Sen. Gordon Johnson

Maddy summaryThis bill, S 1393, would allow registered medical cannabis patients in New Jersey to grow cannabis at home for their personal medical use. It specifically permits registered qualifying patients or their designated caregivers (who must be 18+, registered with the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, and not currently serving as a caregiver for more than one patient) to cultivate cannabis in their residence. The law explicitly excludes commercial entities, as home cultivation would not apply to permit holders like dispensaries or clinical registrants. This change would amend existing medical cannabis laws to add a personal cultivation option while maintaining registration requirements and background checks for caregivers.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a three-year "Male Teachers of Color Mentorship Pilot Program" in New Jersey, targeting male students of color enrolled in the final year of educator preparation programs at participating colleges and male teachers of color in school districts, charter schools, or renaissance schools. It requires pairing each eligible student with a mentor teacher for their final academic year and the first two years of employment, if hired by the same district. The program appropriates $95,000 from the General Fund, including a $5,000 annual stipend for participating mentors, and mandates school districts to make a good-faith effort to hire students who receive favorable performance reviews. The Commissioner of Education must submit a report on the program's effectiveness and recommend potential expansion after the pilot concludes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 292) removes a past conviction for a serious criminal offense as a barrier to serving on a jury in New Jersey. It directly affects individuals with prior convictions under New Jersey, state, or federal law who were previously disqualified from jury service. The bill amends state law by deleting the disqualifying clause in N.J.S.2B:20-1, making these individuals eligible for jury duty. The change applies immediately upon enactment, updating jury selection lists to include qualified citizens with past convictions.

Maddy summarySCR 39 proposes a constitutional amendment to authorize the New Jersey Legislature to transfer all probation functions - including duties, powers, and personnel - from the Judiciary to a new Bureau of Probation within the State Parole Board. This would affect probation officers, case workers, and related employees currently under judicial oversight, while ensuring existing contracts and employee bargaining rights remain unchanged. If approved by voters, the amendment would enable future legislation to create this bureau and effect the transfer without altering current employment terms. The bill requires voter approval at the next general election following its constitutional passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1648) expands New Jersey's wrongful imprisonment law to include people who were 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 if they prove, with clear evidence, they didn’t commit the crime and didn’t cause their own conviction through perjury or evidence fabrication. Damages would be calculated as either twice their pre-incarceration income or $50,000 per year of imprisonment, plus $25,000 per year under state supervision, with a maximum $1 million cap. Claims must be filed within two years of release, pardon, or conviction vacating.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 58) provides property tax exemptions for New Jersey veterans with service-connected disabilities. It allows veterans with a 30% or higher disability rating (including specific conditions like blindness, amputations, or paralysis) to receive a tax exemption proportional to their disability percentage, up to 100%. Surviving spouses of eligible veterans or those who died in service also qualify for similar exemptions under defined conditions. Crucially, the bill requires the state to reimburse municipalities 102% of the lost tax revenue from these exemptions, ensuring local governments aren’t financially burdened. The policy directly affects honorably discharged veterans with qualifying disabilities and their surviving spouses.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 2006) requires specific healthcare providers - such as physicians, nurses, and midwives - to conduct regular, private screenings for intimate partner violence during patient visits. If a screening suggests abuse, providers must document findings, immediately provide victims with local resources and referrals, and ensure patients reapprove who can access their medical records (preventing abusers from obtaining them). The bill mandates that the state’s health and children’s departments update resource lists biennially for providers. It applies directly to patients experiencing intimate partner violence and healthcare professionals treating them.

Maddy summaryS 2241 expands New Jersey's subsidized child care assistance program to cover families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), raising the income limit from 200% FPL ($55,500 for a family of four in 2022) to 300% FPL ($83,250 for a family of four in 2022). The bill requires the Division of Family Development to establish at least four income tiers for determining eligibility and co-payment amounts. It appropriates necessary state funds for implementation, to be determined by the Commissioner of Human Services and approved by the budget office. This change directly affects low-to-moderate-income working families who previously exceeded the income threshold for child care subsidies.

Maddy summaryS 2239 extends New Jersey's requirement that child care subsidy payments for licensed centers and registered family day care providers be based on the number of enrolled eligible children (not attendance) until June 30, 2025. The bill mandates that providers set staff wages and hours based on enrollment numbers, not attendance, and requires the Division of Family Development to study the cost differences between enrollment-based and attendance-based payments. This study must be reported to the Governor and Legislature within three years of the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryS 888 ensures that children in New Jersey's NJ FamilyCare program transitioning from the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program to the Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) program automatically retain their previous weekly private duty nursing hours and can carry over unused hours. It requires managed care organizations to maintain private duty nursing coverage during appeals for reductions, extending the appeal window from 10 to 30 days and continuing benefits until 30 days after an appeal concludes. The bill also directs the state to review past transitions (within five years) to identify children who may qualify for increased private duty nursing hours. These provisions aim to prevent disruptions in critical nursing care during program changes for pediatric beneficiaries.