Sen. Mike Testa

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 1374) provides tax credits to businesses that demolish abandoned commercial buildings (at least 100,000 sq ft) and construct new commercial buildings on the same site. Taxpayers can claim a credit equal to 25% of demolition and construction costs, capped at $500,000 per project, against either the state's privilege tax or gross income tax. To qualify, businesses must apply to the Division of Taxation for certification proving the building replacement occurred, and the credit requires documentation of costs. The total credits across all projects cannot exceed $5 million, and unused credits may be carried forward for up to seven years.

Maddy summarySCR 61 creates a special 14-member joint committee of the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly to investigate costs in public employee health care programs. The committee will examine recent premium increases, the state's contract with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, allegations about Governor's Office influence on contract disputes, and implementation of a 2019 law creating new funding structures. It will review all related decisions and documents, then issue a report with recommendations for policy changes. This procedural bill directly affects state health care program oversight and does not enact new policy.

Maddy summaryS 1326 requires New Jersey correctional facilities (prisons, jails, youth detention centers) to verify the citizenship status and lawful presence in the U.S. of every inmate. If an inmate is not a U.S. citizen or not lawfully present, the facility must not release them to the general public but must transfer them solely to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials. Facilities that violate this rule face civil penalties set by the Commissioner of Corrections. The bill directly affects non-citizen inmates in state correctional facilities who are not lawfully present in the U.S.

Maddy summaryS 1335 provides a 20% tax credit against New Jersey's corporation business tax for businesses investing in new manufacturing equipment or facility improvements (renovation, modernization, or expansion) at their manufacturing facilities within the state. The credit covers 20% of qualifying costs and can be carried forward for up to seven tax years if not fully used in the current year. It prevents double-dipping by disallowing the same expenses from being claimed under other credits like the New Jobs Investment Tax Credit. The credit applies only to facilities where over half of the equipment is used for manufacturing, as defined by the bill.

Maddy summaryS 1983 would eliminate the requirement for advanced practice nurses (APNs) in New Jersey to practice under physician collaboration or supervision, allowing them to provide care independently. This directly affects APNs - over 75% of whom specialize in primary care - and aims to improve healthcare access in underserved communities, including areas with physician shortages and among racial/ethnic minorities, low-income populations, and those facing transportation barriers. The bill cites that 24 states and the District of Columbia already permit full practice authority for APNs, and during pandemic waivers (Executive Order 112), no adverse incidents occurred while APNs practiced without restrictions. It states removing these barriers could reduce healthcare access disparities by over 38 percent, aligning New Jersey with other states to address chronic shortages in primary care services.

Maddy summarySCR 50 is a constitutional amendment proposal that would permanently dedicate funds from New Jersey's "9-1-1 System and Emergency Response Trust Fund Account" exclusively to 9-1-1 and emergency response operations. Currently, 90 cents from phone bills funds this account, but the state has historically diverted these funds to balance the general budget. The amendment would legally prohibit using any money from this specific account for purposes other than: maintaining 9-1-1 systems, funding emergency response equipment/facilities, covering emergency training, operating related state offices (like the Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services), and implementing federal 9-1-1 requirements. This change would require a statewide vote after legislative approval.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the allowable uses of civil asset forfeiture funds (money from property seized in criminal cases) by New Jersey law enforcement agencies. It specifically adds community outreach, diversity training for officers, and minority recruitment programs to the list of permitted "law enforcement purposes." The bill codifies these additions to the existing definition, which already included crime prevention education, equipment purchases, and federal grant matching. These funds remain restricted to the law enforcement agency that contributed to the case that generated the forfeiture, and cannot be used for general budgetary purposes.