Sen. Shirley Turner

Maddy summaryThis bill provides $2.5 million in supplemental funding to Salvation and Social Justice's Trenton Restorative Street Team (TRST) for its "Return and Restore" program. The funds will support comprehensive services for formerly incarcerated individuals in Trenton, aiming to reduce gang activity, gun violence, and recidivism. The program employs outreach workers, counselors, and community members with lived experience to mediate conflicts, de-escalate tensions, and prevent violence in schools and neighborhoods. The funding is added to the state's fiscal year 2024 budget as a grants-in-aid appropriation.

Maddy summaryS 787 requires certain New Jersey school districts (specifically those in second-class cities ordered by the state Supreme Court to desegregate) to provide transportation for students in interdistrict school choice programs who live more than 2 miles (elementary) or 2.5 miles (secondary) from their assigned school. Sending districts (where students reside) receive state transportation aid for these students, which they must pay directly to the choice districts (where students attend). If a choice district’s actual transportation costs exceed the state aid amount, it can receive supplemental state funding by demonstrating cost-efficient route planning (e.g., centralized pick-ups across multiple districts). The district must annually report excess costs to the state for reimbursement.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's "three strikes" law to exclude crimes committed when a person was a juvenile (under 18) from counting toward the two prior serious offenses required for a mandatory life sentence without parole. It directly affects individuals with prior juvenile convictions for serious crimes (like murder, sexual assault, or robbery) who would otherwise face automatic life imprisonment. The key change adds explicit language requiring all prior offenses to have been committed as an adult, reversing a 2022 Supreme Court decision that allowed juvenile offenses to count as "strikes." This gives judges discretion to consider a defendant's age and circumstances rather than mandating life sentences for offenses committed as minors.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Medicaid program to cover self-administered hormonal contraceptives (such as birth control pills, vaginal rings, and diaphragms) when dispensed by pharmacists under a standing order. A standing order is a prewritten medication authorization that allows pharmacists to provide these contraceptives without requiring a separate prescription from a doctor for each patient. Currently, Medicaid beneficiaries must obtain a doctor's prescription before getting these contraceptives filled at a pharmacy, but this bill would eliminate that requirement. The policy change would increase access to these contraceptives for Medicaid beneficiaries by removing a barrier to obtaining them at pharmacies.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes a requirement for teachers in New Jersey to pass basic skills tests (like the Praxis Core) to obtain most teaching licenses. It specifically eliminates the need for these tests for candidates seeking certificates of eligibility, provisional licenses, or standard teaching credentials, affecting educators pursuing certification. The law repeals a 2023 law that previously mandated these tests, though limited certificates for specific programs remain exempt. This change directly streamlines certification for most new teachers by removing a testing barrier.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts health care benefits for municipal and county elected officials to those working 35+ hours weekly, removing part-time officials from eligibility. It eliminates payments to elected officials who waive health coverage, ending a prior practice where they could receive up to 50% of savings from waived benefits. The bill formally establishes the Pension Fraud and Abuse Unit within the Treasury Department, granting it subpoena authority to investigate pension fraud and abuse. This codifies an existing 2013 unit to strengthen oversight of pension systems and improve fraud investigations.

Maddy summaryS 2181 temporarily removes a residency requirement for new hires by New Jersey school districts, charter schools, and renaissance school projects. For three years after the bill takes effect, these employers may hire out-of-state residents without requiring them to live in New Jersey, provided the position was advertised to New Jersey residents for at least three months and the new employee was not a New Jersey resident employed by such a school in the past year or during the three-year period. This exemption applies only to new hires meeting these conditions and does not affect current employees or positions that do not qualify. The bill is currently pending in the Assembly after passing the Senate unanimously.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 366) adds fusion energy and fusion technology companies to the list of eligible applicants for New Jersey's economic incentive programs. It specifically requires the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to update program rules to include these companies under existing definitions for "renewable energy" and "emerging technologies," provided they meet criteria like having NJ headquarters, proprietary intellectual property, and specialized scientific staff. The bill explicitly excludes fusion projects from eligibility under the Clean Energy Program funded by the Universal Service Fund. This change would allow qualifying fusion companies to access financial incentives like grants, tax credits, or loans aimed at stimulating economic development in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryBill S 3281 would raise the age requirement for obtaining a firearms purchaser identification card (used to purchase rifles and shotguns) from 18 to 21 years old. Currently, individuals aged 18 or older can obtain this card, while handgun purchasers must be 21. The bill would allow those under 21 to still possess firearms under specific circumstances, such as being under direct supervision of an adult with proper authorization, participating in military drill, target practice, or hunting with appropriate licenses. Active duty military members, National Guard members, and individuals who already held a firearms purchaser ID card before the bill's effective date would be exempt from the age change. This change would align the age requirement for rifle and shotgun purchases with the current requirement for handgun purchases.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all sports wagering advertisements (including print, digital, and broadcast) and mobile applications or websites offering sports betting to display a specific warning: "Gambling is risky and can become addictive, resulting in catastrophic life consequences. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800 GAMBLER." It directly affects sports betting operators, casinos, racetracks, and online platforms in New Jersey. The warning must appear in all promotional materials and upon opening any sports betting app or website. The bill amends existing gambling regulations (P.L.2018, c.33) to update the required language, replacing the current simpler warning with a more detailed message about gambling risks.