Sen. Troy Singleton

Maddy summaryS 4048 prohibits counties, municipalities, or other approving authorities in New Jersey from approving site plans for large warehouses (100,000+ square feet used for storing goods) on land within 1,000 feet of a historic district listed on the National or New Jersey Register of Historic Places. This directly affects developers seeking to build such warehouses near designated historic areas, including those already in the planning stages. The bill defines "historic district" to exclude areas designated solely to preserve waterways (like lakes or rivers) and specifies "large warehouse" by size and purpose. The restriction applies immediately to pending applications where construction permits haven't been declared complete.

Maddy summaryS 4633 establishes a statewide youth apprenticeship program for New Jersey students aged 16-21, focusing on high-demand sectors like health care, information technology, advanced manufacturing, and green jobs. The bill appropriates $25 million annually starting in fiscal year 2026 to fund the program, including employer tax credits of up to $5,000 per apprentice (requiring 60%+ journeyperson wages and non-discriminatory practices), tuition-free technical training, and support services like transportation and childcare for low-income apprentices. It mandates high schools to develop career-connected learning for 11th-12th graders, combines on-the-job training with community college dual enrollment, and requires state agencies and public contractors to prioritize green energy apprenticeships with union partnerships. The Department of Labor must publish annual reports tracking participation demographics, completion rates, and outcomes like reduced reliance on student aid.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates new criminal offenses for dog owners who negligently or recklessly allow dogs to attack people or animals. Negligent handling (four or more leash violations) is a petty disorderly offense, while reckless handling causing injury is a disorderly offense or higher felony depending on severity (e.g., hospitalization or death). Owners face civil penalties up to $5,000 for violations, plus mandatory restitution for medical/veterinary costs. Victims and owners of injured animals gain a legal right to request a hearing to determine if the attacking dog is classified as "vicious" or "potentially dangerous."

Maddy summaryThe "Vacant Property Revitalization and Affordable Housing Act" (S 4653) establishes a $50 million fund to convert vacant, abandoned, or foreclosed properties into affordable housing. The fund provides competitive grants and low-interest loans to land bank entities and qualified housing nonprofits for property acquisition, rehabilitation, and development, with requirements that at least 50% of residential units be designated as affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents. The bill also modifies tax foreclosure procedures to require service by certified mail instead of personal service, aiming to speed up property repurposing while maintaining due process protections. This legislation directly affects municipalities, property owners, housing nonprofits, and low-income residents by addressing New Jersey's housing shortage and reducing municipal tax burdens.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts nonresident military spouses from New Jersey's residency requirement for public employees under the "New Jersey First Act." It specifically applies to spouses of active-duty military members who have been transferred to New Jersey for service, are legally domiciled here, or moved on a permanent change-of-station basis. The law amends existing statute (R.S.52:14-7) to explicitly exclude these spouses from the requirement that most state employees must reside in New Jersey. This change directly affects military spouses working in state government positions who maintain out-of-state residency due to their partner's military assignment.

Maddy summaryThe "Electric Public Utility Fair Profit Act" requires New Jersey electric utilities to annually review if they collected more revenue than the amount approved by the state's Board of Public Utilities (BPU). If excess profits are found, utilities must return these funds to customers within 45 days through bill credits, direct payments for overdue bills, or payments to customers enrolled in utility assistance programs. Utilities must also submit annual financial reports to the BPU, and failure to redistribute excess profits or misrepresenting data incurs fines that fund utility assistance programs, with no cost to customers.

Maddy summaryS 4374 requires parties in civil lawsuits to disclose third-party litigation funding agreements to the court and all parties at the time of filing or when the agreement is made. It defines "litigation funders" as entities providing funding for lawsuit expenses in exchange for a share of proceeds and mandates they act as fiduciaries to the funded party. The bill prohibits funders from influencing case decisions, offering legal advice, or taking more than 25% of settlement proceeds (or 50% total with attorneys without consent), and makes agreements unenforceable if these rules are violated. This directly affects civil lawsuit participants, their attorneys, and third-party funders, while excluding family loans, regular attorney fee agreements, and nonprofit legal aid from disclosure requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill would automatically send mail-in ballots to all registered voters in New Jersey for every election, unless the voter requests in writing to stop receiving them or fails to vote by mail for four consecutive years. Registered voters who want to vote in person at a polling place would need to surrender their mail-in ballot, including the outer envelope with their name and address. The bill also increases the period during which county election boards can begin processing mail-in ballots from five to ten days before an election. This change would apply to all elections in the state, including primaries and general elections.

Maddy summaryThe New Jersey Workforce Housing Partnership Act provides financial assistance to help middle-income workers purchase homes by incentivizing employers to offer down payment assistance. It establishes a program that matches employer contributions (up to $10,000-$15,000 per employee) for down payments on workforce housing, provides low-interest mortgages, and offers tax credits to employers for these contributions. The bill requires that at least 20% of units in workforce housing projects be affordable for low- and moderate-income households (earning no more than 80% of area median income). It appropriates $55 million total ($50 million for the assistance program, $5 million for a relief program for long-term homeowners in affected areas). The legislation aims to address housing affordability challenges for workers in high-cost areas while encouraging private sector involvement in housing development.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "Food is Medicine NJ Pilot Program" within New Jersey's Department of Human Services (DHS) for three years, appropriating $5 million. It directly serves Medicaid recipients with qualifying diet-related chronic conditions (like diabetes, heart failure, or obesity-related illnesses) who are referred by healthcare providers. The program provides medically tailored meals to up to 3,000 participants and produce prescriptions with nutrition education to an additional 7,000 at-risk individuals. DHS must contract an evaluator to measure outcomes like reduced hospitalizations, improved health metrics (e.g., blood sugar levels), and cost savings to Medicaid, reporting findings at 18 months and upon program completion.