Sen. Nick Scutari

Maddy summaryThis bill allows licensed cannabis retailers in New Jersey to sell non-intoxicating food and beverages (like snacks or drinks without psychoactive effects) alongside cannabis products. It directly affects Class 5 Cannabis Retailer license holders, who must keep non-cannabis sales below 30% of their total annual store revenue. However, sales of coffee and water are exempt from this 30% limit. The law takes effect immediately and requires the Cannabis Regulatory Commission to create implementing rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3736) requires the State Treasurer to reimburse county treasurers for defense costs and administrative expenses when a county faces lawsuits during a period when the Attorney General supersedes a county prosecutor. It directly affects counties, county treasurers, and the Attorney General's office by mandating state reimbursement for civil suits against the Attorney General acting as temporary county prosecutor. The key provision amends existing law to expand reimbursement coverage beyond law enforcement-related lawsuits to include administrative matters, such as employment disputes. This change responds to a court ruling that previously denied state funding for such administrative lawsuits. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Office on Women's Health within New Jersey's Department of Health (DOH) and requires it to provide grants to community organizations and small businesses. The grants fund specific research and innovation projects focused on women's health across lifespans, including conditions affecting midlife or post-menopause, health disparities, and developing new treatments. Key provisions mandate grants for collaborative research, improved data standards, innovation challenges, and using AI/translational science to advance women's health outcomes. The bill directly affects researchers, community groups, and small businesses eligible for these grants, aiming to expand knowledge and improve health services for women.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's "Design Professional Self-Certification Act" (A4360, now law as P.L.2024, c.58) creates a program allowing licensed architects and professional engineers to self-certify that certain construction projects comply with building codes. It directly affects qualified design professionals who can now submit construction permit applications with self-certification forms for eligible projects (like renovations under specific size limits for residential or commercial buildings), bypassing full code reviews by local agencies. Local building departments must then conduct a simple "supervisory check" to confirm all required documents are present and issue permits - same as before - within 1-5 days. This applies only to projects not excluded (e.g., structural alterations requiring special inspections, new kitchens, or electrical upgrades over 400 amps), with the Department of Community Affairs setting qualification rules.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 3515 eliminates a requirement that would automatically halt collection of hotel and motel occupancy fees if state appropriations for cultural projects fell below set minimums. The bill removes the "statutory suspension" mechanism (previously triggered if annual budgets didn’t meet specified funding levels for arts, history, tourism, and cultural trust programs). This change affects hotels and motels required to collect the fee, ensuring they continue collecting it regardless of whether appropriations meet the minimums. The bill does not alter the funding amounts or allocation percentages for cultural projects - only removes the fee-collection suspension trigger.

Maddy summaryS 3513 imposes a 2.5% surtax (called the "Corporate Transit Fee") on corporations in New Jersey with more than $10 million in taxable income under the state's corporate tax system, excluding S corporations and public utilities. This fee applies to tax years beginning January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2028, and is paid in addition to regular corporate taxes. All revenue collected - after constitutional dedications - will fund New Jersey Transit's operating costs and help cover the state's share for federal transit capital projects. The fee does not allow tax credits except for specific payment-related adjustments.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all health insurance plans and Medicaid in New Jersey to cover abortion services without cost-sharing (such as deductibles, copays, or coinsurance) for all individuals in the state. It applies to all health insurance carriers, state health benefit programs, and Medicaid, with limited exceptions for religious employers who request exclusions based on religious beliefs. The bill also prohibits medical malpractice insurers from taking adverse actions against providers who offer legally protected reproductive health care services, even if the patient is from a state where those services are illegal. It defines "abortion" as medical treatment to terminate a pregnancy (including medication and aspiration methods) and aims to remove financial barriers to access, particularly benefiting low-income individuals and other groups facing disproportionate access challenges.

Maddy summaryThis bill imposes a 2.5% fee on corporations with New Jersey taxable income exceeding $10 million for tax years 2024-2028, excluding S corporations and public utilities. It requires affected businesses to pay this fee in addition to their existing corporate business tax. All revenue collected (minus funds constitutionally reserved for open space/farmland) will fund New Jersey Transit’s operating expenses and help cover the state’s share for federal transit capital projects starting in 2026. The fee is calculated on the same income base used for corporate business tax, with no credits allowed except for prior overpayments or estimated payments.

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates a provision that would have required the state to stop collecting hotel and motel occupancy fees if annual funding for cultural projects fell below minimums. It ensures fees continue being collected regardless of whether the specified minimums for cultural funding are met in the state budget. The change directly affects hotels, motels, and short-term rental platforms that collect these fees, as they will no longer face suspension of collections due to budget shortfalls. This maintains consistent funding streams for cultural programs under the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and other designated entities.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the annual assessment rate on health maintenance organizations' (HMOs) premiums from 5% to 6% of their total collected premiums. It directly affects all HMOs operating in New Jersey, requiring them to pay an additional 1% on their premiums starting in Fiscal Year 2025. The extra revenue, estimated at $83 million annually, will be directed to the Health Care Subsidy Fund to support charity care payments for hospitals. The change applies immediately to assessments for Fiscal Year 2025 and future years.