Sen. Vince Polistina

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Cannabis Regulatory Commission to create a system allowing individuals to voluntarily exclude themselves from cannabis dispensaries. It mandates that the Commission establish procedures for adding people to the exclusion list, removing them, and sharing the list with all dispensaries. Dispensaries must then deny entry and sales to anyone on the list, stop sending them marketing materials, and keep the list confidential (not publicly accessible). This directly affects any resident who chooses to opt out of accessing cannabis retail locations or products.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3698) allows surviving spouses of retired police or firefighters (PFRS members) who died due to work-related injuries or complications to keep state-paid health insurance (SHBP) and continue receiving pension benefits even after remarriage. It requires surviving spouses to provide documented proof that the injury causing the member's disability was a significant factor in their death. Eligible spouses can also apply to reinstate pensions terminated due to remarriage before this law took effect. The state covers all health insurance premiums for the spouse and dependent children and pays any increased retirement system costs from continued pension payments.

Maddy summaryS 3656 requires the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to have at least one member residing in each of the state's three geographic regions: northern (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Warren), central (Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Ocean, Somerset, Union), and southern (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem). The bill mandates that the Governor must ensure all new BPU appointments after the law takes effect meet this regional representation rule. This change applies to the five-member BPU without altering its total size, aiming to ensure geographic diversity in decision-making. The requirement becomes effective immediately upon the bill's passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement to join a national self-exclusion program, enabling individuals who wish to ban themselves from gambling to register once for multiple states instead of separately in each. It requires the division to create forms and procedures letting self-excluders select which states' gaming facilities they want to be barred from, while prohibiting the sharing of their personal information without explicit consent. The policy directly affects gamblers seeking to self-exclude and licensed casinos, which must verify exclusion status and comply with the shared list. The key change eliminates the need for repeated registrations across states, streamlining responsible gaming protections.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's bias intimidation law to specifically include Sikhism as a protected class, alongside existing categories like race, religion, and sexual orientation. It requires law enforcement to properly classify anti-Sikh hate crimes and provides $100,000 annually for three years to fund Sikh awareness education and outreach initiatives. The bill mandates training for law enforcement on Sikh identity features (such as turbans and beards) to prevent misclassification of hate incidents. It also requires public entities to incorporate anti-Sikh hate definitions into their bias policies and directs the Attorney General to develop educational programs about Sikhism for schools. These measures address the fact that Sikhs are the second-most targeted religious group for hate crimes in the U.S., with 198 anti-Sikh hate incidents reported by the FBI in 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows members of New Jersey's Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS) to purchase retirement credit for prior service as a class two special law enforcement officer with a public employer in the state. To qualify, the member must have worked in that role and then started a PFRS-covered position within 120 days of ending that service. Members can purchase up to 10 years of credit by paying the cost, calculated based on their salary and an actuarial factor, with current members having one year from the bill's effective date to apply. This change aligns the process for purchasing such credit with existing rules for federal or military service.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the interchange between State Highway Route 42 and Interstate Route 295 as the "Ensign John R. Elliott Memorial Interchange" to honor Ensign John R. Elliott, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate killed in a 2000 drunk driving accident. The bill requires that private funding - not public funds - be used for producing, erecting, and maintaining signs bearing this designation, with the New Jersey Department of Transportation authorized to accept gifts or grants from private entities for this purpose.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows members of New Jersey's Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS) to purchase retirement credit for prior service as a "class two special law enforcement officer" with a public employer. It directly affects current or future PFRS members who previously worked in this limited-authority police role (requiring specific training but having restricted powers compared to full officers). The key provision lets them buy up to 10 years of credit for that service, provided the gap between that job and their PFRS appointment was under 120 days, with payment covering both member and employer shares over up to 10 years. The process mirrors existing rules for purchasing credit for federal/military service.

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 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.