Sen. Patrick Diegnan

Maddy summaryThis bill increases fines for drivers who fail to secure children in appropriate car seats or booster seats. First offenses now carry a $100 fine (up from $50-$75), while second or subsequent offenses range from $250 to $500. Drivers with a first offense may avoid the fine if they prove they possess a child restraint system. It also creates a new fund using $25 from each fine to purchase car seats for distribution through community programs, managed by the State Highway Traffic Safety Division. The bill directly affects drivers transporting young children and benefits families lacking access to proper restraints.

Maddy summaryS 3722 would remove mandatory minimum sentences for certain non-violent drug offenses in New Jersey by implementing recommendations from the New Jersey Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission. The bill specifically eliminates mandatory minimums for offenses including drug distribution (N.J.S.2C:35-5), maintaining drug production facilities (N.J.S.2C:35-4), employing juveniles in drug schemes (N.J.S.2C:35-6), and distributing drugs near schools (N.J.S.2C:35-7). This change would give judges more discretion in sentencing for these non-violent drug crimes rather than requiring fixed minimum prison terms. The bill affects individuals convicted of these specific drug-related offenses who would no longer face mandatory minimum sentences under current law.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3728) requires New Jersey municipal planning boards and zoning boards of adjustment to review and incorporate recommendations from local environmental commissions when considering development applications. It applies to all municipalities with environmental commissions and changes current law by making boards legally obligated to include these environmental suggestions in their final decisions. The bill also mandates that boards provide environmental commissions with full copies (not just summaries) of all development applications and specifies that failing to do so would invalidate hearings. Currently, boards could disregard such recommendations without consequence.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes governance and service standards for developmental disability service providers that receive $250,000 or more in annual billable services. It requires these providers to have independent boards of directors (with at least five members, majority independent), limit executive compensation and administrative costs to 15% of program revenue, and post audited financial statements online. The bill also mandates reporting of significant events that could impact service quality, prohibits loans to staff, and requires a self-advocate or family member to serve as a board observer. The State appropriates $300,000 to hire staff to monitor and enforce these standards for providers of day habilitation, individual support, and long-term care services.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new "Type S School Bus Certificate" that would allow certain qualified drivers to operate specific school buses without needing a commercial driver's license, passenger endorsement, or school bus endorsement. To qualify, drivers must be at least 21 years old, have held a basic driver's license for three years, pass physical and eye exams, complete a knowledge exam, and finish special training for students with special needs. The certificate would apply to "Type S school buses," defined as vehicles designed for nine passengers or less (excluding driver) with a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or more, used for transporting students to and from school. This would streamline school bus operations for qualified drivers while maintaining safety standards for student transportation. The bill amends existing school bus regulations to include this new certification pathway.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey law to allow taxicabs, limousines, and transportation network companies (like Uber and Lyft) to provide paratransit services for a two-year period. Currently, paratransit services - transportation for people with disabilities that are not fixed-route bus services - are legally excluded from being provided by these companies, but the bill removes that exclusion. The change modifies the definition of "paratransit service" in state law to include these providers, expanding potential service options. This directly affects transportation companies and people with disabilities who rely on paratransit services, without altering the core requirements for such services.

Maddy summaryS 3678 establishes a $2 million grant program for New Jersey public schools to promote limited student use of cell phones and social media during school hours and school events. The program requires the Department of Education to develop best practices covering age-appropriate policies, emergency exceptions, accommodations for students with disabilities, device storage options, and network restrictions. Participating schools must submit annual reports tracking how grant funds reduce distractions and impact academic performance, behavior, and well-being, with the Department later evaluating the program's effectiveness against non-participating schools. The bill directly affects public schools seeking grant funding to implement device-use policies, without mandating specific practices as a condition of receiving funds.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public colleges and universities to provide an alternative scholarship to student-athletes who lose their athletic scholarship due to an injury or illness that makes them medically ineligible to compete. Specifically, if a school rescinds or fails to renew an athletic scholarship because of an "incapacitating injury or illness" (defined as one directly related to athletics and confirmed by the school's medical staff), the institution must offer a replacement scholarship equal in value for the remainder of the student's undergraduate degree program or up to five years total (including the original scholarship period), whichever is shorter. It directly affects student-athletes at public New Jersey institutions who become unable to compete due to athletic-related injuries. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the weekly cap for Medicaid-funded personal care assistant (PCA) services from 40 to 91 hours for beneficiaries clinically eligible for nursing facility-level care. It directly affects New Jersey Medicaid recipients who require assistance with daily living tasks but wish to remain in their homes. The bill requires the Department of Human Services to approve up to 91 hours per week as medically necessary, based on a written care plan, and mandates updates to the assessment tool used to determine eligibility. It does not change existing requirements that PCA services must be performed by qualified individuals under a nurse's supervision.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's Mobility and Transportation Innovation Pilot Program to fund public transportation projects statewide (previously limited to Mercer County), appropriating $20 million from the General Fund. It requires projects to include accessibility features like wheelchair-accessible vehicles and accessible mobile apps, enable access without smartphones/credit cards, and demonstrate success with similar projects. The program prioritizes projects improving mobility for low-income communities, people with disabilities, and disadvantaged areas while reducing emissions. Local governments and transit agencies across New Jersey can apply for grants to support innovative transit services meeting these criteria.