Sen. Carmen Amato

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an annual two-month sales tax holiday in New Jersey for personal, non-business purchases of specific school-related items. During the exemption period (August 1-September 30), residents buying computers under $3,000, school computer supplies under $1,000, and designated school supplies (like pens, notebooks, art materials), school art supplies (paints, clay), and instructional materials (textbooks, reference books) will pay no state sales tax. The tax break directly affects individual shoppers preparing for the school year, excluding business purchases. It creates a temporary policy change without requiring new forms or rebates, aligning with similar programs in 19 states.

Maddy summaryS 3656 requires the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to have at least one member residing in each of the state's three geographic regions: northern (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Warren), central (Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Ocean, Somerset, Union), and southern (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem). The bill mandates that the Governor must ensure all new BPU appointments after the law takes effect meet this regional representation rule. This change applies to the five-member BPU without altering its total size, aiming to ensure geographic diversity in decision-making. The requirement becomes effective immediately upon the bill's passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill reinstates an annual sales tax holiday in New Jersey for specific school and recreational items purchased by individuals for personal use. It exempts from sales tax during a defined 10-day period (starting 9 days before the first Monday in September through that Monday) the following: computers under $3,000, school computer supplies under $1,000, school supplies, art supplies, instructional materials, and sport/recreation equipment. The exemption applies only to retail sales to individuals for non-business purposes during this annual window. The bill takes effect immediately and applies to sales made during exemption periods at least 30 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey Senate resolution (SR 110) urges Congress and the President to pass the "Social Security Fairness Act," which aims to repeal two provisions affecting public retirees: the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). These provisions currently reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for public employees - like firefighters, police officers, and some local government workers - who receive government pensions but also paid Social Security taxes during part of their careers. The resolution notes that GPO and WEP impact nearly 27,000 New Jersey retirees, including causing 90% of affected individuals to lose spousal benefits and reducing monthly benefits by up to $587. As a symbolic resolution, it does not change policy but calls for federal action to address these benefit reductions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires municipalities to hold a public vote when annexing land that represents over 10% of the affected municipality's property tax base. If such a large area is proposed for annexation by a neighboring municipality, the local governing body must submit the question to voters at the next general election (at least 45 days after receiving the annexation petition). Voters must approve the annexation by majority vote for it to proceed; a "no" vote blocks the proposal for one year. The law directly affects residents of municipalities facing significant annexation proposals and ensures voter consent for major land transfers impacting local tax revenue.

Maddy summarySJR 129 is a ceremonial resolution designating February 12th of each year as "Carly Day" in New Jersey. It commemorates Carly Fetzer, a Bayville resident born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (a congenital heart defect), who lived 18 years despite medical challenges before passing away. The resolution requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation to raise awareness about congenital heart defects, aligning with National Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (February 7-14). It does not create new laws or affect any specific group, focusing solely on commemoration and awareness.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey volunteer firefighters to receive free, periodic cancer screenings every three years (starting after three years of service) for 11 specific cancers, including colon, lung, breast, and prostate. It mandates that State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) physicians and approved providers offer these screenings without any co-payments, deductibles, or out-of-pocket costs for the firefighter. The state will reimburse participating providers up to $1,250 per firefighter per three-year period, and fire districts must maintain records to facilitate payment. The bill extends existing benefits currently available to paid firefighters under state law to volunteer firefighters serving in fire districts, departments, or companies across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's "Design Professional Self-Certification Act" (A4360, now law as P.L.2024, c.58) creates a program allowing licensed architects and professional engineers to self-certify that certain construction projects comply with building codes. It directly affects qualified design professionals who can now submit construction permit applications with self-certification forms for eligible projects (like renovations under specific size limits for residential or commercial buildings), bypassing full code reviews by local agencies. Local building departments must then conduct a simple "supervisory check" to confirm all required documents are present and issue permits - same as before - within 1-5 days. This applies only to projects not excluded (e.g., structural alterations requiring special inspections, new kitchens, or electrical upgrades over 400 amps), with the Department of Community Affairs setting qualification rules.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill revises property tax lien foreclosure procedures to align with a recent Supreme Court ruling requiring property owners to retain equity beyond unpaid taxes. It allows property owners to protect remaining property equity by requesting a judicial sale (like mortgage foreclosures) or online auction through the county sheriff within 45 days of receiving foreclosure notice. If owners don't make this request, lien holders (municipalities or private investors) can take full property title without conducting a sale. Lien holders must clearly inform property owners about this option in bold text with foreclosure notices. The bill ensures any surplus funds from a sale would go to the property owner after lien holders are paid.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies New Jersey's down payment assistance program to provide additional support for first-generation homebuyers. It increases the maximum down payment assistance to $20,000 for first-time homebuyers, with an extra $7,000-$10,000 specifically for first-generation homebuyers (defined as individuals whose parents never owned residential property and who may have been in foster care). The program requires recipients to use the home as their primary residence for five years, complete homebuyer counseling, and repay the loan if they move before the five-year term. The assistance is structured as a zero-interest, forgivable loan if all conditions are met.