Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $71.4 million Stabilized School Budget Aid Grant Program to help eligible New Jersey school districts offset state aid reductions for the 2024-2025 school year. It provides grants covering up to two-thirds of a district’s state aid reduction, but requires districts to first fully use all available tax authority (including "banked" tax capacity) before receiving aid. Districts receiving aid may also increase local tax levies by up to one-third of the aid amount, but cannot exceed a 9.9% tax levy growth limit relative to the prior year. The program directly affects school districts facing state aid cuts, with eligibility based on positive state aid differentials and subject to specific spending and staffing requirements.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryS 3229 expands New Jersey's Tuition Aid Grant Program to include eligible workforce training programs, allowing students in these programs to access state financial aid. To qualify, programs must require at least 150 hours of instruction, offer an industry-valued credential, and maintain 70% average completion and job placement rates. The Higher Education Student Assistance Authority will designate qualifying programs and require them to report student outcomes, which will be posted publicly. This change directly affects workforce training programs and students pursuing career-focused, non-degree training without traditional college credentials.
Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey Transit's Access Link paratransit service to include all U.S. Veterans Health Administration facilities in the state. It requires NJ Transit to provide origin-to-destination service to these facilities regardless of location, creating a 1.5-mile service radius around each facility and a 1.5-mile-wide corridor along the most direct route connecting each facility to the nearest NJ Transit bus or rail stop. The bill appropriates $1 million from the state General Fund to cover implementation costs for NJ Transit. This change directly affects veterans using VA healthcare facilities by improving their access to paratransit service.
Maddy summaryThis bill designates May of every year as "Older Americans Month" in New Jersey. It requests the Governor to issue an annual proclamation encouraging public recognition of older residents' contributions to communities through volunteer work, the workforce, and civic engagement. The resolution does not create new programs or funding but serves as a symbolic gesture to honor older New Jerseyans and reaffirm the state's commitment to their well-being. It directly affects state officials, who must issue the proclamation, and residents, who are invited to observe the month with community activities.
Maddy summarySCR 104 is a symbolic resolution (not a law) passed by the New Jersey Senate condemning hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry. It formally declares New Jersey's opposition to prejudice against Hinduism and Hindus, recognizing the religion's global significance and Hindu Americans' contributions to society. The resolution defines hinduphobia as "antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes" toward Hinduism and Hindus, citing documented hate crimes. Copies will be sent to the Governor, New Jersey's Congress members, and the Hindu American Foundation. It has no legal effect beyond expressing the state's stance.
Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 2015) requires public institutions of higher education to pay prevailing wages for construction and maintenance work on projects intended for use by the institution at the time of construction. It clarifies that this applies to work done under contracts with entities associated with public bodies (such as university foundations) and to projects receiving financial assistance from public bodies. The bill ensures workers on these projects receive the prevailing wage rate determined by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, with limited exceptions for housing-related projects. This directly affects contractors, subcontractors, and workers involved in construction for public colleges and universities across New Jersey.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Attorney General to repeal Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive No. 2018-6, which restricted local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The directive prohibited police from sharing release dates of detained individuals, extending detention based solely on immigration requests, or assisting with civil immigration enforcement. It directly affects all state, county, and local law enforcement agencies in New Jersey. The bill aims to remove these restrictions by mandating the repeal of the 2018 directive.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3099) revises New Jersey's self-defense laws by removing the duty to retreat before using force. It states that a person is justified in using non-deadly force to defend against imminent unlawful force, and deadly force is permitted to prevent imminent death, serious injury, or specific violent crimes (like murder or aggravated assault under the "Three Strikes" law), without needing to retreat. The bill repeals existing statutes (N.J.S.2C:3-4 through N.J.S.2C:3-7) and clarifies that individuals who are not committing a crime and are in a lawful location have the right to stand their ground. It directly affects anyone involved in self-defense situations, including law enforcement and civilians.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a one percent cap on annual reductions to State school aid for New Jersey school districts. It ensures that no district's State aid amount will be reduced by more than one percent from the previous year's level, regardless of other calculations. The bill affects all school districts receiving State school aid, though certain districts (like some SDA districts or those meeting specific criteria) may have exemptions. This amendment to education funding law limits the maximum annual reduction that can be applied to State school aid calculations. The legislation applies to all school districts under the current State aid calculation system for the 2019-2020 through 2024-2025 school years.
Maddy summaryThis bill restores state school aid for certain New Jersey school districts that faced funding reductions in the 2023-2024 school year and would face further cuts in 2024-2025. It shifts $64.9 million from existing appropriations and adds $145.2 million in new funding from the General Fund, totaling $210.1 million to cover the difference between prior aid levels and proposed 2024-2025 amounts. The funding specifically targets districts that received Supplemental Stabilization Aid under prior law (P.L.2023, c.32) or have a positive "State aid differential" under P.L.2018, c.67. This ensures affected districts receive aid equal to their 2023-2024 funding level, preventing further reductions.