Maddy summaryThe New Jersey Transit Accountability Act (S 2957) requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJT) to hire an independent auditor within 90 days to examine its financial management and budget reporting practices since 2018. The audit must assess pandemic impacts on service demand and finances, evaluate current funding adequacy, and recommend improvements to governance, staffing, and customer service. NJT must submit the auditor’s findings to the Governor and Legislature, then adopt recommended policies within six months - though it may opt out with a detailed justification. The report must cover how NJT manages money, pandemic effects, funding gaps, and specific operational fixes, without overriding existing audit obligations.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryS 2918 provides New Jersey businesses with tax credits for hiring released nonviolent offenders. Businesses can claim a credit equal to 15% of wages paid to each eligible employee, capped at $900 per employee, against both corporation business tax and gross income tax. An eligible offender is defined as an adult who committed a nonviolent crime (excluding offenses involving force) and has been released from incarceration or completed community supervision. The credit is limited to 50% of the tax liability and may be carried forward for up to seven years if not fully used in the current tax period.
Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's Primary Care Practitioner Loan Redemption Program to include physical therapists as eligible participants. Physical therapists licensed in New Jersey who agree to work full-time in designated underserved areas for two years can now have up to $120,000 of their student loans redeemed through the program. The bill amends existing law to update eligibility criteria, requirements, and program administration to explicitly include physical therapy as a qualifying profession alongside physicians, dentists, and other primary care providers. This change aims to address health professional shortages in underserved communities by broadening the pool of eligible providers who can receive loan repayment assistance.
Maddy summaryS 1649 creates a new crime called "fiscal victimization" targeting financial exploitation of senior citizens (60+) or people with disabilities. It makes it illegal to commit theft or specific financial crimes against these groups, with strict liability - perpetrators cannot claim they didn’t know the victim was vulnerable. Penalties are increased: the offense is graded one level higher than the underlying theft (e.g., a disorderly persons offense becomes a fourth-degree crime), and courts must impose separate sentences for both the theft and fiscal victimization. The bill directly affects vulnerable adults and those who exploit them financially, with definitions including people disabled under Social Security criteria or age 60+.
Maddy summaryS 2900 prohibits the disclosure of body worn camera recordings without the prior written consent of each person directly featured in the recording (such as suspects, victims, or detainees), unless the disclosure serves a legitimate public health, safety, or compelling public interest purpose. It applies to individuals who obtained such recordings under New Jersey’s open public records law and are not subjects of the recording. Violating this prohibition is a disorderly persons offense and may result in civil liability, including $1,000 per violation, punitive damages, and attorney fees. The bill defines "subject" to exclude people who only appear incidentally in the recording, ensuring the rule targets those directly involved in the recorded event.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to prioritize energy security, diversity, and affordability when updating the state's Energy Master Plan. It mandates the BPU to conduct detailed cost and impact analyses for all energy generation projects and the Master Plan itself, including breakdowns of financial effects on ratepayers, state/local governments, and infrastructure costs. The plan must limit intermittent energy sources (like wind/solar) to no more than 50% of the state's energy portfolio and prioritize in-state energy generation to reduce subsidies for out-of-state sources. These changes directly affect the BPU, ratepayers (through potential cost impacts), and energy developers (requiring pre-approval analyses), while ensuring public transparency via online analysis publications and annual committee testimony.
Maddy summaryS 2767 exempts New Jersey veterans who are permanently 100% disabled (as certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) from paying motor vehicle registration fees for one passenger vehicle. This applies to veterans honorably discharged from military service who hold a current New Jersey driver's license. The bill requires the state's Adjutant General to notify eligible veterans about this exemption. The exemption will take effect 13 months after the bill is enacted.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's assault law to increase penalties for assaults targeting elderly or disabled individuals. It defines "person with a disability" as someone with a pre-existing medically determinable physical or mental impairment that substantially limits their ability to resist, including those determined disabled by Social Security or similar programs. Under the bill, causing bodily injury to a person with a disability or a senior citizen (60+ years old) becomes a third-degree crime requiring a mandatory three-year prison term, with a second-degree crime if the victim suffers significant or serious injury. This legislation was prompted by specific incidents including the assault of a man with intellectual disability and attacks on elderly women.
Maddy summaryThis bill expands reimbursement eligibility under New Jersey's EMT Training Fund to include volunteer firefighters seeking EMT certification. It amends existing law to explicitly allow reimbursement for training and testing costs for volunteer fire company members pursuing EMT-A (Emergency Medical Technician-Advanced) or EMT-D (Defibrillation) certification, which was previously limited to volunteer ambulance/squad members. The fund will now cover these costs for certified volunteer firefighters, with reimbursement priority set for EMT-A certification first. The bill also prohibits agencies receiving fund monies from charging fees to eligible volunteer firefighters or ambulance/squad members.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services (DHS) to establish an Alzheimer's disease public awareness and education program. The program must include a public campaign covering symptoms, warning signs, and treatment options; educational materials for health providers; and training for police, fire, emergency medical staff, and judicial personnel to recognize symptoms and respond appropriately. DHS will develop and post accessible information about Alzheimer's on its website in English and Spanish, in consultation with the Alzheimer's Association. The law aims to improve public understanding of Alzheimer's, support early detection, and help professionals better assist affected individuals and families.