Sen. Renee Burgess

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey colleges and universities from partnering with sports betting companies. Specifically, it bans institutions from entering agreements that allow betting operators to advertise in stadiums, digital content, or broadcast sports coverage through athletic departments or booster clubs. The law applies immediately to all higher education institutions in the state and defines "sports wagering partnership" to cover these advertising arrangements. It does not address other forms of gambling or funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits animal rescue organizations, shelters, pounds, and foster homes in New Jersey from denying pet adoptions based solely on an applicant's age for dogs or cats. It requires these adoption centers to update their eligibility criteria to ensure age is not a barrier to adoption. The law applies immediately and covers all adoption processes for dogs and cats, ensuring applicants cannot be turned away merely because of their age. This policy change directly affects adoption centers' procedures, not the public, by mandating non-discriminatory practices.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a statewide Animal Cruelty Offender Registry for individuals convicted of animal cruelty offenses in New Jersey. Registered offenders must provide personal information including a photograph and verify their address annually. The bill prohibits registered offenders from adopting, purchasing, or breeding animals, and requires law enforcement to notify communities based on the offender's assessed risk of re-offense. Publicly available information on the registry will include basic identifying details and risk level, but not exact addresses for low-risk offenders. The registry will remain accessible to law enforcement and the public for public safety purposes, with strict provisions against misuse of the information.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey acute care hospitals to attempt contacting a family member within 72 hours of a patient's release after receiving treatment for a drug overdose. It directly affects families of patients who experienced an overdose and were treated in a hospital. Hospitals must try to notify family members only if they have the family's contact information and the notification complies with federal and state privacy laws, such as HIPAA. The law applies to all hospitals licensed under New Jersey law and takes effect immediately.

Maddy summaryS 4455 requires online platforms that primarily show sexually explicit material (such as social media, video sites, or gaming platforms) to verify users are at least 18 years old before accessing such content. Platforms may use methods like driver's license checks via New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission, third-party services with privacy safeguards, or their own systems that don’t retain user data after access. Failure to verify age results in criminal charges under New Jersey’s obscenity law and a civil penalty of up to $50,000 for non-compliant entities. This law updates New Jersey’s existing obscenity statute to address online access, which was previously unaddressed in the original law designed for physical venues like theaters.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases annual funding for New Jersey's Commission on Cancer Research (NJCCR) from $1 million to $10 million by redirecting cigarette and tobacco tax revenues into a dedicated, permanent Cancer Research Fund. The fund, established within the Department of the Treasury, must use at least $5 million annually for general cancer research and at least $5 million for pediatric cancer research, with all funds exclusively supporting approved research projects. Unlike the previous system, this fund is non-lapsing (permanent), preventing annual budget transfers that previously reduced available resources. The bill also repeals outdated provisions and designates the State Treasurer to manage fund disbursements.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 131) is a ceremonial tribute honoring the late Congressman William J. Pascrell, Jr., who dedicated 36 years to public service in New Jersey, including founding the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force. It recognizes his leadership in advancing national policy and research for traumatic and acquired brain injuries (TBI/ABI), which impact thousands of New Jersey residents. The resolution formally urges all New Jersey members of Congress to join and actively support the bipartisan Brain Injury Task Force to continue Pascrell’s advocacy for research, treatment, and rehabilitation services. As a symbolic gesture with no new policy or funding, it commemorates Pascrell’s legacy rather than creating legislative changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill imposes a 10% surtax on electric public utilities with allocated taxable net income exceeding $10 million annually. The surtax applies in addition to existing corporation business taxes and must be paid by qualifying utilities. All revenue collected, except for constitutionally dedicated funds, is required to be annually appropriated to the Board of Public Utilities to fund existing utility assistance programs like the Winter Termination Program and Lifeline Credit Program. The bill explicitly prohibits utilities from passing the cost of this surtax to ratepayers through future rate increases.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 4481) requires New Jersey's electric and gas public utilities to reset their rates to levels from any point in 2020 for a five-year period. Utilities must file new rate schedules reflecting those 2020 rates with the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), which must approve them within 30 days. The approved rates would then remain in effect until 2030, preventing further increases during that time. This directly affects all households and businesses that pay for electricity and gas in New Jersey by stabilizing their utility costs at pre-2020 levels.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits electric power suppliers and gas suppliers from charging residential customers more for standard electricity or gas service than the established "basic service" rates. It directly affects residential utility customers in New Jersey by capping their monthly charges for electricity and gas supply at the existing basic service price points. The key provision requires suppliers to maintain rates at or below the baseline rates set under existing law (P.L.1999, c.23), preventing increases that would exceed these levels. This policy change aims to limit rate hikes for households without altering the underlying basic service rates themselves. The bill applies specifically to residential customers, not businesses or industrial users.