Sen. John Burzichelli

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 713) expands an existing exemption for apartment complexes operating swimming pools. It allows apartment complexes that restrict pool access to tenants and their invited guests to be exempt from state requirements for lifeguards and first aid personnel. The exemption applies only if the complex posts a specific sign at the pool entrance stating: "No lifeguard on duty. Persons under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. No swimming alone." This change modifies existing law (P.L.1991, c.135) to include apartment complexes under the definition of "specially exempt facility" for pool safety rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey to create special "U.S. Navy Retired" license plates for eligible veterans. To qualify, applicants must provide proof of honorable discharge (via DD-214 form) and pay a $50 one-time application fee plus a $10 annual renewal fee. The collected fees fund a dedicated "United States Navy Veteran License Plate Fund," which supports programs benefiting Navy veterans through the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs. The plates require design approval from the Adjutant General and will be issued by the Motor Vehicle Commission after administrative costs are covered.

Maddy summaryS 699, designated as Claudia's Law, requires healthcare providers to include a specific notification in patient chest x-ray reports when an abnormality is detected. This applies directly to patients receiving chest x-rays with abnormalities and their healthcare providers. The notification must state: "Your chest x-ray shows an abnormality that may be associated with a risk factor for various illnesses. Use this information to talk to your health care provider about risks... ask if more screening tests might be useful." The Commissioner of Health must adopt implementing rules under the Administrative Procedure Act. The bill aims to ensure patients are informed about abnormal results to discuss with their providers.

Maddy summaryThis bill imposes new annual registration fees for electric vehicles in New Jersey starting July 2025: $300 for passenger EVs and $450 for commercial EVs (defined as vehicles used for hire, compensation, or property transport). It simultaneously reduces highway fuel taxes - lowering gasoline tax from 10.5¢ to 7¢ per gallon and diesel tax from 13.5¢ to 9¢ per gallon. All fees and reduced fuel tax revenues will fund the Transportation Trust Fund. The bill also directs the Department of Transportation to conduct a feasibility study on alternative transportation revenue sources.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's Farmland Assessment Act to clarify when farmland owners face "roll-back taxes" (additional taxes) after stopping agricultural use. It states that merely ceasing farming activity - without actively converting the land to non-farm use - will not trigger these taxes. Roll-back taxes, calculated as the difference between farmland tax rates and standard property tax rates for the current year and the two prior years, apply only if the land is actively converted to non-agricultural use. The bill also establishes a hardship exemption process, allowing farmers to petition for relief if temporary disruptions (e.g., due to weather or economic hardship) prevent ongoing farming, with assessors considering factors like the owner’s intent to return to farming. It directly affects New Jersey landowners who qualify for agricultural property tax assessments under the 1964 Act.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how interest accrues on unpaid water and sewer utility bills, as well as delinquent municipal taxes and other local charges. It directly affects property owners and residents who fall behind on these payments. The key change adjusts the interest rates and calculation methods for these outstanding bills, as specified in the amended statutory language. The bill applies to municipalities and sewerage authorities across New Jersey, affecting how they handle late payments.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Governor to include a detailed annual report in the budget message about revenues and expenditures from the "societal benefits charge" on utility bills. The report must show, for five prior fiscal years and the current year, how much money was collected, and how it was allocated - specifically for energy efficiency programs, the Universal Services Fund (which supports low-income energy assistance), and plug-in electric vehicle incentives. It mandates itemized breakdowns of funds committed and spent for each program, including amounts retained by electric and gas utilities. The bill applies to all electric and gas public utilities in the state and aims to increase transparency about how these utility bill charges fund public programs.

Maddy summaryS 749 is a procedural bill that would have amended the list of environmental infrastructure projects approved for long-term funding under New Jersey's FY2026 environmental infrastructure program. It detailed how funds from multiple state revolving funds (like the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund) would be allocated to support clean water and drinking water projects, aligning with federal requirements under the Clean Water Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, because it was superseded by an already-enacted bill (P.L.2025, c.182), meaning it did not become law. It directly affected the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) by modifying funding mechanisms for environmental infrastructure projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to determine and consider the lowest reasonable return on equity (ROE) when reviewing rate increase requests from electric, gas, and water utility companies. It directly affects utility companies seeking rate hikes and the BPU, which must now actively seek the minimum reasonable ROE as a factor in its approval decisions. The key mechanism mandates the BPU to develop or adopt specific analytic models reflecting state, federal, and industry standards to assess this lowest reasonable ROE. This change would shift the BPU's process from evaluating proposed ROEs to proactively identifying the lowest acceptable return for rate cases, impacting how utility rate increases are approved.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new licensing and operational standards for residential mental health treatment facilities in New Jersey. It requires these facilities to provide comprehensive 24/7 care consistent with medical guidelines, prohibits retrospective medical necessity reviews, and mandates licensing from the Commissioner of Health. The bill directly affects facilities offering residential mental health care (excluding hospital-based programs or substance use facilities) and the patients they serve. Key provisions include mandatory licensing, location restrictions (banning co-location with substance use facilities), and requiring the commissioner to adopt minimum care standards within 90 days.