Sen. Shirley Turner

Maddy summaryThis bill requires restaurants in New Jersey to automatically include a healthy beverage as the default option with any meal specifically marketed for children (e.g., kids' meals at restaurants). The default beverage must be water, unsweetened sparkling water, low-fat milk (nonfat or 1% with ≤130 calories), or 100% fruit juice (≤8 ounces with no added sweeteners). Restaurants may still offer sugary drinks upon specific customer request but cannot make them the automatic choice. The law applies to all restaurants defined under New Jersey law and takes effect six months after enactment.

Maddy summaryS 710 requires New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to conduct surveys with tenants who have recently been evicted (if they agree to participate) and report the collected data. The survey collects demographic details, immediate housing needs (like access to shelters or permanent housing), geographic relocation information, and financial circumstances of evicted households. This data must be reported to the agency coordinating New Jersey's HUD-mandated homelessness counts. The bill does not change the Rental Assistance Navigation Program's eviction prevention services but adds a data collection requirement to better understand homelessness outcomes for those who were evicted.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1318) clarifies and updates tax exemption rules for businesses operating in New Jersey's Urban Enterprise Zones (UEZs). It specifies that eligible retail businesses in designated UEZs or UEZ-impacted business districts can receive a 50% exemption on sales tax for most retail sales (excluding motor vehicles, alcohol, cigarettes, manufacturing equipment, energy, and cannabis products). The exemption requires businesses to obtain a UZ-2 certification from the UEZ Authority, confirming they operate a physical retail location within a qualifying zone. Revenue from exempt sales (excluding cannabis and redevelopment taxes) must be deposited into the Enterprise Zone Assistance Fund for economic development programs in disadvantaged communities.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2073) creates a state matching grant program for New Jersey school districts, charter schools, and renaissance school projects that use federal pandemic relief funds to address learning loss. It requires the Commissioner of Education to provide a 50% match on eligible funds dedicated to specific interventions - like extended learning programs, tutoring, summer academies, and career pathways - to accelerate student learning and address pandemic-related academic gaps. Eligibility is based on documented increases in students scoring below grade level in English/language arts or math compared to 2018-2019 assessments. The program is capped at $200 million and mandates annual reports evaluating its effectiveness in improving student outcomes.

Maddy summaryS 2232 establishes the New Jersey Community Learning Program within the Department of Education to provide extended learning programs during non-school hours (before/after school, summer) in "impact districts" - areas with high historical cannabis-related arrests, poverty, and unemployment. The bill dedicates a portion of New Jersey's cannabis tax revenue to fund these programs, which must aim to close achievement gaps for students in targeted communities. Impact districts must develop and submit program plans for approval, detailing services, staffing, schedules, and costs, with funding distributed annually from the newly created Community Learning Assistance Fund. This program directly affects students and schools in designated impact districts, using cannabis tax revenue to support after-school and summer learning initiatives.

Maddy summaryThis bill would create a new tax on opioid drugs to fund treatment programs. It imposes a 1-cent-per-milligram tax on wholesale distributors when they first distribute opioid drugs in New Jersey. The collected revenue would go into the "Opioid Prevention and Rehabilitation Program Fund," which the state would use annually to support substance use disorder treatment for uninsured, underinsured, or Medicaid-enrolled individuals. The fund would be managed by the Department of Treasury and funded through this specific tax on opioid distributions. The bill is pending in the Senate Health Committee after its January 9, 2024, introduction.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires nonpublic secondary schools (grades 9-12) and independent colleges/universities in New Jersey to pay school districts for students living in tax-exempt housing owned by those institutions. Specifically, if a municipality passes a resolution, these schools must pay annually based on the district’s average per-student cost (calculated by dividing the district’s local tax levy by its student enrollment). School districts must notify the institutions by November 1st each year of the exact payment amount, which must be paid within 60 days. The law directly affects institutions owning tax-exempt housing where enrolled students reside, ensuring school districts receive funding for those students’ educational costs.

Maddy summaryS 1545 expands New Jersey's Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) program to include part-time undergraduate students at public and private colleges and universities (excluding county colleges), who are currently ineligible for the state financial aid program. The bill requires that part-time students receive grants adjusted proportionally to their enrollment level (e.g., half-time students would receive half the grant amount of full-time students). It also mandates separate budget appropriations for part-time grants to ensure funding is allocated specifically for this expanded eligibility. This change aims to improve access to state financial aid for students who cannot enroll full-time due to work, family, or other responsibilities.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 398 establishes the Innocence Study and Review Commission to investigate wrongful convictions in the state. The nine-member commission, appointed within 45 days of enactment (including a retired judge as chair and balanced legislative appointees), will study causes of wrongful convictions, review cases, examine restitution systems, and recommend reforms to prevent future errors. It must report findings and proposed legislation to the Governor and Legislature within 18 months. The commission would also consider creating a permanent panel for incarcerated individuals to request conviction reviews, unless rejected by the panel itself.

Maddy summaryS 967, the "Non-College Advancement Act," creates the Careers without College Program within New Jersey's Department of Labor to assist individuals eligible for the Community College Opportunity Grant Program in finding career paths that do not require a college degree. The program will partner with trade schools, unions, and vocational programs to connect job seekers with opportunities, develop a public website detailing non-college careers and training requirements, and market these options to high schools. It also establishes a 10-member Advisory Commission to recommend strategies for advancing specific industries like skilled trades, cosmetology, and healthcare support roles, requiring annual reports to the legislature. The bill appropriates 0.5% of Workforce Development Partnership Fund revenues to support apprenticeship programs, with the program and commission set to launch following the bill's enactment.