Sen. Raj Mukherji

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a "Bear Smart Fund" within New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to finance the distribution of bear-proof garbage cans. The fund will be supported by civil penalties from existing bear-feeding violations, state/federal appropriations, and investment earnings. The DEP will prioritize distributing these cans in counties with high bear populations - Sussex, Warren, Morris, and Passaic - to reduce human-bear conflicts, potentially charging residents a small fee or partnering with local governments for cost efficiency. The bill also updates the state's bear-feeding law to clarify prohibited actions (like leaving food accessible to bears) and directs penalty collections into the new fund.

Maddy summaryS 2790 requires New Jersey courts to inform both victims and abusers about counseling services for minor children who were physically present during or witnessed domestic violence incidents when a domestic violence complaint is filed. This amendment to existing law ensures courts immediately connect affected children with support resources as part of the legal process. The bill directly affects children exposed to domestic violence and the court system's handling of domestic violence cases, mandating that counseling information be provided at the time of complaint filing. It does not create new services but directs courts to share existing resources with families.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires state agencies and projects funded by the state to install or replace outdoor lighting fixtures that reduce light pollution and conserve energy. It mandates fully shielded fixtures, limits color temperature to 2,700 Kelvin (with limited exceptions), requires motion sensors, and prohibits excessive upward light emission. Exceptions apply for emergencies, temporary work, safety needs, or high-security areas. The goal is to minimize glare, light trespass, and energy waste while preserving natural nighttime conditions.

Maddy summaryS 434 prohibits pet shops in New Jersey from selling cats, dogs, or rabbits, directly affecting pet shops and their customers. It repeals the previous "Pet Purchase Protection Act" and requires pet shops to collaborate with animal shelters, rescues, and pounds to facilitate adoptions instead of selling animals. The bill defines "pet shop" separately from breeders and pet dealers, ensuring the law does not restrict responsible breeders or other sellers, but bans pet shops from obtaining animals from breeders or brokers for sale. The legislation aims to reduce sales of animals from puppy mills and increase adoptions from shelters, which the bill cites as having "unadopted" animals available.

Maddy summaryS 1422 extends the deadline for enrolling a newborn infant in health benefits coverage from 60 to 90 days after birth. This change directly affects parents or guardians enrolled in family health insurance plans who must submit birth notification and required payments to maintain continuous coverage for their newborn. The bill modifies existing law to provide an additional 30 days for completing enrollment, ensuring families have more time to secure coverage without gaps. This adjustment applies specifically to family-type health insurance contracts under New Jersey's statutory framework.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2897) allows parents or legal custodians separated from their children due to immigration enforcement actions - such as arrest, detention, or removal - to appoint a standby guardian for their child. It creates a legal process where a parent can formally designate someone to temporarily care for their child without losing parental rights, triggered specifically by immigration-related separation. The bill defines "administrative separation" to include federal immigration actions and requires written consent from the parent, without needing medical documentation for immigration-related cases. This amendment to New Jersey’s existing standby guardianship law explicitly addresses gaps for families facing immigration enforcement, ensuring children have a designated caretaker during such separations.

Maddy summaryS 2894 creates the New Jersey Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Regulatory Commission to oversee the manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) within the state and ensure quality standards for APIs used in New Jersey, regardless of where they're manufactured. The commission, composed of 17 members including pharmaceutical industry experts, state health and economic development officials, and non-voting legislative representatives, will establish manufacturing standards, promote API industry growth using federal funding, and serve as a liaison between the pharmaceutical sector and state/federal governments. It operates independently of the Department of the Treasury despite being allocated there, and will adopt rules under the Administrative Procedure Act to carry out its duties. This bill directly affects pharmaceutical manufacturers in New Jersey and those using imported APIs sold within the state.

Maddy summaryS 650 requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to create a program promoting building electrification and decarbonization within one year of enactment. It directs electric utilities to develop multi-year plans meeting BPU-established greenhouse gas reduction targets, focusing on switching to efficient electric equipment like heat pumps for water/space heating, cooking, and industrial processes. Plans must be cost-effective from a societal perspective, considering environmental benefits, and include specific methods such as replacing gas systems with electric alternatives. This bill directly affects electric utilities across New Jersey and aims to reduce emissions while aligning with the state's energy master plan.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 2972) protects judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, child protective investigators, and their immediate families by making it illegal to post their home addresses or unpublished phone numbers online without authorization. It creates a new criminal offense for "doxxing" these public servants (posting personal information to harass them) and increases penalties for threats against them. The law requires online platforms to remove such information upon request from authorized officials like court clerks or U.S. Marshals. Violations could lead to criminal charges and stronger restraining orders for affected individuals.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands eligibility for accidental disability benefits under New Jersey's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) to cover certain state employees. It directly affects workers employed at State psychiatric institutions or correctional facilities after January 2003 but before becoming PERS members, who sustained injuries or illnesses during those jobs. The key provision deems such injuries as occurring "during membership" if the employee later joins PERS without interruption in the same employment. This allows them to apply for benefits based on those pre-membership work-related injuries, rather than requiring membership at the time of injury. The change specifically applies to traumatic injuries sustained while performing duties related to patient care or security at these facilities.