Sen. Brian Stack

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits health care providers from billing patients for early intervention services more than one year after the service was provided or attempting to collect on such overdue bills. It directly affects providers serving infants and toddlers (birth to age 2) with developmental delays through New Jersey's early intervention program, preventing unexpected long-delayed charges. Providers may still seek insurance reimbursement, but cannot bill patients for denied or partially paid claims if the insurance claim was submitted more than one year after the service or if over 18 months elapsed since the service. The law aims to reduce financial burdens on families already managing care for children with special needs.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1551) would have authorized New Jersey municipalities and counties to establish civilian review boards to oversee police operations. It specified that boards must have at least seven members (appointed by mayors or county officials with community experience), require training before reviewing officer conduct, and mandate a quorum of four members. The bill included a $600,000 state appropriation to support these boards and required boards to document their work. However, the bill was withdrawn from consideration in February 2024 and did not become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all new law enforcement vehicles purchased by New Jersey agencies (clearly marked as such) to have windows with tinting meeting the federal minimum light transmittance standard. It applies only to newly purchased vehicles, not existing ones, and takes effect four months after enactment. The policy aims to enhance officer visibility and safety by standardizing window tint levels on police vehicles. The bill honors officers Rafael Ramos, Wenjian Liu, and Melvin Santiago, who were killed in 2014.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires mandatory training for law enforcement, judges, and court personnel handling domestic violence and child abuse cases in New Jersey. It mandates specific training on topics like the impact of domestic violence on children, trauma-informed assessments, racial bias, and child abuse dynamics, with requirements of 20 hours initial training and 15 hours every five years for relevant court staff. The training aims to improve how courts and law enforcement respond to domestic violence and child abuse allegations during custody disputes. It directly affects law enforcement officers, municipal and superior court judges, judicial personnel, and child abuse case attorneys. The bill does not change custody laws but focuses on enhancing professional preparedness through standardized education.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits annual rent increases for senior citizens (62+ or surviving spouses 55+) living in rental housing funded by New Jersey's Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA). It caps rent hikes at 2% or the local cost-of-living adjustment (whichever is greater) for eligible properties, preventing increases that outpace seniors' fixed incomes. The law applies only to "covered dwelling units" (rental housing with HMFA financing), excluding duplexes where landlords live in one unit and certain pre-existing affordable housing agreements. Violations allow tenants to recover $500 for first offenses and seek court action for excessive rent hikes.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes an existing exception allowing smoking in casinos and simulcasting facilities under New Jersey's smoke-free law. It eliminates the specific exemption that previously permitted smoking in casinos with at least 150 slot machines or 10 table games, and in simulcasting facilities with dedicated seating for 50+ patrons. As a result, smoking will now be banned in these venues, aligning them with the general smoking restrictions in public places. The change directly affects all New Jersey casinos and simulcasting facilities operating under the state's regulations.

Maddy summaryS 278 requires limited liability companies (LLCs) and foreign LLCs purchasing residential rental properties to disclose specific ownership information when recording property deeds. The bill mandates that these companies attach an affidavit identifying their registered agent’s name and business address, and if the agent isn’t a company member, also disclose at least one company member’s details. This applies to all residential rental properties - regardless of the number of dwelling units - when the LLC is the buyer. The disclosure must be submitted with the deed at the time of recording with the county office, enhancing transparency in rental property transfers.

Maddy summaryS 303 requires all New Jersey insurers selling homeowners, renters, excess liability, or personal liability insurance to offer firearm liability coverage as an optional add-on. This coverage would provide minimum protection of $100,000 per person for injury/death (up to $300,000 total for multiple people) and $25,000 for property damage from firearm incidents. The bill affects policyholders purchasing these insurance types in New Jersey, mandating insurers make this coverage available on all new or renewed policies. The bill was introduced in January 2024 and remains pending before the Senate Commerce Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes New Jersey's inheritance rules for spouses in pending divorce cases. If a divorce or civil union dissolution complaint is filed (but not dismissed) before one spouse dies, the surviving spouse loses their right to inherit the deceased's estate under intestate succession or elective share laws. The bill specifically excludes such surviving spouses from receiving any share of the estate that would otherwise go to a surviving spouse, even if no children are involved. This directly affects individuals whose divorce proceedings were ongoing at the time of their partner's death. The change takes effect when the bill is enacted, modifying existing intestate succession statutes.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 297) prohibits pet shops from selling cats, dogs, or rabbits and bans payments between animal shelters/rescues and breeders/brokers for animals. It directly affects pet shops, animal shelters, rescues, and breeders/brokers by restricting sales and financial transactions. Key provisions require shelters/rescues to provide veterinary health records for adoptable animals and eliminate pet shops as a sales channel for these animals. The bill repeals an existing "Pet Purchase Protection Act" and aims to prioritize adoption from shelters over commercial sales.