Maddy summaryS 4521 revises New Jersey's laws governing interest arbitration for police and fire departments, affecting municipalities, police/fire unions, and public employers. The bill requires both parties to exchange detailed salary information before arbitration, including specific employee salary data, and establishes new deadlines for information sharing. It extends the arbitrator's decision timeline from 90 to 150 days (with a possible 30-day extension), increases arbitration costs from $1,000 to $1,500 per day (with a total cap raised to $15,000), and extends the appeal period from 14 to 21 days. The bill also repeals three sections of existing law that previously limited arbitration awards and established a Police and Fire Interest Arbitration Impact Task Force.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill exempts privately owned buildings and land from property taxes when leased to New Jersey's state, county, municipal, school district, or other public entities for specific public purposes. It directly affects private property owners who lease space to government entities, such as for government offices, stadiums, historical exhibits, or nonprofit organizations providing public services. The exemption applies only if the property is used for approved public purposes during the lease term, as defined in the bill (including government operations, public facilities, or historical preservation). The bill amends New Jersey's property tax code (R.S.54:4-3.3) to clarify these exemptions, removing the tax burden for qualifying leased properties.
Maddy summaryS 4401 establishes the ARRIVE Together Program to provide mental health crisis response alternatives to traditional police involvement. The bill requires New Jersey law enforcement agencies (including state police, county departments, and municipal forces) to partner with contracted mental health providers who can respond to calls involving individuals experiencing mental health or substance use crises. Key provisions include mandating 24/7/7 mental health services, designating crisis response coordinators in police agencies and county prosecutors' offices, and protecting personal identifying information related to crisis responses as confidential. The program codifies a 2022 pilot initiative, aiming to reduce violence by connecting people in crisis with appropriate care instead of law enforcement escalation.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires certain rooming and boarding houses to comply with local land use regulations, ending an exemption that previously prevented municipal oversight of such facilities. It specifically mandates that owners of cooperative sober living residences submit written approvals from local zoning, fire, health, and building authorities when applying for a state Class F license. These approvals are required for the state to issue or renew the license, ensuring facilities meet local safety and zoning standards before operation. The bill amends the Rooming and Boarding House Act of 1979 to implement these changes.
Maddy summaryS 1406 prohibits surgical declawing (onychectomy) of cats and other animals in New Jersey, except when a licensed veterinarian determines it is medically necessary for the animal's health. The bill requires veterinarians to document therapeutic justification (e.g., treating infection or injury) and submit a written statement to the Department of Health, while banning declawing for cosmetic or convenience reasons. Violations by individuals performing the procedure would be classified as disorderly persons offenses, and veterinarians failing to document properly face disciplinary action. This law directly affects veterinarians, pet owners, and animal care facilities by restricting declawing procedures to strict medical necessity.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to conduct a comprehensive assessment every five years of unregulated perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. The assessment must determine if new safety standards are needed and specifically evaluate whether current standards adequately protect children, considering their smaller size and higher water intake relative to body weight. The DEP must report findings to the Governor and Legislature, publishing them online. This directly affects the DEP's regulatory duties and aims to strengthen public health protections for all New Jersey residents using public water systems.
Maddy summaryS 4403 establishes a rebuttable presumption that a homicide occurred in New Jersey if the victim's body is found within the state. This directly affects homicide prosecutions where the body is discovered in New Jersey but the actual killing may have occurred elsewhere. The key change replaces current law's permissive inference (where a court "may infer" jurisdiction) with a rebuttable presumption, meaning the prosecution can assume jurisdiction unless the defense provides evidence to the contrary. This shifts the burden of proof in jurisdictional disputes for homicide cases. The bill amends New Jersey Statute 2C:1-3 to clarify this standard.
Maddy summaryS 4438 allows juveniles of any age to be tried in adult court for terrorism, human trafficking, and other serious crimes like murder, robbery, and assault, if a court determines the circumstances and severity of the offense warrant it. Currently, only juveniles aged 15 or older could be waived for some serious crimes, but this bill removes the age restriction for terrorism, human trafficking, and the listed offenses. The bill also requires the state to collect and report data on waiver decisions, including demographics and case details, to monitor how the policy is applied. This directly affects young people under 18 charged with these specific offenses.
Maddy summaryThis bill increases the accidental disability pension for New Jersey police and fire retirees who become permanently disabled due to a weapon injury. Currently, they receive 66% of their final compensation; the bill raises this to 100% of their final compensation (or adjusted final compensation, whichever is larger). The pension will continue to adjust annually until the retiree reaches age 65, after which it will be 80% of the adjusted final compensation. This change applies specifically to weapon-caused disabilities under the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS).
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits installing, planting, or placing nonfunctional turf or invasive plant species on commercial, institutional, industrial, or public properties (such as streets, parking lots, schools, and government-owned land) during new construction or major redevelopment projects requiring permits. It defines "nonfunctional turf" as excluding recreational areas (like sports fields and playgrounds) and allows native plant use, while listing 31 specific invasive species (e.g., English ivy, Japanese barberry) and requiring state agencies to maintain an updated invasive species list. The ban takes effect January 1, 2026, with exceptions for maintaining pre-2026 installations and using native plants. Local governments may adopt stricter rules than this state requirement.