Sen. Andrew Zwicker

Maddy summaryThis bill requires children placed in resource family care (foster care) to have conspicuous signage displayed in at least three locations within their home. The signage must list contact information for child abuse hotlines and mental health services. It directly affects foster children and their caregivers by mandating this specific display. The change amends New Jersey's Child Placement Bill of Rights Act to add this requirement, without altering other existing rights. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Health Committee.

Maddy summaryS 2029 creates a state-funded grant program to support high-impact tutoring for New Jersey students in math and English language arts. It directs the Department of Education to establish quality standards for tutoring providers and award competitive grants to public school districts, charter schools, and partnerships with non-profit tutoring programs that meet specific research-based criteria. The program requires participating schools to use data-driven approaches, align tutoring with state learning standards, and report annual results on student outcomes and fund usage. This bill directly affects schools seeking supplemental tutoring resources and tutoring organizations applying to be certified as qualified providers. The program is pending approval (introduced January 2024, referred to Senate Education Committee).

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1583) modifies New Jersey's conflicts of interest law to allow state employees or contractors to enter into contracts with state agencies for developing scientific or technological innovations. It removes the prior requirement that the state agency must already own the property rights to those discoveries or innovations. The change directly affects state employees, contractors, and agencies involved in science/tech development, streamlining contract approvals when ethical procedures are followed. The key provision now permits such contracts without needing the state agency to hold pre-existing ownership rights in the innovation.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's legal definition of child abuse or neglect to include situations where a child is harmed by someone who is not their parent or legal guardian, specifically adding that "another child under the age of 18" can cause abuse. It directly affects children who experience harm from peers or other non-guardian individuals, such as through physical injury, sexual abuse, or excessive punishment. The key change clarifies that acts by non-parents - including other minors - will now be considered abuse under state law, while explicitly stating this does not apply in day schools. This amendment ensures broader protection for children harmed by individuals outside their immediate family or guardianship.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1985) would legalize for adults aged 21 or older the cultivation and possession of up to six marijuana plants per person for personal recreational use, with a household maximum of 12 plants. It also legalizes for qualifying medical patients (21+) or their designated caregivers to grow and possess up to 10 plants per person for medical use, with the same household cap of 12 plants. The bill amends state law to remove criminal penalties for these specific amounts, building on existing law that already decriminalized possession of up to six ounces. The bill is pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee (introduced January 9, 2024) and would take effect immediately if enacted.

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates New Jersey's statewide high school proficiency test requirement for graduation. It directly affects all public high school students and local school districts by removing the mandate that students must pass a state-administered test to earn a diploma. The key mechanism deletes references to the "Statewide assessment test" and "High School Proficiency Test" from existing law, shifting authority to local boards of education to set their own graduation standards. The bill does not create new requirements or assessments - only removes the existing statewide test as a graduation condition.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Veterans State Government Fellowship program at Rutgers' Eagleton Institute, providing paid fellowships to eligible New Jersey veterans who were honorably discharged within the past decade. Eight veterans are selected annually: four work in legislative offices (Senate Majority, Senate Minority, General Assembly Majority, or General Assembly Minority), and four are placed in state departments or agencies. Each fellow receives a stipend funded by a $600,000 annual state appropriation, administered by the Eagleton Institute to offer hands-on experience in government operations. The program targets veterans interested in public policy careers, with placements lasting one year or during the legislative session.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey appointing authorities (like the Governor, Senate President, or Assembly Speaker) to prioritize racial and gender diversity when filling positions on boards, commissions, task forces, or other multi-member bodies created by statute. It mandates that appointments reflect the racial and gender makeup of the state's overall population as a "primary consideration," unless specific circumstances or existing statutory requirements conflict. The requirement applies to all such bodies established by law, both existing and future, and takes effect immediately upon passage. It does not mandate specific diversity quotas but sets diversity as a key factor in selection decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires mail-in ballot application forms to include prepaid postage, paid by the State, so voters no longer need to purchase stamps when returning their completed forms. It directly affects voters who apply for mail-in ballots by mail, removing a cost barrier to requesting ballots. The requirement will be implemented after the 2023 primary election as part of amendments to New Jersey's election law. The bill ensures that the cost of mailing applications does not fall on voters.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey municipalities governed by the Uniform Nonpartisan Elections Law to adopt instant run-off voting (IRV) for local elections where one candidate is elected. It enables voters to rank candidates in order of preference, with votes redistributed if no candidate wins a majority of first-choice votes - eliminating the least-supported candidate and transferring their votes until one candidate achieves majority support. The Secretary of State must certify that voting equipment and ballots are updated to accommodate IRV before implementation. The bill directly affects local offices like mayors or council members in participating municipalities, not state-level elections.