Sen. Patrick Diegnan

Maddy summaryThis bill would amend New Jersey's Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) rules to include pay for extracurricular activities in teachers' pension calculations. Currently, additional compensation for duties like coaching sports teams, directing school plays, or supervising clubs is not counted toward pension benefits. The bill changes the definition of "compensation" to include remuneration for extracurricular activities beyond the regular school day or year. This change would affect teachers who receive extra pay for these activities, potentially increasing their future pension benefits. The bill applies to all teachers whose extracurricular duties qualify under the new definition.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a $0.40 monthly fee per mobile line on New Jersey residents using commercial mobile or IP-enabled voice services, excluding Lifeline program users. Telecom companies collect the fee from customers and remit it quarterly to a new "9-8-8 Suicide Prevention and Behavioral Health Crisis Hotline Trust Fund Account" in the state treasury. Funds in this account will be used to support the 9-8-8 crisis system, including routing calls/texts, providing mobile crisis response teams and stabilization services, and funding public awareness campaigns. The fee applies to all standard mobile subscribers but does not affect federal Lifeline participants.

Maddy summaryThis bill reassigns $45 million in state funding from the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund to the General Fund for opioid-related care and treatment at certain hospitals. The funds must be used by the Department of Human Services to implement the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council's strategic plan, which was issued in June 2025. It directly affects hospitals providing opioid treatment services by ensuring funding aligns with the council's recommendations for statewide opioid care. The change clarifies the budget source while maintaining that the money will support the council's established plan through 2030.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a statewide tele-psychiatry program within New Jersey's Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide real-time mental health and substance abuse care via video or audio consultations for patients in crisis at hospitals. It appropriates $4 million from the General Fund to fund the program, requiring DHS to contract with a partner organization to administer it statewide within three years of enactment. The program mandates ongoing DHS oversight, including annual site visits, quarterly financial reviews, and annual reports tracking participation, psychiatric assessments, and outcomes like involuntary commitments. It specifically aims to improve access for rural and critical access hospitals while ensuring licensed providers can deliver care remotely during emergencies.

Maddy summaryS 4850 creates a new criminal offense called "victimization" for crimes committed against seniors (60+) or people with disabilities, with penalties one level higher than the original offense. It makes perpetrators strictly liable - meaning they cannot claim they didn’t know the victim was vulnerable, even if they reasonably believed otherwise. The bill defines "person with a disability" as someone with a pre-existing impairment preventing normal resistance (including Social Security recipients) and mandates separate sentences for both the underlying crime and the victimization charge. This applies to offenses listed in Chapters 11-18 of New Jersey’s criminal code, such as assault, burglary, or harassment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all basic life support ambulances and volunteer ambulance squad vehicles in New Jersey to be equipped with a securely locked box for storing firearms. It applies directly to ambulance services transporting individuals who possess firearms, mandating that firearms be stored in the locked container during transport. The key provision specifies that the locked storage must be used whenever a person carrying a firearm is being transported in these vehicles. The law takes effect four months after enactment, with the state health commissioner authorized to create implementing rules. This is a direct safety measure for ambulance personnel and passengers during transport.

Maddy summary# New Jersey Hemp-Derived Consumable Products Regulation: Summary This bill establishes a comprehensive regulatory framework for hemp-derived consumable products (including hemp-derived beverages) in New Jersey, administered primarily by the Department of Agriculture with some provisions for the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC). ## Key Provisions ### Licensing Requirements - Businesses must obtain a license from the Department of Agriculture before operating - Existing ABC license holders (10 types including plenary retail consumption, brewery, winery, and wholesale licenses) can sell hemp products by paying an annual fee and maintaining ABC registration - All licensees must undergo inspections, product sampling, and background checks ### Sales Restrictions - Prohibits sales to anyone under 21 years of age - Bans distributing samples in public spaces (streets, sidewalks, parks) - Requires products to be behind a physical counter or barrier (except for licensed hemp-derived beverages) - Limits THC concentration to 0.3% on dry weight basis - Requires proper packaging (exit package) with specific labeling requirements ### Testing & Safety Requirements - Manufacturers must test products before distribution - Distributors must test if they open packages or receive products not in exit packaging - Requires child-resistant packaging - Mandates specific labeling including: - Ingredient list and allergen information - Warnings about pregnancy/breastfeeding - Statements about impaired driving - THC content per serving and total package - Expiration date ### Penalties & Enforcement - Civil penalties for violations (increasing for repeat offenses) - License suspension/revocation for serious violations - Criminal penalties for repeat offenses: - Second violation: disorderly persons offense ($1,000 fine, up to 6 months imprisonment) - Third violation: fourth degree crime ($10,000 fine, up to 18 months imprisonment) - Allows payment-in-lieu of license suspension/revocation ($3,000 for first violation, $8,000 for manufacturing/distribution violations) ### Taxation - 6% tax on retail sales (1% designated for social equity programs) - Revenue split equally between Department of Treasury and Department of Agriculture - Municipalities may impose up to 2% local excise tax ### Additional Provisions - Prohibits sales within 1,000 feet of schools or playgrounds (with exceptions for existing businesses) - Requires schools to adopt policies banning use in school buildings, facilities, and on transportation - Establishes "safe harbor" provisions for products intended for export only - Explicitly states the bill doesn't permit: - Operating vehicles while impaired - Require employers to accommodate workplace use - Legalize controlled substances ### Repeals - Repeals previous legislation (P.L.2024, c.73) related to intoxicating hemp products This bill represents a significant regulatory framework for hemp-derived products, balancing consumer safety with business opportunities while maintaining strict enforcement of age restrictions and product safety standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey Transit (NJT) to create a three-year pilot program in Morris and Middlesex counties that connects eligible residents to public transit hubs using ride-hailing services. Eligible residents (only those living in Morris or Middlesex County) can book flat-rate rides through NJT’s contracted ride-hailing companies to reach the nearest bus, train, or light-rail station on workdays. Riders who use the pilot program receive discounted transit fares for boarding at those stations, but must show proof of pilot participation (like a receipt) to qualify. NJT must report annually on program usage, rider satisfaction, costs, and feedback, with recommendations after the second year on whether to expand, modify, or end the pilot.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's disabled veterans' property tax exemption to include individuals in a close personal relationship with a deceased veteran, beyond current married surviving spouses. It allows qualifying individuals - such as cohabiting partners who shared a residence for three years and demonstrated joint financial responsibility (e.g., shared accounts or will beneficiaries) - to claim the exemption. To qualify, applicants must submit an affidavit verifying shared residence, joint welfare, and no subsequent marriage or domestic partnership. The exemption applies to the dwelling house and lot they legally own and occupy, continuing during their widowhood/widowerhood as a New Jersey resident. This changes current law, which only covered legally married surviving spouses.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU), Department of Community Affairs (DCA), and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create faster approval and permitting processes for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers that use small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). Within 12 months of the bill taking effect, these agencies must adopt rules to expedite site approvals, construction reviews, electrical interconnection, and environmental permits for such projects. The rules must include model processes for local governments and specifically cover permits under environmental laws like the Wetlands Act and Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act. This aims to encourage both new AI data centers powered by SMRs and the retrofitting of existing data centers to use SMRs.