Sen. Gordon Johnson

Maddy summaryThis bill requires certain rooming and boarding houses and cooperative sober living residences to comply with local land use regulations. Specifically, it amends existing law to subject these facilities to municipal zoning and land use rules (previously exempt except for construction codes). It also mandates that applicants for a State Class F license to operate a cooperative sober living residence must submit written approvals from local zoning, fire, health, and building authorities with their license application. The bill affects owners/operators of these facilities and changes how the state issues licenses for sober living residences.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Corrections (DOC) to submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature detailing specific operational data from all state correctional facilities. The report must include facility occupancy rates, incidents of use of force (with injury details), numbers of pregnant or mentally ill inmates, recidivism rates, reentry services provided (like ID documents or social security cards), officer training demographics, overtime pay, and commutation credit adjustments - all without including personally identifiable inmate information. The data must be categorized both cumulatively and by individual facility. This transparency measure affects DOC's reporting obligations but does not change correctional policies or practices.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a separate fringe benefit rate for New Jersey's public colleges and universities, starting in fiscal year 2025. Currently, these institutions use a general state rate that doesn't reflect their actual employee benefit costs - many staff are in the less expensive Alternative Benefit Plan (ABP) rather than the standard Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). The new rate will be based on the actual cost of retirement programs at these institutions and applied to all federal, dedicated, and non-State funded programs. This change directly affects public higher education funding by aligning benefit costs with actual employee retirement plan expenses.

Maddy summaryS 760, the "Mold Safe Housing Act," requires landlords in New Jersey to address mold hazards in rental properties within 72 hours of tenant notification. It mandates inspections before occupancy changes for certain buildings and creates a process where tenants can request mold remediation, with landlords facing financial liability if they fail to comply. The bill establishes a relocation program for tenants in unsafe housing, allowing the state to seek reimbursement from negligent landlords for relocation costs. This law directly affects renters in mold-prone housing, landlords, and local housing authorities, focusing on health safety through enforceable cleanup deadlines and financial accountability.

Maddy summaryThis bill reinstates automatic annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirement benefits paid to eligible retired members of New Jersey's Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS). It requires the PFRS board of trustees to restore these COLAs to their previous statutory level without requiring additional contributions from retirees, provided actuarial certification confirms the change won't increase employer costs or jeopardize the system's long-term financial health. The policy directly affects retired police officers and firefighters who receive benefits under the PFRS. The change reverses a prior reduction to these automatic inflation adjustments for this specific retirement system.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's wrongful imprisonment law to include individuals wrongfully convicted and later civilly committed as "sexually violent predators" under P.L.1998, c.71. It allows these individuals to sue the state for damages by proving, with clear and convincing evidence, that they did not commit the crime and were not responsible for their conviction. Claimants must file within two years of release, pardon, or vacated conviction, with damages calculated as twice their pre-incarceration income or $50,000 per year of imprisonment, plus additional support like legal fees and counseling. The law applies to those released or pardoned on or after December 27, 2013, who haven't previously received compensation under similar statutes.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the New Jersey State Board of Education from setting limits on how many semester-hour credits earned at regionally accredited two-year colleges in professional education can count toward teacher certification requirements. It directly affects prospective teachers seeking certification who attend two-year colleges, ensuring their credits are fully counted if accepted by a state-approved four-year college program. The key provision removes any restriction the Board might impose on these credits, requiring them to be accepted as part of certification without arbitrary caps. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryS 3024 redirects state tax revenues for fiscal year 2026 and beyond to fund specific land preservation programs. It establishes a new "Preserve New Jersey Urban Agriculture and Horticulture Fund" that will receive 5% of dedicated funds annually (plus a $25 million one-time deposit) to help Garden State Preservation Trust and local governments acquire urban lands for farming or gardening. The bill changes allocation percentages from previous law, increasing funding for farmland preservation (26% vs. 31% under current law) and creating the dedicated urban fund. This directly affects local governments and the Garden State Preservation Trust, which must review annual funding allocations for conservation, farmland, and historic preservation programs. The policy focuses on supporting urban agricultural access through land acquisition, not new taxes or regulations.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution (SR 49) urges Congress to pass H.R.3339, which would establish a national infrastructure bank to address significant funding gaps for large-scale infrastructure projects. The proposed bank would generate capital by selling U.S. Treasury bonds to private investors, then lend funds to state and local governments for projects like roads, bridges, broadband, and energy systems. It directly affects states and municipalities by providing a dedicated, long-term funding source for infrastructure modernization, which the resolution cites as critical due to aging systems and climate-related strain (e.g., New Jersey’s 29% of roads in poor condition). The resolution emphasizes that current funding mechanisms are insufficient, and the bank model is used by other nations and historically by the U.S. for major economic investments.

Maddy summarySCR 12 is a New Jersey legislative resolution urging Congress to provide emergency funds immediately to modernize air traffic control infrastructure and increase staffing at facilities supporting Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). It directly affects EWR, which serves nearly 50 million passengers annually and has faced repeated system disruptions - including radar outages and controller shortages - since airspace control shifted to Philadelphia TRACON in July 2024. The resolution highlights that outdated FAA infrastructure and nationwide staffing gaps (with only 22 certified controllers at Philadelphia TRACON) are causing flight delays and cancellations, while noting a long-term FAA system upgrade plan announced in May 2025 will take years to implement. New Jersey lawmakers request urgent federal action to address these safety and operational issues.