Sen. Jim Beach

Maddy summaryS 1022 would allow honorably discharged veterans in New Jersey to obtain special license plates displaying "Veteran" and their military branch insignia. To qualify, applicants must provide proof of honorable discharge (like a DD-214 form) and pay a $15 fee on top of standard vehicle registration costs. Surviving spouses of deceased veterans may retain these plates on their vehicles. The plates must follow a design approved by the Adjutant General and Motor Vehicle Commission, with details about eligibility included in registration renewals. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Transportation and Budget committees.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2322) grants volunteer dog raisers the right to access public facilities with their training dogs, extending existing protections currently only available to professional service dog trainers. It directly affects volunteers raising guide or service dogs (typically between 8 weeks and 18 months old) before formal training begins. To qualify, the dog must wear identifying apparel (like a collar or leash), remain leashed and under control, and the volunteer must carry valid program credentials for inspection. This change ensures volunteers have the same public access rights as people with disabilities while maintaining clear, enforceable requirements.

Maddy summaryS 2319 requires residential psychiatric and long-term care facilities to provide quarterly written financial statements to residents and designated individuals. The bill expands existing requirements to include more facility types (nursing homes, assisted living facilities, dementia care homes, inpatient psychiatric facilities, and continuing care communities) and to provide statements to residents' next-of-kin and individuals designated by residents who are wards of the State, not just residents or guardians. These statements must detail all funds, property deposits, and financial transactions with receipts, showing beginning and ending balances and all deposits and withdrawals. This change increases transparency for vulnerable residents and their trusted advisors, helping protect against potential financial exploitation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of Budget and Accounting to establish a separate fringe benefit rate for public colleges and universities starting in fiscal year 2025. It directly affects employees at these institutions and the state budget, as current funding uses a general state rate that doesn't reflect their actual retirement costs (many use cheaper plans like ABP instead of the standard PERS). The new rate will be based on the actual cost of employee retirement programs at these schools, applied to all federal, dedicated, and non-State funded programs. This change aims to align state funding more accurately with the actual benefit expenses of public higher education employees.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 2301 provides tax credits to employers who hire disabled veterans meeting specific criteria. Employers can claim a 15% credit on qualified wages paid to eligible disabled veterans (with a 30%+ VA disability rating), up to $1,800 per veteran annually, for wages paid between 2023 and 2026. To qualify, veterans must be New Jersey residents initially hired after the bill's enactment, employed for at least 185 business days, and have a service-connected disability rating of 30% or higher. The bill includes safeguards to prevent misuse, such as prohibiting double-counting of wages for other credits and denying credits if employers replace existing staff solely to claim the benefit.

Maddy summaryS 2326 requires New Jersey to allocate at least half of future federal "Help America Vote Act" (HAVA) funds - received over the next 15 years - to replace voting machines with systems that create a paper record of each vote. The bill amends state law to mandate this allocation through the existing Federal Elections Assistance Fund, which holds HAVA funds. This policy directly affects how the State Treasurer distributes federal election funding for voting technology modernization. It ensures a concrete shift toward paper-based voting systems, which provide a physical audit trail for vote verification. The bill does not change current funding uses but sets a specific requirement for future allocations.

Maddy summarySR 64 is a non-binding Senate Resolution (introduced January 2024 by Senators Beach and McKnight) that urges New Jersey's Governor and Legislature to create incentive programs for grocery stores and supermarkets to open in food deserts. It describes food deserts as areas - often low-income, rural, or urban - lacking access to fresh, affordable food and instead relying on processed options linked to health issues. The resolution recommends establishing these programs to improve food access and create local jobs but does not create new laws, funding, or enforceable requirements. As a resolution, it has no legal effect and serves only as a formal recommendation to state leaders.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates uniform statewide rules for deploying small wireless facilities (like small cell towers) in New Jersey's rights-of-way. It sets height limits for poles (50 feet or 10% taller than existing poles), establishes reasonable application fees (up to $500 for up to 5 facilities), and prohibits local authorities from entering exclusive agreements with wireless providers. The bill also sets requirements for aesthetics, establishes processing timelines for applications (60-90 days), and limits rates and fees for collocation to ensure a balanced approach to wireless infrastructure deployment.

Maddy summaryS 2325 allows New Jersey to use reverse auctions for procuring health care services under the State Health Benefits Program, School Employees' Health Benefits Program, and Medicaid Managed Care Program, removing a prior exclusion that prevented these contracts from being subject to competitive bidding. Pharmacy benefit management contracts remain excluded from this change. The bill enables the state to potentially secure more advantageous pricing through a process where providers lower their bids in a structured, transparent manner, as determined by the Director of the Division of Purchase and Property. This change applies to all contracts for hospital, surgical, obstetrical, and other covered health care services under these programs.

Maddy summaryS 1019 requires New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) to create a program connecting people with disabilities to job training and employment opportunities. The bill mandates DOLWD to develop an online resource hub listing qualified training organizations, allowing employers to post job openings and providing information on state labor laws and fair employment practices. Qualified organizations must be nonprofits with at least five years of experience serving people with disabilities, and DOLWD must collaborate with them to develop training materials. The program will require annual reports to the Governor and Legislature on its implementation and effectiveness, starting 30 days after the bill takes effect.