Sen. Patrick Diegnan

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients from paying municipal parking meter fees when driving or riding as a passenger in a vehicle displaying their special license plate or placard issued by New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC). It applies only to vehicles with these specific MVC-issued plates or placards and does not cover parking longer than 24 hours in one location. The exemption is automatic upon presentation of the required plate or placard at the meter. The New Jersey MVC will handle issuing these plates under the new rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows nurses with a multistate nursing license to qualify for school nurse certification in New Jersey. It amends current law to include multistate licenses (under the enhanced multistate Nurse Licensure Compact) as a valid license type for obtaining school nurse endorsements, substitute credentials, and non-instructional roles. The change specifically updates requirements in P.L.1999, c.153 and P.L.2017, c.70 to replace "New Jersey registered nurse license" with "multistate license" where applicable. Nurses must still meet all other certification standards, including a bachelor's degree, required coursework, and clinical experience.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new program to reimburse counties for providing transportation to disabled veterans traveling to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical appointments in New Jersey or neighboring states. It removes previous restrictions that limited veterans to only specific transportation methods, allowing counties to use public transit, private vehicles, or county-owned services for reimbursement. The program directly affects disabled veterans with service-connected disabilities and participating county governments. It appropriates $2 million from the state General Fund to fund this transportation assistance, effective six months after enactment. The law amends existing provisions to expand access for veterans who cannot use existing state or federal travel programs.

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 summaryS 2494 creates a process for school districts and private schools to obtain emergency teaching certifications for candidates in high-need fields (like bilingual education) when certified teachers cannot be found. To qualify, candidates must hold a current teaching certificate in another area, be enrolled in a relevant educator preparation program, and pass subject exams. Emergency certifications are valid for up to three years total (renewable once annually) and can only be used in the applying school. The bill also limits emergency-certified staff to 20% of a school's teaching staff and requires the state to annually review and publish a list of high-need fields.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2473) allows social workers in New Jersey to substitute work experience for certain education or exam requirements when applying for licensure. It directly affects applicants seeking clinical social worker, social worker, or certified social worker licenses who may lack formal training for those specific roles. The State Board of Social Work Examiners would evaluate applicants' educational and experiential records to determine if they meet competency standards without requiring a traditional exam. The bill creates a new pathway for experienced professionals to gain licensure based on verified work history, rather than solely on academic credentials or testing.

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 summaryThis bill increases the annual income limit for New Jersey seniors (65 or older) and disabled citizens (permanently and totally disabled) to qualify for a $250 property tax deduction from $10,000 to $15,000. Currently, the $10,000 limit applies to 2022 and prior years, but the bill would raise it to $15,000 for 2023 and beyond. The change requires voter approval of a constitutional amendment before taking effect. The deduction amount itself remains capped at $250 annually.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2372) requires New Jersey motor vehicle dealers and lessors to terminate a lease early if the lessee dies, provided the vehicle was leased and registered in New Jersey. It prohibits charging a fee for this termination (though reasonable fees for excessive wear/mileage specified in the lease may still apply). The bill also prevents requiring surviving family members, spouses, or estate representatives to buy the vehicle, continue the lease, or pay remaining terms. Dealers must include written disclosure about this termination right in lease agreements, with a $500 penalty for non-compliance.