Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act" to protect immigrants interacting with state and local government agencies. It prohibits public agencies, including law enforcement, schools, hospitals, and shelters, from collecting immigration status information unless strictly necessary for service eligibility. The bill bans state and local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration authorities with detainers, notification requests, or transfers, and requires adoption of policies ensuring sensitive locations remain accessible to all residents regardless of immigration status. It mandates training for law enforcement officials and public awareness campaigns about these protections, with annual reporting requirements for agencies interacting with federal immigration authorities.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 3694 prohibits businesses from owning, controlling, installing, managing, selling, or offering cryptocurrency ATMs within the state. It defines cryptocurrency as decentralized digital currency and specifies that crypto ATMs are internet-connected kiosks allowing users to buy, sell, or exchange digital currency using debit cards, credit cards, or cash. The bill amends existing consumer fraud law to make these activities unlawful, with penalties including fines up to $20,000 per violation and potential court-ordered restitution. This directly affects businesses operating or planning to operate crypto ATMs in New Jersey, aiming to address rising fraud losses - reported at over $110 million in 2023 - particularly impacting seniors with median losses of $10,000.
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 3624 requires automatic recounts for New Jersey elections decided by a vote margin of 0.5 percent or less of total votes cast, meaning the state will cover the costs without needing a candidate or voter to request it. This directly affects close statewide and local elections in New Jersey, ensuring results within this narrow margin are automatically verified. For elections with a margin over 0.5 percent, the current process remains: a losing candidate or 10 voters may request a recount within 3 days, paying a $25 deposit, with the state covering costs only if the recount changes the outcome by more than 10 votes or 10% of votes.
Maddy summaryS 3642 requires New Jersey's Secretary of Higher Education and public colleges/universities to create programs improving Hispanic and Latino representation in leadership roles. It mandates targeted leadership development for Hispanic/Latino faculty, pathways for undergraduates into academic careers, and strategies to address barriers in recruitment and retention. Public institutions must implement diversity-focused hiring policies for leadership positions and submit annual reports tracking leadership diversity composition. The bill directly affects Hispanic and Latino faculty/staff at New Jersey's public higher education institutions and requires annual reporting to the Secretary of Higher Education.
Maddy summaryS 3630 clarifies that New Jersey's private career school closure requirements apply to cosmetology and hairstyling schools licensed by the State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling. The bill requires these schools to submit "teach-out plans" to the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development if they close, ensuring students can transfer to another school or complete their training. It also mandates the State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling to create a model teach-out plan for these institutions to use when filing their plans. This addresses gaps highlighted by past closures (like Capri Institute), where students faced unresolved debt and lost transcripts. The law expands existing protections for private career school students to cover cosmetology programs.
Maddy summaryS 3635 requires New Jersey's Chief Justice to annually assign at least three Superior Court judges to three geographic regions (Northern, Central, Southern) to handle election recount and contest cases. It directs that cases from any county within a region be assigned to the next available judge in that region, not necessarily the local county judge, with all cases requiring an initial hearing within 36 hours of filing. The bill mandates all election disputes be resolved before elected officials assume office, and requires the Chief Justice to publish the assigned judges and regions online each year. This directly affects voters, candidates, and courts by standardizing how election challenges are processed across the state.
Maddy summaryThis New Jersey Senate resolution (SR 110) urges Congress and the President to pass the "Social Security Fairness Act," which aims to repeal two provisions affecting public retirees: the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). These provisions currently reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for public employees - like firefighters, police officers, and some local government workers - who receive government pensions but also paid Social Security taxes during part of their careers. The resolution notes that GPO and WEP impact nearly 27,000 New Jersey retirees, including causing 90% of affected individuals to lose spousal benefits and reducing monthly benefits by up to $587. As a symbolic resolution, it does not change policy but calls for federal action to address these benefit reductions.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an Election Management and Consolidation Commission within New Jersey's Department of State. The commission includes all 21 county clerks, two members (one per political party) from each county election board, and the Secretary of State as chair. It will review election administration processes under Title 19 of state law to identify redundancies, inefficiencies, and opportunities for centralizing functions in the Division of Elections. The commission must submit its recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within one year of its first meeting, after which it will expire.
Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires employers with 10 or more employees to disclose salary ranges, supplemental pay, and detailed benefits (including health care, retirement plans, and leave policies) in all job postings for new positions and transfers. It also mandates that employers announce promotion opportunities to all current employees in the relevant department before making a promotion decision, with exceptions for promotions based solely on experience or performance. Employers who fail to comply face civil penalties of up to $300 for the first violation and $600 for subsequent violations, enforced by the Labor Commissioner. Temporary staffing agencies are exempt from these disclosure requirements in postings for future job openings but must provide the information during interviews for specific roles.