Sen. Jon Bramnick

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a property tax exemption for New Jersey veterans with service-connected disabilities, calculated proportionally to their disability rating (e.g., 50% disability = 50% exemption). It directly affects veterans declared by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to have a service-connected disability of at least 30% (or deemed unemployable due to such disability), and their surviving spouses under specific conditions. The state will reimburse municipalities 102% of the tax revenue lost from these exemptions, with a $10,000 cap for partial exemptions (below 100% disability).

Maddy summaryS 450 would make it a fourth-degree crime in New Jersey to use signal jammers that block cell phone signals, GPS, or emergency communications. The bill expands existing state law to specifically prohibit interfering with radio communications licensed under federal law (such as cell networks) and using scanning receivers designed to intercept cellular transmissions. This aligns New Jersey's penalties with federal prohibitions (47 U.S.C. §§ 301 and 333), which already ban signal jamming. The law targets devices that disrupt authorized communications, including those used to block emergency services or prevent calls/texts.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Commission on Insurance Reimbursement within New Jersey's Department of Banking and Insurance. It requires health insurance carriers to get the Commission's approval before reducing payments for certain medical services (like office visits or procedures), ensuring proposed cuts won't limit patient access to care or harm providers. The Commission, made up of medical experts, hospital representatives, health plan leaders, and patient advocates, reviews applications detailing the proposed cut, its justification, and potential impact on patients and providers. They must issue a final decision within 60 days and report annually to the Governor and Legislature. This directly affects insurers, doctors, hospitals, and patients receiving health care covered by insurance plans.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey-based internet dating services to conduct criminal record screenings upon a member's request and the consent of the person being screened. It directly affects dating platforms operating in New Jersey and their users, who can now request screenings for safety purposes. Key provisions include mandatory safety notifications for users, clear disclosures about screening policies (including limitations like not covering all records), and requiring consent before any screening occurs. The law does not mandate universal screenings but creates a consent-based option for members seeking background information.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey health insurers to collect and publicly report detailed data on claims processed through automated systems, directly affecting insurers and their covered patients. Insurers must annually disclose statistics on claim denials (including appeals outcomes and specialty-specific denial patterns), rejection rates by medical reviewers, and average review times on their websites. A key provision penalizes insurers that deny 20% or more of claims without justification by requiring them to refund denied service costs to affected patients. The bill also mandates that medical directors reviewing claims include denial rates and consumer assistance instructions on all denial notices. These requirements aim to increase transparency in automated claim review processes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 501) allows New Jersey National Guard members who qualify for tuition-free education to transfer that benefit to their spouse or dependent child. It directly affects Guard members who complete required training and are in good standing, and their immediate family members pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies. The key provision requires the spouse or child to be enrolled full-time at a New Jersey public college or university, have applied for all available state and federal financial aid, and receive the benefit for one person only. The transfer does not change the existing requirements for the Guard member to qualify for the original tuition benefit.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey school districts to establish a trust fund that accepts donations like bequests, legacies, or gifts to reduce local property taxes. School boards must create the trust by resolution and appoint an independent trustee (not a board member or staff) to manage the funds, which must be used exclusively to lower the district's property tax levy. The trustee sends the funds to the local tax collector, who applies the reduction directly to each property owner's tax bill for that year. The bill does not affect school districts' eligibility for state aid.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 980) amends New Jersey law to clarify salary payment rules for municipal administrators removed "immediately" for "good cause." It directly affects municipal administrators in New Jersey who face removal by their governing body. The key provision allows the governing body to withhold an administrator’s unpaid salary and salary for the next three months if removal is for "good cause," defined as an accusation of a crime involving moral turpitude or violation of ethics codes. Payment can only be made after a court finds no crime was committed, or after an independent investigation confirms no wrongdoing.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1005) requires New Jersey public school principals to make a preliminary determination about alleged bullying incidents before launching a full investigation and to hold separate meetings with parents of all involved students within seven days of notification. It directly affects school principals, parents/guardians, and students involved in bullying reports. Key provisions include extending the investigation timeline from 10 to 30 school days and mandating written reporting of incidents within two school days. The bill amends existing anti-bullying policy requirements to add these specific procedural steps for handling reports.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) in New Jersey's Office of Administrative Law to enroll in the Workers Compensation Judges Part of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), removing them from an existing exclusion. Currently, ALJs are excluded from this retirement system under state law, but the bill amends Section 2(a)(2) of P.L. 2007, c.92 to include them. The change directly affects ALJs who serve in the Office of Administrative Law within the Department of State. It does not alter retirement benefits or create new provisions - only updates their mandatory enrollment status in the existing PERS framework.