Sen. Troy Singleton

Maddy summaryS 609 amends New Jersey's Local Redevelopment and Housing Law to explicitly exclude farmland actively used for agriculture or horticulture - valued and taxed under the Farmland Assessment Act of 1964 - from definitions of "redevelopment area" and "rehabilitation area." This change directly affects farmers and landowners whose properties qualify for farmland tax assessment, preventing those lands from being designated for redevelopment projects. The bill modifies Section 3 of P.L.1992, c.79 by adding a specific exclusion for such farmland in the legal definitions. This is a procedural adjustment to clarify existing law, not a new program or funding mechanism.

Maddy summaryS 2012 requires all New Jersey public school districts, charter schools, and vocational/county special services schools receiving state aid to begin high school instruction (grades 9-12) no earlier than 8:30 AM local time starting in the 2024-2025 school year. The law directly affects school districts that receive state funding, with exceptions for students with individualized education plans under IDEA or Section 504. It mandates this start time based on health research showing adolescents need 8-10 hours of sleep and face risks like poor academic performance when sleep-deprived. The bill does not apply to existing individualized education programs but requires compliance for all other high school students to receive state funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1412) allows small employers with fewer than 20 employees to claim a tax credit if they pay for their employees' health insurance premiums. Employers qualify if they cover health plans meeting federal Affordable Care Act standards and pay at least 50% of the premium cost. The credit is $250 per employee for single coverage or $500 for family coverage when the employer pays 100% of premiums, with reduced amounts for partial payments (e.g., 50-100% paid). The credit cannot exceed the actual premiums paid or 50% of the employer’s tax liability, and unused credits cannot be carried forward. It directly affects small businesses seeking to offset health insurance costs for their employees.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 313) makes property tax exemptions for 100% disabled veterans retroactive to the date they were declared disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It directly affects veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities (like paraplegia, blindness, or amputations) who previously paid property taxes on their homes. The key provision requires the state to reimburse municipalities for property taxes paid by these veterans during the retroactive period. This changes the existing law (P.L.1948, c.259) to ensure veterans receive refunds for past taxes, rather than only future exemptions.

Maddy summaryThis bill temporarily allows grocery stores and third-party delivery services to provide single-use paper bags (with at least 40% recycled content) for delivered, picked-up, or curbside grocery orders for three years. After this period, they must switch to reusable bags only. It also extends the timeframe food banks and pantries can use certain bags and requires a program for disposing of reusable bags. The bill directly affects grocery retailers, delivery services, and food assistance organizations in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires scrap metal businesses to verify the identity and vehicle ownership of sellers before purchasing used catalytic converters not attached to a vehicle. Specifically, businesses must check photo ID, record license numbers, and obtain vehicle identification numbers and title/registration copies for such sales. It upgrades theft of catalytic converters to a higher criminal offense level (from third to second degree under New Jersey law). The law directly affects scrap metal businesses, sellers of catalytic converters, and law enforcement investigating thefts.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases New Jersey's tax exclusion for profits from selling a primary home. It doubles the amount homeowners can exclude from state income tax: from $250,000 to $500,000 for single filers, and from $500,000 to $1,000,000 for married couples filing jointly. The eligibility rules remain unchanged - homeowners must have lived in the property as their primary residence for at least two years within a five-year period before selling. This applies to all qualifying homeowners selling their main residence in New Jersey, without altering the existing federal tax alignment requirements.

Maddy summaryS 1969 establishes an independent Office of the Child Advocate within New Jersey's government to protect children at risk of abuse or neglect. The Child Advocate, appointed by the Governor, investigates state agency responses to abuse/neglect cases, reviews facilities like juvenile detention centers and group homes, and accesses relevant records to ensure adequate services. The office operates a 24-hour hotline for public complaints, conducts oversight of child welfare services, and reports findings to improve system performance. This bill directly affects children in state care, child welfare agencies, and private entities providing child protection services.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1985) would legalize for adults aged 21 or older the cultivation and possession of up to six marijuana plants per person for personal recreational use, with a household maximum of 12 plants. It also legalizes for qualifying medical patients (21+) or their designated caregivers to grow and possess up to 10 plants per person for medical use, with the same household cap of 12 plants. The bill amends state law to remove criminal penalties for these specific amounts, building on existing law that already decriminalized possession of up to six ounces. The bill is pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee (introduced January 9, 2024) and would take effect immediately if enacted.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a minimum uptime requirement for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that receive state incentives under New Jersey's EV infrastructure programs. It requires operators of "incentivized EVSE" (charging stations funded through state programs) to maintain a specified operational availability standard, defining "downtime" as periods when hardware or software is offline and unusable. Exceptions ("exempted downtime") cover outages caused by factors outside the operator's control, such as utility failures or internet disruptions. The policy directly affects EV charging station operators participating in state incentive programs, ensuring funded stations remain reliably accessible to the public. This requirement applies to both new and existing incentive-funded charging locations across the state.