Maddy summaryThis bill extends the filing deadline for members and retirees of New Jersey's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS), and State Police Retirement System (SPRS) to qualify for accidental disability retirement benefits related to 9/11 World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations. It allows for a two-year filing period after the bill's effective date (with potential two-year extensions) and replaces the requirement for a pre-employment physical examination with evidence of medical examinations that failed to disclose qualifying health conditions. The bill also permits retirees previously denied due to late filing to petition for reconsideration or resubmit their eligibility forms. Retirement systems must notify all affected members within 60 days of enactment about these provisions using clear language explaining filing requirements and time limits.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill makes a permanent annual $500,000 allocation from New Jersey's Clean Communities Program Fund to fund public outreach for the state's single-use plastics reduction program. The funding supports the Department of Environmental Protection's outreach efforts, including educational campaigns and a bag redistribution program that repurposes reusable bags for food banks and pantries. The bill changes current law, which limited this funding to the first three years after the 2020 single-use plastics ban law, making it permanent. This directly affects the DEP's outreach activities and the public receiving information about reducing plastic use.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires public schools (grades 7-12) and colleges to print the telephone number for mental health and suicide crisis resources on student ID cards, replacing the current mandate for the NJ Hopeline number. The Commissioner of Education or Secretary of Higher Education (with input from the Commissioner of Human Services) will determine the specific resources to be listed. Schools may also include additional support services like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or on-campus crisis centers. The law takes effect immediately for the next school year.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to provide parents or guardians of special education students with a hard copy of a draft Individualized Education Program (IEP) and a list of excused IEP team members at least two business days before annual IEP meetings. The draft IEP must clearly state "DRAFT" on every page, and the notice must explain that proposed programs/services are preliminary and invite parent input. It directly affects parents of students with IEPs, ensuring they have sufficient time to review recommendations before meetings. The bill aims to improve parent engagement by standardizing advance notice of draft IEPs, aligning with existing federal and state requirements.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public schools and participating nonpublic schools in the federal school meal programs to follow the USDA's stricter 2012 nutrition standards for breakfast and lunch, rather than weaker standards recently proposed by the federal government. It mandates compliance with specific USDA requirements for whole grains, sodium limits, and milk offerings as published in federal regulations from 2012 (and any future stricter standards). The law directly affects schools serving federally subsidized meals, ensuring they maintain healthier meal options for students. It takes effect immediately for the 2024-2025 school year.
Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 4439 allows student-athletes at four-year colleges offering athletic scholarships to earn compensation for the use of their name, image, or likeness (NIL), while prohibiting schools from blocking such deals. It specifically bans under-21 student-athletes from NIL agreements involving alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis products. The bill requires institutions to provide annual NIL education on financial literacy and brand management, and ensures NIL contracts remain private under public records law. It also prohibits athletic associations like the NCAA from penalizing schools or athletes for engaging in permitted NIL activities. The bill repeals New Jersey's previous "Fair Play Act" to align with updated national standards.
Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey's Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) to provide supplemental tax credits to housing developers who have received four-percent low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) but would qualify for nine-percent LIHTC. The supplemental credits cover the "project financing gap" for qualifying housing projects, ensuring developers receive a subsidy equivalent to a nine-percent LIHTC. The agency can award these credits to developers who demonstrate a financing gap, with the credit amount limited to the smaller of either the gap amount or the amount needed to reach a nine-percent subsidy level. Developers may transfer or sell these tax credits under specific conditions, including minimum sale amounts and restrictions on further transfers.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey to update driver education, testing, and the driver's manual to include specific information about safely interacting with pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorized road users. It mandates that driver's education courses, the written knowledge examination, and the official driver's manual must cover a driver's responsibilities when approaching and passing pedestrians and cyclists, including the penalties for failing to comply with these responsibilities as outlined in existing law (P.L.2021, c.194). The changes will affect all new drivers going through the state's licensing process, including teenagers and adults seeking their first license. The bill requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to incorporate these provisions into all relevant educational materials and testing.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey school districts to provide universal access to free full-day preschool for all 3- and 4-year-old children by a date determined by each district. It establishes preschool expansion aid to support districts that don't yet offer universal free preschool and mandates a "mixed delivery method" combining district programs, licensed child care providers, and Head Start programs. School districts must submit implementation plans by July 1, 2025, with a statewide strategic plan due by July 1, 2026. The bill also requires all school districts to offer full-day kindergarten, with possible waivers if sufficient preschool expansion aid funding exists.
Maddy summaryS 4476 permits New Jersey school boards to award preschool education service contracts (for licensed childcare providers or Head Start programs receiving state preschool aid) without public bidding, using a board resolution instead. It extends the maximum contract term for these services from 24 months to three years. This change applies only to preschool programs funded through state preschool education aid, simplifying the contracting process for early childhood education providers.