Maddy summaryThis bill imposes a 30% surtax on electric public utilities in New Jersey that report "windfall income" - defined as taxable net income exceeding 20% above their five-year average. The surtax applies in addition to the utility’s regular corporate business tax and cannot be offset by credits (except for specific payment-related adjustments). All revenue collected from the surtax (excluding funds constitutionally reserved for open space/farmland) must be returned to ratepayers (utility customers) through the Board of Public Utilities, distributed proportionally to all customers of the affected utility. The bill targets utilities with unusually high profits relative to historical performance, aiming to redirect excess revenue back to consumers.
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Maddy summaryS 2623 allows surviving spouses of retired police and fire personnel (PFRS members) who died while receiving accidental disability retirement benefits to enroll in New Jersey's State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) with all premiums paid by the state. It also permits these surviving spouses to continue receiving their pension benefits after remarriage - normally a reason for termination - without losing this benefit. To qualify, the surviving spouse must provide documentation proving the retired member's disability or related complications were a significant factor in their death. This applies to spouses of members who died before, on, or after the bill's effective date, and allows previously terminated pensions due to remarriage to be reinstated upon application.
Maddy summarySCR 65 is a symbolic resolution passed by New Jersey's Senate condemning Hinduphobia - defined as prejudice or hatred against Hinduism and Hindus - and anti-Hindu bigotry. It declares New Jersey a welcoming state for Hindu Americans, recognizing their contributions to U.S. society and citing documented hate crimes against the community. The resolution has no binding legal effect but directs copies to the governor, New Jersey's congressional delegation, and the Hindu American Foundation. It serves as a formal statement of support, not a policy change.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2211) requires New Jersey's Department of Health (DOH) to encourage health care facilities and licensed pediatricians, family practice doctors, and other health care professionals to implement a "Reach Out and Read Program" during well-child visits for children aged 6 months to 5 years. The program promotes early literacy by having health care providers give parents books and advice on shared reading. The DOH must support this by creating and distributing informational materials about the program and posting a link to sign up on its website. The goal is to improve children's language development, strengthen parent-child bonds, and provide health care professionals with tools to monitor child well-being.
Maddy summaryS 2714 requires New Jersey electric power suppliers and gas suppliers to charge residential customers rates equal to or lower than the established "basic generation service" or "basic gas supply service" rates under existing law (P.L.1999, c.23). This bill directly affects residential utility customers by capping their electricity and gas supply charges at the current basic service rate level. The key mechanism prohibits suppliers from charging more than these baseline rates for residential service, regardless of market conditions. The bill does not alter the basic service rates themselves but prevents rate increases above them for residential customers. It is currently pending in the Senate Economic Growth Committee.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "New Jersey Migrant and Refugee Assistance Act," creating a Migrant and Refugee Resource Coordination Program within the Department of Human Services. The program connects migrants (individuals relocating to NJ from other countries) and refugees (those granted federal refugee status) with public assistance resources, including housing, healthcare, education, job training, and legal services. The Department must collaborate with local governments and community organizations, implement multilingual outreach, and submit annual reports detailing program effectiveness and recommendations. The law takes immediate effect and focuses on facilitating access to existing state services, not creating new benefits.
Maddy summaryS 2838 establishes the "New Jersey Reparations Task Force" to research and develop recommendations addressing generational harms caused by New Jersey's historical role in slavery and ongoing systemic racial discrimination. The task force will examine specific issues like racial wealth gaps (where Black families have a median net worth of $5,900 vs. $309,000 for white families), housing discrimination, mass incarceration, and voting disparities affecting Black residents. It will produce a report with policy proposals for state-based reparations, focusing on systemic inequities documented in the bill, such as Black children being 30 times more likely to be incarcerated than white children. The bill directly affects Black communities in New Jersey facing persistent racial disparities in housing, education, and criminal justice.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health (DHS) to establish a three-year pilot program to prevent and address obstetric discrimination in maternity care. It directly targets Black mothers, who face a maternal mortality rate 2.6 times higher than white mothers (69.9 vs. 26.6 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021), by mandating that hospitals measure and address discrimination as a factor in care quality - not just clinical outcomes. The program will develop new quality improvement tools that incorporate patient experiences of discrimination, rather than relying on current metrics that overlook racial bias. The pilot aims to reduce preventable maternal deaths and improve care safety during pregnancy, childbirth, and the first year postpartum.
Maddy summaryThis bill extends New Jersey's $6,000 gross income tax exemption for veterans to their surviving spouses. Currently, spouses can claim the exemption only in the year a veteran dies (if filing jointly), but not in subsequent years. The bill would allow surviving spouses to continue claiming the exemption annually until they remarry, provided the veteran was eligible for the exemption in the year they died. This change directly affects spouses of deceased veterans who were honorably discharged and received the tax benefit. The exemption reduces taxable income for qualifying households, lowering their state tax liability.
Maddy summaryS 2869 amends New Jersey law to require that certain human trafficking convictions (specifically those involving sexual exploitation or child victims) be sentenced under the No Early Release Act. This means offenders must serve 85% of their sentence before becoming eligible for parole, rather than standard parole eligibility rules. The bill also mandates restitution to victims based on the value of their labor and directs fines to the Human Trafficking Survivor's Assistance Fund. It directly affects individuals convicted of severe human trafficking crimes under the amended sections of N.J.S. 2C:13-8. The legislation aims to increase accountability for traffickers while providing financial support to victims.