Sen. Parker Space

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits domestic violence shelters in New Jersey from denying services to individuals based on their disability or perceived disability. It directly affects shelters operating under the 1979 "Shelters for Victims of Domestic Violence Act" and the people seeking their services. The law makes such denials unlawful discrimination, requiring the Attorney General to investigate and prosecute violations under the existing "Law Against Discrimination." Penalties for violations range from $10,000 to $50,000, depending on prior offenses within specific timeframes.

Maddy summaryS 202 requires Rutgers University’s Bloustein School to study how military installations in New Jersey affect the state economy, including jobs, tax revenue, infrastructure projects, and overall economic impacts. The study must analyze direct and indirect effects at both state and county levels, with a report due to the Governor and Legislature within one year. The bill allocates $155,000 from state funds to cover Rutgers’ costs for conducting the study. The findings will provide data to inform state budget and planning decisions related to military installations.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a permanent "Civil Air Patrol Fund" within New Jersey's Department of Military Affairs, requiring an annual $100,000 appropriation from the state General Fund. The fund supports the New Jersey Civil Air Patrol Wing by financing specific programs like cadet STEM/aviation training, search and rescue preparation, disaster relief equipment (including a Redbird flight simulator), and volunteer training. Unspent funds carry forward annually, and the fund may also accept federal grants and public donations. It directly affects the Civil Air Patrol's operational capacity for emergency services and youth development in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to ensure funds in New Jersey's "9-1-1 System and Emergency Response Trust Fund Account" are used exclusively for maintaining the 9-1-1 system and emergency response services. It mandates that all revenues collected under specific statutes must be dedicated solely to eligible costs like emergency response equipment, training, communications operations, and federal compliance requirements. The amendment explicitly prohibits the state from borrowing, appropriating, or using these funds for any other purpose. This directly affects how the state manages and allocates dedicated 9-1-1 funding, preventing diversion to unrelated state budget needs.

Maddy summaryThis is a procedural resolution (SJR 87), not a bill with new laws. It urges the U.S. Senate to pass the federal "Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act," which would require states to verify U.S. citizenship with documents (like passports, birth records, or REAL ID-compliant IDs) when registering voters for federal elections. The resolution cites cases where noncitizens were mistakenly registered due to system errors in states like Pennsylvania, California, and Illinois. New Jersey's legislature supports this federal action to strengthen election security and public confidence in voter eligibility.

Maddy summarySCR 99 proposes a constitutional amendment to increase New Jersey's annual property tax deduction for veterans from $250 to $1,250. This change would directly affect honorably discharged veterans and their surviving spouses who are New Jersey residents, applying to property tax bills starting in 2024. The amendment specifies that if a veteran's tax bill is less than $1,250, the tax would be fully canceled. It maintains existing provisions for service-connected disabilities and surviving spouses, and clarifies how deductions apply to veterans living in continuing care retirement communities. The bill must be approved by the legislature and ratified by voters to become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2161) increases compensation payments to New Jersey municipalities for lost property tax revenue when the State or qualifying nonprofit organizations own land for recreation or conservation. It raises annual payments for the first 13 years after land acquisition (starting at 100% of prior tax value and decreasing annually), then transitions to higher per-acre rates after year 13 based on the percentage of such land in the municipality (e.g., $3-$40 per acre depending on whether land constitutes less than 20%, 20-40%, 40-60%, or over 60% of the municipality’s total area). The payments, funded from the General Fund, replace previous formulas and apply to lands owned by the State, nonprofits, or the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. Municipalities directly affected are those with significant State or nonprofit-owned recreation/conservation lands.

Maddy summaryS 309 requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide public boat access to all state and county-owned lakes and reservoirs where boats (with or without motors) are permitted, within two years of the law's enactment. The DEP must either build access points, contract with private marinas (through public bidding), or enter long-term agreements to achieve this. If access cannot be provided due to funding constraints, the DEP must report the specific locations and required funding to the Governor and Legislature. This bill directly affects public recreational users and private marina operators by mandating accessible waterways and transparent reporting for inaccessible sites.

Maddy summarySCR 95 proposes a constitutional amendment to remove the requirement that veterans must have served "in time of war" to receive a civil service hiring preference in New Jersey. Currently, only veterans who served during wartime qualify for this preference when applying for state or local government jobs. If approved by voters, the amendment would allow the Legislature to extend this hiring preference to veterans who served during peacetime. This change would directly affect veterans with non-war military service, making them eligible for the same hiring advantage as wartime veterans.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3431) exempts disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients from paying municipal parking meter fees when driving or riding as a passenger in a vehicle displaying their special license plate or placard issued by New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC). It directly affects these veterans and recipients, allowing them to avoid parking fees in municipal lots or on-street meters. The exemption applies only when the vehicle displays the MVC-issued plate/placard and is not parked for more than 24 consecutive hours in one location. The bill amends existing law to clarify this exemption and requires the MVC to establish rules for issuing the special plates.