Sen. Tony Bucco

Maddy summaryThis bill requires employers with at least 25 employees to provide one additional paid sick day per benefit year to employees who serve as volunteer first responders (such as firefighters, EMTs, or emergency squad members). The extra day must be used specifically for healthcare diagnostic testing recommended by a provider to prevent or diagnose conditions related to the volunteer’s duties. Employers must provide this benefit after the employee completes their first calendar year of service. The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development will establish rules to implement the policy, aiming to support volunteer recruitment and retention by reducing conflicts between paid work and emergency service responsibilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands eligibility for grants from New Jersey's "Body Armor Replacement Fund" to include any state department or agency that appoints law enforcement officers. Currently, funds support local police, State Police, Criminal Justice, courts, and corrections. The bill allows the Attorney General to provide grants to additional agencies like the Department of Environmental Protection for conservation officers and State Park Police. It maintains the five-year vest replacement cycle and $75,000 annual administrative funding limit, while clarifying that probation officer funding is capped at 200 recipients.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires employers to provide paid first responders with one additional sick day each year specifically for healthcare diagnostic testing related to their job duties. It directly affects paid law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and other paid emergency service personnel. The bill defines "healthcare diagnostic testing" as medical tests recommended by a provider to prevent or diagnose conditions linked to first responder work, with the Commissioner of Labor determining qualifying tests. Employers must grant this extra day after an employee completes their first year of service, and the Commissioner will develop implementing rules.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 75) expresses New Jersey's formal disapproval of organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners and political prisoners in China. It does not create new laws but symbolically denounces the practice as unethical and a violation of human rights, citing reports of organ sourcing from executed prisoners and prisoners of conscience. The resolution directs copies to the U.S. Secretary of State, the Chinese Ambassador, and the UN representative. It specifically references claims about Falun Gong practitioners (a spiritual group targeted by China since 1999) and Uyghur minorities being affected. As a symbolic resolution, it aims to raise awareness and apply diplomatic pressure, not enact policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides tax relief to small businesses (defined as having ≤50 full-time employees) located within areas impacted by public highway construction projects, such as the Interstate 80 project. It creates two refundable tax credits: one for sales tax remittances collected during the project (Section 1), and another for revenue losses due to restricted access (Section 2). Businesses must apply for approval from the Director of Taxation, providing documentation to verify their location within the "impacted construction zone" (defined as areas where traffic flow is blocked). Relief applies only during the project's active period, ending when the project concludes.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates tax credits for New Jersey businesses that employ members of the New Jersey National Guard or the reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces. Employers receive a $1,500 credit per qualified service member who has not completed a deployment or activation, or $2,500 for those who have completed or returned from deployment. The credit applies to both the corporation business tax and the gross income tax, with specific rules for partnerships and S corporations. It directly benefits employers hiring military reservists, aiming to incentivize their employment through targeted tax relief.

Maddy summaryS 3657 requires at least 21 days' notice for certain local land use hearings in New Jersey, increasing the current 10-day requirement. It affects municipalities holding hearings on land use ordinances (like street changes or property assessments) and property owners whose land may be impacted by these decisions. The bill mandates that written notice be mailed to affected property owners at least 21 days before the hearing, instead of the previous 10-day period. This change applies to hearings on development applications, street improvements, and other land use matters that require public notice.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a temporary Pandemic PTSD Task Force within New Jersey's Department of Human Services. It directly affects first responders (police, firefighters, EMTs), healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, etc.), and other frontline workers who provided essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic or future pandemics. The task force - comprising 21 members including experts, healthcare workers with PTSD experience, and state officials - will study the prevalence of pandemic-related PTSD among these groups and develop recommendations for identification and treatment. The task force must submit its report within a set timeframe, focusing on best practices to support affected workers.

Maddy summarySCR 104 proposes a constitutional amendment to increase New Jersey's veterans' property tax deduction from $250 to $500 annually, phased in over time starting in 2027. The deduction would rise to $300 in 2027, $350 in 2028, $400 in 2029, $450 in 2030, and $500 beginning in 2031. It directly affects honorably discharged veterans, their surviving spouses (including those whose spouses died on active duty), and veterans living in continuing care retirement communities. The amendment requires voter approval after legislative passage to become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill restricts the sharing of body camera footage obtained through New Jersey's public records law without consent from people appearing in the recording. It requires written consent from all "subjects" (such as victims, suspects, or detainees) before disclosure, except for legitimate public health/safety purposes or compelling public interest. Violators face civil penalties of at least $1,000 per violation, plus potential fines and legal costs. The law specifically applies to footage obtained via public records requests, not general body camera use.