Sen. Kristin Corrado

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of Veterans' Healthcare Services to create and maintain standardized emergency plans for all Veterans' Memorial Homes in the state. The plans must identify potential emergencies, outline specific response steps, establish consistent protocols for staff, and ensure timely communication with residents, families, and staff during crises. It directly affects veterans living in these facilities, their families, and the homes' staff by mandating clearer emergency procedures. The law applies to all Veterans' Memorial Homes and takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryS 3173 requires New Jersey group homes housing adults with developmental disabilities (eligible for Tier C+ services) to install video-only electronic monitoring devices in common areas only when all residents and their authorized representatives (like court-appointed guardians) provide written consent. The bill mandates group home licensees to develop internal policies for consent procedures, provide annual notices about monitoring rights, and retain footage for 90 days. It exempts homes already using such devices and imposes penalties ($5,000 first offense) for non-compliance, while ensuring consent withdrawal cannot block housing placement. The law focuses on resident autonomy through explicit consent, not mandatory surveillance.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 2015) requires public institutions of higher education to pay prevailing wages for construction and maintenance work on projects intended for use by the institution at the time of construction. It clarifies that this applies to work done under contracts with entities associated with public bodies (such as university foundations) and to projects receiving financial assistance from public bodies. The bill ensures workers on these projects receive the prevailing wage rate determined by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, with limited exceptions for housing-related projects. This directly affects contractors, subcontractors, and workers involved in construction for public colleges and universities across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill upgrades burglary of a residence to a second-degree crime in New Jersey. It specifically changes the law so that unlawfully entering or remaining in a dwelling (like a home) or structure meant for overnight stays - regardless of whether anyone is inside - becomes a second-degree offense. This change means convicted individuals would face mandatory minimum sentences requiring them to serve 85% of their prison term before parole eligibility under the No Early Release Act (NERA). The bill amends existing burglary statutes (N.J.S.2C:18-2) and NERA sentencing rules (P.L.1997, c.117) to include residential burglary in the list of second-degree crimes triggering this 85% requirement.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 94) condemns the Alabama Supreme Court's ruling in *LePage v. Mobile Infirmary Clinic, P.C.*, which classified embryos as "extrauterine children" under state law. The resolution states this ruling threatened access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) services, causing clinics to close in Alabama. New Jersey reaffirms its commitment to protecting reproductive freedom and access to IVF, consistent with its existing laws requiring insurance coverage for fertility treatments and safeguarding patient privacy. The resolution serves as a formal statement of opposition, not a new law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires an automatic recount for county or municipal elections decided by a margin of 10 votes or less, triggered by a candidate's request within 24 hours of election certification. The State covers the recount costs, and the recount must be completed within three days. It also creates three geographic regions across New Jersey (Northern, Central, Southern) for assigning Superior Court judges to handle election recounts and contests, with the Chief Justice publishing the assigned judges annually. All recount and contest cases must be heard within 36 hours of filing, and appeals within 24 hours, ensuring decisions are resolved before elected officials assume office.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for motor vehicle theft and related crimes for both juveniles and adults in New Jersey. For adults convicted of first-time motor vehicle theft, it mandates a minimum 180-day prison sentence without parole eligibility, rising to one year for repeat offenses. Juveniles convicted of first-time theft face 30 days in custody, with 60 days followed by a nonresidential program for second offenses, and six months followed by such a program for third or subsequent offenses. The bill also eliminates restitution requirements for juveniles convicted of these specific offenses and imposes minimum sentences of six months to one year for adults who recruit minors to commit these crimes, with five or more years for repeat offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3074) creates a housing incentive for New Jersey municipalities by allowing them to earn additional credit toward their state-mandated fair share housing requirement. Specifically, municipalities can claim one full credit plus a half-credit (1.5 total) for each affordable housing unit reserved exclusively for low- or moderate-income households where at least one member works as a teacher. The bill defines "teacher" broadly to include anyone employed in public or private preschool through 12th-grade schools. This policy change takes effect immediately upon enactment, directly affecting municipalities seeking to meet housing obligations and low-income teacher households.

Maddy summaryS 3087 prohibits the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) from charging toll payers or E-ZPass account holders for credit card processing fees. The bill requires the NJTA to cover these costs within its own operating budget instead of passing them to customers. This applies to all electronic toll payments made on New Jersey turnpike roads and related infrastructure. The law formalizes an existing NJTA practice, ensuring customers won't see added fees for credit card transactions.

Maddy summaryThis bill restores state school aid for certain New Jersey school districts that faced funding reductions in the 2023-2024 school year and would face further cuts in 2024-2025. It shifts $64.9 million from existing appropriations and adds $145.2 million in new funding from the General Fund, totaling $210.1 million to cover the difference between prior aid levels and proposed 2024-2025 amounts. The funding specifically targets districts that received Supplemental Stabilization Aid under prior law (P.L.2023, c.32) or have a positive "State aid differential" under P.L.2018, c.67. This ensures affected districts receive aid equal to their 2023-2024 funding level, preventing further reductions.