Sen. Kristin Corrado

Maddy summaryThis bill changes penalties for underage gambling in New Jersey from criminal charges to civil fines. It directly affects underage gamblers (under 21), casino licensees/employees who allow underage gambling, and caregivers who permit it. Key provisions set tiered civil penalties: up to $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second, and $2,000 for subsequent offenses. All collected fines must fund gambling addiction prevention, education, and treatment programs through the Department of Human Services. The bill removes criminal penalties while redirecting fines to support treatment services.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Transportation (DOT), New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA), and South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) to build physical barriers on bridges or overpasses deemed high-risk for suicide attempts. Within one year of enactment, each agency must study its bridges to identify those posing significant suicide threats based on height, location, transportation hazards, and past incidents. If barriers are feasible, the agencies must install them; if not, they must implement alternatives like emergency phones, surveillance systems, or crisis hotline access. The law directly affects these transportation agencies and aims to prevent suicide attempts at specific high-risk infrastructure locations.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 197) expands pretrial detention authority for defendants who violate protective orders issued under New Jersey's "Victim's Assistance and Survivor Protection Act." It specifically allows prosecutors to seek pretrial detention for contempt violations related to protective orders in cases involving domestic violence, crimes against minors, human trafficking, or endangering a child's welfare. Key mechanisms include requiring a court hearing within three business days of a prosecutor's motion, establishing a rebuttable presumption of detention for certain violations (like domestic violence), and mandating that courts consider whether any release conditions could ensure court appearance and community safety. The bill directly affects defendants accused of violating protective orders in these specific victim-sensitive cases, altering the process for determining pretrial release.

Maddy summaryS 1982, the "Fentanyl and Xylazine Poisoning Awareness Act," requires New Jersey public school districts to include age-appropriate instruction on the dangers of fentanyl and xylazine in health and physical education curricula for students in grades 6-12. The bill mandates teaching about prevention, symptoms of poisoning, emergency response, and legal protections for seeking help, using resources from federal agencies like the CDC and DEA. School districts must provide this instruction as part of existing health standards, and the state education department must post related materials online for staff, students, and parents. The bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, after being approved as P.L.2025, c.278, and is no longer active.

Maddy summaryThe "Energy Security and Affordability Act" (S 1900) requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to prioritize energy security, diversity, and affordability when updating the state's Energy Master Plan. It mandates the BPU to conduct detailed economic and ratepayer impact analyses for all energy generation projects and the Master Plan itself, including cost breakdowns, infrastructure expenses, and public comment periods. These analyses must be published online for 10 years using open-source modeling tools. The bill directly affects ratepayers (utility customers) and energy developers by ensuring decisions consider financial impacts and public input before project approvals.

Maddy summaryThis bill reinstates an annual sales tax exemption for specific school and recreational items purchased by individuals for non-business use. It exempts computers under $3,000, school computer supplies under $1,000, school supplies (like notebooks and art materials), school instructional materials (textbooks, workbooks), and sport/recreation equipment (gloves, skates, etc.) during a defined 10-day period each year. The exemption period runs from 12:01 a.m. on the ninth day before the first Monday in September through 11:59 p.m. on that Monday. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment and applies to sales during exemption periods starting at least 30 days after enactment.

Maddy summarySCR 30 proposes a constitutional amendment to limit most emergency orders, rules, or regulations issued by New Jersey's Governor to a 14-day period (ending on the 15th day after issuance), unless the Legislature approves a longer duration through a concurrent resolution. This would directly affect the Governor's emergency authority during declared states of emergency, requiring legislative review for extensions beyond 14 days. Key exceptions include orders rescinding prior emergency actions under disaster laws, federal compliance orders, executive branch-only directives, National Guard-related orders, and orders issued under other statutes with longer terms. The amendment does not change current practice for these exempted orders but would establish a fixed time limit for all other emergency measures.

Maddy summaryS 2601 ("Stephanie's Law") requires New Jersey's Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to create a publicly accessible domestic violence registry. The registry includes individuals convicted of domestic violence crimes, those with final restraining orders against them, or those found in contempt of such orders. It will contain detailed personal information (name, aliases, photo, vehicle details, address) for public search, with a process for removal if someone was wrongly listed. Law enforcement must search both this new public registry and the existing non-public central registry during arrests to check for active restraining orders. This bill aims to enhance public safety by providing accessible information about individuals with domestic violence histories.

Maddy summaryS 1476 modifies New Jersey's existing plastic bag law to restrict grocery stores (2,500+ sq ft) from providing standard single-use paper carryout bags. Instead, stores may only offer paper bags containing significant recycled content. This bill targets paper bags specifically, as the legislature found they use comparable energy/resources to plastic bags and contribute to pollution. The law aims to reduce single-use plastic and paper waste while promoting recycled materials, affecting all qualifying grocery stores statewide.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Education to annually collect data from schools about physical restraints and seclusion used on students with disabilities. Schools must report the number of incidents, types of restraint, duration, and the number of affected students. The data must be published yearly on the DOE website, broken down by county, race, gender, and age - all while protecting student privacy. The bill does not change school policies but mandates transparency about restraint use.