Sen. Jim Holzapfel

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 64) prevents New Jersey school districts that are spending below the state's adequacy standard from facing state aid reductions under existing law. It directly affects all public school districts and county vocational school districts meeting this spending threshold, regardless of their district type (SDA or non-SDA). The key mechanism eliminates the scheduled aid reductions for these districts by exempting them from the reduction schedule outlined in P.L.2018, c.67, ensuring they receive full state aid without cuts. The bill applies to the 2019-2020 through 2024-2025 school years.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires mortgage lenders to maintain vacant, age-restricted housing units (typically senior living communities) during foreclosure proceedings. Lenders must notify municipalities within 10 days of filing foreclosure actions and provide contact details for property maintenance representatives. If a vacant unit becomes a safety hazard or code violation, the lender - not the municipality - must address it within 30 days, or face penalties. The bill applies specifically to properties designated as age-restricted under New Jersey law, ensuring continued upkeep during legal proceedings.

Maddy summaryS 74 (New Jersey Senate Bill) allows members of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) who developed disabilities from participating in 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations to qualify for accidental disability retirement. It specifically applies to PERS members who worked at the World Trade Center site for at least eight hours between September 11-12, 2001, or who sustained a documented injury preventing further participation. The bill creates a legal presumption that such disabilities were work-related, shifting the burden of proof from the member to the employer if disputed. This eliminates the need to prove the disability resulted from "willful negligence" for qualifying cases. The policy directly affects New Jersey public safety and emergency workers who responded to the 9/11 site.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a four-year pilot program in Ocean County (or another county designated by the Attorney General) to monitor certain domestic violence offenders using electronic tracking devices. It would require court-ordered electronic monitoring only with the victim's informed consent, applying to offenders convicted of violating domestic violence restraining orders. Key provisions include court evaluations of risk factors (like prior violence or weapon access), mandatory victim notification, a $250 monitoring fee (waivable for financial hardship), and $2.5 million in state funding. The program would mandate compliance with national technology standards and establish procedures for handling device tampering or noncompliance.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 783) requires licensed adult day care centers in New Jersey to make reasonable efforts to accommodate the religious dietary needs of participants. It directly affects centers providing care to functionally or cognitively impaired adults through structured health and social services. The law defines "adult day care center" broadly to include both licensed facilities and community-based programs operating under 12 hours daily. Centers must accommodate these needs "to the extent within their capacity," without imposing undue burden. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 369) requires New Jersey law enforcement agencies, courts, and correctional facilities to notify federal immigration authorities within 24 hours when arresting or convicting non-citizens unlawfully present in the U.S. who are charged with specific crimes like violent offenses, drug-related crimes, theft, or robbery. It applies to all law enforcement agencies, sentencing courts, correctional facilities holding convicted non-citizens, and parole/probation officers supervising them. The notification triggers deportation proceedings under federal immigration enforcement. The bill defines "federal immigration authority" as officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, or Homeland Security.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises how funds from New Jersey's Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund (AEREF) are distributed to municipalities. It requires each municipality to annually report drunk driving arrest numbers to the Administrative Office of the Courts starting January 15, 2023. Funding for municipal courts is calculated using a formula based on the municipality's previous year's AEREF allocation (multiplied by 50%) divided by either the current year's arrest count or a five-year average of arrests. The allocated funds must be used to maintain municipal courts, including overtime payments for judges, prosecutors, and court staff.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's theft statute to specifically increase penalties for stealing packages delivered to residential properties by cargo carriers (like UPS or FedEx). If the stolen package is worth $200 or less, it becomes a fourth-degree crime; for values over $200, the penalty level rises by one degree. The bill also requires offenders to pay restitution for these thefts, which was previously optional. It directly affects individuals who steal residential delivery packages, targeting a growing issue that impacts residents' access to essential items like medication or documents.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $4 million from New Jersey's General Fund to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to cover the state's portion of the local cost share required for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers beach replenishment project on the Barnegat Peninsula in Ocean County. It directly affects Ocean County municipalities, which face an unaffordable $7.5 million local cost share for the project after federal funding covers most costs. The $4 million helps meet the state's obligation, enabling the project - scheduled for late 2022/early 2023 - to proceed and protect 14 miles of coastline from erosion and flooding. The funding is specifically for the state's share of the nonfederal cost, not the project's total expense.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires electric utilities in New Jersey to place new or repaired power lines underground in areas affected by major disasters like hurricanes, floods, or ice storms that cause widespread outages (affecting at least 10% of customers in a region or triggering a state of emergency). The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) must establish feasibility standards considering engineering, permits, and local approvals, but underground placement is mandatory for new installations or post-disaster repairs in those zones. It does not apply to all areas or existing lines, only to future work in locations impacted by qualifying disasters. The policy aims to reduce future power outages caused by weather events, though implementation depends on BPU's standards and utility feasibility assessments.