Sen. Parker Space

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey state agencies, counties, and municipalities from adopting rules or ordinances that ban the installation or use of fossil fuel-powered kitchen appliances (like natural gas stoves or ovens) in residential or commercial kitchens, as long as the appliances meet existing federal and state safety standards. It does not prevent voluntary programs that incentivize switching to electric appliances. The law directly affects homeowners, renters, and businesses that use or install kitchen appliances, ensuring local governments cannot mandate a shift away from gas appliances while allowing incentive programs to encourage electric alternatives. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2507) proposes to change how energy tax payments flow to municipalities. It requires energy taxpayers (like utility companies) to pay their taxes directly to local governments instead of the state treasury. Municipalities would receive fixed annual payments based on historical tax distributions, calculated by the State Treasurer, with energy taxpayers able to apply these payments as credits against their tax bills. The change would take effect starting in fiscal year 2022, shifting the payment mechanism from state-administered distribution to direct municipal receipt. (Note: This bill is currently pending in the Senate and has not been enacted.)

Maddy summaryNew Jersey bill S 598 requires health insurance plans to cover diagnosis and treatment for two specific pediatric neurological conditions: PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) and PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome). The bill mandates coverage for treatments including antibiotics, behavioral therapies, immunomodulating medicines, plasma exchange, and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy (IVIG), provided by a treating physician. Insurance plans must cover these expenses "to the same extent as for any other condition," applying to hospital service, medical service, health service, individual, group, and health benefits plans. This directly affects patients diagnosed with PANDAS or PANS and all health insurance providers operating in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 2277) eliminates sales tax on specific baby products and sunscreen. It exempts baby wash, shampoos, lotions, powders, car seats, cribs, nursing supplies, and strollers from the state sales tax. It also exempts sunscreen regulated by the FDA for UV protection (excluding cosmetic products). The exemption applies to retail purchases starting October 1, 2025, directly reducing costs for parents buying essential baby items and sunscreen.

Maddy summaryS 1973 exempts local utilities - including sewerage authorities, municipal utilities, and other local government entities providing electricity, gas, sewer, or water services - from certain reporting requirements under New Jersey law. Specifically, it removes "local utility" from the list of entities required to submit detailed pandemic-impact reports to the Board of Public Utilities. The bill amends existing law to exclude these local entities from submitting quarterly reports on customer disconnections, arrears, assistance programs, and financial impacts related to the coronavirus pandemic. This change directly affects local utility providers not regulated by the Board of Public Utilities, reducing their administrative reporting burden.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's laws on self-defense by clarifying when force or deadly force is legally justified. It states that people may use non-deadly force to stop imminent unlawful force without needing to retreat. For deadly force, it allows its use to prevent imminent death, serious injury, or specific violent crimes (like murder or robbery), and explicitly removes the duty to retreat if the person is not committing a crime and is in a lawful location. The bill repeals outdated sections of the current statute (N.J.S.2C:3-4 through N.J.S.2C:3-7) governing these situations.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2428) adjusts the New Jersey veterans' income tax exemption amount to keep pace with inflation. It directly affects honorably discharged veterans who qualify under state law, increasing their current $6,000 exemption annually based on the Chained Consumer Price Index (C-CPI-U). The exemption will automatically rise each year if the C-CPI-U increases from the previous year's 12-month period ending August 31, but remain unchanged if inflation is flat. This change applies to tax years starting in 2023 and beyond.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey residents to deduct the full amount of state property taxes paid on their primary home from their state income tax bill, removing a previous $15,000 annual cap. It applies to homeowners and renters of residential properties, with income-based limits: taxpayers earning over $150,000 but under $250,000 face a $5,000 deduction limit, while higher earners ($250,000+) are ineligible unless they qualify as elderly or disabled. The deduction covers property taxes paid during the calendar year and aligns with existing tax code provisions for primary residences. The bill amends New Jersey's Gross Income Tax Act to implement this change, effective for the 2026 tax year.

Maddy summarySCR 45 is a New Jersey legislative resolution urging Congress to pass the federal "Fix Our Forests Act." It does not create new laws but formally requests congressional action on this pending bill. The resolution highlights New Jersey's wildfire risks (1,500 annual fires damaging 7,000 acres) and notes the federal bill would establish a data-driven Fireshed Center to assess wildfire risks and support forest management practices like prescribed burns and tree thinning. This procedural resolution directly targets Congress, not New Jersey residents or state agencies.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public utilities (like gas or electric companies) to reimburse New Jersey state or local governments for costs incurred when securing dangerous conditions on utility-controlled property that threaten public safety. If a utility's property creates a hazard accessible to the public, the government must first notify the utility and deploy personnel to secure the site. The utility has one hour to respond; if they fail to secure the hazard within that time, they must pay for the government's costs. The bill also establishes a federal-style fee schedule for reimbursement claims and prohibits utilities from including these payments in future rate increase requests. The bill is pending before the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee.