Sen. Holly Schepisi

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 2463 bill withdraws the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multi-state program targeting carbon emissions, and repeals the "Global Warming Response Act" along with related climate laws. It directs the Environmental Protection Commissioner to notify RGGI officials of New Jersey's withdrawal 30 days after the bill takes effect. All unencumbered funds previously held in the "Global Warming Solutions Fund" are transferred to the General Fund for ratepayer relief. This bill directly affects New Jersey's climate policy framework by ending its participation in RGGI and redirecting climate-related funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to identify reservoirs with a history of causing downstream flooding and study their capacity, downstream river limits, and water needs for local communities. Reservoir owners must then create and implement approved flood action plans - including flood gates - and comply with DEP-set maximum water levels that balance flood prevention with maintaining water supply. The Office of Emergency Management can also order immediate reservoir level reductions before or during severe storms if deemed necessary to prevent flooding. These rules apply to reservoirs identified by the DEP as posing documented flood risks to downstream areas.

Maddy summaryS 1968 requires New Jersey public schools to obtain written parental consent before students can participate in health, family life, or sex education programs. Parents gain access to all curriculum materials (including videos) through school online portals and in-person reviews during office hours. School districts must also post summaries of these programs on their websites to help parents understand the content. This replaces current law, which only allowed students to be excused for religious/moral conflicts without requiring prior consent.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1188) amends New Jersey's "Extended Employment Act" to modernize support for people with significant disabilities. It revises key definitions - such as replacing "sheltered workshop" with "extended employment" to describe nonprofit-run programs providing work opportunities for individuals with disabilities who cannot compete in the open labor market. The bill updates funding mechanisms to tie annual increases to the CPI-W index (not fixed amounts) and requires contracted providers to submit detailed annual reports on participant outcomes. It directly affects nonprofit service providers administering these programs and people with significant disabilities who qualify for extended employment services. The changes aim to better align program structure with current vocational rehabilitation standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all state agencies and political subdivisions (including counties, municipalities, school districts, and local government entities) to make a good faith effort to purchase 5% of their goods and services from the Central Nonprofit Agency (CNA), which sources products from approved rehabilitation facilities. The CNA is granted the right of first refusal for these purchases, meaning state entities must consider the CNA before other vendors. Additionally, the bill mandates that the Division of Purchase and Property establish mandatory training protocols for purchasing agents, requiring new hires to complete training and renewing it every two years. The bill also requires regular reporting to track compliance with the 5% procurement goal and training requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires NJ Transit to expand its Access Link paratransit service to cover all U.S. Veterans Health Administration facilities in New Jersey. It mandates that Access Link service be available within a 1.5-mile radius around each facility and along a 1.5-mile-wide corridor connecting each facility to the nearest NJ Transit bus route or light rail station, regardless of whether these locations fall within the current service area. The bill appropriates $1 million from the state General Fund to cover implementation costs and prohibits NJ Transit from entering new contracts for Access Link service unless they comply with these expanded requirements. This change directly affects veterans using these health facilities who rely on paratransit for medical appointments.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1965) prohibits New Jersey county election boards from selecting or using schools as polling places for any election. It amends existing election law to explicitly remove schools from the list of eligible locations, overriding current provisions that allowed schools to be used with reimbursement for services. The change directly affects county election boards (who select polling places) and school authorities (who would no longer need to accommodate polling place requests). The law takes effect immediately upon passage, eliminating schools as a potential polling location option without altering requirements for accessibility or other building types.

Maddy summaryS 2375 requires mental health practitioners licensed in New Jersey - including clinical social workers, psychologists, counselors, and therapists - to complete four hours of approved suicide prevention training. New license applicants must complete this training before licensure, and all licensed practitioners must renew it every six years. Existing practitioners must complete the initial training within one year of the law's effective date. The Division of Consumer Affairs will maintain a list of approved training programs, which must cover suicide prevention, assessment, screening, treatment, and management in clinical settings. This bill directly affects all 9 licensed mental health practitioner categories under Title 45 of New Jersey law.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a legal defense for victims of human trafficking who commit crimes while being trafficked. It allows victims to avoid prosecution for crimes they committed as a direct result of their trafficking situation, provided they were victims at the time and the crime stemmed from that trafficking. To qualify, the defendant must prove both that they were a trafficking victim during the alleged offense and that the crime was a direct consequence of being trafficked. The defense applies even if the trafficking case itself didn't lead to a conviction.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) to administer New Jersey municipalities' affordable housing requirements based on a single statewide goal, replacing the current system that allowed municipalities to transfer their obligations to other municipalities via regional contribution agreements. It repeals the use of these agreements, which had permitted some towns to avoid building local affordable housing by paying others to meet their fair share. The change aims to create a more consistent statewide approach to providing affordable housing for low and moderate income households, as mandated by New Jersey's Mount Laurel doctrine. The bill does not alter the requirement for municipalities to provide a fair share of affordable housing but centralizes administration under COAH.