Sen. Jim Holzapfel

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey municipalities to either pave, repave, or improve streets in "qualified private communities" (where roads are accepted for public dedication or meet municipal standards) or reimburse those communities for the costs. It directly affects municipalities (which must pay) and private communities with eligible roads (which may receive reimbursement). Key provisions mandate reimbursement for paving services instead of requiring municipalities to perform them directly, while exempting roads that don’t meet municipal standards (except width). The law applies to streets accepted for public use or meeting municipal specifications for dedication.

Maddy summaryS 513 amends New Jersey's criminal mischief law (N.J.S.2C:17-3) to upgrade penalties for intentionally disrupting power supply. Currently, purposefully impairing power is a third-degree crime (3-5 years prison, up to $15,000 fine), but this bill makes it a second-degree crime (5-10 years prison, up to $150,000 fine). The bill directly affects individuals who deliberately damage power infrastructure, such as utility lines or substations, causing a "substantial interruption or impairment of supply of power." This change increases penalties for such acts without altering the definition of the offense itself.

Maddy summaryS 1986 establishes a 7-member School Funding Formula Evaluation Task Force to study New Jersey's current school funding system under the 2008 School Funding Reform Act. The task force, including the Commissioner of Education and six public members with education/finance expertise, will evaluate specific aspects like how school district budgets and local shares are calculated, weighting for at-risk students, special education funding methods, and geographic cost adjustments. It must hold public meetings across the state and issue a final report with recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within one year. This bill creates a procedural mechanism for reviewing the existing funding formula, directly affecting how state school aid is distributed to districts.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 516) expands New Jersey's survivor pension program to cover the families of volunteer emergency workers who died from COVID-19 during the 2020 public health emergency. It directly affects widows, children, or parents of volunteer firefighters, first aid workers, rescue squad members, or emergency medical technicians who contracted COVID-19 while performing duties involving public interaction during the Governor's declared emergency. To qualify, the volunteer must have had a confirmed positive test, died from COVID-19, and their duties required public interaction during the emergency period. Approved pensions will be paid retroactively to the year following the volunteer's death.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 505) requires New Jersey electric utilities to reimburse residential customers for spoiled food and compromised prescription medicine during sustained power outages lasting over 48 hours after a major event (like storms or floods). Customers would receive up to $500 for spoiled food (with proof like receipts) or up to $1,000 for compromised medicine (with pharmacy proof). Utilities must create an online system for claims within 90 days of the law taking effect, and reimbursements must be processed within 30 days of a valid request. The bill applies directly to residential utility customers affected by qualifying outages, not to commercial users or non-utility-related spoilage.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the "Distracted Driver Enforcement and Education Fund" to support programs addressing distracted driving. It directs $100 from every fine issued under New Jersey's distracted driving law (e.g., for texting while driving) to be deposited into this fund. The fund will be managed by the state's Highway Traffic Safety division and used to provide grants to municipalities and counties for enforcement and public education campaigns about distracted driving risks. These funds specifically target reducing incidents like texting while driving, which carries higher fines than standard phone use. The bill does not change the underlying distracted driving ban but establishes a dedicated funding source for prevention efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Education to provide any school district that requests it with all data and software algorithms used to calculate state school aid. Specifically, it mandates the release of: (1) district-level data for aid calculations, (2) details on adequacy budgets and equalization aid adjustments, and (3) the proprietary software algorithms, regardless of the department's claims of confidentiality. The department must also provide a district-by-district reconciliation showing how total local shares plus equalization aid equal statewide adequacy budgets. This transparency measure aims to allow school districts to verify the accuracy of their state aid calculations under existing law.

Maddy summaryS 962 (New Jersey) bars the state health commissioner and other government entities from requiring students to receive a COVID-19 vaccine to attend public K-12 schools. The bill directly affects all students enrolled in New Jersey's public primary and secondary schools by removing a potential vaccination mandate for school attendance. Key provisions state that no state entity may make SARS-CoV-2 vaccination a condition of enrollment, effective immediately upon enactment. This policy change shifts school immunization requirements away from including the COVID-19 vaccine as a standard prerequisite.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey state agencies (including executive, legislative, and judicial branches) to complete a six-month review of their operations to identify cost-saving opportunities through increased internet use - such as email, online forms, and digital payments - for public business. Agencies must examine functions like communication with the public, filing reports, and handling payments to determine where internet-based methods could reduce costs. The bill explicitly preserves existing requirements for certified mail and newspaper notices, ensuring those methods remain available where legally mandated. Agencies must implement internet solutions in feasible cases where cost savings are identified, but the law does not create new services or alter existing rules beyond this review and implementation process.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $4.32 billion from New Jersey's Debt Defeasance and Prevention Fund to all municipalities and counties for two key purposes: retiring existing local debt or funding capital projects (like infrastructure) without issuing new debt. It directs $3 billion to municipalities on an equal per capita basis (same amount per resident) and $1.32 billion to counties similarly. The funds, partially drawn from $1.97 billion in unallocated balances already in the fund, must be distributed within 30 days of enactment. The bill aims to provide immediate, efficient financial relief to local governments facing debt burdens.