Sen. Joe Cryan

Maddy summaryThis bill upgrades burglary of a residence to a second-degree crime when a person was present during the offense, making it punishable by 5-10 years in prison (previously a third-degree crime with 3-5 years). It directly affects individuals convicted of entering or remaining in a home while occupants were present, requiring them to serve 85% of their prison sentence before becoming eligible for parole. The law amends existing burglary statutes and enforces the "No Early Release Act" (NERA), which mandates this extended incarceration period for qualifying offenses. This change applies specifically to burglaries in occupied dwellings, not all burglary cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Department of Early Childhood within New Jersey's Executive Branch to consolidate early childhood services. It transfers specific responsibilities from the Department of Education (covering preschool-through-kindergarten programs like teacher licensing and Title I services) and the Department of Human Services (covering pregnancy-to-age-eight services like child care programs and the First Steps Initiative) to this new department. The bill defines the Commissioner as the head of the department, appointed by the Governor, and outlines the department's authority to manage these transferred programs, develop regulations, and coordinate services. This creates a single state agency responsible for early childhood education and care, directly affecting children aged birth through eight and the agencies currently managing these services.

Maddy summaryThis bill standardizes retirement benefits for New Jersey public employees by removing tiered membership in the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS). It transfers all current non-retired PERS members to "Tier 1" (the benefits tier for those enrolled before July 2007), ensuring they receive identical retirement and health benefits as pre-2007 members. It also automatically transfers service credit from the Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP) to PERS for DCRP participants, though their contributions remain in DCRP, and gives them 6 months to opt out. Additionally, it requires public employers to enroll eligible employees (earning above minimum salary but not meeting hour requirements) into PERS within 60 days. Changes apply only to retirement applications processed after the bill’s effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2454) increases penalties for businesses, public facilities, NJ Transit, and ride-sharing companies that deny access to service dogs and their handlers. Currently, first-time violators face civil fines ($250), but this bill makes the first violation a criminal "petty disorderly persons offense" (up to 30 days jail or $500 fine), with repeat offenses becoming more severe (up to 1 year jail for second+ violations). Penalties collected fund law enforcement training on service dog access rights. The bill applies to violations of existing laws covering public accommodations (P.L.1971, c.130), NJ Transit (P.L.2016, c.25), and transportation network companies (P.L.2017, c.26).

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's bribery law to clarify that offering, accepting, or agreeing to accept a benefit as consideration for influencing an official decision is illegal - even if the person isn't yet in office or qualified to act. It specifically applies to candidates for public office (subject to election oversight) and individuals elected but not yet serving, making it a crime to seek or take benefits for influencing votes, decisions, or duties. The law removes the defense that the recipient wasn't qualified at the time (e.g., hadn't assumed office), while excluding lawful campaign activities like generating permitted contributions. Violations are punishable as second-degree crimes (or third-degree for benefits under $200).

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes minimum wage standards and regulates working conditions for warehouse employees in New Jersey. It directly affects large warehouse employers (those with 100+ employees at a single facility or 1,000+ across multiple facilities) by defining "fair wage" as one sufficient for basic needs and prohibiting "oppressive wages" tied to unrealistic productivity quotas. Key provisions include requiring employers to pay fair wages, restricting the use of quotas that violate wage standards, and defining "employee work speed data" to prevent misuse of productivity tracking. The law aims to ensure wages reflect the value of work and meet basic living costs, targeting large distribution centers where such practices are common.

Maddy summaryThis bill streamlines EMT-Basic certification in New Jersey for veterans who served as Combat Army Medics or Navy Hospital Corpsmen. It allows eligible veterans - defined as those honorably discharged after serving in these specific military medical roles - to bypass standard certification requirements if they hold a current National Registry EMT certification and pass a background check. The law requires the state health commissioner to publish clear online instructions about this process for veterans. It directly affects veterans with these specific military medical backgrounds seeking to work as EMTs in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey municipalities to transfer inactive retail liquor store licenses to other municipalities for use in designated redevelopment areas. It specifically applies to inactive "plenary retail consumption licenses" (used for full-service liquor stores), not distribution or seasonal licenses. Key provisions require transfers to occur within approved redevelopment zones, mandate a public sale process with 90-day notice, set a $1,000 annual limit on transfers per receiving municipality, and require the license to be actively used within two years or expire. The host municipality receives funds from the sale, and the receiving municipality cannot replace the transferred license with a new one.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits public and private entities in New Jersey from collecting, retaining, or sharing biometric data (such as facial scans, fingerprints, or voice recordings) without specific notice. It requires entities to post clear, plain-language notices at all entry points if they use biometric systems for identification. Violations carry civil penalties of $5,000 for a first offense and $10,000 for repeat offenses, with repeated violations (five or more in 30 days) classified as a fourth-degree crime punishable by up to 18 months in prison or a $10,000 fine. The law applies broadly to both government agencies and businesses, defining biometric systems as those using unique physical traits for identification.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1479) prohibits New Jersey public and private colleges (excluding law schools) from asking applicants about criminal history - including juvenile records - on admission applications. It creates a "Universal College Application Development Task Force" to design a standard application that excludes such questions, which all institutions must adopt. Exceptions allow institutions to ask about specific serious crimes (e.g., sexual assault, terrorism, or child exploitation) for admission decisions. Colleges may later inquire about criminal history for campus housing or activities, but must consider factors like time passed since the offense and rehabilitation.