Sen. Paul Sarlo

Maddy summarySCR 66 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow New Jersey's Legislature to establish casino gaming at Monmouth Park Racetrack and Meadowlands Racetrack without requiring voter approval. If passed, the bill would enable these racetracks to operate casinos, with all state revenues from these casinos required to fund property tax reductions, utility bill assistance, and expanded health/transportation services for eligible senior citizens and disabled residents. The amendment is currently pending in the Senate committee, with no further action taken yet.

Maddy summaryThis bill lowers the minimum uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage required for transportation network company drivers (like Uber or Lyft drivers) and their companies when providing rides. It reduces the current $1.5 million coverage limit to $25,000 per person for injury/death (increasing to $35,000 after 2026), $50,000 total for multiple people (increasing to $70,000 after 2026), and $25,000 for property damage. The change applies to insurance plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2023, with gradual increases over time. This directly affects drivers and companies using personal vehicles for ride services in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryS 1754 increases annual payments from New Jersey's Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund to municipalities over two years. It directly affects all municipalities receiving these state funds, requiring them to reduce their property tax levies by the full amount of the increased aid. The bill mandates that any additional aid distributed under this fund must be subtracted from the municipality's annual property tax levy, preventing local governments from using the extra funds to raise taxes. This policy change ensures that state aid directly lowers the property tax burden on residents and businesses in affected municipalities.

Maddy summaryThis bill, S 247, would eliminate New Jersey's statewide high school graduation proficiency test requirement. It directly affects all New Jersey public high school students, removing the mandate to pass a state-administered test in reading, writing, and math for graduation. The bill deletes references to the "High School Proficiency Test" from existing education laws and shifts responsibility to local school districts to establish their own graduation standards. Instead of a statewide test, districts would set their own criteria for student proficiency, with the State Board of Education no longer requiring the test as part of graduation standards. The bill is pending before the Senate Education Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates supplemental funding for New Jersey's fiscal year 2026 budget, adding specific amounts to existing appropriations. It provides $5 million for the Office of the Food Security Advocate to fund research, pilot programs, and public-private partnerships focused on food security. Additional funds include $750,000 for community resource grants (like Family Food Relief of New Jersey) and $44 million for local government projects, such as facility upgrades in Bergen County, homelessness stabilization in Burlington, and infrastructure in Camden, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Salem, and Union counties. The bill directly affects state departments, community organizations, and local governments by authorizing these specific funding allocations.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $5 million for Food Security Research and Innovation (under the Department of Agriculture) to fund projects, pilot programs, and partnerships addressing food access needs. It also provides $750,000 for Social Services Programs, including $500,000 to "Family Food Relief of New Jersey" and $250,000 for "Bridges NJ." Additionally, it allocates $44 million in state aid for local governments, targeting specific county projects like homelessness stabilization in Burlington, medical center upgrades in Bergen, and emergency communications in Gloucester. The funds are supplemental to the existing 2025-2026 budget and direct state services, with no new policy changes beyond funding allocations.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations act to change how $1.5 million in state grant funding for Centenary University can be used. Currently restricted to capital improvements (like building repairs), the bill removes this limitation, allowing the university to use the funds for general operational purposes instead. The bill does not increase the total funding amount - it only expands the allowable uses of the existing appropriation. This change directly affects Centenary University's budget flexibility for the 2026 fiscal year.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires contractors to pay the prevailing wage rate for workers on data center construction projects meeting specific size thresholds (250 kilowatts electrical capacity or designed for 500 kilowatt-hours average usage). It directly affects contractors and subcontractors working on such projects in New Jersey, mandating registration, safety documentation, certified payroll submission, and OSHA training compliance. Key provisions include requiring all workers to complete OSHA-10 safety training, restricting third-tier subcontractors, and banning temporary labor unless tied to registered apprenticeships. The bill also establishes joint liability for unpaid wages and requires detailed weekly worker attendance records.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's FY2026 state budget to add $496,000 to the Supplemental Graduate Medical Education (GME) Subsidy, enabling funding for a 15th acute care hospital meeting specific Medicaid revenue criteria. The subsidy currently supports the 14 hospitals with the highest Relative Medicaid Percentage (RMP) - calculated from 2023 cost reports - based on revenue from Medicaid patients. The new funding allocates exactly $496,000 to the 15th hospital ranked by RMP, without changing payments to the existing 14 hospitals. This adjustment aligns the budget with a 2018 law requiring subsidies to cover hospitals in the top third of all acute care hospitals with residency programs, now applicable to 15 hospitals out of 45 total.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a three-year pilot program in eligible New Jersey counties (population over 950,000) to fund nursing services for nonpublic schools. It redirects existing nursing aid funds directly to county-wide groups of nonpublic schools (called "county consortia") instead of school districts, requiring these consortia to provide all required nursing services to participating schools. The program mandates annual audits, an oversight committee with appointed members, and a report after two years to evaluate whether to expand statewide. It directly affects nonpublic schools in qualifying counties that currently receive nursing services through school districts.