Maddy summaryThis bill would reorganize New Jersey's State Police by establishing it as a principal department within the state's executive branch, rather than as a division within the Department of Law and Public Safety. Currently, the Division of State Police operates under the Attorney General's Department, but this bill would transfer it to become the Department of State Police with the Superintendent of State Police as its head. The bill also designates the Superintendent as the State Director of Emergency Management and clarifies that personnel decisions within the department would require only the Superintendent's approval, not the Attorney General's. This reorganization would change the administrative structure of the State Police and its relationship to other state agencies.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis is a procedural Senate resolution (not a bill with policy changes), expressing the New Jersey Senate's lack of confidence in the Board of Public Utilities (BPU). It cites rising electricity costs - over 27% above the national average and a projected 17-20% monthly bill increase in June 2025 - as reasons for this stance. The resolution references specific BPU actions, including certifying a Basic Generation Service auction and comments from BPU commissioners about marginalizing dissent. It does not change policy or impose new requirements; it is a symbolic statement to the BPU. The resolution states the Senate no longer trusts the BPU to ensure affordable energy rates for New Jersey residents.
Maddy summaryThis bill (A4652) creates a new offense for "inciting a public brawl" when someone purposefully organizes or promotes a group of four or more people to engage in disorderly conduct. It upgrades penalties for disrupting public gatherings or events, making such conduct a "disorderly persons offense" (up to 6 months jail or $1,000 fine) instead of a lesser "petty disorderly persons offense." The bill also adds a provision penalizing people who conceal their identity during disorderly conduct to avoid arrest. These changes directly affect individuals organizing group disturbances or attempting to hide their identity at public events. The law amends New Jersey statutes N.J.S.2C:33-1 and N.J.S.2C:33-2.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 4421) requires all New Jersey State troopers, county police officers, and municipal police officers to be issued a tourniquet. It also mandates that all basic life support ambulances and mobility assistance vehicles licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health must carry a tourniquet while in service. Funding for law enforcement tourniquets would come from forfeiture funds collected under N.J.S.2C:64-6, and the Attorney General and Commissioner of Health are authorized to create implementation guidelines. The bill takes effect three months after enactment.
Maddy summaryThis bill increases annual funding for New Jersey's Commission on Cancer Research (NJCCR) from $1 million to $10 million by redirecting cigarette and tobacco tax revenues into a dedicated, permanent Cancer Research Fund. The fund, established within the Department of the Treasury, must use at least $5 million annually for general cancer research and at least $5 million for pediatric cancer research, with all funds exclusively supporting approved research projects. Unlike the previous system, this fund is non-lapsing (permanent), preventing annual budget transfers that previously reduced available resources. The bill also repeals outdated provisions and designates the State Treasurer to manage fund disbursements.
Maddy summaryThis bill reinstates automatic annual cost-ofiving adjustments (COLAs) for retirement benefits of certain retired police and firefighters in New Jersey's Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS). It applies to members who have received retirement benefits for at least 10 years, excluding those who retired with 20-24 years of service, are in deferred retirement, or were hired more than 30 days after the bill's effective date. COLAs will be calculated based on the Consumer Price Index, with a $75,000 annual benefit threshold for the first year (adjusted annually thereafter), and capped at a 1% increase for benefits exceeding this amount. The bill requires the Legislature to appropriate funds from the General Fund to cover these adjustments, with the State Treasurer taking over implementation if the Board of Trustees fails to comply within six months. The adjustments apply only to future benefit payments, not retroactively.
Maddy summaryThe New Jersey Laken Riley Act requires law enforcement to check the immigration status of non-citizens arrested for specific serious crimes (including violent offenses, aggravated felonies, or motor vehicle crimes causing injury) using federal immigration databases. If confirmed as unlawfully present in the U.S., these individuals must be held in pretrial detention unless the prosecutor proves otherwise, overriding New Jersey’s bail reform laws. The bill also mandates compliance with federal immigration detainer requests and repeals prior state policies restricting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. It directly affects non-citizens facing certain criminal charges and local law enforcement agencies handling their cases.
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey local governments - including municipalities, counties, school districts, and public agencies - from naming public property (such as roads, parks, schools, or buildings) after a foreign terrorist organization designated by the federal government. It requires these entities to remove all existing signs, plaques, or displays referencing such groups within 30 days of the law taking effect and to rename the property within 90 days. The state will reimburse local governments for the costs of removal and renaming, and violations will trigger daily deductions from state aid. The Division of Local Government Services must maintain an annual list of designated foreign terrorist organizations and lands they control, excluding sovereign nations.
Maddy summaryThis bill allows members of New Jersey's State Police Retirement System (SPRS) to purchase retirement credit for time spent in military service academies (such as West Point or the Naval Academy), in the New Jersey State Police Academy, or as a class two special law enforcement officer before joining the police force. It amends existing law to permit purchasing credit for these specific service periods by paying into the retirement system's annuity savings fund, with options for installment payments over up to 10 years. The bill specifies that credit purchased for military academy enrollment, police academy training, or special law enforcement officer employment will be treated the same as actual police service for retirement benefit calculations. This applies to current and future SPRS members who want to count these pre-service periods toward their retirement eligibility and benefits.
Maddy summaryS 3587 upgrades retail theft offenses in New Jersey, including elevating "leader of organized retail theft enterprise" to a first-degree crime punishable by 10-20 years in prison. The bill creates a new offense for "fostering the sale of stolen property" (including online sales), which is a disorderly persons offense punishable by up to six months in jail. It establishes a retail theft unit within the Department of Law and Public Safety to investigate and prosecute organized retail theft, appropriating $1 million for this purpose. The bill also includes new requirements for gift card sales to prevent fraud, such as mandatory notices for retailers and packaging restrictions for both open- and closed-loop gift cards.