Sen. Shirley Turner

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's electric utilities to create a special pricing structure (tariff) for data centers within 180 days of the law taking effect. The tariff must prevent regular residential and business customers (non-data center ratepayers) from facing higher electricity costs due to data centers' increased energy demand. It also mandates that the pricing structure encourage data centers to improve energy efficiency, such as by using waste heat from their operations. Utilities must implement this tariff for all data centers in their service area one year after the bill becomes law, with the Board of Public Utilities overseeing approval. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a three-year "New Economy Opportunity Skills System Pilot Program" to improve collaboration between local workforce development boards and community colleges in New Jersey. The pilot will operate in three areas, focusing on jointly developing workforce training programs with industry credentials, coordinating marketing efforts, and integrating funding resources to better serve job seekers. It designates community colleges as the preferred providers for state workforce training and adult literacy programs, replacing previous arrangements. The State Employment and Training Commission will manage the pilot, develop a statewide expansion strategy, and submit annual reports on outcomes like employment rates and credential attainment. Funding will come from state and federal sources, prioritizing federal funds where available.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's electric utilities to create special pricing rules (tariffs) for data centers within 180 days of the law taking effect. The tariffs must protect regular electricity customers (non-data center ratepayers) from cost increases caused by data centers' high energy use. Utilities must also design tariffs to encourage data centers to improve energy efficiency, including using technologies that capture and reuse waste heat. The Board of Public Utilities will review and approve these tariffs, and utilities must implement them for all data centers in their service area one year after the law passes.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to study whether small modular reactors (SMRs) - nuclear reactors under 300 megawatts - can be feasibly deployed statewide. The BPU must complete this 18-month study, using $5 million in state funds, and consult with environmental and economic agencies. The study will examine suitable locations (like retired power sites), regulatory requirements, economic costs, safety, environmental impacts, and public input through three hearings. It will also assess how SMRs could integrate with existing energy infrastructure and recommend a potential pilot program for future deployment.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Garden State Preservation Trust to conduct a comprehensive audit of New Jersey's land preservation programs, including Green Acres, Blue Acres, farmland preservation, and historic property preservation. The audit must identify inefficiencies and recommend fund reallocations. It authorizes local governments and nonprofit organizations using constitutionally dedicated CBT revenues for farmland preservation to use up to 3% of the value of development easements or fee simple titles for administrative expenses. The bill also requires unspent funds allocated to local governments for farmland preservation to be returned to the Preserve New Jersey Farmland Preservation Fund after 18 months if not committed to an active project. It appropriates $150,000 from the General Fund to support the audit implementation.

Maddy summaryS 3800 amends New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination to explicitly protect current military service members and veterans from discrimination. The bill broadens existing protections by adding "service in the Armed Forces of the United States" as a protected class, covering both active duty personnel and those who have been discharged. It makes it unlawful for employers to deny reemployment to employees who take leave for military service, aligning with federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The bill also updates gendered language in the law to be more inclusive and clarifies that only unlawful discrimination is prohibited under the law.

Maddy summaryThis bill reduces the minimum percentage of funds that municipal tourist development commissions must spend on advertising outside their municipality from 50% to 20%. It directly affects these commissions in New Jersey municipalities, which use local tourism revenue to promote visitor attraction. The bill also clarifies that "advertising outside the municipality" includes any ads targeting people who work or live outside the area, even if the same ad reaches local residents. This change simplifies compliance while maintaining the core goal of attracting tourists from outside the community.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4651) imposes penalties on parents or legal guardians who fail to properly supervise minors, leading to specific juvenile offenses. If a minor causes property damage due to the guardian's willful disregard, the guardian faces a $1,000 civil fine. For a first offense where a minor incites a public brawl, the guardian could be charged with a petty disorderly persons offense (up to 30 days jail or $500 fine). For second or subsequent public brawl offenses by the minor, the guardian faces a disorderly persons offense (up to 6 months jail or $1,000 fine). The bill directly affects parents/guardians whose supervision failures result in juvenile adjudications under N.J.S.2C:33-1 (public brawl) or N.J.S.2C:33-2 (property damage).

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a licensing system for businesses that collect and transport scrap tires (scrap tire haulers) and a permitting system for sites that store, collect, or dispose of scrap tires. It mandates that only licensed haulers can move scrap tires and only permitted sites can handle them, with haulers required to maintain $150,000 in financial assurance and sites needing closure funds. The bill also creates a tracking system for tire shipments and sets fines up to $25,000 per violation for non-compliance, while exempting small businesses storing fewer than 500 tires or up to 1,000 tires in secure containers. These requirements directly affect tire haulers, disposal facilities, and businesses handling scrap tires.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey state agencies to automatically enroll people receiving certain federal and state assistance programs into energy assistance programs. It targets recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Work First New Jersey, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. The Department of Human Services must share recipient data with the Department of Community Affairs and the Board of Public Utilities, who then automatically enroll eligible individuals into utility bill payment assistance or energy efficiency programs they qualify for. This eliminates the need for separate applications for these specific groups, streamlining access to energy cost help.