Sen. Andrew Zwicker

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Education to create and maintain a searchable website listing all educational programs and resources for students eligible for special education services. The website must include information on approved schools (both in-state and out-of-state), specialized programs for specific disabilities, assistive technologies, and support organizations, all organized to be easily accessible to families. It mandates that the site be searchable by keyword, disability type, and location, and updated annually. This directly affects students with disabilities, their families, and educational providers by centralizing critical resource information in one accessible location.

Maddy summaryS 1754 increases annual payments from New Jersey's Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund to municipalities over two years. It directly affects all municipalities receiving these state funds, requiring them to reduce their property tax levies by the full amount of the increased aid. The bill mandates that any additional aid distributed under this fund must be subtracted from the municipality's annual property tax levy, preventing local governments from using the extra funds to raise taxes. This policy change ensures that state aid directly lowers the property tax burden on residents and businesses in affected municipalities.

Maddy summaryS 1647 is a proposed New Jersey bill that creates legal protections for minors receiving gender-affirming health care. It directly affects families and healthcare providers by amending child custody jurisdiction laws to ensure that a child's presence in New Jersey for gender-affirming care qualifies as the state being the child's "home state" for custody decisions. The key mechanism adds language to existing law stating that a child's location in New Jersey for this care meets requirements for custody jurisdiction under Section 13, and expands emergency custody authority under Section 16 to protect access to such care when unavailable in the child's home state. This aims to prevent custody disputes from blocking minors' access to medically necessary treatment. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Health Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "New Jersey Migrant and Refugee Assistance Act," creating a Migrant and Refugee Resource Coordination Program within the Department of Human Services. The program connects migrants (individuals relocating to NJ from other countries) and refugees (those granted federal refugee status) with public assistance resources, including housing, healthcare, education, job training, and legal services. The Department must collaborate with local governments and community organizations, implement multilingual outreach, and submit annual reports detailing program effectiveness and recommendations. The law takes immediate effect and focuses on facilitating access to existing state services, not creating new benefits.

Maddy summaryS 2838 establishes the "New Jersey Reparations Task Force" to research and develop recommendations addressing generational harms caused by New Jersey's historical role in slavery and ongoing systemic racial discrimination. The task force will examine specific issues like racial wealth gaps (where Black families have a median net worth of $5,900 vs. $309,000 for white families), housing discrimination, mass incarceration, and voting disparities affecting Black residents. It will produce a report with policy proposals for state-based reparations, focusing on systemic inequities documented in the bill, such as Black children being 30 times more likely to be incarcerated than white children. The bill directly affects Black communities in New Jersey facing persistent racial disparities in housing, education, and criminal justice.

Maddy summaryThis bill reinstates automatic annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for retirement benefits in New Jersey's state-administered retirement systems. It directly affects current and future retirees, including state employees and teachers, by requiring their benefits to increase each year to match inflation without needing separate legislative action. The key mechanism establishes a permanent automatic adjustment process tied to inflation data, eliminating the need for annual budget amendments. This change ensures retirees' purchasing power remains aligned with rising living costs over time.

Maddy summaryS 2771, the New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act, prohibits state and local government agencies from holding individuals for federal immigration authorities based on immigration detainers. It requires agencies like schools, hospitals, and law enforcement to provide services without fear of immigration enforcement, ensuring all residents access public services regardless of immigration status. The bill specifically bans cooperation with "immigration detainers" (requests from federal authorities to detain people) unless supported by a judicial warrant. This directly affects immigrant communities by reducing barriers to healthcare, education, and public safety services, while directing state resources toward local priorities instead of federal immigration enforcement.

Maddy summaryThis bill, S 247, would eliminate New Jersey's statewide high school graduation proficiency test requirement. It directly affects all New Jersey public high school students, removing the mandate to pass a state-administered test in reading, writing, and math for graduation. The bill deletes references to the "High School Proficiency Test" from existing education laws and shifts responsibility to local school districts to establish their own graduation standards. Instead of a statewide test, districts would set their own criteria for student proficiency, with the State Board of Education no longer requiring the test as part of graduation standards. The bill is pending before the Senate Education Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires county election boards to retrieve mail-in ballots from ballot drop boxes at least once per week during fire district elections. Fire district elections are local elections held to choose members of fire district boards, and this change ensures ballots for these elections are processed promptly. The bill does not alter existing rules for ballot drop box locations, security, or accessibility, which apply to all elections. It specifically adds a weekly retrieval requirement for fire district elections to improve ballot handling in these local contests.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 1175 requires counties to establish independent crisis intervention programs providing mental health support for law enforcement officers, firefighters, and sheriff's officers after traumatic incidents. The programs must offer debriefing and counseling for issues like depression or stress stemming from critical events - such as shootings, hostage situations, or witnessing deaths - and cannot be housed at police or fire stations. Counties receive state reimbursement for program costs, and employers must allow officers to attend sessions without using paid leave. The law mandates participation in these services after critical incidents (defined as events involving weapons, injuries, or traumatic responses) before returning to duty, with pay protection for up to 30 days if deemed unfit for duty.