Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a pilot program offering tax credits to New Jersey commercial farms that donate edible fruits and vegetables to local charities. Specifically, farm operators can claim a 50% credit against their state business tax or income tax for the wholesale value of donations (capped at $5,000 per year), provided they obtain written documentation from the charity verifying the donation details. The program runs from 2024 through 2028, with an annual limit of $100,000 in total credits across all participating farms. It directly affects commercial farm operators who donate produce to qualifying charities, including 501(c)(3) organizations and food banks within New Jersey.

Maddy summaryS 3098 requires health insurers in New Jersey to cover biomarker testing for diagnosis, treatment, management, or ongoing monitoring of medical conditions when supported by medical evidence. The bill defines biomarker testing as analysis of tissue, blood, or other biospecimens for biomarkers, and specifies coverage must be provided when tests align with FDA approvals, drug indications, CMS determinations, or nationally-recognized clinical guidelines. Insurers must process prior authorization requests within 72 hours for non-urgent cases and 24 hours for urgent cases, while minimizing disruptions like multiple biopsies. This requirement applies to all health insurance plans, including Medicaid, which must provide coverage with no cost-sharing for beneficiaries.

Maddy summaryS 3118 prevents certain regional school districts from facing state aid reductions during 2019-2025. It specifically protects regional districts that spend at least 10% below state adequacy standards and where every constituent municipality has a property tax burden (equalized tax rate) at least 10% above the statewide average. This extends existing "hold harmless" protections - previously only available to individual districts - to regional districts formed by multiple municipalities. The bill amends New Jersey's school funding law to ensure these qualifying regional districts receive full state aid without reductions based on the new criteria.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires state-funded transportation projects (like roads or bridges) to use geotechnical engineers to determine necessary soil, groundwater, and structural monitoring. It mandates groundwater testing before construction begins and ongoing monitoring if site conditions require it (capped at three years), plus deformation monitoring during and after construction if needed. The Department of Transportation must follow all internal standards for subsurface data and cannot waive these requirements without approval. This directly affects state agencies and contractors managing transportation projects funded by New Jersey resources, including the Transportation Trust Fund.

Maddy summaryS 4138 exempts nonprofit ski area operators from specific safety and informational requirements currently imposed on all ski area operators. Under the bill, nonprofit organizations (defined as IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entities) are no longer required to: establish and post slope difficulty systems, provide daily trail condition reports, or remove obvious man-made hazards as soon as practicable. The bill directly affects nonprofit ski areas in New Jersey, reducing their regulatory burden for these particular provisions. This change modifies Section 3 of the existing ski area safety law, applying only to qualifying nonprofit operators.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows home-based businesses to operate legally in residential neighborhoods without requiring special permits or zoning variances, as long as they meet specific conditions. Home businesses must not create excessive noise, traffic, visible signage, or pollution, and must align with residential neighborhood standards. Municipalities can establish consistent rules for visitor numbers or delivery traffic but cannot ban home businesses outright. The law aims to support small home businesses - often started by unemployed workers - as a permitted residential use, while protecting neighborhood character.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1000) would require New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to add a special designation to a driver's registration if they provide medical verification of significant hearing loss (a pure tone average of 41 dB or greater in the better ear, confirmed by an ENT or certified audiologist). The designation - using an international symbol or numerical code - would only appear when law enforcement accesses registration data through the MVC's secure law enforcement portal, alerting officers that the driver is deaf or hard of hearing. It directly affects drivers with hearing loss who apply for or renew vehicle registrations in New Jersey. The policy change aims to improve communication during police interactions by providing officers with this specific information.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of the Treasury to conduct a comprehensive stress test analysis every three years, assessing the state's ability to maintain essential services during economic shifts like recessions. The analysis must project funding sources (taxes, federal aid), compare them to historical trends, evaluate spending changes, account for state reserves (including the Surplus Revenue Fund), and identify recession response options. The results must be published online and included in the Governor's annual budget proposal. This applies directly to state government operations and indirectly affects all New Jersey residents by ensuring fiscal transparency and preparedness for economic challenges.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires state-funded transportation projects needing geotechnical testing to hire a geotechnical engineer. The engineer must recommend testing types and frequency during design, and all recommended testing must be completed during construction unless exempted by the State transportation engineer. It also mandates groundwater testing and monitoring before construction begins, with ongoing monitoring if site conditions require it (capped at three years), and requires deformation monitoring if needed, with advanced tracking if limits are exceeded. The Department of Transportation must follow all internal standards without waiving them, except as authorized by the State transportation engineer.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the lists of environmental infrastructure projects approved for long-term funding under New Jersey's FY2025 environmental infrastructure funding program. It updates the specific clean water and drinking water projects that will receive funding, including detailed information about project sponsors, project numbers, and estimated loan amounts. The bill does not create new funding mechanisms but rather modifies the approved project lists for the existing program. This update ensures eligible municipalities and water systems can access funding for infrastructure improvements like stormwater management, combined sewer overflow abatement, and drinking water system upgrades.