Sen. Kristin Corrado

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public employees convicted of certain serious crimes - including bribery, theft over $10,000, sexual misconduct, or corruption involving $500,000 - to forfeit their state or local public pension benefits. The pension board decides if full or partial forfeiture applies, considering factors like the crime's severity, its connection to the employee's duties, and the member's service history. Employees convicted of qualifying offenses lose pension benefits earned during the period of misconduct, though they may receive refunds of their own contributions. It directly affects public officers and employees covered by New Jersey’s state or local pension systems.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 563) makes it a third-degree crime to intentionally damage or deface military monuments. It directly affects individuals who purposely deface, damage, or pollute monuments erected to honor military personnel or commemorate battles. The law defines "military monument" specifically as any monument created to honor armed forces members or mark military history, and "desecrate" as defacing, damaging, or polluting such sites. The bill amends existing law to create this specific offense level, effective immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 17-member Behavioral Mental Health Advisory Board within New Jersey's Department of Human Services. The board, including agency commissioners and public members appointed by the Governor, Senate President, and Assembly Speaker, reviews mental health services and makes recommendations to improve access, coordination, funding use, and program development for all New Jersey residents. The board must submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature detailing its findings and tracking progress on prior recommendations. This is a procedural measure creating a new advisory body to inform future policy changes, not a direct policy action.

Maddy summaryS 894 requires school buses transporting students with special needs in New Jersey to install three safety features: an interior video camera for monitoring student safety, real-time GPS tracking for location/speed, and two-way communication equipment. The bill specifies that collected video footage and GPS data are not considered government records under state disclosure laws. It directs the State Board of Education and Motor Vehicle Commission to create rules for installing, using, and retaining this data, including retention time limits. The law applies specifically to school buses serving students with special needs and takes effect six months after enactment.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's legislature passed SCR 15 to request Congress call a state-led convention under Article V of the U.S. Constitution. The convention would propose constitutional amendments to limit federal spending, reduce federal government power over states, and impose term limits on federal officials and members of Congress. This is a continuing application, meaning New Jersey's request remains active until at least two-thirds of states join the same effort. The bill itself does not change laws but seeks to initiate a process for potential constitutional amendments.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 966) updates New Jersey's legal definition of "domestic violence" to explicitly include psychological abuse and economic abuse. It adds two new provisions: (1) any behavior causing fear or distress that disrupts daily life (psychological abuse), and (2) financial control tactics that prevent someone from accessing money, property, or essential goods/services (economic abuse). The change directly affects victims covered under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act, expanding legal protections to include these previously excluded forms of abuse. The bill revises Section 3 of the 1991 Domestic Violence Act without creating new enforcement mechanisms, solely clarifying the scope of existing protections.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey state agencies to include disability-owned businesses in business development programs, direct loan programs, and certification processes. It establishes an Office of Disability-Owned Business Development to administer certification standards and promote participation in state contracts. The Chief Diversity Officer must compile annual reports tracking state contract awards to disability-owned businesses, ensuring transparency in program implementation. The law applies directly to disability-owned businesses seeking state contracts and state agencies managing these programs.

Maddy summarySCR 61 creates a special 14-member joint committee of the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly to investigate costs in public employee health care programs. The committee will examine recent premium increases, the state's contract with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, allegations about Governor's Office influence on contract disputes, and implementation of a 2019 law creating new funding structures. It will review all related decisions and documents, then issue a report with recommendations for policy changes. This procedural bill directly affects state health care program oversight and does not enact new policy.

Maddy summaryS 1983 would eliminate the requirement for advanced practice nurses (APNs) in New Jersey to practice under physician collaboration or supervision, allowing them to provide care independently. This directly affects APNs - over 75% of whom specialize in primary care - and aims to improve healthcare access in underserved communities, including areas with physician shortages and among racial/ethnic minorities, low-income populations, and those facing transportation barriers. The bill cites that 24 states and the District of Columbia already permit full practice authority for APNs, and during pandemic waivers (Executive Order 112), no adverse incidents occurred while APNs practiced without restrictions. It states removing these barriers could reduce healthcare access disparities by over 38 percent, aligning New Jersey with other states to address chronic shortages in primary care services.

Maddy summaryS 910 amends New Jersey's 9-1-1 trust fund law to explicitly permit using its funds for costs incurred by counties and municipalities in providing and maintaining 9-1-1 emergency services. This includes expenses like emergency response training, operating costs, and capital equipment for local 9-1-1 systems. The bill requires funds to be prioritized for distribution to county, regionalized, or large centralized 9-1-1 answering points first, with remaining funds then going to other local systems. It expands the fund's existing uses, which previously covered state-level 9-1-1 operations and federal compliance costs, to directly support local government 9-1-1 service providers.