Asm. Greg Myhre

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey high school students to pass a civics test identical to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization test (60 correct answers out of 100) to graduate. Students must take the test in ninth grade and retake it each year until they pass, with schools documenting the result on their transcripts. The policy directly affects all New Jersey public high school students seeking graduation, beginning with the 2015-2016 school year.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts residential customers in New Jersey from paying state sales and use tax on natural gas and electricity purchases. It directly affects homeowners and renters who pay for home energy services. Utilities must deduct the tax amount from monthly bills before charging customers, effectively removing the tax from their bills. The Division of Taxation and Board of Public Utilities will create implementation rules, and the law takes effect immediately. This change reduces costs for residential energy consumers by eliminating a state tax on these essential services.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey municipalities to create a "dredging control reserve fund" using unspent annual dredging budget funds. The fund can be used for dredging activities like removing sand or silt from waterways to maintain navigation channels, managing dredged materials, or supporting maritime, recreation, or tourism industries. Any costs paid from the reserve must be reimbursed back into the fund. The Local Finance Board can establish rules to implement this program, and the bill takes effect immediately. It directly affects municipalities with waterway maintenance needs.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 1848) requires state licensing authorities to collect new child support certification information from applicants for professional, occupational, or driver's licenses. Applicants must certify on a separate form - under penalty of perjury - whether they have child support arrears exceeding six months' payments, owe unpaid health care coverage, failed to respond to a subpoena, or face a child support warrant. Licenses cannot be issued, renewed, or reinstated if applicants fail to meet these requirements. The bill clarifies existing procedures by mandating written notice of these requirements and the legal basis for license suspension related to child support obligations.

Maddy summaryAJR 100 designates August 30 of each year as "Keith Pinto Day" in New Jersey to honor Keith Pinto, a 19-year-old lifeguard from Toms River who died tragically in a lightning strike during his shift on August 30, 2021. The resolution requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation encouraging state agencies, organizations, and citizens to observe the day with commemorative activities. It directly affects state officials and communities by establishing an annual recognition of Pinto’s service as a lifeguard and his positive impact on the Jersey Shore community. This procedural resolution does not create new laws or regulations but formally commemorates Pinto’s life and legacy.

Maddy summaryThis bill permits licensed organizations in New Jersey (such as charities, churches, and veterans groups) to conduct "Queen of Hearts" raffle games under existing raffle regulations. The raffle uses a board with 54 shuffled cards; participants select cards weekly until someone finds the Queen of Hearts. If they don't find it, they win a cash prize immediately; if they do, they receive 50% of the prize with the rest going to the organizer. The Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission must establish rules for these games, including prize schedules.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts volunteer first responders (like firefighters and EMTs who serve without pay) from coverage under New Jersey's unemployment compensation law. It also excludes payments they receive for volunteer emergency services from their taxable gross income. The legislation amends New Jersey Statutes §43:21-19 (defining unemployment benefits terms) and adds provisions to clarify these exemptions. These changes directly affect volunteer emergency service workers by removing them from unemployment benefit calculations and making their service payments non-taxable.

Maddy summaryACR 86 proposes a constitutional amendment to exempt the primary residence of a surviving spouse from property taxes if their spouse - a law enforcement officer, firefighter (paid or volunteer), or emergency medical responder (ambulance/rescue squad member) - died while on duty. The exemption applies as long as the surviving spouse continues to live in the home as their primary residence and does not remarry. The state would reimburse local taxing districts annually for the lost property tax revenue from these exempt properties. This change would directly affect surviving spouses of qualifying first responders in New Jersey who own their home.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 2816) amends New Jersey's tax code to extend a $6,000 gross income tax exemption currently available to veterans to the spouses of deceased veterans. Under the current law, a veteran's spouse could claim this exemption only in the tax year the veteran died (if filing jointly), but not in future years. The bill would allow the spouse to continue claiming the $6,000 exemption starting the year after the veteran's death, and until the year they remarry. This directly affects surviving spouses of veterans who were honorably discharged and eligible for the exemption in their final tax year.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey to redirect unspent funds from a 2024 settlement with Orsted (the company behind canceled offshore wind projects) to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU). These funds - specifically unexpended, unencumbered, or unobligated money from the settlement - must be used by the BPU to provide ratepayer relief to electricity customers. The BPU will determine the exact timeline, method, and form of this relief through a rulemaking process. The bill does not create new policy but mandates the use of existing settlement funds to lower electricity costs for consumers.