Maddy summaryS 1062 establishes a Division of Minority and Women Business Development within New Jersey’s State Department of the Treasury, led by a State Chief Disparity Officer, to monitor and improve participation of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in state contracting. The officer will track contract awards to these businesses (including total value and percentage of contracts), report findings to the Governor and Legislature, and require state agencies to designate liaison officers. The bill mandates full implementation of certified business status for minority/women-owned enterprises (banning self-certification) and modifies small business set-aside contracts under $2,000 to be negotiated without public bidding but using competitive methods. This directly affects state agencies, certified businesses, and the state’s procurement process.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates the requirement for students to provide a sales tax exemption form when purchasing textbooks, and removes the need for schools to formally declare textbooks as required for school. It directly affects students (especially those buying online), schools, and retailers by simplifying the tax exemption process. Key provisions include removing all form submissions, clarifying that rentals and all textbook formats (new, used, electronic, physical) qualify for exemption, and removing school approval requirements. The change applies immediately to all textbook sales and rentals without needing proof of school use.
Maddy summaryThis bill allows registered medical cannabis patients in New Jersey to grow their own cannabis at home for personal medical use. It specifically authorizes cultivation within a patient's residence by the patient or their designated caregiver, as defined in the law. The provision applies only to individuals already registered under New Jersey's medical cannabis program and does not permit commercial cultivation or distribution. The bill amends existing statutes to clarify that home cultivation is permitted under the medical program, distinct from licensed dispensary operations. It does not create new registration requirements but expands access for existing registered patients and caregivers.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's child abuse reporting confidentiality law (P.L.1977, c.102) to clarify who may access sensitive records. It specifies that child welfare agencies, law enforcement, healthcare providers, courts, and certain authorized entities may access these records only under strict conditions to protect child safety or support investigations. The law prohibits disclosure that could endanger a child or compromise ongoing cases, and requires judicial review if information is denied. It directly affects agencies providing child welfare services, healthcare, and law enforcement handling abuse reports. The bill does not create new background checks but refines existing disclosure protocols for child abuse records.
Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 1058 establishes the "Domestic Violence Tuition Waiver Program," providing one semester of tuition waiver at public colleges or vocational schools for victims of domestic violence who were unable to complete their studies due to the violence. To qualify, applicants must be documented victims (with a restraining order or prosecutor's statement), have been enrolled at a New Jersey public institution when the violence occurred, submit an affidavit, re-enroll in a similar program within two years, and meet admission requirements. The state reimburses institutions for the waived tuition, and applicants can receive only one waiver. The program applies immediately upon enactment and is administered by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.
Maddy summaryThis bill bans the farming (aquaculture) of octopuses for human food in New Jersey. It prohibits anyone from raising octopuses in facilities for consumption and stops businesses from selling, possessing, or transporting farmed octopus. Violations can result in daily civil penalties up to $1,000, with each day of violation counted separately. The law specifically excludes wild-caught octopus and octopus raised solely for research unrelated to commercial production.
Maddy summaryS 1105 provides an additional $600,000 in state funding to Joseph's House of Camden, a shelter in Camden, New Jersey. This supplemental appropriation directly supports the organization's existing services for people experiencing homelessness, including shelter and related programs. The funding comes from the General Fund under the Social Services Programs budget category (specifically line item 05-8050). The bill does not create new programs but allocates existing state resources to strengthen current homeless services at this specific shelter.
Maddy summaryThis bill provides tax credits to commercial property owners who demolish abandoned buildings (over 100,000 sq ft) and replace them with new commercial structures on the same site. It offers a credit equal to 25% of redevelopment costs, capped at $500,000 per project, with a total state-wide limit of $5 million across all projects. To qualify, owners must apply to the Division of Taxation for certification showing demolition and construction occurred, and the credit can be carried forward if not fully used in one tax year. The credit applies against both the state's privilege tax and gross income tax, aiming to incentivize revitalizing vacant commercial properties.
Maddy summaryS 1622 creates a tax credit program for New Jersey employers who hire military spouses who are nonresidents of the state but live in New Jersey due to their spouse's military service (such as being transferred here, legally domiciled here, or moving on a permanent change-of-station). Employers receive a credit equal to 15% of wages for military spouses working 120-400 hours per year or 25% for 400+ hours, capped at $2,400 per employee annually. The credit reduces corporation business tax or gross income tax and requires employers to apply through the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development. The bill directly supports military spouses facing employment disruptions from frequent military relocations.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2471) adjusts relocation assistance payments for people and businesses displaced by government property acquisitions in New Jersey. It directly affects homeowners and business/farm owners whose properties are taken for public projects (like infrastructure). The key mechanism updates payment amounts annually based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), replacing fixed dollar amounts with inflation-adjusted schedules. For example, moving expense allowances start at $450 and increase to $1,350 over four years, then rise yearly with CPI. Dislocation allowances and business relocation payments follow similar inflation-linked schedules.