Sen. Vin Gopal

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new grant program within the New Jersey Department of Education to help schools prepare for cardiac emergencies. It allocates $600,000 in funding to be distributed to public, charter, and private schools for purchasing defibrillators, training staff in CPR, and developing emergency response plans. Schools must submit applications detailing their current safety measures and funding needs, with the Department of Education prioritizing grants for those demonstrating the greatest need. The program also requires recipients to report how they use the funds and mandates that the Department provide an annual status report to the Governor and Legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new registration and reporting rules for individuals and organizations in New Jersey who act as governmental affairs agents. It defines a governmental affairs agent as anyone who receives compensation to influence legislation or regulations by communicating directly with lawmakers, the Governor, or executive branch staff. The law requires these agents to register if they are paid more than $100 in expenses over three months or receive compensation from a non-employer source to influence government processes. Additionally, the bill clarifies that reproducing or excerpting communications intended for government officials and distributing them to those officials counts as a direct communication with the state.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill prohibits payment card networks from charging interchange fees based on a percentage of the total transaction amount if that calculation includes sales taxes or tips. The law directly affects merchants, banks, and payment processors by banning fee structures that apply a percentage rate to the full gross dollar value of a debit or credit card purchase. Additionally, the bill sets strict limits on fees charged specifically for charitable donations, capping them at 0.2% for debit cards and 0.3% for credit cards. By defining these terms and restricting how fees can be calculated, the legislation aims to prevent networks from embedding taxes or gratuities into the base amount used to determine interchange charges.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires private contractors performing construction work in New Jersey (excluding public work or home improvement projects) to register with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development before starting work. It mandates registration with specific details including business information, licenses, and disclosures about labor law violations. The registration process includes providing tax IDs, unemployment insurance numbers, and documentation showing compliance with state business requirements. Contractors already registered for public works projects are exempt from these new requirements. The bill directly affects businesses engaged in private construction work who must register to legally operate in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the New Jersey State to cover transportation costs for certain homeless students that exceed a district's average per-pupil transportation expense. It directly affects homeless students temporarily living in a district different from their school district of residence (e.g., due to shelter or displacement) and those displaced by terrorism or natural disasters. The key provision mandates the State pay for transportation costs above the district's standard average, rather than the district covering all excess costs. This applies when students attend school in their district of residence while temporarily residing elsewhere, or when students displaced by disasters remain in their original district for up to two years. The policy change clarifies state responsibility for a portion of transportation expenses, reducing financial burden on local school districts.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 3014 requires qualifying public golf courses (defined as 18-hole courses open to the public, excluding 9-hole or miniature courses) to maintain an automated external defibrillator (AED). Owners must acquire and store an AED in an accessible location, ensure it is tested and maintained, notify emergency services of its location, and train at least one employee on-site during business hours with current AED/CPR certification. Violations incur civil penalties starting at $250 for the first offense, with the course owner liable for costs. The law aims to improve emergency response at these facilities while providing immunity for properly maintained AEDs.

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates the use of census data in calculating state funding for special education aid to New Jersey school districts. It amends existing school finance laws (P.L.1996, c.138 and P.L.2007, c.260) by removing references to census-based calculations and "State average classification rate" from the special education funding formulas. School districts receiving special education aid will no longer have their funding amounts determined using census data, shifting the calculation method to other established formulas. The change directly affects all New Jersey public school districts that receive state special education funding under current law.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases annual funding for cancer research in New Jersey by directing $10 million in cigarette and tobacco tax revenues to the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research (NJCCR), up from the current $1 million. It establishes a permanent, non-lapsing "Cancer Research Fund" in the state Treasury, ensuring these funds cannot be diverted to other state budgets. The fund must allocate at least $5 million annually to general cancer research and at least $5 million specifically to pediatric cancer research, with all spending requiring approval by the NJCCR. The State Treasurer manages the fund, and any interest earned is reinvested into the fund for ongoing research support.

Maddy summaryS 1659 requires construction permit applicants in New Jersey to disclose the anticipated funding sources and amounts for their projects. This applies to most construction projects, but excludes single-family homes, dwelling unit renovations/repairs, and small-scale alterations (e.g., to buildings with fewer than three units). Applicants must provide this funding information when applying for a permit and update it before receiving a certificate of occupancy. The bill directs the Commissioner of Community Affairs to create implementing rules within 180 days of enactment. It does not apply to residential renovations or single-family home projects as defined in the bill.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3318) prohibits third-party reservation services (like apps or websites) from advertising, listing, or selling reservations for restaurants without a written agreement with the restaurant. It directly affects restaurants (food service establishments) and third-party reservation platforms, requiring explicit permission before they can list a restaurant’s reservations. Violations carry daily civil penalties up to $500 per restaurant per day, and restaurants can sue for damages, attorney fees, or injunctions against unauthorized services. The law aims to prevent third parties from charging customers for reservations they cannot legally offer.