Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to create a public online database tracking affordable housing settlement agreements between municipalities and housing advocates since 2015. The database will include specific data on each municipality’s affordable housing obligations (like unit counts by rental/ownership type), ratios of affordable to market-rate units, and payments made to groups like the Fair Share Housing Center. It directly affects all New Jersey municipalities that resolved housing compliance through court agreements under the state’s Fair Housing Act. The DCA must collect this information from courts and municipalities upon request, making it accessible to the public on its website. The goal is to increase transparency around how municipalities meet their statewide affordable housing requirements.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill, the "Fair Appraisals Act," prohibits licensed real estate appraisers in New Jersey from discriminating in property valuations based on race, gender identity, disability, or other protected characteristics. It directly affects appraisers by requiring them to avoid bias in their work and imposing penalties for violations, including restitution for affected property owners, mandatory anti-bias training, license suspension for repeat offenses, and civil fines up to $50,000. Appraisers must also inform property owners about how to report discrimination, and the Division on Civil Rights will collect demographic data on complaints to monitor patterns. The law aims to ensure fair property valuations and strengthen enforcement against discriminatory practices in housing.
Maddy summaryThis bill increases fines for smoking cannabis or marijuana on New Jersey public beaches. It raises penalties to $500 for a first offense (up from $250), $1,000 for a second offense (up from $500), and $1,500 for each subsequent offense. The bill also directs 50% of collected fines to state smoking cessation programs and 50% to the municipality where the violation occurred. It specifically targets cannabis/marijuana smoking on beaches, leaving cigarette smoking penalties unchanged.
Maddy summaryS 1041 requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Drinking Water Quality Institute to study how to regulate perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. The study must assess whether setting a single standard for all PFAS or specific groups (instead of individual chemicals) is feasible, and evaluate treatment technologies to remove PFAS from water. The DEP must submit a report to the Legislature within 24 months of the bill's enactment, detailing findings on standards and treatment options. This bill directly affects the DEP's regulatory process and aims to inform future drinking water standards for PFAS, a group of persistent chemicals used in many consumer products.
Maddy summarySCR 56 is a constitutional amendment proposal that would explicitly grant public employees in New Jersey the right to engage in collective bargaining. Currently, the state constitution allows public employees to form unions and present grievances, but this amendment would add collective bargaining as a specific constitutional right. If approved, it would require state and local governments to negotiate with employee representatives chosen by workers. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Labor Committee after its January 2024 introduction and would require voter approval in a future election.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission to automatically offer drivers a monthly payment plan for outstanding motor vehicle surcharges upon request, replacing the previous discretionary approach. It affects drivers who owe surcharges due to accumulating six or more points on their license within a 36-month period. The key provision mandates that payment plans must be available for up to 36 months, with the commission no longer having discretion to deny such requests. This change simplifies access to structured payments for drivers facing financial hardship with surcharge debt.
Maddy summaryS 1494, named "George Floyd's Law," makes it a first-degree crime for law enforcement officers to knowingly choke another person by pressing on their throat, windpipe, or carotid artery, hindering breathing or blood flow to the brain. It directly affects police officers while they are performing their duties, prohibiting tactics like chokeholds that were used in George Floyd's death. Violating this law carries penalties of 10-20 years in prison, up to $200,000 in fines, or both. The bill takes immediate effect and aligns with New Jersey's 2020 ban on chokeholds except in deadly force situations.
Maddy summaryS 2238 requires New Jersey school districts receiving state preschool funding to place at least half of preschool students in licensed child care centers, with the remainder in district-run programs or Head Start. This directly affects school districts that receive preschool education aid under the School Funding Reform Act of 2008. Districts may apply for a waiver from this requirement if licensed child care spots are unavailable within their area, providing justification to the Department of Education. The law would take effect in the first full school year after enactment.
Maddy summaryS 85 establishes a new Division of Minority and Women Business Development within New Jersey’s Department of the Treasury, led by a State Chief Disparity Officer. This officer will monitor state contracting data to track how many and how much money in state contracts go to minority-owned and women-owned businesses, then report findings to the Governor and Legislature. The bill requires all state agencies to appoint a liaison officer to assist this effort and mandates full implementation of existing certification rules for these businesses (banning self-certification). It also specifies that small business set-aside contracts under $2,000 (the current threshold for public building projects) must be negotiated competitively without public bidding. The bill codifies an existing 2006 executive order, formalizing the division’s structure and duties.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires lead screenings for children aged six months to six years at specific intervals: between 9-18 months, 18-26 months, and immediately before school enrollment (starting with the 2024-2025 school year). It directly affects children entering pre-kindergarten or kindergarten, healthcare providers who must conduct and document screenings, and schools that must verify screening results as a condition for enrollment. Schools cannot admit children without acceptable documentation of a recent lead screening, and providers must record results in health records and school enrollment forms. The law codifies existing screening schedules while adding the school-entry requirement, effective for the 2024-2025 school year.