Maddy summaryThis bill creates a 13-member Joint Blue Ribbon Task Force to study how climate change impacts property insurance availability and affordability in New Jersey. The task force includes government agency commissioners, bipartisan legislators, private sector insurance representatives, and nonprofit advocates. It will examine specific issues like where insurance prices don't match flood or storm risks, which communities face uninsurable properties at reasonable costs, and how insurance changes might affect affordable housing. The task force must submit a report with findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within one year of its formation. This directly affects homeowners, businesses, and municipalities in climate-vulnerable areas, particularly coastal and flood-prone communities.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 139) celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Chrysler Herbarium at Rutgers University's New Brunswick campus. It recognizes the herbarium's establishment in 1925, its role as New Jersey's largest internationally recognized plant specimen collection (with nearly 200,000 botanical specimens), and its contributions to research and education. The resolution directs the Senate Secretary to send copies to Rutgers University's President and the herbarium's Director. As a commemorative measure, it does not create new laws or policies.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's Municipal Land Use Law to define certain energy storage projects as "inherently beneficial use." Energy storage projects eligible for incentives under the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities' programs - including the Successor Solar Incentive Program, Competitive Solar Incentive Program, and Garden State Energy Storage Program - would now automatically qualify as inherently beneficial. This change streamlines approval processes for these projects, as they would no longer require special permits or exceptions under local land use regulations. The policy affects municipalities, developers, and energy storage project proponents across New Jersey.
Maddy summaryThis bill increases New Jersey's solar development goal under the SREC-II program from 3,750 megawatts to 6,500 megawatts, extending the deadline from 2026 to 2035. It directly affects solar developers (including community solar projects and net-metered facilities under 5 megawatts), ratepayers (who fund the program via apportioned costs), and the Board of Public Utilities (which administers the program). Key mechanisms include new annual targets for small solar facilities (300 MW net-metered per year, 3,000 MW community solar by 2029, and 150 MW annually thereafter), and modifications to the competitive bidding process for larger solar projects to include cost containment measures. The bill ensures SREC-II certificates - representing renewable energy credits - remain transferable for compliance with state renewable energy standards through 2035.
Maddy summaryThe New Jersey Energy Security and Affordability Act establishes three programs to improve grid reliability and affordability: (1) an advanced nuclear reactor program with funding through an "Advanced Nuclear Development Charge" (ANDC) on electric utility customers and an "Advanced Nuclear Energy Certificate" (ANEC) program requiring a certain percentage of electricity sold in New Jersey to come from nuclear sources, (2) a distributed energy storage program targeting 500 megawatts of battery storage by 2030, and (3) a demand optimization program designed to reduce peak demand by 500 megawatts by 2030. The bill requires electric public utilities to implement these programs by filing plans with the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), with the BPU setting minimum requirements but utilities handling implementation and reporting. Electric utilities would file annual reports to demonstrate compliance with the programs. The legislation aims to address grid reliability concerns, reduce costs for ratepayers, and support nuclear energy as a carbon-free power source.
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits non-electric vehicles from parking in electric vehicle charging spaces when those spaces are clearly marked with three specific indicators: that they're for electric vehicle charging, that they're designated exclusively for electric vehicle charging, and that violations are subject to penalties. It amends existing parking regulations to add this new restriction, defining "electric vehicle charging location" as publicly accessible parking spaces with visible signage for charging plug-in electric vehicles. Violating this provision would result in a fine of up to $50 or up to 15 days in jail, or both. The bill directly affects drivers of non-electric vehicles who might park in these spaces and electric vehicle drivers who rely on these designated areas for charging their vehicles.
Maddy summarySCR 137 is a non-binding Senate Concurrent Resolution encouraging New Jersey's Executive Branch and local governments to explore energy-environment-economic optimization modeling tools. It urges these entities to use such tools to evaluate energy policies, assess tradeoffs between environmental, economic, and public health impacts, and support sustainable planning. The resolution specifically aims to help policymakers analyze scenarios like emissions reductions, renewable energy adoption, and infrastructure investments. It does not create new requirements but recommends leveraging existing modeling resources, including those developed by New Jersey public universities, for data-driven energy decision-making.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires all four-year public colleges and universities in New Jersey to mandate that full-time undergraduate students complete a course on climate change before graduation. It applies only to students first enrolling on or after the law's effective date. Institutions must offer multiple courses across different academic fields, with at least 30% of the course content dedicated to climate change, including instruction relevant to students' specific majors. The goal, as stated in the bill, is to "empower students with the knowledge and skills needed to confront the urgent global challenge of climate change."
Maddy summaryS 4786 requires New Jersey's Commissioner of Community Affairs to create new safety guidelines for installing small, plug-in solar panels on balconies. These guidelines will cover both systems designed for U.S. use and those needing modification to work safely with New Jersey's electrical systems. The Commissioner must add these guidelines to the State Uniform Construction Code or amend existing electrical rules. This ensures homeowners can safely install these systems without connecting to the power grid.
Maddy summaryThe "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act" (S 3309) requires used car dealers to check for open recalls on vehicles before sale using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website and provide prospective buyers with printed recall information if any are found. Dealers cannot sell vehicles subject to stop-sale or do-not-drive notices issued by NHTSA. The bill mandates dealers to report vehicles with unresolved recalls (for which repairs remain uncompleted six months after initial notice) to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission every 180 days, prompting the Commission to send notices directly to vehicle owners. For vehicles with unavailable parts for recalls, dealers receive monthly compensation equal to 1.75% of the vehicle's value until repairs are completed.