Sen. Raj Mukherji

Maddy summaryS4427 prohibits tourist helicopter operations providing sightseeing tours in New Jersey, specifically targeting flights over areas like the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. It requires the Commissioner of Transportation to ban these operations at all state-licensed aviation facilities, including airports, heliports, and helistops. The prohibition excludes flights by federal/military authorities, state government, and emergency medical transport helicopters. This law takes immediate effect upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey law to allow soil conservation districts to have more than five supervisors, with the State Soil Conservation Committee now authorized to set the maximum number for each district. Currently, districts must have at least five supervisors but lack a defined upper limit. The change gives districts flexibility to adjust governance structures based on local needs, while the Committee determines appropriate supervisor counts. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits installing, planting, or placing nonfunctional turf or invasive plant species on commercial, institutional, industrial, or public properties (such as streets, parking lots, schools, and government-owned land) during new construction or major redevelopment projects requiring permits. It defines "nonfunctional turf" as excluding recreational areas (like sports fields and playgrounds) and allows native plant use, while listing 31 specific invasive species (e.g., English ivy, Japanese barberry) and requiring state agencies to maintain an updated invasive species list. The ban takes effect January 1, 2026, with exceptions for maintaining pre-2026 installations and using native plants. Local governments may adopt stricter rules than this state requirement.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow New Jersey to issue special license plates featuring the Ancient Order of Hibernians emblem for vehicles registered in the state. Vehicle owners would pay a $50 application fee and a $10 annual renewal fee, with all fees deposited into a dedicated fund that transfers money directly to the Ancient Order of Hibernians, New Jersey State Board, each year. The state motor vehicle agency would handle plate production and administration, while the organization covers initial costs up to $25,000. The program requires no state funding for initial setup or ongoing costs beyond the fees collected.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey Transit (NJT) to create a two-year pilot program on light rail trains operating in southern New Jersey, supplying each train set with opioid antidotes (like naloxone) and establishing secure storage with silent alerts to train operators when accessed. NJT must stock at least two doses per train, maintain bilingual signage and informational cards for passengers, and track antidote usage without requiring staff to administer the antidote or undergo specialized training. The program is funded by a $100,000 appropriation from the General Fund, and NJT must submit a report on its effectiveness to the Governor and Legislature within six months of the pilot's conclusion. The bill directly affects NJT operations, light rail staff, and passengers who may experience or witness opioid overdoses on southern NJ light rail services.

Maddy summaryS 275 requires licensed airports, heliports, and helistops in New Jersey to reduce helicopter flights by 47% on weekdays compared to the previous year's average. It exempts flights by emergency medical services, military/federal authorities, hospitals, healthcare providers, and news agencies. The bill also bans tourist/sightseeing helicopter operations between 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. on weekdays and 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. on weekends. These rules aim to reduce noise pollution at aviation facilities but are pending final legislative approval.

Maddy summaryS 4069 requires municipalities in New Jersey to conduct and publicly share cost-benefit analyses for long-term property tax exemptions (exceeding five years) before approving projects like urban renewal developments. It mandates that urban renewal entities include these analyses in applications, and municipal leaders must produce independent analyses for public review. The bill also directs the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to create a public online database tracking all long-term tax exemptions and five-year tax agreement filings. Municipalities must submit five-year exemption agreements to county financial officers within 10 days of signing and provide annual reports on tax exemptions to county officials. This directly affects municipalities, urban renewal entities, and county governments by increasing transparency around tax exemption impacts on local finances.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1895) allows New Jersey municipalities to provide free or reduced beach fees for two new groups: children ages 12 to 17 and veterans (regardless of service length or disability). Currently, municipalities can offer fee exemptions for seniors, disabled individuals, active military members, National Guard members, and veterans meeting specific service requirements (90+ days active duty or service-connected disability). The bill removes the prior service requirement for veterans, expanding eligibility to all honorably discharged veterans. It also explicitly adds children aged 12-17 to the list of those eligible for no-fee or reduced-fee access.

Maddy summaryS 4362 requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services (DHS) to reformat the MyNJHelps online platform into a single centralized system for all state public assistance programs within 365 days. It mandates that applicants can access information about, apply for, and track the status of all programs - including SNAP (food benefits), WFNJ (work program), and NJFamilyCare (healthcare) - through one unified application. The bill does not change which agency administers each program but requires DHS to establish data-sharing agreements with other agencies to share applicant information securely. This affects low-income New Jersey residents seeking benefits like food, healthcare, housing, or cash assistance, and all state agencies managing these programs.

Maddy summary# Summary of New Jersey Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program Bill This bill significantly revises New Jersey's film and digital media content production tax credit program, extending its availability until July 2049 (10 years longer than current law) and making numerous key changes: ## Key Changes 1. **Increased Tax Credit Rates** - Studio partners/film-lease production companies: 40% (up from 35%) of qualified film production expenses when incurred within a 30-mile radius of NYC's 59th Street intersection - Competitive adjustment: If neighboring states offer equal or greater tax credits (as percentage of expenses), credits increase to 45% for productions in the specified NYC radius area 2. **New Incentives** - Additional 5% tax credit for "television series that relocated to New Jersey" (defined as scripted series with 22+ min episodes, $2.5M budget per episode, all prior seasons filmed outside NJ) - New 2% promotional credit for qualifying promotional activities (videos of NJ locations, social media posts, promotional logos, NJ references in film) 3. **Expanded Credit Availability** - Maximum cumulative credits: - Studio partners: $300 million (up from $150 million) starting FY 2026 - Film-lease production companies: $250 million (up from $150 million) starting FY 2026 - Discretionary additional awards decreased: $250 million for studio partners (down from $400M), $150 million for film-lease companies (down from $250M) 4. **Simplified Diversity Credit** - Removed the additional requirements for a 4% tax credit (previously required specific performer hiring goals) - Now provides 4% credit for film production expenses for diversity plans meeting the same criteria as digital media credits 5. **New Definitions** - Created "New Jersey film-lease post-production company" category - Modified "commitment period" to be "continuing for a minimum of 10 years" rather than "expiring" after 10 years - Added "script costs" to qualified film production expenses for studio/film-lease companies 6. **Administrative Changes** - Allows tax liability to be reduced below zero (with option for refund or carry-forward) - Recapture of tax credits applies only to initial recipient (not purchasers/assignees of tax credit transfer certificates) - Allows supplemental reports for film-lease production companies similar to studio partners - Expands credit applicability to insurance premium tax liability This bill aims to strengthen New Jersey's competitiveness in attracting film and digital media productions while promoting New Jersey's cultural and economic benefits.