Sen. Declan O'Scanlon

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for illegal payments related to patient referrals to substance use disorder treatment facilities. It makes such payments a third-degree crime (up from fourth-degree) with a mandatory $50,000 fine, affecting healthcare providers, facilities, non-profits, and recovery residences. The law prohibits payments that vary based on patient volume, treatment duration, or insurance benefits, but allows flat fees not tied to these factors. It clarifies that referrals to certified treatment facilities or recovery residences (sober living homes) must not involve commission-based payments.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 862, now P.L.2025, c.11) requires New Jersey's Department of Transportation (DOT) to include significantly more detailed information in its annual report on road conditions. Specifically, the report must now list numerical rankings of roads needing repair, detail completed maintenance projects (including pothole repairs), provide cost estimates for each project, track material usage (tonnage), and include data on pothole damage claims and associated costs from the Treasury Department. The report must be made publicly available on the DOT's website. This affects the DOT directly by expanding its reporting duties and provides the public with more transparency about road maintenance spending and road conditions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) to issue an annual report on compensation awards to crime victims. The report must detail the number of applications granted or denied (with reasons), award amounts, demographics of recipients, services covered, and office funding, and must be submitted to the Governor and Legislature within six months after each fiscal year ends. The report will also be published on the Department of Law and Public Safety's website for public access. This formalizes an existing reporting practice without changing eligibility or funding for victims.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the filing deadline for members and retirees of New Jersey's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS), and State Police Retirement System (SPRS) to qualify for accidental disability retirement benefits related to 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations. It allows for a two-year filing period after the bill's effective date (with potential two-year extensions) and replaces the requirement for a pre-employment physical examination with evidence of medical examinations that failed to disclose qualifying health conditions. The bill also permits retirees previously denied due to late filing to petition for reconsideration or resubmit their eligibility forms. Retirement systems must notify all affected members within 60 days of enactment about these provisions using clear language explaining filing requirements and time limits.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3052) expands academic flexibility for New Jersey public college students who are active-duty service members or their dependents (spouses/children) unable to finish a course due to unplanned military obligations like deployment. It changes the attendance threshold from 8 weeks to 55% of a course’s duration to qualify for grade options, adding temporary grades and online course transfers as choices. Students who complete 55% of a course can select a letter grade, pass/fail, incomplete, withdrawal, or online transfer (with approval), while those under 55% can choose incomplete or withdrawal. It also clarifies that pass/fail grades can later be converted to letter grades within a year by completing missed work, and ensures full tuition refunds for withdrawals. The law applies to all public institutions of higher education in New Jersey and takes effect immediately for the next academic year.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires pharmacies in New Jersey to display a notice and provide a pamphlet about insulin manufacturer assistance programs at all points of sale. The materials must be created by the Department of Banking and Insurance and will be available to anyone purchasing insulin or requesting them. Insulin manufacturers offering assistance programs may request to be included in these materials. The bill directly affects pharmacies (by mandating the notices/pamphlets) and insulin users (by providing access to cost-saving program information). It does not create new programs but ensures existing manufacturer assistance options are clearly communicated to patients.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new "historic distillery license" specifically for distilleries located on properties listed in New Jersey's Register of Historic Places. License holders can manufacture any distilled alcoholic beverages, sell products for on-premises consumption, and sell up to five liters per person for off-premises consumption. They may also offer up to three samples per day (each no more than 0.5 ounces) and use bonded warehouse bottling. Unlike the existing craft distillery license, which limits annual production to 20,000 gallons, this license has no production cap. The license fee is set at $1,000, and the bill explicitly prohibits direct shipment of distilled spirits within or outside New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2223) requires New Jersey's Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) to issue an annual report to the Governor and Legislature. The report must summarize compensation awards from the previous fiscal year, including the number of applications granted or denied (with reasons), award amounts, victim demographics, services covered, and office funding. It must be completed within six months after the fiscal year ends and published online by the Department of Law and Public Safety. The bill directly affects the VCCO by mandating regular transparency about its operations and outcomes for crime victims.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires landlords in New Jersey to disclose lead water hazards to tenants before lease agreements. It mandates written disclosure statements for properties built before 1986 or served by lead service lines (or unknown pipe composition), including health risks and testing information. Landlords must provide educational materials about lead exposure risks, such as flushing water before use or certified filters, and cannot block replacement of lead pipes. The law excludes newer buildings (constructed after 1986) and seasonal rentals from disclosure requirements. It aims to protect tenants in residential units by increasing transparency about lead in drinking water systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the deadline for members of New Jersey's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS), and State Police Retirement System (SPRS) to apply for accidental disability retirement benefits related to 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations. It allows members to file within two years of this bill's effective date (with possible two-year extensions), replacing the previous deadline of two years after a 2019 law. The bill also relaxes medical documentation requirements, permitting members to use evidence from medical exams performed before or after entering public service instead of requiring proof they passed a pre-employment physical. Retirement systems must notify members about these changes within 60 days of enactment through certified mail.