Sen. Paul Moriarty

Maddy summaryS 2953 limits annual rent increases for tenants leasing sites in manufactured home parks (where modular or manufactured homes are placed) to 2% per year. Landlords cannot raise rent more than 2% over any 12-month period, except for initial rates in new tenancies or if approved by the Commissioner of Community Affairs after demonstrating covered costs like taxes or maintenance. Violations require landlords to revert to the previous rent rate for the lease term and face penalties of $500 for a first offense or $1,000 for repeat offenses, plus tenant legal fees. Tenants can also use violations as a defense against eviction under existing law.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new offense for "inciting a public brawl" when someone purposefully organizes four or more people to engage in disorderly conduct (like fighting or violent behavior) at a public event or gathering. It upgrades penalties for disrupting public gatherings: causing such a disturbance becomes a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months in jail or $10,000 fine) instead of a lesser disorderly conduct charge. The bill also adds a separate offense for concealing one's identity during disorderly conduct to avoid arrest. These changes directly affect individuals who organize or incite group disturbances in public spaces like events, parks, or venues.

Maddy summaryThis bill would enter New Jersey into the Social Work Licensure Compact, creating a system where social workers licensed in New Jersey could practice in other participating states without obtaining additional licenses. Under the compact, social workers would need to meet specific requirements, including passing a national exam, maintaining an active license in New Jersey, and meeting continuing education standards. The compact establishes a commission to manage the system, share disciplinary information between states, and handle adverse actions against licensees. This primarily affects social workers seeking to practice across state lines, including those with military families who may need to move between states, while preserving each state's regulatory authority.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 2952 amends the state's rooming and boarding house regulations to specifically address cooperative sober living residences, which are facilities for people recovering from alcohol or drug addiction. The bill increases civil penalties for licensing violations to $25,000, requires two unannounced annual inspections of these facilities (compared to one for regular rooming houses), and establishes new reporting requirements for serious incidents like overdoses, fires, or communicable disease outbreaks. It mandates that these residences employ staff who live on-site and are qualified to assist with addiction recovery, prohibit alcohol and drug use within the facilities, conduct random testing of residents, and provide individual counseling and group recovery meetings. The bill appropriates $100,000 for implementation and requires the Department of Community Affairs to maintain a public list of licensed cooperative sober living residences with their locations and contact information.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 1445 requires public colleges and universities to readmit undergraduate students who withdrew due to military service (including active duty, National Guard, or Reserve service). Schools must reinstate students with their exact academic standing from before their service interruption. Students must submit a written request for the next available semester, and institutions cannot charge application or processing fees for these requests. The law applies starting the first full academic year after its effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires state-funded transportation projects (like roads or bridges) to use geotechnical engineers to determine necessary soil, groundwater, and structural monitoring. It mandates groundwater testing before construction begins and ongoing monitoring if site conditions require it (capped at three years), plus deformation monitoring during and after construction if needed. The Department of Transportation must follow all internal standards for subsurface data and cannot waive these requirements without approval. This directly affects state agencies and contractors managing transportation projects funded by New Jersey resources, including the Transportation Trust Fund.

Maddy summaryThis bill would extend New Jersey's early voting period for primary elections to begin 11 days before the election (up from 4 days for non-presidential primaries and 6 days for presidential primaries), ending on the second day before the election. It would require county boards of elections to designate public locations for early voting based on population size, with specific requirements for accessibility and security of ballots. The bill specifies that early voting would occur Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 8 PM and Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM at designated locations. The bill appropriates $6 million to support these changes, which would affect all registered voters participating in primary elections in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryS 3509 requires New Jersey employers to clearly state in all public job postings whether the position is for an existing vacancy and provide an estimated timeframe for filling it. Employers must remove filled position postings within two weeks or notify third-party job boards to do so, and must give applicants a timely response about their application status after interviews. The bill also mandates the Department of Labor to audit compliance and imposes civil penalties of $1,000-$5,000 per violation for noncompliance. This directly affects employers and third-party job posting platforms in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires juveniles accused of delinquency to appear in court in the county where the alleged incident occurred, rather than their residence county. It directly affects juveniles facing delinquency complaints in New Jersey. The key provision mandates court appearance in the incident county and requires courts to provide reasonable transportation accommodations to ensure attendance. This changes current practice where cases were typically held in the juvenile's home county. The policy change applies to all juvenile delinquency cases under the court's jurisdiction.

Maddy summaryS 2386 creates a New Jersey gross income tax credit for active volunteer members of fire departments, ambulance squads, or rescue organizations who use their personal vehicles for emergency duties. It allows eligible volunteers to claim a credit based on miles driven for active duty (defined as direct response to emergencies), calculated using the federal IRS business mileage rate, with a maximum credit of $500 for single filers or $1,000 for married couples filing jointly. To qualify, members must maintain active status without regular pay (only receiving clothing allowances or limited service awards), meet attendance requirements for drills/meetings, and document service through their organization’s certification. The credit applies to taxable years beginning after the bill’s enactment and is refundable if it reduces tax liability to zero. This directly benefits New Jersey volunteer emergency responders who incur vehicle costs while serving.