Sen. Paul Moriarty

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits businesses holding amusement games licenses (e.g., arcades or venues with such permits) from accepting bets, allowing gambling activities, or advertising gambling related to those games. It directly affects licensed operators under New Jersey’s amusement games law (P.L.1959, c.109). Key provisions amend Section 14 to ban holding wagers, permitting gambling on licensed premises, or promoting such activities. Violators face disorderly persons charges and potential license forfeiture. The law takes immediate effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the interchange between State Highway Route 42 and Interstate Route 295 as the "Ensign John R. Elliott Memorial Interchange" to honor Ensign John R. Elliott, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate killed in a 2000 drunk driving accident. The bill requires that private funding - not public funds - be used for producing, erecting, and maintaining signs bearing this designation, with the New Jersey Department of Transportation authorized to accept gifts or grants from private entities for this purpose.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to provide reading intervention programs for kindergarten through third-grade students who show reading deficiencies, as identified by approved assessments. The programs must use a data-driven, multi-tiered system of supports to deliver explicit instruction in phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension while monitoring student progress throughout the year. School districts must adopt scientifically based instructional materials, and the Department of Education must provide age-appropriate resources and develop an evaluation process for the program. The law takes effect immediately for the first full school year after enactment.

Maddy summaryThe "Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act" prevents credit reporting agencies from including paid medical debt or medical debt under $500 in credit reports, regardless of when the debt was incurred. It prohibits medical creditors and debt collectors from reporting medical debt to credit agencies for services provided after the law takes effect. The bill requires a 180-day waiting period before collection actions can begin and mandates a 30-day notice with a clear payment deadline before starting collections. Additionally, it protects patients by prohibiting debt collection during pending insurance appeals and requiring credit bureaus to remove debt information if an appeal is pending or the debt is paid.

Maddy summaryThe "Real Estate Consumer Protection Enhancement Act" (S 3192) establishes clearer definitions and duties for different types of real estate agents and brokers in New Jersey. The bill requires written agency disclosure before services begin, mandates specific duties including loyalty, confidentiality, and disclosure of material information, and sets requirements for property condition disclosures in residential transactions. It also establishes specific signage requirements at open houses and updates continuing education requirements to include specific hours on agency topics for real estate licensees. This legislation directly affects real estate brokerage firms, agents, and consumers involved in real estate transactions across the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's film and digital media tax credit program to include wages and salaries paid to workers not subject to New Jersey's gross income tax due to reciprocity agreements with other states. It expands the definitions of "qualified film production expenses" and "qualified digital media content production expenses" to cover these payments, including compensation paid to workers from states like Pennsylvania with which New Jersey has reciprocal tax agreements. The bill also updates the definition of "full-time or full-time equivalent employee" to include workers whose wages aren't subject to New Jersey tax due to reciprocity agreements. The changes apply retroactively to January 1, 2024, allowing taxpayers who haven't used their tax credit certificates to receive revised certificates under the new rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies New Jersey's down payment assistance program to provide additional support for first-generation homebuyers. It increases the maximum down payment assistance to $20,000 for first-time homebuyers, with an extra $7,000-$10,000 specifically for first-generation homebuyers (defined as individuals whose parents never owned residential property and who may have been in foster care). The program requires recipients to use the home as their primary residence for five years, complete homebuyer counseling, and repay the loan if they move before the five-year term. The assistance is structured as a zero-interest, forgivable loan if all conditions are met.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 226 restricts shipping box sizes for large online retailers (annual sales ≥ $1 million) and major retailers (75,000+ sq ft, 50+ employees). It prohibits using boxes larger than twice the volume of the shipped product, with exceptions for consumer electronics (like computers or TVs) and minimum size requirements set by the USPS or carriers. Violations incur civil penalties of $250-$500 per offense, enforced through courts or the Department of Environmental Protection. The law aims to reduce excess packaging waste by targeting specific large-scale retailers, not all businesses.

Maddy summaryThe "Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act" (S 2806) prevents consumer reporting agencies from including paid medical debt or medical debt under $500 in credit reports, regardless of when the debt was incurred. It also prohibits medical creditors and debt collectors from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus for services provided after the bill takes effect. The bill requires a 180-day waiting period before collection actions can begin after the first bill is sent, and mandates a 30-day notice to patients before initiating collection efforts. Additionally, it protects patients during pending insurance appeals by banning collection communications and requiring removal of debt information from credit reports if an appeal is active or the debt is paid.

Maddy summarySJR 45 is a symbolic resolution designating June of each year as "Gun Violence Awareness Month" in New Jersey. It does not create new laws or regulations but formally recognizes the issue through an annual observance. The resolution requests the Governor issue a proclamation urging public officials, organizations, and citizens to hold awareness activities during June. It directly affects New Jersey residents and state officials through this ceremonial designation, with no financial or policy impacts. The bill passed the Senate in June 2024 and is now under review in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.