Asm. Greg Myhre

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $26.14 million from the General Fund to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for dredging navigational waterways and disposing of dredged material. It directly funds 21 specific dredging projects across Ocean, Monmouth, Cape May, and other counties (like Double Creek Channel and Rumson Dredge Site), plus $4 million for 9 recreational/residential waterways (such as Hancy's Pond and Manahawkin Creek) not officially designated as navigational. The key mechanism is allocating funds to maintain waterway depth for safe navigation, with unspent funds applied to other priority channels. The bill addresses long-unfunded dredging needs critical for commercial shipping and recreational boating access.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to take responsibility for dredging all waterways providing boat access to lagoon communities - such as Cedar Creek, Loveladies Lagoons, and Mystic Island Lagoons - regardless of whether they're officially designated as navigational channels. The DEP must create a list of these communities and a dredging schedule within one year, complete all initial dredging within two years, and establish a maintenance plan with annual costs within two years and 180 days. The bill appropriates $6 million total ($5 million for initial dredging, $1 million for maintenance planning) from the state General Fund. It directly affects residents and property owners in these coastal communities who rely on boat access for daily life and economic activity.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill increases penalties for identity theft when the victim is a senior citizen (62 or older) or a veteran. For example, if a senior or veteran is the sole victim and the theft involves less than $500, a first offense becomes a third-degree crime (previously fourth-degree), and repeat offenses become second-degree crimes (previously third-degree). The bill also raises penalties for trafficking personal identifying information obtained from facilities serving seniors or veterans (like retirement communities or veterans' facilities), with higher quantities of stolen data leading to more severe charges. These changes make penalties stricter when vulnerable groups are targeted, without altering the core definition of identity theft.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public officers or employees in New Jersey who are convicted of crimes related to their job (such as theft or misuse of public funds) or found at fault in civil cases involving their duties to repay public costs. Specifically, they must reimburse the state or local government for prosecution expenses and any public-funded legal fees they received (excluding standard Public Defender services). Their pension or retirement benefits can then be garnished to cover these costs. The law targets misconduct involving public funds, ensuring accountability without specifying political outcomes.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey municipalities to create a "dredging control reserve fund" to manage unspent annual dredging budgets. Municipalities can transfer leftover funds from yearly dredging expenses into this reserve, then use those funds for future dredging projects - such as maintaining navigation channels, managing dredged material, or supporting waterfront infrastructure. Reimbursements for these projects must be returned to the reserve. The fund aims to help local governments support maritime, tourism, and recreation industries through more flexible waterway maintenance. (2 sentences, as it is a procedural funding mechanism.)

Maddy summaryThis bill restores a state education funding program providing $500 per student to school districts in New Jersey municipalities where over 51% of residents are 65 or older (based on the 2000 census). It directly affects districts in communities like Manchester Township and Berkeley Township, which meet this threshold. The aid is calculated using projected student enrollment, not actual enrollment, and reduces the tax burden on qualifying municipalities by lowering their share of regional school district costs. This revives a program originally established in 1996 but repealed in 2008.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a task force within New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to study challenges faced by service members returning from deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, including those in the New Jersey National Guard. The task force, composed of state agency leaders and five public members with relevant expertise (such as mental health support or veteran homelessness), will hold public hearings statewide and review current programs affecting veterans' physical, mental, and social well-being. It must issue a final report with recommendations - including potential legislation - within six months of organizing, with the task force dissolving 30 days after the report is submitted. The bill does not enact new laws but creates a structured process to identify solutions for veterans' needs.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends New Jersey's homestead property tax reimbursement program to surviving spouses who would otherwise be ineligible. It allows a surviving spouse to claim a pro-rata reimbursement for the number of days the deceased spouse lived during the tax year (including the date of death), even if the surviving spouse doesn't meet the full eligibility requirements. Currently, surviving spouses cannot claim any reimbursement if they don't qualify themselves, but this bill creates a partial claim based on the deceased spouse's living period. The change applies to claims filed for tax years where the deceased spouse was eligible but the surviving spouse is not.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey municipalities and counties from adopting policies that would prevent local officials from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement requests. It makes noncooperation with such requests an ethics violation for state and local employees, with penalties including fines up to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to one year for officials who vote to adopt noncooperation policies. The bill amends existing ethics codes to explicitly require cooperation with federal immigration enforcement requests, stating that officials must comply with "lawful requests from a federal agency regarding immigration and customs enforcement." It also creates a state-level defense for municipal employees who face civil actions related to cooperating with federal immigration authorities.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how fines from State Police-issued traffic tickets are distributed. Currently, all such fines go to the state treasury, but this bill directs one-third of those funds to the specific municipality where the traffic violation occurred. The funds must be used to help cover the operational costs of that municipality's court system. This applies only to tickets written by State Police officers, not local police departments.