Sen. Holly Schepisi

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow New Jersey municipalities to transfer dormant alcohol retail licenses to other towns within designated redevelopment or revitalization zones (like urban enterprise zones or downtown areas). It requires 90-day public notice before transfers, limits municipalities to one transfer per year, and mandates that transferred licenses stay permanently within revitalization areas. The law aims to repurpose unused licenses for economic development without increasing overall license caps.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's Smoke-Free Air Act to allow smoking in specific areas of casinos and casino simulcasting facilities approved by the Casino Control Commission. It permits smoking in no more than 25% of the casino floor or simulcasting facility, only in clearly marked areas, with strict requirements: smoking areas must be separated by solid walls/doors, have independent ventilation, and cannot be within 15 feet of table game pits. The bill directly affects licensed casinos (with 150+ slot machines or equivalent) and simulcasting facilities (with 50+ dedicated seats or 10+ table games). These provisions override local smoking bans adopted after January 1, 2022, for these specific venues.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Senate Bill S 2555 regulates residential mental health treatment facilities by establishing licensing requirements and care standards. It mandates that facilities provide 24/7 care consistent with ASAM's Level 3.5 standards for patients who don't need hospitalization, limit treatment duration to prepare patients for community care, and prohibit retrospective medical necessity reviews. Facilities must obtain a license from the Commissioner of Health, demonstrate compliance with minimum standards, and cannot operate at the same location as substance use disorder facilities. The bill also exempts these facilities from New Jersey's certificate of need requirements for facility expansions or modifications.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 789) expands New Jersey's existing affordable housing preference for veterans to include certain South Korean veterans who served as U.S. allies in the Vietnam War. It amends definitions to include South Korean veterans who are New Jersey residents, citizens, and have a disability recognized by South Korea's equivalent of the U.S. Veterans Administration. These veterans will now qualify for the same housing preference priority as other disabled veterans - ranking second behind homeless veterans - under existing state housing programs. Applicants must still meet standard income requirements for each housing project, and the bill does not create new housing but extends current eligibility.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds Bergen County to the list of counties eligible to participate in New Jersey's "Common Sense Shared Services Pilot Program." It directly affects municipalities in Bergen County and tenured local employees (such as clerks, financial officers, assessors, and tax collectors) who may be part of shared services agreements. The key mechanism expands the existing pilot program, allowing Bergen County municipalities to share these specific services across municipal boundaries without being blocked by tenure rights, while protecting dismissed employees' right to return to their former positions if the agreement ends within two years. The bill does not change the program's core rules but includes Bergen County among the eight pilot counties.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases annual payments from New Jersey's Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund to municipalities over two years, replacing the current fixed $740 million allocation. It prohibits municipalities from counting anticipated revenue from this fund when creating their annual budgets and requires that any additional aid must be subtracted from their property tax levy amounts. The bill directly affects all New Jersey municipalities receiving these state aid payments, including cities, towns, and counties. If enacted, it would provide incremental funding increases while ensuring local tax burdens are adjusted downward proportionally.

Maddy summaryS 2122 establishes a 13-member "COVID-19 Learning Loss Study Commission" to examine how the pandemic affected student learning in New Jersey. The commission, appointed by legislative leaders and the Governor (including education stakeholders and public members), will analyze academic data from March 2020 (school closures) through the bill's effective date, breaking down impacts by district size, grade level, subject, and pre-existing achievement gaps. It must issue a final report with findings and legislative recommendations to the Governor, Legislature, and State Board of Education within six months of organizing. The commission expires 30 days after submitting its report.

Maddy summaryS 2120 prohibits all New Jersey county election boards from selecting or using public schools as polling places for any election. This bill directly affects county election officials, school authorities, and municipal clerks by removing schools from the list of permitted polling locations under state election law. The key mechanism is amending two election statutes (R.S.19:8-2 and R.S.19:8-3) to explicitly state that "a school or schoolhouse shall not be selected or used as a polling place for any election." The bill does not change requirements for accessible polling locations or reimbursement for non-school venues.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to create a public online database tracking affordable housing settlement agreements between municipalities and housing advocates since 2015. The database will include specific data on each municipality’s affordable housing obligations (like unit counts by rental/ownership type), ratios of affordable to market-rate units, and payments made to groups like the Fair Share Housing Center. It directly affects all New Jersey municipalities that resolved housing compliance through court agreements under the state’s Fair Housing Act. The DCA must collect this information from courts and municipalities upon request, making it accessible to the public on its website. The goal is to increase transparency around how municipalities meet their statewide affordable housing requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires ticket issuers (like venues, promoters, or sports teams) to offer purchasers a transferable ticket option at the time of initial sale if they use a non-transferable system, allowing tickets to be resold or given away without penalty. Exceptions apply for targeted promotions (e.g., discounted group tickets based on specific affiliations), which may remain non-transferable if clearly marked and not offered publicly. It prohibits penalizing or discriminating against ticket holders solely for reselling tickets or using specific resale platforms. The bill exempts venues in certain cities with hotel occupancy fees and retail sales taxes, and aligns with similar New York State rules already in effect.