Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez

Maddy summaryS 4858, the "New Jersey Veterans and Military Spouses Asset Protection Act," provides enhanced creditor protections for veterans, active-duty service members, and their military spouses. It exempts their primary and secondary homes from forced sale for debts (with exceptions for mortgages, taxes, or fraud), protects retirement accounts and veterans' benefits from creditors, and shields up to two vehicles per household valued at $25,000 each. The law applies to debts incurred on or after January 1, 2025, and supplements existing federal protections like the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. It does not cover debts from willful misconduct, fraud, or government obligations.

Maddy summaryS 2019 allows New Jersey pharmacists to dispense HIV prevention medication (PrEP) and emergency HIV treatment (PEP) without a patient's individual prescription under specific conditions. Pharmacists must follow a standing order from the health commissioner, complete required training, and verify patient eligibility - including a recent negative HIV test, no acute symptoms, and no contraindicated medications - before dispensing up to a 90-day supply. The bill also mandates that health insurance plans cover these medications without prior authorization. This directly affects pharmacists (expanding their role), patients seeking HIV prevention (improving access), and insurers (requiring coverage).

Maddy summaryThe Climate Superfund Act would require fossil fuel companies that extracted or refined fossil fuels between 1995 and the bill's effective date to pay compensatory damages for climate change impacts they caused. Companies responsible for over one billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions during this period would pay based on their proportional share of emissions. The Department of Environmental Protection would collect these payments into a special fund and distribute them as grants for climate adaptation projects like flood protection, infrastructure upgrades, and health programs. Companies would have six months to pay in full or choose nine annual installments, with potential for administrative appeals if they disagree with the assessment.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $55 million from existing constitutionally dedicated tax revenues and Green Acres funds to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The funds will finance specific capital projects for state parks and recreation areas, including boating access facilities, campground improvements, habitat enhancements, bridge and building repairs, and historic structure maintenance. The allocation details $55 million across 16 categories, such as $13.2 million for recreational development and $10 million for health/safety projects. These projects directly affect state park infrastructure and public access to New Jersey's conservation lands managed by the DEP.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $55 million from constitutionally protected business tax revenues and Green Acres funds to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for state park and recreation infrastructure projects. The funds will directly support specific capital improvements including boating access facilities, campground development, habitat enhancements, bridge and building repairs, and historic structure stabilization across state parks. The bill specifies exact allocations for each project category (e.g., $13.2 million for recreational development, $10 million for health/safety projects) without requiring additional budget committee approvals. It applies to lands administered by the DEP for public recreation and conservation purposes. The funding comes from existing dedicated revenue streams, not new taxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $500,000 from constitutionally dedicated business tax funds to the State Agriculture Development Committee for farmland preservation. The funds will directly support Oldmans Township in Salem County through a municipal planning incentive grant to help preserve farmland. The grant is intended to assist the township in developing local plans that protect agricultural land. The funding comes from existing constitutionally protected revenues designated for open space and farmland preservation under New Jersey law.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an independent Office of the Veteran Advocate within New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), to serve as a dedicated advocate for veterans receiving services from the department. The Veteran Advocate, appointed by the Governor with Senate consent, will investigate complaints about veterans' services, monitor facilities for abuse or neglect, conduct site visits (with proper authorization), and issue subpoenas for investigations. The Advocate will serve as an ombudsman for veterans and their families, make recommendations for improving services, and monitor implementation of corrective actions when systemic issues are identified. The office will submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature, and the bill appropriates funds from the General Fund to support these operations. This new office directly affects veterans receiving services under the DMVA's supervision and ensures their concerns are addressed through a dedicated, independent oversight mechanism.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 3022 requires funeral directors to notify the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) when they have unclaimed veteran cremains after one year of diligent efforts to find relatives. The bill mandates that DMVA create and maintain a central online registry of these unclaimed cremains to help qualified veterans' organizations locate them. Qualified veterans' organizations, defined as 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) tax-exempt groups, can then take possession of the cremains and dispose of them through proper means like scattering at sea or interment in a veterans' cemetery. This addresses the issue of veteran cremains being unclaimed for years, sometimes decades, while reducing the burden on funeral directors who previously had to store them indefinitely.

Maddy summarySJR 89 is a commemorative resolution honoring the 70th anniversary of the July 27, 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War. It specifically recognizes New Jersey's connection to the conflict, noting that over 191,000 New Jersey residents served and 836 were killed or missing. The resolution directs copies to the New Jersey Adjutant General and Korean War veteran associations in the state. As a procedural resolution, it has no binding effect but formally acknowledges this historical milestone.

Maddy summaryThis bill raises the daily vehicle traffic threshold for local governments to install certain speed humps without New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) approval from 3,000 to 4,000 vehicles per day. It specifically applies to two-lane residential streets, one-way residential streets, and streets within 500 feet of schools during road repairs - provided the speed hump has a flat top of at least 10 feet (like a speed table). Municipalities and counties can now install these traffic-calming measures on streets with posted speeds of 30 mph or less, without DOT consent, under these conditions. The bill does not affect installations on state roads (which still require DOT approval) or streets exceeding the traffic thresholds.