Sen. Patrick Diegnan

Maddy summaryThis bill allows licensed health care facilities in New Jersey to employ certified nurse aides (CNAs) as personal care assistants. It removes a current restriction preventing CNAs from working in this specific role within licensed facilities. The key change permits facilities to hire CNAs - whether fully certified or conditionally certified - to provide personal care services. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Transportation to ensure electric vehicle charging stations are accessible to drivers with disabilities within 18 months of the bill's effective date. New charging stations must include vehicle spaces at least 11 feet wide and 20 feet long with 5-foot-wide access aisles, clear floor space meeting Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, and accessible communication features including one-handed operation for connectors. Existing charging stations must comply with these accessibility requirements to the maximum extent feasible. The bill directly affects charging station operators and the Department of Transportation, ensuring electric vehicle infrastructure is usable by disabled drivers.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow New Jersey residents to exclude from state gross income tax any distributions from their individual retirement accounts (IRAs) that are given to qualified charitable organizations. The exclusion applies to both Roth IRAs and traditional IRAs, making charitable contributions from these accounts tax-free at the state level. A "qualified charitable organization" is defined as one with tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code. This change would make it more financially beneficial for New Jersey residents to make charitable gifts from their retirement accounts.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows individuals moving into an assisted living or long-term care facility to terminate their trash collection contract without paying an early termination fee. To qualify, they must have a physician's order or a care plan for the move (for at least 90 days) and provide at least 45 days' notice, though immediate termination within 48 hours is permitted if a physician requires urgent relocation. Trash collection providers must supply a standard termination form upon request and may require written proof of relocation, such as a physician's letter, within the notice period. The bill takes effect 12 months after enactment.

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.