Sen. Shirley Turner

Maddy summaryThis bill makes a permanent annual $500,000 allocation from New Jersey's Clean Communities Program Fund to fund public outreach for the state's single-use plastics reduction program. The funding supports the Department of Environmental Protection's outreach efforts, including educational campaigns and a bag redistribution program that repurposes reusable bags for food banks and pantries. The bill changes current law, which limited this funding to the first three years after the 2020 single-use plastics ban law, making it permanent. This directly affects the DEP's outreach activities and the public receiving information about reducing plastic use.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the Capital City Redevelopment Corporation (CCRC) to issue grants for projects within the Capital City District. It removes a requirement that the CCRC must recover at least 65% of funds through repayment. The CCRC can now set repayment terms per project to suit economic feasibility. This change increases the CCRC's flexibility in financing redevelopment projects without the fixed recovery percentage.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public schools and participating nonpublic schools in the federal school meal programs to follow the USDA's stricter 2012 nutrition standards for breakfast and lunch, rather than weaker standards recently proposed by the federal government. It mandates compliance with specific USDA requirements for whole grains, sodium limits, and milk offerings as published in federal regulations from 2012 (and any future stricter standards). The law directly affects schools serving federally subsidized meals, ensuring they maintain healthier meal options for students. It takes effect immediately for the 2024-2025 school year.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey's Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) to provide supplemental tax credits to housing developers who have received four-percent low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) but would qualify for nine-percent LIHTC. The supplemental credits cover the "project financing gap" for qualifying housing projects, ensuring developers receive a subsidy equivalent to a nine-percent LIHTC. The agency can award these credits to developers who demonstrate a financing gap, with the credit amount limited to the smaller of either the gap amount or the amount needed to reach a nine-percent subsidy level. Developers may transfer or sell these tax credits under specific conditions, including minimum sale amounts and restrictions on further transfers.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey to update driver education, testing, and the driver's manual to include specific information about safely interacting with pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorized road users. It mandates that driver's education courses, the written knowledge examination, and the official driver's manual must cover a driver's responsibilities when approaching and passing pedestrians and cyclists, including the penalties for failing to comply with these responsibilities as outlined in existing law (P.L.2021, c.194). The changes will affect all new drivers going through the state's licensing process, including teenagers and adults seeking their first license. The bill requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to incorporate these provisions into all relevant educational materials and testing.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey school districts to provide universal access to free full-day preschool for all 3- and 4-year-old children by a date determined by each district. It establishes preschool expansion aid to support districts that don't yet offer universal free preschool and mandates a "mixed delivery method" combining district programs, licensed child care providers, and Head Start programs. School districts must submit implementation plans by July 1, 2025, with a statewide strategic plan due by July 1, 2026. The bill also requires all school districts to offer full-day kindergarten, with possible waivers if sufficient preschool expansion aid funding exists.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires pharmacies in New Jersey to display a notice and provide a pamphlet about insulin manufacturer assistance programs at all points of sale. The materials must be created by the Department of Banking and Insurance and will be available to anyone purchasing insulin or requesting them. Insulin manufacturers offering assistance programs may request to be included in these materials. The bill directly affects pharmacies (by mandating the notices/pamphlets) and insulin users (by providing access to cost-saving program information). It does not create new programs but ensures existing manufacturer assistance options are clearly communicated to patients.

Maddy summaryS 4162 limits how New Jersey public and charter schools can use or share personal information from waiver forms students or parents submit to avoid completing financial aid applications for high school diplomas. The bill requires waiver forms to collect only minimal contact details (name, phone, email, date, and signature) and prohibits schools from disclosing this information without consent, in line with federal student privacy laws like FERPA. Schools must include clear disclosure notices on all waiver forms, whether created by the Department of Education or the school. This applies to students in the 2023-2024 grade 11 class through the 2025-2026 school year, and covers waivers submitted before the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to study how data centers impact electricity rates for residential customers. The BPU must determine if non-data center customers unfairly subsidize data center costs, whether infrastructure for data centers causes unreasonable rate hikes, and project the future portion of residential rates attributable to data centers over the next 20 years. The study will also evaluate policy options to prevent rate increases from data center growth. The BPU must complete the study within one year and submit a report to the governor and legislature within 15 months.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows commercial farms on preserved farmland (producing $10,000+ annually in agricultural products) to host special occasion events like weddings or parties, provided they meet specific conditions. Key restrictions include: events cannot interfere with farming, must stay under 10% of the farm’s annual revenue from such events, and cannot use permanent structures built within the last five years unless the revenue threshold is met. Farms must obtain written approval from the land’s grantee (e.g., state or nonprofit entity), limit events to 26 per year (with no more than six events exceeding 250 guests), and follow local regulations for noise, parking, and temporary structures. The policy aims to support farm revenue while maintaining agricultural use of preserved land.