Maddy summaryThis bill removes mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain non-violent drug offenses in New Jersey, specifically targeting cases involving Schedule I/II drugs (like methamphetamine, heroin, or cocaine) where the offense is not violent. It directly affects individuals convicted of drug distribution or possession under amended sections of the criminal code (2C:35-3, 2C:35-4, 2C:35-5) who would have previously faced fixed minimum prison terms. The key provision gives judges sentencing discretion instead of requiring a minimum term of one-third to one-half of the sentence without parole eligibility. The bill applies only to non-violent drug crimes, preserving mandatory minimums for violent offenses or trafficking networks. (Introduced January 2026; pending in Senate Judiciary Committee.)
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Children and Families to create an educational fact sheet on water safety for parents and guardians. The fact sheet must cover reducing drowning risks, the value of swimming lessons, flotation device use, and monitoring water conditions. Public school districts must annually distribute the fact sheet to parents, while nonpublic schools are encouraged to do so. Additionally, school districts must publish an annual list of local swim lesson locations (including free/reduced-cost options) on their websites, compiled from voluntarily submitted locations.
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey from awarding state-funded contracts (for goods, services, or public construction) or development subsidies to "inverted domestic corporations" - defined as companies deemed to have moved operations overseas to avoid U.S. taxes under federal IRS rules (Section 7874). It requires all applicants to certify they are not inverted corporations and mandates annual status verification for subsidy recipients. If a recipient becomes an inverted corporation during a subsidy term, they must repay the full subsidy amount. The ban does not apply if compliance would violate federal law or block federal funding.
Maddy summaryThis bill increases New Jersey's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) benefit to 60% of the federal credit amount for qualifying residents, effective for taxable years beginning January 1, 2022. It directly affects low- and moderate-income New Jersey workers and families who qualify for the federal EITC but were previously receiving only 40% of that federal benefit through the state program. The change modifies existing law to raise the state credit percentage without altering eligibility rules, meaning residents must still claim the federal EITC first to access the enhanced state credit. The credit remains refundable, providing cash payments even if the recipient owes no state income tax. This policy change expands tax relief for working individuals and families already eligible under federal guidelines.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public school districts to provide full-day kindergarten programs by specific deadlines: high-need districts (A, B, CD, DE) by 2020-2021, and others by 2021-2022. It also establishes a uniform age requirement, mandating that children must turn 5 years old by October 1 of the school year to enroll in kindergarten - replacing current district-determined cutoff dates. The bill directly affects all school districts and kindergarten students, standardizing enrollment rules and program requirements statewide. It amends existing education laws to ensure consistent access to full-day kindergarten programs across all districts.
Maddy summaryS 276 requires healthcare providers (like hospitals and clinics) to give patients detailed, plain-language bills within 30 days of discharge or 7 days after a patient request. The bill mandates that bills must specify each service, avoid vague terms like "miscellaneous charges," and clearly show what insurance paid versus what the patient owes. Providers must also include drug names alongside codes, detail therapy sessions, and list a patient liaison phone number for billing disputes. These requirements apply to all health care services covered under a patient's health benefits plan, aiming to improve billing transparency for consumers.
Maddy summaryS 1203 requires New Jersey's Department of Education (DOE) and Department of Children and Families (DCF) to create online systems for schools and child care centers to electronically submit lead testing results for drinking water. Schools and child care centers already required to test for lead (since 2016 for schools, 2017 for child care) must submit their results via these systems within 90 days of the systems' launch, with all data made publicly searchable online. The bill also mandates that DOE and DCF jointly prepare a report within two years detailing lead contamination levels, remediation needs, and state assistance recommendations. This bill directly affects schools and child care centers that conduct lead testing, aiming to improve transparency and inform remediation efforts.
Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 209) regulates video visitation services for inmates and mandates contact visits. It requires correctional facilities to contract with vendors charging no more than 11 cents per minute for video visits (including remote access), prohibits additional fees or commissions, and mandates refunds for failed or low-quality visits. The bill also bans charges for attorney, clergy, or legal representative visits and requires facilities to allow contact visits with only reasonable safety-related conditions. These provisions directly affect inmates, correctional facilities, and video service providers across state, county, and private prisons.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's "three strikes law" to exclude crimes committed before age 18 from counting toward the two prior convictions required for life imprisonment without parole. It directly affects defendants who have prior offenses committed as juveniles (under 18), ensuring those offenses no longer trigger the harsher sentencing. The key change clarifies that only convictions for crimes committed after the age of 18 will be considered when determining eligibility for life sentences under this law. The amendment aligns the law with the existing definition of "juvenile" (under 18) and removes prior juvenile offenses from the calculation.
Maddy summaryS 1151 establishes the "Careers without College Program" within New Jersey's Department of Labor to connect eligible individuals (those qualifying for the Community College Opportunity Grant Program) with job and training opportunities in fields that don't require a college degree. The program creates a public webpage with career information, job postings, and scam warnings, partners with trade schools and unions, and promotes non-college career paths to high schools. It also creates a 10-member "Careers without College Advisory Commission" to advise on advancing specific industries like trades, cosmetology, construction, and healthcare support roles. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Labor Committee after its January 2026 introduction.