Sen. Carmen Amato

Maddy summaryS 3817 delays New Jersey's implementation of Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulations from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2027. The bill affects vehicle manufacturers of medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses, requiring them to gradually increase zero-emission vehicle sales (capping at 40-75% by 2035). It directly modifies the current timeline by prohibiting the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from enforcing these rules before 2027. This is a procedural change to the existing 2021 DEP adoption of California's ACT regulations, not a modification of the regulations themselves.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to create a free Bereavement Counseling Program for family members and volunteer caregivers of veterans who died by suicide. It directly affects spouses, parents, children, legal guardians, romantic partners, and household members of such veterans, as well as non-paid volunteer caregivers from qualified veterans' organizations who provided at least three months of counseling or social work care. The program will match eligible individuals with licensed clinicians for up to 24 months of counseling (max 30 hours yearly), with applications available for five years post-death. DMVA will distribute program information through Veteran Service Officers and funeral directors when a veteran's suicide death is known.

Maddy summaryS 3810 establishes a Women Veterans Coordinator position within New Jersey’s Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). The bill requires the Adjutant General to appoint a veteran who will directly assist women veterans discharged under honorable conditions from U.S. military service (including the New Jersey National Guard). Key duties include helping with employment, education, housing, and healthcare access; developing statewide programs; creating informational materials about benefits; and making annual recommendations to state leaders. The coordinator must hold quarterly meetings with women veterans and report annually to the Legislature and Governor. This bill affects all women veterans in New Jersey seeking state support services.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires converting at least one ward in each of the Paramus and Menlo Park Veterans' Memorial Homes into single-occupancy rooms. It mandates upgrading heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to infection control standards and allows the Adjutant General flexibility to add features like negative pressure ventilation for disease control. Funding for these changes must first come from available federal funds (including American Rescue Plan Act funds), with state General Fund money covering any shortfall. The changes directly affect veterans residing in these two facilities.

Maddy summaryS 3805 exempts veterans' organizations chartered under federal law from New Jersey's motor vehicle registration fee for vehicles not used for pleasure or hire. The bill amends existing law (R.S.39:3-27) to add these organizations to the list of exempt entities, which currently includes government agencies, volunteer fire departments, hospitals, and similar nonprofits. This change removes a registration fee burden for qualifying veterans' groups on eligible vehicles. The exemption applies only to non-commercial vehicles owned by federally chartered veterans' organizations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to permit graduating high school students to wear a military sash or stole issued by a U.S. Armed Forces branch during graduation ceremonies. It directly affects students who have completed all diploma requirements and are eligible to graduate, including those who enlisted but haven't completed basic training (unlike current law, which only covered active-duty uniform wearers). The key change amends existing law to explicitly include military sashes/stoles - worn over graduation robes and issued by recruiters upon enlistment - alongside dress uniforms. The policy applies immediately upon enactment, ensuring schools accommodate this specific military recognition.

Maddy summaryThis resolution urges the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to establish an inpatient hospital facility at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. It directly affects approximately 119,200 veterans living in southern New Jersey counties (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, etc.) who currently lack nearby VA inpatient care and must travel long distances - often multiple hours - to facilities in northern New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, or Delaware. The resolution highlights that the East Orange Veterans Medical Center, the current primary provider, is over two hours away for many veterans, while the average New Jersey resident lives within 12 minutes of a hospital. It proposes the base as an ideal location due to its existing veteran services and proximity to the affected population.

Maddy summaryS 3806 would exempt volunteer fire companies, emergency medical service providers, and veteran organizations from New Jersey's charitable registration fees. The bill amends the Charitable Registration and Investigation Act to remove these groups from the requirement that charitable organizations raising over $10,000 annually must register and pay a fee. This exemption specifically applies to fire companies operating under state law, non-profit emergency service providers, and veteran organizations that qualify as tax-exempt under federal law (501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19)). As a result, these volunteer-based organizations would no longer need to pay the registration fee.

Maddy summaryS 3410 requires New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to create a Disabled Veterans Transportation Task Force. The task force will study transportation challenges faced by disabled veterans across the state and develop recommendations to improve access, including potential reimbursement methods for travel expenses. It must include at least three disabled veterans, three veterans organization representatives, and three county commissioner representatives, organized across specific geographic regions. The task force must hold public hearings, submit an interim report within six months, and a final report within 12 months to the Legislature and Governor, with both reports posted publicly online. This bill directly affects disabled veterans by establishing a formal process to address their transportation needs, without mandating immediate policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill upgrades burglary of a residence (such as a home or dwelling) from a third-degree to a second-degree crime in New Jersey, increasing potential penalties to 5-10 years in prison. If the burglary occurs while the perpetrator is armed with a weapon or explosives, or is connected to another serious crime, it becomes a first-degree crime with a potential 10-20 year sentence. The bill also requires that offenders convicted of these upgraded residential burglaries serve at least 85% of their sentence without parole, as mandated by New Jersey's No Early Release Act. This change directly affects individuals convicted of residential burglary, making penalties more severe for crimes targeting homes.