Sen. Jim Beach

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey to allocate at least half of future federal funds received under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) for 15 years toward replacing voting machines with systems that create a paper record of each vote. It directly affects the State Treasurer, who must manage these funds per the new requirement. The key provision mandates that 50% of HAVA funds - used for election modernization - must go specifically to paper-based voting systems, ensuring a physical backup for every ballot cast.

Maddy summaryS 3500 reduces how much money municipalities and counties can transfer from stormwater, water, and sewer utility funds to their general budgets, lowering the limit from 5% to 3% of the utility's annual operating costs. It directly affects local governments that operate these utilities or authorities, requiring them to notify the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs whenever they make such transfers. The bill modifies existing laws (P.L.1983, c.111 and P.L.2004, c.87) to implement this change and add the notification requirement. This is a concrete policy change focused on restricting fund diversions and increasing transparency.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts fuel used to operate school buses for transporting students to or from school or school activities from two New Jersey state taxes: the petroleum products gross receipts tax and the motor fuel tax. It directly affects school districts, religious or charitable organizations operating school buses, and contractors working with public agencies to provide school transportation. The law adds school buses to existing exemptions, allowing these entities to claim refunds for fuel taxes already paid on qualifying bus operations. This creates a concrete tax relief for school transportation costs without altering tax rates for other users.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3487) reorganizes New Jersey's executive branch by renaming the Division of State Police as the Department of State Police and designating it as the principal department within the state government. It amends existing statutes to update all references to "Division of State Police" to "Department of State Police" in laws, contracts, and documents, including changing the title of the head from "Superintendent" to "Director" for consistency. The bill elevates the State Police from a division under the Department of Law and Public Safety to a standalone department, directly affecting state administrative structure and all official materials referencing the agency. This is a structural change with no new policy provisions, solely updating organizational terminology and hierarchy.

Maddy summarySJR 85 is a symbolic resolution (not a law) passed by the New Jersey legislature to formally condemn hate and bias crimes. It states the state rejects all hatred targeting individuals based on race, religion, ethnicity, disability, age, marital status, gender, or sexual orientation, and urges continued efforts to support victims and improve reporting. The resolution does not create new programs or funding but reaffirms existing state commitments to combat hate crimes through current agencies like the Attorney General’s Bias Crime Unit. It directly affects all New Jersey residents, especially those targeted by bias-motivated incidents, by affirming the state’s stance against such acts.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all new motor vehicles sold or leased in New Jersey to include a radio capable of receiving AM radio broadcasts. It directly affects vehicle manufacturers and dealers by mandating this feature in all new vehicles (defined as those not previously sold to consumers). The bill cites AM radio's critical role during emergencies - providing long-range, reliable alerts when other communication fails, with 47 million Americans relying on it for public safety information. Violating this requirement would be considered a consumer fraud under existing law, punishable by fines up to $20,000 per offense.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 3468 expands sports wagering to include electronic sports events (esports), defining them as video game competitions held at physical locations or online. The bill authorizes casinos and racetracks to offer wagering on these events through existing sports wagering lounges, while explicitly excluding esports involving minors or high school teams. Key provisions clarify that esports wagering won't be classified as "authorized gambling" under other laws and prohibit betting on events where participants under 18 form a majority. This directly affects licensed casinos and racetracks operating sports wagering services in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all members of New Jersey's county Sexual Assault Response Teams to receive specific training on interacting with victims who have developmental disabilities. It amends existing law to add this topic to the mandatory training curriculum for teams, which currently include certified forensic sexual assault nurse examiners, rape care advocates, and law enforcement officials. The training must cover appropriate communication and support strategies for these victims during investigations and care. This policy change directly affects county-level response teams handling sexual assault cases across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires a feasibility study to examine creating a regional medical examiner office in Southern New Jersey, including assessing facility needs, staffing, costs, and options for morgue operations. It also mandates collaboration with Southern New Jersey medical schools to develop forensic education programs, fellowships, and new courses for medical students and law enforcement. The study will evaluate whether a centralized facility would improve operations, including costs for equipment like CT scanners, and propose potential policy changes. The bill appropriates $40,000 from the General Fund to fund the study, which must be completed and reported to the Governor and Legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Jersey's conservatorship laws to strengthen protections for vulnerable individuals. It requires court-appointed conservators to provide legal representation for conservatees (current protected individuals) and proposed conservatees (those under consideration), with attorneys mandated to interview them within 72 hours before hearings. The bill also ensures conservatees must attend hearings unless the court verifies their inability to do so, and prohibits conservatorship appointments if the individual objects. These changes directly affect conservatees, proposed conservatees, and conservators managing their affairs.