Sen. Joe Cryan

Maddy summaryS 4479 requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities to prohibit electric and gas companies from charging residential customers extra fees when their actual energy use exceeds estimates under equal payment plans (which average yearly usage into monthly bills). It also bans companies from billing customers for the difference between estimated and actual usage (a practice known as underbilling) and prevents them from adding unpaid balances from such differences to future bills. Utilities must adjust monthly payments only once a year, based solely on a customer's actual energy use, rather than making mid-year changes. This bill aims to create more predictable and stable billing for New Jersey households.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of Rate Counsel to hire an independent third party to study whether publicly owning or jointly operating electric and gas utilities (like those serving homes and businesses) would be feasible and cost-effective. The study must analyze options such as state agencies taking over utilities or partnering with current providers, including impacts on costs for ratepayers, service quality, environmental effects, and potential savings from clean energy programs. It mandates that utilities and public entities cooperate with the study and requires a report with recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within one year. The state appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund to cover the study costs. This is a procedural study, not a direct policy change, and would inform future legislative or executive actions.

Maddy summaryThis bill reinstates automatic annual cost-ofiving adjustments (COLAs) for retirement benefits of certain retired police and firefighters in New Jersey's Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS). It applies to members who have received retirement benefits for at least 10 years, excluding those who retired with 20-24 years of service, are in deferred retirement, or were hired more than 30 days after the bill's effective date. COLAs will be calculated based on the Consumer Price Index, with a $75,000 annual benefit threshold for the first year (adjusted annually thereafter), and capped at a 1% increase for benefits exceeding this amount. The bill requires the Legislature to appropriate funds from the General Fund to cover these adjustments, with the State Treasurer taking over implementation if the Board of Trustees fails to comply within six months. The adjustments apply only to future benefit payments, not retroactively.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey municipalities to pause development approvals for projects on 20 or more contiguous acres of land while considering preservation of that land for recreation or conservation. Municipal governing bodies must hold a public hearing within 45 days and decide whether to pursue purchasing the land under existing conservation law (P.L.1997, c.24), which would deny the development application. If preservation is not pursued, the development process resumes under standard timelines. The bill directly affects developers seeking large-scale projects and municipal governments handling land-use decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's Homelessness Prevention Program to add a new fee for filing eviction lawsuits and clarifies eligibility for assistance. It requires applicants to be New Jersey residents facing imminent eviction (due to unpaid rent), foreclosure, or imminent mortgage payment issues, while limiting eligibility to households earning under 80% of area median income. The program prioritizes vulnerable groups like disabled individuals, seniors, domestic violence victims, and families with children facing separation. Assistance for mortgage issues must be structured as a secured loan for owner-occupied homes meeting specific criteria. The bill directly affects renters and homeowners at risk of losing housing due to financial hardship who meet the program's strict income and eligibility requirements.

Maddy summaryS 2953 limits annual rent increases for tenants leasing sites in manufactured home parks (where modular or manufactured homes are placed) to 2% per year. Landlords cannot raise rent more than 2% over any 12-month period, except for initial rates in new tenancies or if approved by the Commissioner of Community Affairs after demonstrating covered costs like taxes or maintenance. Violations require landlords to revert to the previous rent rate for the lease term and face penalties of $500 for a first offense or $1,000 for repeat offenses, plus tenant legal fees. Tenants can also use violations as a defense against eviction under existing law.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the time teachers can return to service under New Jersey's Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) after leaving their positions. Specifically, it increases the window from 10 to 15 years for teachers who were laid off or had 10 or more years of continuous service when they voluntarily terminated. The change applies to those who haven't withdrawn their retirement contributions and wish to resume membership. This adjustment allows eligible teachers more time to return to teaching roles without losing pension eligibility. The policy directly affects public school teachers in New Jersey who leave employment under these specific circumstances.

Maddy summaryS 3882 requires professional licensing boards (including the Department of Banking and Insurance) to retain all fees collected from license applicants until June 30 each year, rather than paying remaining funds to the state treasury by October 31. The bill modifies New Jersey law to allow boards to use these retained funds for their operational expenses, examinations, and prosecuting violations of licensing laws. This directly affects boards that collect annual, biennial, or recurring license fees from professionals like insurance agents or financial advisors. The policy change streamlines fund management for these boards while maintaining oversight through state comptroller audits.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows grocery stores to provide single-use paper carryout bags to customers, but only if the bags contain a minimum amount of recycled material. Specifically, standard paper bags must include at least 40% postconsumer recycled content, while lighter bags (under eight pounds) must contain at least 20%. The policy directly affects grocery stores (defined as retail establishments over 2,500 square feet selling food for off-site consumption) and replaces a previous ban on all paper carryout bags. It aims to reduce plastic pollution by promoting recycled-content paper bags instead of non-recycled alternatives.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey Senate Resolution (SR 126) condemns the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a budget resolution that would cut $1.5 trillion from federal spending over ten years. It specifically targets $880 billion in cuts to healthcare programs (like Medicaid and Medicare), $330 billion from education funding, and $230 billion from food assistance programs (SNAP). The resolution urges the U.S. Senate to reject the House plan, citing that these cuts would severely impact New Jersey residents: approximately 1.8 million people rely on NJ FamilyCare (Medicaid/CHIP), and 830,000 depend on SNAP for food support. The resolution emphasizes that reduced federal funding could lead to cuts in benefits, eligibility restrictions, or loss of critical healthcare and nutrition services.