Sen. Jim Beach

Maddy summaryS 519 simplifies filing requirements for New Jersey alcohol licensees. It removes the current rule that limited breweries and distilleries must offer tours when selling certain alcoholic beverages directly to consumers. Smaller licensees (selling under 60 stock-keeping units monthly) can now file just an annual initial price list instead of monthly updates, with electronic filing options added. This directly affects small breweries and distilleries by reducing administrative burdens while maintaining price transparency rules.

Maddy summaryS 591 establishes the "Jersey Vines Program" within New Jersey's Department of Agriculture to promote wine produced by state wineries. The program directly affects plenary winery and farm winery licensees that grow grapes and other ingredients within New Jersey. Key provisions include increasing consumer awareness through advertising campaigns, creating a "Jersey Vines" label (similar to "Jersey Fresh"), and sharing information about local wineries, vineyards, and farms. The program requires wines promoted to be made from locally grown ingredients and will be implemented through new department rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey public and private institutions of higher education from receiving state funding if they boycott or divest from Israel-supporting businesses or Israeli businesses. Specifically, it blocks state operating aid, state bond proceeds, and student financial aid for institutions that boycott Israel's goods, boycott entities doing business with Israel, divest due to a company's support of Israel, or participate in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The law excludes divestment for "prudent economic reasons" and applies to all parts of an institution, including endowment funds. The bill takes immediate effect and directly impacts colleges receiving any state education funding.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 1667) provides tax credits to businesses that hire and retain neurodiverse employees in qualifying STEM/AI roles. Businesses receive credits of $7,000-$9,000 per full-time employee (increasing with consecutive years of employment) or $4,500 for part-time employees, subject to a $10 million annual cap. To qualify, employees must work in approved STEM/AI fields at minimum wage and be certified as neurodiverse under state guidelines. The credits reduce corporate business tax liability, with unused credits potentially carried forward for up to seven years.

Maddy summaryS 556 establishes a two-year pilot program for school breakfast kiosks in three New Jersey public school districts (one in each state region), directly affecting students - especially low-income students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch under federal guidelines. The bill requires schools to set up accessible breakfast kiosks or carts in hallways or classrooms, using existing federal breakfast program funding and guidelines to increase student participation. The Department of Agriculture and Education will review district plans, award funding through a new state fund (supported by state appropriations and private donations), and issue a report on the program’s impact after the pilot. The goal is to improve breakfast access, with research cited in the bill showing it can boost attendance, academic performance, and reduce behavioral issues.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates special license plates for New Jersey disabled veterans who have a service-connected disability impairing their ability to walk. Eligible veterans (certified by the VA and verified by a licensed physician) must pay a $15 fee and display the plate to park in disability-reserved spaces without needing separate disability placards. The plates, marked "Disabled Veteran" and featuring a wheelchair symbol, are non-transferable and require valid display while parked. Misuse of the plate can result in revocation of the plate and associated privileges.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the "New Jersey Disability Savings Act" to expand tax benefits for individuals with disabilities who use ABLE accounts. It provides a one-time $750 state match for new ABLE account deposits (for taxpayers earning $150,000 or less) and allows full state income tax deductions for all contributions to qualifying ABLE accounts. The program directly affects New Jersey residents with disabilities (or their families) who open ABLE accounts for disability-related expenses like housing, education, or medical costs. Funding for the matching grant depends on annual state appropriations, with the Department of Human Services handling allocation if funds are limited.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2764) expands New Jersey's bias intimidation law to include creating false public alarms (e.g., fake bomb threats) as a form of bias intimidation. It directly affects individuals who make false alarms targeting people or groups based on race, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or ethnicity. The key mechanism adds N.J.S.2C:33-3 (false public alarms) to the list of underlying offenses that qualify as bias intimidation, with penalties one degree higher than the base offense (ranging from fourth-degree to first-degree crimes). The bill also removes a previously struck-down section that focused on victims' perceptions, aligning the law with a 2015 Supreme Court ruling.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) to conduct criminal history checks on all officials (like referees and umpires) for high school athletic events it sanctions. Officials must submit their fingerprints and consent, with the cost borne by the official, to verify they have no disqualifying criminal convictions listed in existing law (C.18A:6-7.1). The NJSIAA must disqualify officials with disqualifying convictions and monitor pending charges, forwarding any new criminal information to the association for further action. The law applies immediately to all current officials, who must comply within 60 days of the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryS 515 exempts plenary winery license holders in New Jersey from filing annual returns for a user fee on litter-generating products, provided their annual retail sales of these products remain below $500,000. Currently, retailers with under $500,000 in sales are already exempt from the fee itself but must still submit filings; this bill removes that filing requirement specifically for wineries meeting the sales threshold. The change clarifies that wineries already qualifying for the fee exemption do not need to comply with return-filing obligations under the existing law. It does not alter the fee structure or affect other retailers.