Sen. Carmen Amato

Maddy summaryThis bill designates salt water taffy as New Jersey's official State Candy. It recognizes the treat's historical connection to the Jersey Shore, citing its origins in Atlantic City in the 1880s and its long-standing role in coastal tourism and boardwalk culture. The bill contains no new regulations, taxes, or programs - only a symbolic designation for cultural recognition. It takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill suspends two specific charges on residential and business electric and gas utility bills for the entire year of 2026 (January 1-December 31, 2026). It eliminates the state sales and use tax and the societal benefits charge (which funds clean energy programs and energy assistance) on these bills. The average residential customer would save $170-$233 on electricity bills and $178-$308 on gas bills during this period. The suspension expires on January 1, 2027, and does not affect other utility fees or taxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey county recording officers (such as registers of deeds or county clerks) to create a property alert service that notifies enrolled property owners when liens, deeds, or other documents affecting their property are recorded. Property owners can voluntarily sign up by providing an email or mailing address, and counties must send notifications within seven days of recording. Counties may charge a fee of up to $10 per property per year for this service. The bill aims to help property owners detect potential fraud by providing timely alerts about recorded documents.

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates the tiered fee structure for property transfer fees and taxes on transactions over $1 million, replacing it with a flat 1% rate for all such transfers. It affects sellers of residential, commercial, farm, and cooperative properties valued above $1 million, as well as sellers of controlling interests in entities owning commercial property. The bill also creates a refund process for certain transactions recorded by July 1, 2026, where the contract was executed before January 1, 2026, allowing sellers to recover excess fees paid under the previous tiered system (which charged up to 3.5% for higher-value properties). This change applies to both standard property transfers and controlling interest transfers governed by existing laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Jersey's Athletic Training Licensure Act by revising key definitions to modernize the scope of practice. It replaces the term "athlete" with "physically active person" to include individuals participating in sports, performing arts, recreational activities, employment, or military exercise. The bill clarifies that athletic training covers injury prevention, evaluation, and rehabilitation under physician supervision, while explicitly excluding prescription of controlled substances. These changes directly affect licensed athletic trainers, ensuring their scope aligns with current practices and legal requirements. The revisions were enacted without opposition (passed 39-0 in Senate, 77-2 in Assembly).

Maddy summaryThis bill requires contractors and subcontractors working on public projects to submit payroll records to New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD). It applies to any business performing work for public bodies (like state/local governments or projects funded by public money), including construction, maintenance, or repair work. The key mechanism mandates that these contractors must register with DOLWD and provide payroll details to verify compliance with prevailing wage laws and apprenticeship program requirements. This affects all employers engaged in public work contracts, ensuring transparency in worker compensation and program participation.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey to transfer approximately 219 acres of state-owned land in Lacey and Stafford Townships (Ocean County) to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in exchange for about 57 acres in Galloway Township (Atlantic County). The land being conveyed will become part of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, while the acquired land currently houses the Department of Environmental Protection’s Marine Resources Administration offices. The exchange enables the state to replace aging offices by using the land it currently occupies (since 1964) and avoids development of the transferred property. The bill specifies that minor adjustments may be made to equalize the value of the exchanged parcels.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits electric utilities from charging customers for electricity usage during service interruptions (like power outages). For each billing cycle with an interruption, utilities must reduce fixed monthly charges proportionally to the duration of the outage. It also requires utilities to repair damaged street lights within 10 business days of notice and prohibits billing customers for those lights until repairs are complete. The bill directly affects residential and business electricity customers in New Jersey, ensuring they aren't charged for services they couldn't use during outages or for non-functional street lighting.

Maddy summarySCR 135 is a legislative resolution declaring that New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) violated a 2003 law by adopting rules implementing California's "Advanced Clean Cars II" (ACC II) program without required legislative approval. The 2003 law specifically authorized only the implementation of California's LEV II program (not ACC II) and mandated that the DEP notify environmental committees before adopting major changes. This resolution gives the DEP 30 days to amend or withdraw the ACC II rules, or the legislature could pass another resolution to invalidate them. It directly affects the DEP's regulatory authority and auto manufacturers subject to the ACC II emissions requirements.

Maddy summaryThe "Motor Vehicle Open Recall Notice and Fair Compensation Act" (S 3309) requires used car dealers to check for open recalls on vehicles before sale using the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website and provide prospective buyers with printed recall information if any are found. Dealers cannot sell vehicles subject to stop-sale or do-not-drive notices issued by NHTSA. The bill mandates dealers to report vehicles with unresolved recalls (for which repairs remain uncompleted six months after initial notice) to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission every 180 days, prompting the Commission to send notices directly to vehicle owners. For vehicles with unavailable parts for recalls, dealers receive monthly compensation equal to 1.75% of the vehicle's value until repairs are completed.