Sen. Tony Bucco

Maddy summaryS 2403 requires New Jersey's Adjutant General to establish a program providing veterans with evaluation and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), total brain injury, or traumatic brain injury. This program would directly assist New Jersey veterans diagnosed with these conditions, which are commonly associated with military service. The bill amends N.J.S.38A:3-6 to add this duty to the Adjutant General's responsibilities under the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs, ensuring state-administered access to these services.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a program to reimburse county governments for providing transportation services to disabled veterans traveling to medical appointments at Veterans Affairs facilities in New Jersey or neighboring states. It removes a previous restriction requiring appointments to be specifically for service-connected conditions, expanding eligibility to all VA medical appointments. The bill appropriates $2 million from the state budget to fund this program through the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs. It directly affects disabled veterans (defined as those with a VA-certified service-connected disability) and county governments offering transportation services.

Maddy summaryS 2462, the "Grid Reliability Protection Act," prohibits New Jersey state agencies from mandating, incentivizing, or compelling the shutdown of any electric generation facility connected to the state's grid. It requires two specific conditions before a facility can be decommissioned: written certification from PJM Interconnection (the regional grid operator) that the shutdown won't harm grid reliability, and a public rate impact analysis by the Board of Public Utilities showing it won't raise costs for electricity customers. The bill allows shutdowns only if the facility poses an immediate public health or safety risk (e.g., structural failure), and mandates 12 months' public notice before any planned shutdown. This directly affects all power plants supplying New Jersey's grid, aiming to prevent premature closures that could disrupt electricity supply.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires electric utilities in New Jersey to prioritize restoring power to age-restricted communities (developments for residents 55+ years old) after major events causing extended outages. Utilities must annually ask residential customers if they live in such communities; those who confirm become eligible for priority restoration. The Board of Public Utilities must create rules allowing this priority while ensuring it doesn't divert resources from critical public safety efforts. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis resolution urges New Jersey school districts to establish concussion management teams. These teams - comprising school nurses, psychologists, athletic trainers, and other staff - would support students recovering from concussions by coordinating care, monitoring cognitive needs, and ensuring safe returns to both classroom and sports activities. The resolution highlights CDC data showing concussions are common in youth sports and emphasizes that such teams provide immediate, school-based expertise to complement existing district policies. It does not create new legal requirements but encourages districts to adopt this approach for student health and safety.

Maddy summaryS 2461 requires New Jersey's Energy Master Plan (EMP) and each 3-year revision to gain official state policy status only after the Legislature passes a concurrent resolution approving it within six months of the committee's adoption. The bill modifies existing law to mandate this legislative approval step, directly affecting the Energy Master Plan Committee (which develops the EMP) and the Legislature (which must act on the plan). Key provisions include requiring the committee to submit the EMP to the Legislature for approval within six months, with the plan becoming policy only if approved. This change ensures the Legislature has final authority over the state's energy policy direction before it takes effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey electric utilities to reimburse residential customers for spoiled food and compromised prescription medicine caused by sustained power outages lasting over 48 hours after major events (like storms). Customers can receive up to $500 for spoiled food (with proof like receipts) or up to $1,000 for compromised medicine (with pharmacy proof). Utilities must create an online application system within 90 days and process reimbursements within 30 days of receiving a valid request. The law applies only to outages directly caused by major events beyond the utility's control, not routine service interruptions.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands reimbursement eligibility under New Jersey's Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Training Fund to include volunteer firefighters seeking EMT certification or recertification. Previously, only volunteer ambulance, first aid, and rescue squad members received reimbursement for training costs; this bill explicitly adds volunteer fire company members to the covered groups. The fund will reimburse certified training providers for EMT-A, EMT-D, and epinephrine auto-injector training, prioritizing EMT-A certification first. It also prohibits training organizations from charging fees to volunteer members of these groups.

Maddy summaryS 2452, the "Safer Students Act," requires school districts, charter schools, nonpublic schools, contracted service providers, and colleges to review employment histories of prospective employees for allegations of child abuse or sexual misconduct. Specifically, it mandates that applicants provide a list of employers from the past 20 years (including those involving child contact) and authorize background checks, while schools must verify these histories using the Department of Human Services database and contact prior employers directly. The law also requires employers to report new hires to the state within 20 days (or 15 days electronically) for inclusion in the verification system. This bill is pending in the Senate Education Committee as of its January 13, 2026, introduction.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2377) expands accidental death benefits under New Jersey's State Police Retirement System to cover recruits who die during required pre-service training or related complications. It directly affects surviving spouses, children, or parents of these recruits, who previously could not access benefits because recruits weren't sworn officers until after training. The bill mandates a minimum $50,000 benefit for surviving spouses, with calculated payments (70% for children if no spouse, 25-40% for parents) based on the recruit's final salary if no spouse or children survive. Benefits are retroactive to the date of death, with survivors having 12 months from the bill's enactment to apply.