Sen. Bob Smith

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's state pension and annuity funds must stop investing in the 200 largest publicly traded fossil fuel companies, defined by carbon content in their oil, gas, and coal reserves. Funds must divest from these companies within one year (two years for coal companies), though they may temporarily pause divestment if fund values drop below 99.5% of their hypothetical value without divestment. Annual reports on progress and investments sold will be required, with transparency mandated to the Governor, Legislature, and Attorney General. The bill directly affects New Jersey's public employee retirement funds and their investment management.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new grant program within New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to help local governments and school districts recover from climate change-related natural disasters, such as flooding, storms, drought, or extreme heat. The program will provide grants covering up to 50% of eligible costs for repairing damaged facilities, with the DEP setting application rules, eligibility criteria, and project priorities. It appropriates $250 million from the state General Fund to the Climate Change Relief Fund for program administration, requiring the DEP to submit annual reports on effectiveness to the Governor and Legislature. The program aims to directly support communities affected by climate-exacerbated disasters, focusing on tangible recovery efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in New Jersey hospitals, ambulatory surgery facilities, developmental centers, and psychiatric hospitals. It requires facilities to maintain specific ratios (such as 1:4 for medical/surgical units and 1:2 for critical care) and implement an acuity-based staffing system to adjust for patient needs. Facilities that violate these requirements face civil penalties, with fines deposited into a dedicated fund for nursing recruitment, retention programs, and student loan forgiveness. The bill directly affects healthcare facilities and their nursing staff, aiming to improve patient safety through mandated staffing standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a pilot program to incentivize energy storage system installations in New Jersey. It provides two types of financial support: one-time upfront payments to cover installation costs (based on storage capacity) and recurring performance payments for systems benefiting the grid. The program targets both customer-sited systems (on the customer side of the meter) and utility-owned front-of-the-meter systems, with at least one-third of upfront incentives reserved for low-income customers and overburdened communities. The Board of Public Utilities must establish the program within 90 days of the bill's effective date, using data from similar programs in other states.

Maddy summaryS 1392 creates an Office of Clean Energy Equity within New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to ensure clean energy programs benefit overburdened communities - areas facing environmental and economic challenges. The bill requires the BPU to establish solar programs reaching 250,000 low-income households by 2030 (reducing their energy costs to under 6% of income) and deploy 1,600 megawatt-hours of energy storage in these communities by 2030. It mandates at least $50 million annually for the office to fund workforce training, community outreach, and program evaluation, with strict requirements for community input and resiliency-focused energy storage. The law directly affects low-income households and overburdened communities through targeted energy cost reductions, job opportunities, and improved disaster resilience.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides a tax credit for businesses that retrofit existing warehouses (100,000+ square feet) with designated solar-ready zones, but only after solar panels are installed. The credit covers up to 50% of retrofit costs or $250,000 per warehouse, with a total limit of $25 million across all claims. To qualify, warehouses must meet size requirements, have a solar-ready zone (defined as at least 40% of roof area designated for solar panels), and have panels installed. Businesses must prove panel installation to claim the credit, which applies to up to eight warehouses per tax period.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 210) creates tax credits for businesses to adopt electric vehicle infrastructure. It provides a 50% credit (up to $1,000 per station) for purchasing and installing commercial EV charging stations, and a 50% credit for converting commercial vehicle fleets to zero-emission models, capped at $25,000 for light vehicles (under 14,000 lbs), $50,000 for medium (14,001-26,500 lbs), and $100,000 for heavy vehicles (over 26,500 lbs). To qualify, businesses must apply for certification from the Environmental Protection Commissioner, proving eligible purchases and installations. The credits apply to both corporation business tax and gross income tax, with unused credits potentially carried forward for up to seven years.

Maddy summaryS 212 requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to establish updated safety and power quality rules for connecting Class I renewable energy systems (like solar, wind, and small-scale hydro) to the electric grid within 18 months. It also mandates a fixed, one-time "grid modernization fee" paid by renewable energy project owners, based on project size (capped at $50 per kilowatt for small residential systems under 10 kW), to cover interconnection costs like grid upgrades. The bill affects renewable energy developers and electric utilities, which can recover excess costs through rate adjustments. The BPU must report on implementation impacts within a year, including effects on New Jersey's clean energy goals.

Maddy summaryThis bill would have prohibited New Jersey public libraries and school libraries from banning or restricting access to books based on political or religious views. It required library boards and school districts to adopt policies supporting open access (such as the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights) or face potential withholding of state funding. The law specifically exempted libraries from being required to purchase or acquire new books. The bill was introduced in January 2024 but withdrawn before consideration.

Maddy summaryS 2425 requires gasoline and diesel suppliers in New Jersey to reduce the average greenhouse gas emissions per unit of fuel by 10% below 2019 levels by 2030. The law establishes a credit trading system where producers meeting the standard earn tradable credits to offset deficits from fuels that exceed the standard. It applies to refiners, wholesalers, importers of gasoline and diesel, and alternative fuel producers who choose to participate. Emissions are measured using a life-cycle analysis covering all stages of fuel production and use.