Sen. John McKeon

Maddy summaryThis bill allows horse racetracks and off-track wagering facilities in New Jersey to accept bets on recorded horse races that don’t reveal specific details like the race date, course, or horse names. It authorizes the Racing Commission to regulate this system, including setting a 20% wagering fee (with 62% going to operators) and a 1.5% excise tax. The tax revenue funds state retirement systems (1.2%), the Racing Commission (0.1%), and equine programs (0.1% for drug testing, 0.05% for Rutgers’ Equine Science Center). It applies only to previously-recorded races, not live or simulcast events, and prohibits wagering on simulated races.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires data brokers operating in New Jersey to register annually with the Division of Consumer Affairs for a $100 fee and publicly disclose their data collection practices, privacy policies, and cybersecurity history. It specifically prohibits data brokers from selling, licensing, or sharing physical health records (like medical treatment records) or behavioral health records (including mental health, emotional, or substance use disorder treatment records). The registration system will maintain a public registry with broker contact details, opt-out mechanisms, and information about data handling, including special provisions for minors' data. This directly affects businesses that collect and sell personal health information without a direct relationship to the individual.

Maddy summaryS 2425 requires gasoline and diesel suppliers in New Jersey to reduce the average greenhouse gas emissions per unit of fuel by 10% below 2019 levels by 2030. The law establishes a credit trading system where producers meeting the standard earn tradable credits to offset deficits from fuels that exceed the standard. It applies to refiners, wholesalers, importers of gasoline and diesel, and alternative fuel producers who choose to participate. Emissions are measured using a life-cycle analysis covering all stages of fuel production and use.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create programs managing publicly owned forested lands (over 0.5 acres with 10% canopy cover), appropriating $60 million for implementation. It requires the DEP to conduct a statewide survey and 10-year planning process mapping forests, identifying areas for carbon reserves to support climate goals, protecting mature forests, and addressing threats like invasive species or wildfires. The bill mandates that local governments and the state develop forest stewardship plans without commercial profit as a goal, prohibiting wood sales except for ecological or climate-related purposes. It also establishes an advisory board to define "ecological threats" guiding forest management in designated Carbon Reserve Forests.

Maddy summaryS 2323 requires New Jersey's Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) to publish a comprehensive list of all its services and support programs online and in print for public access. The list must include detailed descriptions of each program (such as the Supports Program, Community Care Waiver, and self-directed services), eligibility criteria (including Medicaid requirements and funding levels based on individual needs), and information on transitional planning and guardianship services. The DDD must update the list regularly and prominently display details about educational webinars to help individuals navigate available support. This bill directly affects individuals with developmental disabilities and their families seeking services in New Jersey by improving transparency and access to program information.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 1147) makes it a felony for adults who improperly store a loaded firearm at their premises to face strict criminal liability if a minor (under age 18) accesses it and causes injury or death. Currently, improper storage without injury is a disorderly persons offense, but this bill upgrades penalties: bodily injury becomes a third-degree felony (3-5 years), serious injury a second-degree felony (5-10 years), and death a first-degree felony (10-20 years). The law requires firearms to be stored unloaded in locked containers, secure locations, or with trigger locks to avoid liability, but does not apply to supervised minor firearm use under existing law. It expands the definition of "minor" from under 16 to under 18.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey municipalities to require that all new buildings be designed to easily accommodate rooftop solar panels and solar water heating systems ("solar ready") as a condition for issuing construction permits. It mandates that building plans for new structures must include solar-ready features before permit applications can be approved. The bill defines "solar ready" as incorporating structural elements enabling future solar panel installation and, where applicable, solar water heating systems. Municipalities adopting such ordinances would directly affect developers and builders of new construction projects within their jurisdictions.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 1139) requires vehicle manufacturers to give owners and their representatives direct, real-time access to a vehicle's operational data - such as speed, location, crash information, and brake performance - free of charge and without manufacturer restrictions. It defines "recorded data" to exclude audio/video but includes performance metrics stored by the vehicle, mandating access via a standard machine-readable interface. The law applies to all vehicle owners in New Jersey, including lessees and purchasers under security agreements, with exceptions for law enforcement, repairs, and emergency services. Manufacturers must provide data immediately upon request in the same quality available to them, without fees, decryption requirements, or proprietary device dependencies.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey's state pension and annuity funds from investing in companies that manufacture, import, or sell assault firearms for civilian use. It specifically bans investments with "equity ties" (like ownership stakes or business relationships) to such companies, while exempting those making assault firearms exclusively for military or law enforcement use. Existing investments violating this rule must be divested within three years, and the state must report progress annually to the legislature. The definition of "assault firearm" aligns with New Jersey's existing law banning civilian sales of these weapons.

Maddy summaryS 1128 (New Jersey) changes how punitive damages affect business taxes. It prohibits corporations and businesses from deducting punitive damages paid in legal settlements or judgments from their taxable income. Instead, these payments must be included as part of the business's taxable income. The law applies to all business-related punitive damages paid after its effective date (immediately upon enactment) under New Jersey's corporation business tax and gross income tax.