Sen. Troy Singleton

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a refundable New Jersey state tax credit for residents who make extra payments toward the principal of their primary residence mortgage. Taxpayers can claim 50% of "excess" principal payments (beyond required monthly amounts), capped at $1,000 annually, for mortgages that meet specific criteria: they must be for a primary residence, have a 15-30 year term with consistent payments, and be a "traditional mortgage." The credit phases down for single filers earning $125,000-$135,000 and married couples filing jointly earning $250,000-$270,000, and cannot be claimed for more than 10 years. It applies to taxable years starting after the bill’s enactment date.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 1566) changes how primary election ballots list candidates. It prohibits placing candidates from the same political party seeking the same office into rows or columns that indicate party endorsement on the ballot. However, it allows candidates from the same party to be grouped together under their specific office name. The rule applies to all primary elections for general offices starting January 1, 2025, after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's State Police and local police departments to create a clear plan for posting and removing social media updates about missing persons or individuals with active warrants. The protocol must ensure such posts are taken down within six months after the person is found or charges are resolved (e.g., if a wanted person is arrested or a missing person is located). Currently, outdated posts can unfairly harm individuals by causing job denials or unnecessary scrutiny due to persistent online information. The law aims to prevent this by mandating timely removal of resolved cases from social media.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all public meetings of New Jersey's State Board of Education to be accessible both in person and virtually. It mandates that the Board post a public link for virtual attendance on its website and allows remote public comments during meetings with comment periods. The law directly affects residents seeking to participate in education policy discussions and the State Board of Education, which must implement these accessibility measures. The provisions take immediate effect upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 250) creates a program for solar energy systems connected to "critical renewable microgrids" - microgrids using renewable energy to support essential services during power outages. It requires the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to designate qualifying solar systems as community solar projects, allowing them to earn solar energy credits (SREC-IIs) at discounted rates for low- or moderate-income customers. Key provisions include: solar systems must serve at least 75% of low-income customers at 20% below standard rates, may exceed typical 5MW size limits, and face annual capacity caps (100MW total). The Office of Homeland Security must also designate qualifying microgrids as "assets of importance" to exempt their solar incentives from cost caps. The program applies to new solar projects on critical microgrids, directly benefiting low-income communities and microgrid operators.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey state agencies to remove handwritten signatures from any document they publish on their official websites, starting from the bill's effective date. It also mandates that agencies archive existing documents displaying handwritten signatures published before the bill takes effect and allows them to republish those documents after redacting the signatures. The law ensures public access to archived documents through the Open Public Records Act, preserving transparency while protecting personal information. The bill takes effect 180 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Governor to include a detailed annual report on state tax breaks (like deductions, credits, or preferential rates) in the budget message. The report must list every tax break, explain its purpose, show estimated revenue loss for three fiscal years, and analyze whether it's achieving its goals and benefiting specific entities. Businesses receiving tax breaks will need to provide data on how they're using them, including who benefits and whether they're effective. This affects the Governor's office (which must prepare the report), the Division of Taxation (which must assist), and corporations or individuals benefiting from tax breaks.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2073) creates a state matching grant program for New Jersey school districts, charter schools, and renaissance school projects that use federal pandemic relief funds to address learning loss. It requires the Commissioner of Education to provide a 50% match on eligible funds dedicated to specific interventions - like extended learning programs, tutoring, summer academies, and career pathways - to accelerate student learning and address pandemic-related academic gaps. Eligibility is based on documented increases in students scoring below grade level in English/language arts or math compared to 2018-2019 assessments. The program is capped at $200 million and mandates annual reports evaluating its effectiveness in improving student outcomes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1409) lowers the requirement for state agencies to designate a contract as a "disabled veterans' business set-aside" from three to two qualified disabled veterans' businesses. It directly affects state contracting agencies and disabled veterans' businesses by making it easier to set aside contracts for these businesses. The key change amends Section 4 of the existing "Set-Aside Act for Disabled Veterans’ Businesses" (P.L.2015, c.116) to update the threshold to align with federal standards and neighboring states. This adjustment aims to address challenges in finding sufficient qualified businesses for set-asides in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $2.5 million grant program administered by New Jersey's Economic Development Authority to expand broadband access in rural areas lacking minimum service speeds (25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload). It provides grants of up to $75,000 per project to qualified applicants like internet providers or local governments, requiring 25% private matching funds for infrastructure projects in "unserved areas." The program prioritizes projects addressing these unserved areas, with applicants submitting detailed proposals on service gaps and project plans. The EDA must report annually on grant distribution, including the number of projects funded and locations served.