Sen. Bob Singer

Maddy summaryThis bill allows businesses in New Jersey to round cash transaction amounts to simplify payments after the penny's production ended in 2025. It applies only to cash payments, not cards or other non-cash methods, and sets specific rules for rounding prices ending in cents like $.01, $.02, $.03, or $.04 to the nearest nickel or dime. Businesses that choose to use this rounding system must follow the outlined rules, with fines ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 for violations. The law takes effect 30 days after being signed into legislation.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3377) requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to lift conservation restrictions - land use limits tied to coastal development permits under the Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) - when a landowner seeks to expand a school for special needs children. To qualify, the DEP must confirm the land is needed for the school expansion and enforce a new conservation restriction on a different parcel that is at least twice as large and within 20 miles of the original site. The new restriction must provide similar environmental protection as the one being lifted. This applies only to parcels subject to CAFRA permits and directly affects landowners seeking to modify such conservation conditions for school expansion.

Maddy summaryS 3502 requires all health insurance plans and Medicaid in New Jersey to cover stuttering treatment, including both habilitative (helping learn or maintain speech skills) and rehabilitative (restoring lost speech skills) speech therapy. It mandates coverage for in-person and telehealth services without cost-sharing like deductibles, copays, or annual limits, and eliminates prior authorization requirements. This directly affects all New Jersey residents with health insurance or Medicaid who need speech therapy for stuttering. The bill applies to all relevant insurance contracts issued in the state, ensuring consistent coverage for medically necessary stuttering treatment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 580) allows New Jersey taxpayers to deduct student loan interest from their state gross income tax, matching the federal deduction rules under Section 221 of the Internal Revenue Code. It directly affects New Jersey residents who pay interest on qualified student loans, with the deduction limited to the same amount allowed federally - currently up to $2,500 - and phased out based on income (e.g., eliminated for single filers earning $85,000+ or joint filers earning $170,000+). The state deduction automatically adjusts if federal rules change, and married couples must file jointly to claim it. The bill takes effect immediately for tax years starting after its enactment.

Maddy summaryS 3187 (New Jersey) requires auto insurance policies to provide minimum coverage limits for bodily injury and property damage, with amounts increasing over time (e.g., $35,000 for bodily injury per person after 2026). It directly affects drivers in New Jersey by mandating that policies cannot restrict recovery amounts for injuries or property damage caused by uninsured/underinsured drivers. Key provisions include setting specific minimum limits for bodily injury ($15k-$35k) and property damage ($25k with a $500 deductible), while prohibiting stacking coverage across multiple vehicles or policies. The bill ensures insurers provide at least $250,000 per person for bodily injury under uninsured motorist coverage.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to speed up and simplify approval processes for affordable housing projects. It mandates specific deadlines for reviewing applications, such as a 180-day limit for water quality plans that triggers automatic approval if missed, and requires certain reviews to happen simultaneously rather than sequentially. The legislation also establishes presumptions that sites designated for affordable housing comply with water quality rules and ensures that previously approved permits remain valid even if new regulations are later adopted.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill, the Sensitive Life-Changing Test Results Protection Act, creates an exception to federal rules that currently require the immediate electronic release of all medical test results to patients. It mandates that results indicating serious, permanent, or life-limiting conditions must wait three business days before appearing in a patient's online health portal, unless a doctor releases them sooner or the patient explicitly requests immediate access. The law aims to give healthcare providers time to personally discuss these difficult findings with patients before they are automatically shared digitally. By allowing this brief delay, the bill seeks to prevent potential emotional harm and ensure patients receive proper medical context and support when receiving significant news.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires private contractors performing construction work in New Jersey (excluding public work or home improvement projects) to register with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development before starting work. It mandates registration with specific details including business information, licenses, and disclosures about labor law violations. The registration process includes providing tax IDs, unemployment insurance numbers, and documentation showing compliance with state business requirements. Contractors already registered for public works projects are exempt from these new requirements. The bill directly affects businesses engaged in private construction work who must register to legally operate in the state.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 3014 requires qualifying public golf courses (defined as 18-hole courses open to the public, excluding 9-hole or miniature courses) to maintain an automated external defibrillator (AED). Owners must acquire and store an AED in an accessible location, ensure it is tested and maintained, notify emergency services of its location, and train at least one employee on-site during business hours with current AED/CPR certification. Violations incur civil penalties starting at $250 for the first offense, with the course owner liable for costs. The law aims to improve emergency response at these facilities while providing immunity for properly maintained AEDs.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new minimum Medicaid reimbursement rate for structured day program services provided to Medicaid beneficiaries with brain injuries. It requires these rates to match the average reimbursement for Day Habilitation Services (Tiers D and E) under the Division of Developmental Disabilities program, raising payments from $3.65 to $9.09 per 15-minute service unit. The policy directly affects approved brain injury service providers and beneficiaries receiving structured day care for traumatic or non-traumatic brain injuries. It expands existing Medicaid reimbursement rules, which previously only covered community residential services for brain injury care.