Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "New Jersey Target Zero Commission" within the Department of Transportation to develop strategies for eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2040. The 13-member commission - including agency heads from transportation, public safety, health, and environmental departments - will create a statewide action plan, promote data transparency through a public safety portal, and advise state and local governments on equitable road safety improvements. It requires annual reporting to the Governor and Legislature on progress, including traffic crash data and demographic information. The commission focuses on "safe system approach" strategies like roadway design, speed management, and expanding accessible transportation options for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and people with disabilities.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the list of transportation infrastructure projects eligible for loans from the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank for Fiscal Year 2025. It adds new projects, removes some existing ones, and adjusts the priority and estimated loan amounts for various transportation projects across New Jersey municipalities, including bridge replacements, road improvements, and pedestrian trail projects. The bill increases the total funding authorization for these projects from $53,883,706 to $61,400,000. Local government units seeking loans for transportation infrastructure construction will be affected by these changes to the eligibility list and funding amounts. The New Jersey Infrastructure Bank will now have updated parameters for issuing loans under the Transportation Infrastructure Financing Program.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a "Bear Smart Fund" within New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to fund the distribution of bear-proof garbage cans to residents. The fund will be financed by civil penalties from bear-feeding violations (e.g., $100-$500 fines) and state or federal grants. The DEP will prioritize distributing these cans in counties with large bear populations - Sussex, Warren, Morris, and Passaic - to reduce human-bear conflicts, with residents possibly paying a small fee. The program may partner with municipalities or waste companies to lower costs, while existing bear-feeding prohibitions remain in place except for specific exceptions like bird feeders under strict conditions.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a legal framework for New Jersey's Department of Human Services to request a court-appointed receiver for service providers who fail to meet health, safety, and care standards for individuals with developmental disabilities. The Department must demonstrate a pattern of violations in health, safety, or care standards before a court can appoint a receiver to take over the provider's operations. The receiver would manage both financial and operational aspects of the provider, including hiring staff, handling finances, and making decisions to protect recipients, with the goal of either fixing the provider's issues or transitioning care to a new provider. The receiver would have broad authority to manage the provider's business, including controlling assets, making operational decisions, and ensuring services continue without interruption. This framework aims to protect vulnerable individuals with developmental disabilities when their current service provider is unable to maintain required standards.
Maddy summaryThis bill excludes certain military compensation from New Jersey's gross income tax for state residents who serve outside New Jersey for at least six months during a taxable year. It directly affects New Jersey residents serving in the U.S. Armed Forces while stationed or deployed outside the state. The key provision amends the tax code to exclude military pay received for out-of-state service, separate from standard military benefits like housing allowances. The exclusion applies immediately to taxable years beginning after enactment.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey law enforcement officers to receive regular cancer and cardiovascular screenings starting three years after employment and every three years thereafter, covering 11 specific cancer types including colon, lung, breast, and prostate cancers. It establishes a dedicated fund to cover these screening costs by appropriating $20 million from the State General Fund and adding a $10 surcharge to motor vehicle fines. Public employers not participating in the State Health Benefits Program can be reimbursed up to $2,500 per officer every three years for these screenings. The fund is designed to carry over unused funds year to year, ensuring consistent funding for these screenings. The bill takes effect January 1, 2026.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) of the Office of Administrative Law within the Department of State to enroll in the Workers Compensation Judges Part of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) instead of the current Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP). It mandates that ALJs currently enrolled in the DCRP be transferred to the Workers Compensation and Administrative Law Judges Part of PERS within 90 days of the bill's effective date, while those already in PERS will be moved into this specific part of the system. The bill also specifies that the unfunded liability for benefits provided by this transfer will be paid by appropriations from the State General Fund. This change makes PERS enrollment a condition of employment for ALJs, aligning their retirement system with that of Workers' Compensation Judges.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the New Jersey Veterans' Organization Building Grant Program, providing financial assistance to nonprofit veterans' organizations for acquiring, constructing, or improving facilities. Administered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), the program offers grants covering costs like building construction, repairs, equipment, and site development. It directly affects qualified veterans' organizations seeking to establish or upgrade physical spaces for their operations. The program is funded through state appropriations, with eligibility determined by the NJEDA based on defined criteria in the bill.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2295) amends New Jersey law on reckless vehicular homicide to strengthen penalties for drivers causing death while operating vehicles under the influence (DUI), with a suspended license, or near schools. It mandates a license suspension of 5 years to life for these offenses, requires courts to consider pretrial detention for certain DUI-related cases, and allows vehicle forfeiture unless hardship is proven. The law also increases penalties to a first-degree crime for driving under the influence near schools (within 1,000 feet or through designated crossings), with no defense for ignorance of school zones. These changes directly affect drivers convicted of vehicular homicide involving DUI, license violations, or school zone offenses.
Maddy summaryS 3611 allocates $1 million to the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute to study and map mental health care access for children. The bill requires creating a visual journey map of the steps families take to access services, identifying eligibility rules, financial barriers, and disparities by race/ethnicity. It mandates stakeholder input from providers, administrators, and families across northern, central, and southern NJ regions. The institute must submit two reports within 13 months: one mapping the care journey and another summarizing barriers, disparities, and policy recommendations for improving pediatric mental health services. This study directly affects children and families seeking mental health care in New Jersey.