Sen. Jim Beach

Maddy summaryThis bill requires that any new voting machines purchased or leased for use in New Jersey elections must produce a physical paper record for every vote cast. Voters would be able to verify that the paper record matches their choices before the ballot is processed. The paper record must be preserved for manual audits and would serve as the official tally in the event of a recount. The requirement applies only to new machines, not to existing equipment already in use during elections.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey counties to offer residents a voluntary medical ID card program. Residents can choose to include specific health information like blood type, medications, allergies, medical devices, emergency contacts, and treatment restrictions on a photo ID card. Counties may charge only the actual cost of issuing the card, and the information remains confidential with strict penalties for unauthorized disclosure. The program affects all county residents who may benefit from having critical health details accessible during emergencies, without mandating participation or requiring disclosure of any health information.

Maddy summaryS 3481 establishes a 15-member task force to study whether New Jersey's Executive Branch can transition to a paperless government. The task force includes state officials (like the Secretary of State and Cybersecurity Director) and appointed public members with expertise in IT, cybersecurity, elections, and electronic transactions. It will examine specific areas including cybersecurity risks, technology options, cost-benefit analysis for upgrades, legal changes needed, and the feasibility of paperless permits and records retention. The bill does not implement paperless systems but directs the task force to report findings to the legislature. This study directly affects state agencies that handle government operations and records.

Maddy summaryS 3486 requires New Jersey's Attorney General to create a public, searchable database tracking all traffic stops by state and local law enforcement officers. Law enforcement agencies must submit quarterly reports including driver demographics (race, age, gender), stop details (violation type, search conducted), outcomes (citation, arrest, property seizure), and officer information. The database, accessible on the Department of Law and Public Safety website, covers every traffic enforcement interaction - even those resulting only in oral warnings. This law directly affects law enforcement agencies (who must report data) and the public (who can access the records for oversight purposes).

Maddy summaryThis bill removes a requirement that employees of the New Jersey Racing Commission must have lived in New Jersey for at least five years before being hired. It directly affects current and future employees of the commission, including positions like clerks, inspectors, and other staff. The key change eliminates the residency duration from the law, allowing the commission to hire employees without this prior residency condition. The bill does not alter other hiring rules, such as restrictions on employees having financial ties to horse racing entities. The change applies to all commission employees except for specific roles like commissioners and the executive director, as specified in the existing law.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3484) revises rules for professional guardians in New Jersey by expanding the grounds for disqualification from registration or for suspension/revocation of their license. It adds 11 new disqualification reasons, including failing to accept court-assigned pro bono cases, self-dealing, and repeated violations of court orders. Registered guardians must now maintain detailed records for audits by the Office of the Public Guardian and face civil penalties of $5,000-$10,000 if their license is revoked. The changes directly affect licensed professional guardians who care for incapacitated adults, strengthening oversight and accountability.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits homeschooling for children under the care, custody, or supervision of New Jersey's Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP), which includes children in foster care placements like resource family homes or kinship care. It requires these children to attend a public or nonpublic school instead of being homeschooled. The law applies immediately upon enactment and overrides any existing exceptions allowing homeschooling for these children. This change directly affects children in state care, ensuring they receive structured educational oversight.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey's state pension and annuity funds from investing in businesses identified under federal Superfund law (CERCLA) as responsible for environmental cleanup costs at contaminated sites, specifically if those businesses filed for bankruptcy to avoid paying. It directly affects the state's pension funds and companies that evade Superfund obligations through bankruptcy filings after EPA designation. The key mechanism requires the state Treasury to divest such investments within three years of identification, with "business affiliates" (entities owning 20%+ of the debtor) also covered. The bill targets entities like YPF S.A., which acquired Maxus Energy (responsible for Newark's Diamond Alkali Superfund site) and filed bankruptcy after EPA's $1.38 billion cleanup finding.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey to annually appropriate up to $200,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (DMVA) to preserve military installations if the federal government initiates base realignment or closure actions. It mandates that the DMVA submit a detailed public report each July 15th, including receipts for all expenditures over a small threshold, listing vendors and services purchased. The bill also requires that any contracts with lobbyists or governmental affairs agents for these preservation efforts follow a competitive two-year process. These provisions directly affect the DMVA, military installations in New Jersey, and entities working with the state on base preservation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to approve a nonprofit organization to develop and run a voluntary certification program for recovery residences. It directly affects recovery residences (sober living homes without clinical treatment) and their administrators by establishing standards for certification, including annual recertification and background checks for administrators. The program, aligned with National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR) standards, would allow certified residences to display a "certificate of compliance" and ensure administrators meet professional certification requirements. The DCA must select the nonprofit within 120 days of the bill's enactment and fund it annually from state appropriations.