Maddy summaryThis bill would amend New Jersey's Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) rules to include pay for extracurricular activities in teachers' compensation calculations. Currently, additional pay for activities like coaching sports teams, directing school plays, or advising clubs isn't counted toward pension benefits. The bill would require that such additional pay be included when calculating a teacher's final compensation for pension purposes. It specifically defines extracurricular duties to include preparation for and involvement in public performances, contests, athletic competitions, demonstrations, displays, and club activities. This change would directly affect teachers who receive extra pay for these activities, potentially increasing their future pension benefits.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryS 4590 requires New Jersey employers of first responders (law enforcement officers and paid firefighters) to provide workers' compensation coverage for up to 12 hours of confidential counseling after a critical incident, with up to 24 additional hours permitted if a mental health professional deems it necessary. Critical incidents include events like gunfights, witnessing serious injuries or deaths, or responding to crimes involving minors. Employers must cover these sessions without requiring the use of personal leave during work hours, and all counseling must be completed within one year. The bill also protects confidentiality of mental health communications between first responders and peer support teams or resiliency program officers, except in cases of imminent risk to self or others.
Maddy summaryS 4071 redirects $400 million in tax credits from the Community-Anchored Development Program and Cultural Arts Incentives Program to the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA). The bill requires HMFA to conduct competitive tax credit auctions to sell these credits, with annual limits of $75 million and a minimum sale price of 85% of the credit value. Proceeds from these auctions must fund middle-income workforce housing developments, defined as housing for households earning 80-120% of the local median income, located near public transportation or job opportunities. This housing must be deed-restricted for these income-eligible households.
Maddy summaryS 4255 modifies New Jersey's Cultural Arts Incentives Program by expanding eligibility to include entities with any cultural arts component in their mission, allowing limited pre-application construction for environmental work and repairs, and changing the application process to a rolling basis. The bill eliminates the Community-Anchored Development Program (established in P.L.2020, c.156, sections 43-53) and removes a provision allowing tax credits for operating reserves. It also revises tax credit certificate usage rules, permitting transferees to use credits in the tax period issued or the next three years, with unused credits expiring after five years. These changes affect cultural arts institutions seeking tax credits and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority administering the program.
Maddy summaryThis bill changes who pays New Jersey's property transfer fees and taxes by shifting responsibility from buyers to sellers for certain real estate transactions exceeding $1 million in value. It increases tax rates for property transfers valued over $2 million, with rates ranging from 2% to 3.5% based on the transfer amount (2% for $2M-$2.5M, 2.5% for $2.5M-$3M, 3% for $3M-$3.5M, and 3.5% for over $3.5M). The bill affects residential, commercial, farm, and cooperative property transfers, and creates a refund process for sellers who paid excess fees on transactions contracted before July 10, 2025 and recorded before November 15, 2025. These changes apply to property transfers occurring on or after July 10, 2025.
Maddy summaryThis bill increases tax credits for investors who fund New Jersey emerging technology businesses, raising the credit rate from 20% to 60% of qualified investments, with an additional 5% available for investments in opportunity zones, low-income communities, or certified minority/women-owned businesses. It also lowers the maximum employee count for qualifying businesses from 225 to 150 employees. The bill repeals the "New Jersey Ignite Act" while updating definitions and mechanisms for the tax credit program to better support technology startups across fields like biotechnology, renewable energy, and advanced computing. This change directly affects individual investors and venture funds making qualifying investments in New Jersey-based technology businesses.
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits electric and gas public utilities from charging residents in multi-unit dwellings (like apartments or condos) more than the actual cost of their electricity or gas usage for a billing cycle when they opt out of smart meter installation. It specifically bans utilities from imposing meter-reading fees that exceed the cost of the customer's actual utility consumption. The law applies to residential customers in multi-unit buildings who choose manual meter readings instead of smart meters, ensuring fees directly match usage costs. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires pharmacies in New Jersey to provide written notice to the local municipality (city or town government) at least 90 days before closing. It applies to all pharmacies physically located within a municipality, in addition to existing requirements for notifying the State Board of Pharmacy and federal Drug Enforcement Administration. The key provision mandates that pharmacy owners or their authorized representatives must send this notice directly to the municipality's governing body 90 days prior to the planned closure date. This change aims to give communities advance warning of pharmacy closures to help residents plan for continued access to medications.
Maddy summaryS 4616 requires hospitals in New Jersey to perform psychological and psychiatric evaluations on patients being treated for drug overdoses before releasing them from the hospital. The bill mandates that all health insurance plans - including individual, group, and employer-sponsored policies - must cover these evaluations at the same level as other medical treatments. This applies to all health insurance contracts issued, renewed, or delivered in New Jersey on or after the bill's effective date. The legislation directly affects hospitals, patients recovering from drug overdoses, and health insurance providers across the state.
Maddy summaryS 4617 establishes a new licensure pathway for non-hospital based inpatient mental health treatment facilities in New Jersey, specifically for adolescents (ages 12-21) and adults requiring 45-120 day comprehensive care. The bill sets strict requirements including accreditation standards, staffing ratios (with trauma-informed therapists), mandatory staff training, and facility safety protocols to ensure high-quality care focused on medication management, therapy, and holistic treatment. It also creates a Mental Health Workforce Development Program offering grants, loan forgiveness, and salary incentives to address the shortage of mental health professionals affecting 40,000 residents. The law aims to fill a critical care gap left by hospital-based services (which focus on short-term stabilization) and reduce strain on hospital systems by integrating these facilities into the state’s mental health service continuum.