Sen. John Burzichelli

Maddy summaryThis bill requires children in home education programs and their parents or guardians in New Jersey to meet annually with a school district representative. The representative must be a designated school counselor, nurse, or social worker employed by the district. The meeting serves two purposes: allowing parents to request school support for their home education, and enabling the school staff to conduct a general health and wellness check on the child. The requirement takes effect in the first full school year after the bill is enacted.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires new retail facilities and warehouses larger than 75,000 square feet to be designed with roofs capable of supporting solar panels. Specifically, the roof structure must accommodate the weight of solar systems covering at least 40% of the roof area (minus certain features like skylights), regardless of panel type or weather conditions. It applies to buildings where construction permits were not finalized before the bill's effective date, and mandates the Department of Community Affairs to establish detailed design standards. The law aims to make future solar installations on large commercial buildings more feasible and cost-effective.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 737) exempts small-scale renewable energy projects (under 20 megawatts) from all New Jersey state land-use permit requirements, such as wetlands, coastal, and flood zone regulations. Instead, project owners must seek approval only from their local government unit (e.g., township or municipality) and their utility company, provided the project meets state construction standards. If an applicant applies directly to a state agency, they forfeit the option to use local approval only. The bill applies to owners/operators of solar, wind, geothermal, or small-scale biomass projects seeking to build or expand facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey school districts to appoint qualified "school security specialists" to provide security services in schools. To qualify, individuals must have at least 20 years of law enforcement experience (in a supervisory role), pass background checks, complete specific training, and meet licensing requirements. The bill mandates training in active shooter response, de-escalation, emergency planning, and firearms handling, with annual refreshers required. School districts must still maintain existing school safety specialist roles under current law. The bill directly affects school districts, private security companies, and qualified law enforcement professionals seeking school security roles.

Maddy summaryS 1675 establishes New Jersey's Advanced Transmission Technologies Workforce Development Program (ATT Program) within the Department of Labor. The program trains electrical engineers and utility workers to install and manage advanced transmission systems, directly affecting these workers and students in career technical education. Key provisions include creating job training linked to infrastructure projects, using community agreements to connect training with jobs, and retraining existing workers to meet industry demands. The program will leverage state and federal funds while requiring annual reports on its effectiveness to the Governor and Legislature starting in 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 715) creates a "Small Business Interruption Grant Program" administered by New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA). It provides grants to small businesses (defined as independently owned, employing fewer than 10 people with under $1.5 million in annual revenue) that suffer extended closures (over one month) due to state or public entity infrastructure or construction projects. The EDA would determine grant amounts based on the business’s operating expenses during the closure, funded by contributions from project entities (0-5% of the project’s estimated cost). Businesses must apply through the EDA, demonstrating eligibility under the defined criteria.

Maddy summaryS 739, the "New Jersey Loves New Jersey Farmers Act," provides tax credits to New Jersey commercial farm operators who grow crops for human consumption (like fruits and vegetables) but not livestock feed. It allows these farms to claim credits against corporation business tax or gross income tax equal to certified "price loss" (revenue loss from falling crop prices), verified by the State Agriculture Secretary. The credits are limited to 50% of tax liability per year and can be carried forward for up to seven years if not fully used. This directly benefits farm businesses experiencing price declines, offering financial relief tied to verified market losses.

Maddy summarySJR 19 designates April each year as "Donate Life Month" in New Jersey. The resolution aims to promote organ and tissue donor registration and honor those impacted by donation, without changing existing registration processes or healthcare access. It requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation encouraging public awareness campaigns during April, aligning with national efforts to address the critical shortage of donors (with 4,000 New Jersey residents currently awaiting transplants). This symbolic resolution does not create new laws but seeks to increase donor registration, which can save up to eight lives per donor and enhance over 75 others through tissue donation.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 717 requires the Department of Health (DOH) to develop and distribute educational materials about cardiomyopathy and related cardiac conditions to schools, coaches, health professionals, and families within 18 months. The materials must cover symptoms, risk factors (including specific conditions like cardiomyopathy and long QT syndrome), AED placement guidelines, CPR training, and emergency response plans for schools. The bill appropriates $300,000 to fund this effort and mandates DOH to create a public cardiomyopathy risk assessment tool and report annually on research and emergency visits. It directly affects schools, healthcare providers, and young people at risk for sudden cardiac events by promoting awareness and preparedness.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts certain inactive Class C alcoholic beverage licenses from expiration rules if tied to qualifying redevelopment projects. Specifically, licenses held by developers, redevelopers, or their affiliates (or tenants of such entities) for premises in designated redevelopment areas covering at least 250,000 square feet with municipal site plan approvals are exempt from the standard two-term (four-year) inactivity rule. The exemption allows these licenses to remain active while projects are planned or constructed, addressing delays common in large-scale redevelopment. It directly affects developers and businesses operating in designated revitalization zones, ensuring license continuity during long-term project timelines.