The bill affects community solar participants and the organizations that manage their enrollment in solar projects.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 2803) would expand eligibility for state veteran benefits by updating the legal definition of "veteran" to include service in the Global War on Terror and specific military operations like Lebanon (1982-1987), Grenada (1983), and Panama (1989). It adds these conflicts to existing categories, allowing veterans who served during these periods to qualify for benefits they previously might not have been recognized for. The bill specifically targets veterans who completed minimum service periods (e.g., 90 days active duty for most conflicts) or received service-connected injuries, regardless of the duration. Currently introduced in the Assembly but not yet enacted, it would affect New Jersey veterans of these designated military engagements.