Sen. Benjie Wimberly

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a preference in New Jersey state funding for municipalities that adopt specific housing strategies to increase residential density. Municipalities must amend their master plans and development regulations to allow for options like accessory dwelling units, multi-unit buildings in single-family zones, reduced parking requirements, and higher density housing near transit. Qualifying municipalities would receive preferential treatment in competitive state grant programs, including the Main Street New Jersey Program and Neighborhood Preservation Program. The bill also allows school districts in qualifying municipalities to receive up to a 10% increase in district aid percentages for school facilities projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires family members or caregivers who operate compensated vlogs on social media platforms and feature minors under 16 in their content to provide financial compensation to those minors. It defines when a minor is considered "engaged in work as a vlogger" (when at least 30% of compensated video content features them and the content meets certain view thresholds). Vloggers must set aside a portion of earnings from videos featuring minors into a trust account that becomes accessible to the minor when they reach age 18. The bill exempts these minor vloggers from standard child labor laws while ensuring they receive compensation for their work. This legislation is modeled after Illinois' similar law enacted in 2023.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey to create special license plates featuring Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, available to vehicle owners who pay a $50 application fee and a $10 annual renewal fee. After covering administrative costs, the collected fees are deposited into a dedicated fund that annually provides funding to support both organizations' missions and programs. The program requires Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta to cover initial costs (up to $25,000) through private donations and submit 500 applications before implementation. If the average cost per plate exceeds $50 for two consecutive years, the license plate program may be discontinued, and it expires if required conditions aren't met within 12 months.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey county colleges to collaborate with county social services boards and state agencies to expand access to social services for low-income students. It mandates colleges to provide students with information about programs like SNAP, TANF, and childcare subsidies, and to facilitate direct application assistance through on-campus partnerships. The New Jersey Council of County Colleges must coordinate with the Department of Human Services to train college staff on helping students navigate these supports. Additionally, colleges must partner with workforce boards to identify unemployed residents and connect them to career-focused college programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a system where municipalities that update their zoning regulations to allow for more housing options receive priority for state funding. Municipalities that adopt specific housing strategies - such as permitting accessory dwelling units, reducing parking requirements, or allowing multi-unit developments in commercial zones - can qualify for preference in state grants, including the Main Street New Jersey Program and Neighborhood Preservation Program. School districts in these municipalities may also receive up to a 10% increase in state aid for school construction projects. The bill requires municipalities to review and potentially amend their master plans and zoning regulations to incorporate these housing strategies, with planning boards required to report findings and recommend changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5358) revises New Jersey's Secure Choice Savings Program to require **all employers with at least one employee** in New Jersey to offer automatic payroll deductions for retirement savings, replacing the current threshold of 25+ employees. It directly affects private-sector employers (excluding state government) by mandating they set up payroll arrangements allowing employees to contribute to the program, with automatic enrollment at 3% of wages unless employees opt out. Key provisions include allowing employees to choose contribution levels (up to IRA limits) and investment options, with employers retaining the ability to offer alternative retirement plans. The bill removes the prior "small employer" category to reflect this expanded requirement.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires municipalities and parking authorities to include in contracts with online parking payment service providers a provision that prohibits charging users a fee during times when parking is prohibited at a parking project. The bill defines "online parking payment service" as a public-facing website, app, or mobile application that allows users to pay for parking at publicly available locations. The requirement applies to all contracts between governmental units and these service providers. This policy change ensures users aren't charged for parking during prohibited times, such as during street cleaning or construction hours.

Maddy summaryThe Manufactured Home Park Protection Act (A4973) gives resident homeowners in manufactured home parks the right to purchase the land their homes sit on if the landowner plans to sell. The bill requires landowners to notify resident homeowners, the Department of Community Affairs, and relevant municipal officials when selling land or considering a bona fide offer, with notice required to include price and terms. Resident homeowners can form a group with 51% consent to negotiate and purchase the land within 120 days, with a reasonable financing contingency of at least 90 days. The bill also allows resident homeowners to assign their purchase rights to a municipality, housing authority, or nonprofit organization to preserve the community as affordable housing.

Maddy summaryS 3607 extends accidental death benefits to survivors of State Police Retirement System (SPRS) retirees who died from health conditions linked to World Trade Center rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations, regardless of when the retiree died. It expands eligibility beyond retirees who previously received only accidental disability retirement to include those with ordinary disability, special, or service retirement benefits. The bill removes the requirement for a written sworn statement in applications and allows survivors to submit claims within two years of the retiree's death or two years after the bill's effective date, whichever is later. It also mandates that the State notify eligible survivors by certified mail within 60 days of the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public colleges and universities to provide students with information about food assistance programs. Specifically, institutions must include details about the federal SNAP program (food stamps) and campus or community food resources - such as food pantries or meal swipe programs - in initial admission offers and via email during each semester's registration. The state will develop standardized SNAP application links and program information for schools to distribute. This applies directly to students at public higher education institutions in New Jersey, aiming to improve access to food support.