Sen. Angela McKnight

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Jersey state law to clarify the maximum lease terms local governments can use when acquiring fire fighting apparatus and equipment. It directly affects municipal governing bodies that purchase or lease fire trucks and related gear for public safety purposes. The legislation amends existing statutes to establish specific time limits for different types of municipal assets, including a provision for fire fighting equipment that sets a maximum lease period. The bill also standardizes lease term calculations for various infrastructure categories such as buildings, roads, and utility systems to ensure consistency across local government acquisitions.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 3379) requires data center owners and operators to submit semi-annual reports to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) detailing water and energy usage. Existing data centers must begin reporting within three months of the law's enactment, while newer centers have six months. Reports must include basic facility information, usage data, and for centers receiving state funding, specific efficiency metrics like power usage effectiveness. The BPU will publish anonymized, aggregated data online but keep individual reports confidential.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 2260 strengthens legal protections for patients and providers accessing or delivering reproductive and gender-affirming health care services within the state. The bill explicitly defines "legally protected health care activities" to include seeking, providing, or assisting with these services (such as abortion, contraception, or gender-affirming care), regardless of a patient's location. It prohibits obstruction, intimidation, or physical barriers at facilities offering these services and grants licensing boards authority to impose civil penalties for violations. This directly affects patients traveling to New Jersey for care (not available in their home states) and healthcare providers operating in these fields. The law codifies existing protections to prevent harassment or violence against these services, following increased threats and protests nationwide after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Maddy summaryS 3412 would require certain social media platforms in New Jersey to display a black box warning about mental health risks to users, similar to health warnings on tobacco products. The bill targets platforms primarily designed for social connection (like Facebook or TikTok) that have users in New Jersey, excluding services focused on news, entertainment, or e-commerce. This requirement is based on findings that youth social media use exceeding three hours daily doubles risks of depression and anxiety, and platforms are aware of these harms. The warning must be displayed on platforms meeting the bill's definition of "covered social media platforms," affecting all users of those services in the state.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill 4015, the "New Jersey Kids Code Act," requires major online services (like social media and games) that minors are likely to use to set default privacy settings to the highest protection level for children. It prohibits these services from showing targeted ads to minors, using manipulative design tricks to change privacy settings, collecting certain personal data without clear consent, or promoting restricted products to children. The bill also mandates annual public reports detailing how these platforms protect minors’ privacy, their data practices, safety tools for parents, and how much time children spend on their services. This law directly affects large online platforms operating in New Jersey, not small websites or services not used by minors.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes funding for on-demand micro transit services under New Jersey's Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program. It directly affects senior citizens and disabled residents by allowing them to access technology-enabled shared transportation that lets them choose pick-up and drop-off locations via phone or mobile app. The legislation amends existing state law to formally define "on-demand micro transit" and update related terminology within the transportation assistance framework. The program operates through the New Jersey Transit Corporation in coordination with local counties and advisory committees to ensure services meet accessibility needs.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates approximately $77.4 million from dedicated tax revenues and Green Acres funds to the Department of Environmental Protection to support local government projects. The funding is divided between acquiring land for conservation and developing existing parks, with specific amounts designated for planning incentives, standard projects, and areas with high population density. Local municipalities and counties that meet certain population criteria are eligible to receive grants or loans to help them purchase or improve recreational spaces. Any remaining funds after the listed projects are funded may be used for additional approved initiatives with further committee approval.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs approximately $15.5 million from dedicated corporation business tax revenues to the Department of Environmental Protection for land conservation and recreation projects. The funds will provide grants to nonprofit organizations to purchase or develop land for open space, with specific allocations for land acquisition, park development, and stewardship activities. Additionally, the legislation allows the department to use leftover money from canceled projects to provide extra funding to previously approved initiatives, subject to oversight committee approval.