Sen. Owen Henry

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the "New Jersey Disability Savings Act" to expand tax benefits for individuals with disabilities who use ABLE accounts. It provides a one-time $750 state match for new ABLE account deposits (for taxpayers earning $150,000 or less) and allows full state income tax deductions for all contributions to qualifying ABLE accounts. The program directly affects New Jersey residents with disabilities (or their families) who open ABLE accounts for disability-related expenses like housing, education, or medical costs. Funding for the matching grant depends on annual state appropriations, with the Department of Human Services handling allocation if funds are limited.

Maddy summaryS 482 requires electric utilities in New Jersey to provide specific support during extended power outages (over 24 hours) affecting age-restricted communities - defined as developments for residents 55+ years old. The bill mandates utilities to set up temporary drinkable water stations, cooling/heating stations with seating, and device charging stations for affected residents until power is restored. These requirements apply directly to electric public utilities serving such communities and aim to address immediate safety and comfort needs during prolonged outages. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a one-time $5 million grant program to help 10 specific New Jersey school districts implement free, full-day kindergarten programs. It directly affects districts that currently do not offer such programs, including Moorestown, Haddonfield, Metuchen, Monroe Township, Millstone, the Chathams, Bridgewater-Raritan, Hillsborough, Cranford, and Westfield. School districts must submit applications detailing their implementation plans and cost estimates to receive a grant, with funds distributed evenly among approved applicants. The program appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to cover these implementation costs.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 477) exempts specific baby products from the state's sales tax. It directly affects parents and caregivers purchasing cribs, child restraint systems (like car seats meeting federal safety standards), nursing bottles/nipples/funnels, and strollers. The key provision removes the sales tax on these items, which are currently taxed under the "Sales and Use Tax Act." The goal is to reduce costs for essential infant care products, as stated in the bill's summary. The exemption takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryS 2610 allows registered nurses with a multistate nursing license (under the Enhanced Multistate Nurse Licensure Compact) to qualify for school nurse certification in New Jersey. The bill amends existing law to recognize these licenses as meeting the registered nurse requirement for school nurse endorsements, replacing the previous requirement for a New Jersey-specific license. This change directly affects nurses holding a multistate license who seek to work as school nurses in New Jersey public schools. It removes a barrier that previously prevented such nurses from obtaining certification without obtaining an additional New Jersey nursing license.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 194) modifies how New Jersey allocates state aid to school districts for providing auxiliary and remedial services (like speech correction, examinations, and supplementary instruction) to students attending nonpublic schools. It establishes a new formula for calculating aid amounts based on historical service data, requires annual reporting of eligible students, and mandates districts to budget for these services using state aid. The changes directly affect nonpublic school students needing these services and the local school districts responsible for delivering them. Note: This bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, as it was approved as part of P.L.2025, c.252.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the New Jersey State Lottery Commission and its contracted entities from selling lottery tickets online. It directly affects the Commission's ability to operate internet sales, reversing a planned 2024 rollout of direct online ticket sales. The key provision bans all internet sales by the Commission itself or its affiliated entities, though it explicitly allows licensed courier services to continue internet lottery sales under existing law. The bill takes immediate effect and does not impact current courier-based internet sales.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 503) amends murder statutes to clarify that a victim's death during a stalking incident may be classified as murder under specific circumstances. It adds stalking to the list of crimes (under N.J.S.2C:11-3a(3)) where a death occurring during the crime constitutes murder, and designates stalking as an aggravating factor in sentencing (under N.J.S.2C:11-3a(4)(l)). The law directly affects stalking victims whose deaths occur during stalking incidents and defendants convicted of stalking-related homicides. It creates a legal pathway for prosecutors to charge such deaths as murder and allows courts to impose harsher sentences when stalking was involved. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow New Jersey disabled veterans to deduct up to $5,000 annually from their gross income for service animal expenses, including purchasing, training, and maintenance costs like food, grooming, and veterinary care. To qualify, a veteran must be a New Jersey resident honorably discharged from military service with a service-connected disability as confirmed by the U.S. Veterans Administration. The deduction applies to expenses not already covered by existing medical expense deductions and requires submitting proof of eligibility to the Division of Taxation. It will take effect for tax returns filed for the 2024 tax year and beyond.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 476) creates a tax credit for businesses with headquarters in the state that hire workers who lost jobs due to automation. It provides a credit equal to 10% of the salary paid to each qualifying employee (capped at $2,500 per employee per year), provided the business employs them for at least seven months. To qualify, the employee must have previously been laid off because their job was replaced by automation - defined as systems that perform tasks without continuous human input. The credit applies to both corporation business tax and gross income tax, directly benefiting affected workers and incentivizing NJ-based employers to hire them.