Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey school districts to enter into longer-term contracts for electric school buses, extending lease and purchase terms to match the service life of the vehicles (instead of the current 10-year limit for fossil fuel buses). It specifically authorizes the New Jersey School Boards Association to serve as a government aggregator to help school districts obtain electric school buses and related charging infrastructure through competitive contracting. The bill amends existing school contracting laws to explicitly include electric school buses in the list of specialized equipment where competitive contracting can be used instead of public bidding. This change aims to support school districts in transitioning to electric fleets by making it easier to secure long-term contracts for these vehicles and infrastructure.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) program to allow qualifying municipalities to use funds from the Enterprise Zone Assistance Fund for transportation infrastructure projects. It revises the definition of "qualified assistance fund expenses" to explicitly include costs for constructing, repairing, upgrading, or maintaining roads, bridges, public transit facilities, and related debt service. Previously, such projects were limited to corridors within enterprise zones; this change broadens eligibility to all transportation infrastructure improvements statewide. The policy directly affects UEZ program municipalities seeking to fund transportation projects using state assistance funds.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates two new burglary offenses: home invasion burglary (a second-degree crime subject to the No Early Release Act) and residential burglary (a third-degree crime). Home invasion burglary occurs when someone enters a residence without permission and either causes bodily injury or is armed with a weapon, requiring offenders to serve 85% of their sentence without parole. Residential burglary occurs when someone enters a residence without permission without the additional elements of injury or weapon. The bill also permits waiver of juvenile cases to adult court when juveniles commit burglary of a residence while in possession of a firearm.
Maddy summaryS 3491 establishes legal protections for patients and healthcare providers accessing or providing reproductive health care (including abortion) and gender-affirming health care services in New Jersey. The bill defines "legally protected health care activity" as services lawful in New Jersey, regardless of where the patient resides, and creates criminal penalties for interfering with access to these services (such as obstructing facilities, intimidating patients, or recording individuals without consent). It also prohibits New Jersey from extraditing people for providing or seeking these services, protects patient privacy regarding these services, and specifies that fertilized eggs, embryos, or fetuses cannot have independent legal rights under New Jersey law. The bill applies to all individuals seeking or providing these services within New Jersey, including those traveling from states with restrictions on reproductive or gender-affirming care.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2378) allows eligible New Jersey educators and paraprofessionals to deduct up to $250 annually from their gross income for unreimbursed classroom supply expenses. It directly affects K-12 teachers, counselors, principals, and school aides (employed at least 900 hours yearly by NJ public or private schools) who purchase qualifying supplies like books, computers, software, and classroom materials. The deduction excludes nonathletic supplies for health/physical education courses. The provision applies to taxable years starting January 1 after enactment, mirroring the federal educator expense deduction.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes New Jersey's official definition of anti-Semitism by adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition, including its "contemporary examples," for use by state institutions. It requires state entities to consider this definition when reviewing or investigating potential anti-Semitic discrimination or bias crimes. The bill appropriates $100,000 to fund a public awareness campaign by the Attorney General's office, promoting the state's bias crimes reporting hotline and resources for identifying and reporting anti-Semitic incidents. The campaign aims to increase public understanding and reporting of bias crimes, particularly affecting Jewish communities and other vulnerable groups in New Jersey. The bill explicitly states it does not diminish First Amendment rights or conflict with existing anti-discrimination laws.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to create a program for building electrification and decarbonization. It mandates electric utilities to develop and implement multi-year plans converting fossil fuel systems (like gas heating and cooking) to efficient electric alternatives, such as heat pumps and induction stoves, while meeting specific greenhouse gas reduction targets. Plans must be cost-effective from a societal perspective, considering environmental benefits like reduced methane emissions. The program aims to lower emissions and energy costs through utility-led initiatives, with the BPU setting targets and performance incentives.
Maddy summaryThis bill allows home health care agencies in New Jersey to hire certified nurse aides as homemaker-home health aides, a role currently restricted to certified homemaker-home health aides under existing law. It directly affects licensed home health care agencies (covered under P.L.1971, c.136) and certified nurse aides who previously could not work in this specific capacity. The key provision removes a legal barrier, enabling these agencies to employ nurse aides for homemaker-home health aide duties without violating current regulations. The New Jersey Board of Nursing may create implementing rules, and the law takes effect 90 days after enactment. This change aligns home health care agency staffing rules with those already permitted for long-term care facilities.
Maddy summaryS 3460 requires New Jersey's Attorney General to study residential burglaries and issue regular reports to inform law enforcement and the public. The study must collect detailed data from 2018 onward, including burglary times, weapons used, injuries, property damage values, and charges filed, broken down by county. The Attorney General must submit an initial report within six months of the bill's enactment, followed by annual reports. These reports will include statistics, summaries of current prevention efforts, and recommendations for reducing residential burglaries statewide.
Maddy summarySCR 81 proposes a constitutional amendment to increase New Jersey's veterans' property tax deduction from $250 to $2,500 over four years. The deduction would rise to $1,000 in 2025, $1,500 in 2026, $2,000 in 2027, and $2,500 starting in 2028, remaining at that level annually thereafter. This change directly affects honorably discharged veterans and their surviving spouses (who qualify after the veteran's death). The amendment would adjust the existing tax benefit without altering other eligibility rules or requiring new administrative processes.