Sen. Bob Singer

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey state and certain local government employees to work on Good Friday in exchange for taking time off on another pre-approved religious holiday during the same calendar year. It directs the Civil Service Commission to create a list of acceptable holidays based on the Commissioner of Education's existing list of observable religious holidays. Employees must notify their employer by January 1 to use the alternate leave, and school employees are explicitly excluded from this program. The policy applies to all state government workers, with rules to be established by the Civil Service Commission.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public colleges and universities to immediately suspend students and employees charged with bias intimidation (defined under N.J.S.2C:16-1) related to protests against religious groups or on religious property grounds. Students face academic suspension until their case concludes (trial, dismissal, or termination), with expulsion if convicted. Employees face unpaid suspension from duties until resolution, with termination if convicted. The law applies automatically to all public higher education institutions in New Jersey, overriding existing rules or regulations.

Maddy summaryS 4547 requires Rutgers University to adopt a new Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Policy specifically for students and student groups. The policy mandates clear protest rules (including banning protests in academic buildings and requiring students to show university ID during demonstrations when asked), strict disciplinary actions for violations (such as suspension or expulsion for encampment disruptions), and incorporates a specific definition of antisemitism. Rutgers must also update its student conduct policies, provide annual training on the policy for all students and student groups, and review Middle East studies programs, faculty diversity, and admissions procedures. The bill aims to enhance campus safety and protect academic functions by addressing harassment and protest disruptions.

Maddy summaryThis bill transfers decision-making authority for admission to New Jersey's Veterans Diversion Program (VDP) from prosecutors to courts. Currently, prosecutors alone determine eligibility, including applying presumptions against admission for violent offenses or domestic violence cases involving restraining orders. Under S 4516, courts will now evaluate eligibility based on the same criteria (offense nature, mental health, victim input, and violent crime history) and set program duration - previously handled solely by prosecutors. The change aligns the VDP with other court-managed diversion programs like Pretrial Intervention, ensuring judicial oversight for servicemembers charged with eligible offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 4422) requires health insurance carriers in New Jersey to automatically approve credentialing applications for physicians whose New Jersey medical licenses are in good standing. It directly affects physicians seeking to join or renew their participation in insurance provider networks, streamlining a process that previously required manual review. The key mechanism mandates that carriers must accept the universal physician application form and automatically approve it if the physician’s license status is verified as "good standing" by the State Board of Medical Examiners. This eliminates unnecessary delays for qualified physicians while allowing carriers to request non-duplicative additional information. The bill takes effect immediately for applications received on or after the effective date.

Maddy summaryThe bill modifies how New Jersey defines flood hazard areas by requiring the state to set flood hazard boundaries no more than one foot above the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) 100-year flood elevation for each watercourse. It prohibits the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from implementing or adopting its proposed "NJPACT Rules" (which would have set flood hazard areas five feet above FEMA levels) before June 1, 2038, without legislative approval. The DEP must update flood hazard delineations within three months of any FEMA updates and must seek legislative authorization before adopting new rules related to flood hazard areas. This affects property owners, developers, and local governments in flood-prone areas by changing the standards for development permits under the Flood Hazard Area Control Act.

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 summaryS 4487 creates a new State Board of Midwifery to regulate midwifery practice in New Jersey, replacing the current system where midwifery was overseen by the State Board of Medical Examiners. The bill establishes licensing requirements for three types of midwives (certified midwives, certified nurse midwives, and certified professional midwives) and requires the new board to approve licensure applications, recognize midwifery certification programs, and set continuing education standards including bias training. The legislation also authorizes midwives to prescribe medications under certain conditions and requires health insurance providers to cover midwifery services and home births. This bill directly affects midwives seeking licensure, their patients, and healthcare insurers across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey local governments - including municipalities, counties, school districts, and public agencies - from naming public property (such as roads, parks, schools, or buildings) after a foreign terrorist organization designated by the federal government. It requires these entities to remove all existing signs, plaques, or displays referencing such groups within 30 days of the law taking effect and to rename the property within 90 days. The state will reimburse local governments for the costs of removal and renaming, and violations will trigger daily deductions from state aid. The Division of Local Government Services must maintain an annual list of designated foreign terrorist organizations and lands they control, excluding sovereign nations.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new "funeral arranger" license category in New Jersey, allowing individuals to arrange funerals without needing to be trained in embalming. Currently, New Jersey's 70-year-old Mortuary Science Act requires funeral professionals to be licensed as "practitioners of mortuary science," which includes proficiency in both funeral directing and embalming. The new license would enable people who don't want to learn embalming (for religious, cultural, environmental, or personal reasons) to enter the funeral services profession. The bill modifies licensing requirements, including examinations that exclude embalming content, while maintaining the existing requirements for mortuary science practitioners. This change aims to better accommodate New Jersey's diverse population and increasing preference for cremation or burial without embalming.