Sen. Kristin Corrado

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's high school athletic association (NJSIAA) to create a policy allowing instant replay reviews for game clock decisions in basketball playoff tournaments. It mandates that all playoff games be recorded with video and audio for review, and permits each head coach to challenge the clock twice per game. The policy applies only to playoff tournament games, not regular-season matches, and gives coaches a limited number of challenges to correct clock errors. The rule takes effect immediately for the first full school year after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $2 million grant program for New Jersey public schools to develop policies limiting student cell phone and social media use during school hours and school events. Schools receiving grants must create age-appropriate policies that include exceptions for emergencies, health needs, and accommodations for students with disabilities, while promoting alternatives like phone lockers and network restrictions. Participating schools must report annually on how the program affects academic performance, behavior, and student well-being, with the state later evaluating the program's effectiveness compared to non-participating schools. The program directly affects public schools seeking funding to address distractions, not individual students or parents.

Maddy summaryS 3276 (New Jersey) prevents student-athlete name, image, and likeness (NIL) contracts from continuing after an athlete stops competing. It specifically prohibits contracts from remaining valid beyond the athlete’s eligibility date or requiring them to provide future compensation or rights after they stop competing. Any contract term violating these rules would be void. The bill directly affects college athletes in New Jersey who sign NIL agreements, ensuring contracts end when their athletic participation concludes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3292) requires New Jersey's public colleges and universities to conduct five specific studies every two years to assess institutional efficiency. It mandates cost diagnostics identifying funding sources and tuition impacts, administrative productivity analyses, organizational structure reviews for cost-saving opportunities, campus space utilization studies, and faculty productivity reports detailing teaching loads and research time. All findings must be reported to the State’s Higher Education Secretary and made publicly available. The bill aims to identify cost-saving opportunities to reduce expenses passed to students, directly affecting all 15 public institutions of higher education in New Jersey. It is currently pending in the Senate Higher Education Committee.

Maddy summaryS 3269 requires New Jersey child care centers to create procedures for notifying parents or guardians when a child is absent without an excused reason, as a condition for obtaining or renewing their state license. Centers must establish these notification systems and determine the reason for each unexcused absence, following existing requirements under P.L.2020, c.152. The Department of Children and Families (DCF) will deny, revoke, or refuse to renew a center’s license if it fails to implement these procedures. This law directly affects licensed child care centers by tying their operational authorization to parental communication about absences.

Maddy summaryS 3303 (New Jersey) updates criminal laws to specifically address nonconsensual deepfake imagery. It creates new third-degree crimes for creating or sharing deepfakes depicting intimate acts without consent, and fourth-degree crimes for sharing non-deepfake intimate images or disclosing deepfakes created from such images. The bill directly affects individuals who produce or distribute nonconsensual deepfakes (defined as digitally altered media appearing authentic) of others in private situations, and victims of such acts. Key provisions include defining "deepfake" clearly, requiring consent for sharing intimate images (with limited exceptions for law enforcement), and establishing separate penalties for creation and disclosure. The bill does not yet have a final vote or become law.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 3257) requires licensed child care centers to provide an annual notice to every parent or legal guardian about the center's emergency procedures. The notice must cover safety protocols for evacuations, lockdowns, natural disasters, and other emergencies, and must be sent by certified mail (or receipted first-class mail) to the parent's last known address. Centers must also post the notice on their website or other electronic platforms. The bill applies to all child care centers licensed under New Jersey law and takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's public colleges and universities to adopt a standardized system for numbering general education courses (like math or writing classes needed for associate or bachelor's degrees). The Secretary of Higher Education and college leaders must create and implement this system by September 1 of the first full academic year after the bill takes effect. Independent colleges in New Jersey can choose to join the system voluntarily, but public institutions must participate. The goal is to simplify course transfers between public schools by using consistent course codes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents that result in death to submit to an evaluation by a certified drug recognition expert (a law enforcement officer trained to identify drug impairment). It directly affects drivers involved in fatal crashes who refuse such evaluations. Key provisions include: refusing the evaluation leads to license restrictions (requiring an ignition interlock device for first offenses, up to 8 years for third offenses), fines ($300-$1,000 depending on offense count), and mandatory referral to an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center. The law amends existing statutes to expand testing requirements beyond alcohol to include drugs, with penalties increasing for repeat refusals.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey to issue classic license plates replicating designs from 1979-1991 for eligible vehicle owners. Vehicle owners applying for these plates pay a $50 one-time fee plus a $10 annual renewal fee, with all additional fees deposited into the state's "Special Transportation Fund" for road projects. Initial program costs are covered by private donations (capped at $25,000) and pre-paid applications, requiring 500 completed applications before implementation. The bill directly affects NJ vehicle owners seeking nostalgic plates while directing fees toward transportation infrastructure funding.