Maddy summarySCR 20 is a New Jersey legislative resolution urging the U.S. President and Congress to pass federal legislation forgiving community disaster loans issued to New Jersey municipalities after Superstorm Sandy (2012). It specifically requests forgiveness of loans received under the "Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013" and addresses a policy that prevents Sandy recovery loan recipients from accessing new disaster aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution references Rep. Chris Smith’s H.R. 6454 bill, which would forgive these loans and remove small business loans as a barrier to future disaster assistance. This resolution directly affects New Jersey communities and residents who took these loans, seeking financial relief amid ongoing economic challenges.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 480) clarifies that unauthorized access to password-protected communications (like email or cloud storage) is a crime. It makes it a fourth-degree offense to access such communications without the password or explicit consent from at least one party, even if the device was left logged in. For commercial gain, private profit, or malicious intent, the offense becomes a third-degree crime with stricter penalties. The law specifically closes a loophole where leaving a device logged in wouldn’t automatically grant implied consent, and it clarifies both criminal penalties and civil liability for victims.
Maddy summaryS 678, the "New Jersey No Patient Left Alone Act," requires specific facilities - including community residences for the developmentally disabled, hospices, long-term care facilities, and veterans' homes - to establish written visitation policies within 30 days. These policies must guarantee residents receive at least two hours of daily in-person visits from family, friends, caregivers, or spiritual advisors, with unlimited visitation for terminally ill patients. Facilities cannot ask visitors about vaccination status, must allow consensual physical contact, and must post policies online within 24 hours. The law applies immediately upon enactment and directly affects residents of these facilities across New Jersey.
Maddy summaryS 503 requires new planned real estate developments in New Jersey to install emergency power systems in common areas like clubhouses or community rooms, ensuring these spaces can function as shelters during extended power outages. The systems must meet National Fire Protection Association standards and include public charging stations for residents' electronic devices. To support adoption, the bill allows developers to deduct up to $10,000 of the system's cost as an annual expense (not a capital cost) and claim a rebate for sales tax paid on the equipment. This applies to all new developments requiring registration after the bill's effective date.
Maddy summaryBill S 494 revises New Jersey's license fee structure for polysomnographic technologists, technicians, and trainees. It sets maximum fees at $150 for initial and renewal licenses for technologists and technicians (down from $500 for technologists), and $50 for trainees. The bill directly affects licensed sleep medicine professionals who must pay these fees to maintain or obtain their credentials. The key provision caps all application, renewal, and related license fees at these specified amounts, effective immediately upon enactment.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires the State Board of Education to rescind New Jersey's 2020 Comprehensive Health and Physical Education standards and prohibits future adoption of similar curriculum requirements. It mandates that each local school district establish a publicly accessible Parental Advisory Committee (representing parents/guardians) to advise on health education standards, with all committee recommendations posted online. Districts must adopt new health education standards within 180 days of the bill's enactment, replacing the existing state-mandated standards. The bill directly affects all New Jersey public school districts, students, and parents by shifting curriculum authority to local committees rather than state standards.
Maddy summaryThis bill broadens the definition of riot to include assemblies of three or more people engaging in violent disorderly conduct causing injury, property damage, or imminent danger. It creates new offenses of "mob intimidation" (using force/threats to compel someone) and "cyber-intimidation by publication" (sharing personal information to incite violence), and enhances penalties for crimes committed during riots. The bill establishes a duty for municipalities to allow law enforcement to respond appropriately during riots and requires pretrial detention for those arrested for these offenses. Penalties range from up to 18 months imprisonment for basic riot offenses to up to 10 years for aggravated riot.
Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey municipalities to allocate up to 30% of their municipal development trust funds - collected from residential construction fees - to provide down payment grants for first-time veteran homebuyers. Each veteran can receive up to $15,000 in grants, which do not count as income for eligibility in other state programs or for tax purposes. The funds must come from existing trust funds designated for affordable housing, not new taxes, and supplement existing state housing assistance programs like the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency’s low-interest loans. This provision directly benefits veterans purchasing their first home in municipalities that choose to implement it.
Maddy summaryS 490 requires New Jersey's Department of Law and Public Safety to create training materials and an online tutorial for all state, county, municipal, and campus law enforcement officers on interacting with pregnant women in labor or preparing for delivery during traffic stops. The training covers efficiently reviewing required documents (like licenses and insurance), assessing when to request emergency responders, and preparing for childbirth emergencies. This policy directly affects every law enforcement agency in New Jersey, including campus police departments. The bill mandates that these materials be made available for officer training, aiming to improve safety during unpredictable situations involving pregnant individuals. It takes effect four months after enactment.
Maddy summaryS 500 establishes a three-year pilot program in Ocean County to transfer responsibility for transporting nonpublic school students from local school districts to a county consortium. The program funds the consortium directly with $1,000 per eligible student (the current "aid in-lieu-of transportation" amount) to cover mandated busing for students attending nonpublic schools that require district transportation under state law. The consortium assumes all transportation duties for participating schools, while school districts can no longer provide "courtesy busing" to these students. Any unused funds must be returned to the state, and the program applies only to Ocean County, which meets the criteria of having school districts serving over 5,000 nonpublic school students requiring transportation.