Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's Farmland Assessment Act to clarify when farmland owners face "roll-back taxes" (additional taxes) after stopping agricultural use. It states that merely ceasing farming activity - without actively converting the land to non-farm use - will not trigger these taxes. Roll-back taxes, calculated as the difference between farmland tax rates and standard property tax rates for the current year and the two prior years, apply only if the land is actively converted to non-agricultural use. The bill also establishes a hardship exemption process, allowing farmers to petition for relief if temporary disruptions (e.g., due to weather or economic hardship) prevent ongoing farming, with assessors considering factors like the owner’s intent to return to farming. It directly affects New Jersey landowners who qualify for agricultural property tax assessments under the 1964 Act.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill modifies how interest accrues on unpaid water and sewer utility bills, as well as delinquent municipal taxes and other local charges. It directly affects property owners and residents who fall behind on these payments. The key change adjusts the interest rates and calculation methods for these outstanding bills, as specified in the amended statutory language. The bill applies to municipalities and sewerage authorities across New Jersey, affecting how they handle late payments.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Governor to include a detailed annual report in the budget message about revenues and expenditures from the "societal benefits charge" on utility bills. The report must show, for five prior fiscal years and the current year, how much money was collected, and how it was allocated - specifically for energy efficiency programs, the Universal Services Fund (which supports low-income energy assistance), and plug-in electric vehicle incentives. It mandates itemized breakdowns of funds committed and spent for each program, including amounts retained by electric and gas utilities. The bill applies to all electric and gas public utilities in the state and aims to increase transparency about how these utility bill charges fund public programs.
Maddy summaryS 749 is a procedural bill that would have amended the list of environmental infrastructure projects approved for long-term funding under New Jersey's FY2026 environmental infrastructure program. It detailed how funds from multiple state revolving funds (like the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund) would be allocated to support clean water and drinking water projects, aligning with federal requirements under the Clean Water Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, because it was superseded by an already-enacted bill (P.L.2025, c.182), meaning it did not become law. It directly affected the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) by modifying funding mechanisms for environmental infrastructure projects.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to determine and consider the lowest reasonable return on equity (ROE) when reviewing rate increase requests from electric, gas, and water utility companies. It directly affects utility companies seeking rate hikes and the BPU, which must now actively seek the minimum reasonable ROE as a factor in its approval decisions. The key mechanism mandates the BPU to develop or adopt specific analytic models reflecting state, federal, and industry standards to assess this lowest reasonable ROE. This change would shift the BPU's process from evaluating proposed ROEs to proactively identifying the lowest acceptable return for rate cases, impacting how utility rate increases are approved.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new licensing and operational standards for residential mental health treatment facilities in New Jersey. It requires these facilities to provide comprehensive 24/7 care consistent with medical guidelines, prohibits retrospective medical necessity reviews, and mandates licensing from the Commissioner of Health. The bill directly affects facilities offering residential mental health care (excluding hospital-based programs or substance use facilities) and the patients they serve. Key provisions include mandatory licensing, location restrictions (banning co-location with substance use facilities), and requiring the commissioner to adopt minimum care standards within 90 days.
Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's Child Advocacy Center-Multidisciplinary Team Advisory Board from 14 to 17 members and creates a new "Problematic Sexual Behavior Program" to address youth-related sexual behaviors. It establishes an annual progress review program for child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams to maintain funding eligibility, requiring compliance with National Children's Alliance standards. The program specifically defines "problematic sexual behavior" to include developmentally inappropriate actions by youth under 18, such as sexting or exposure to explicit content. The expanded board will include specialized professionals like psychologists, pediatricians, and care coordinators to oversee these initiatives. The bill directly affects child advocacy centers, multidisciplinary teams, and youth with problematic sexual behaviors in New Jersey.
Maddy summaryThis bill provides New Jersey corporations with a tax credit equal to 15% of wages paid to qualified community health workers (up to $2,500 per worker) for both corporation business tax and gross income tax. To qualify, employers must apply to the Commissioner of Health for certification that an employee meets specific criteria: working at least 10 hours weekly, completing a state-approved training program, and not being an independent contractor. The credit is limited to 50% of tax liability per year and may be carried forward if unused. It directly affects New Jersey businesses hiring community health workers - professionals who connect underserved communities to healthcare resources and educate providers about access barriers.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's Administrative Procedure Act to improve transparency in state agency rule-making. It requires agencies to publish key information - including organizational descriptions, rule-making schedules, public comments, and final decisions - on their websites. Agencies must also provide at least 60 days' notice for proposed rules (up from 30 days), maintain a quarterly calendar of upcoming rule-making activities, and wait 45 days before acting on new items added to the calendar. These changes directly affect all state agencies that create or modify rules, aiming to make the process more accessible to the public.
Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey to exchange approximately 219 acres of State-owned land in Lacey and Stafford Townships (Ocean County) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for about 52 acres in Galloway Township (Atlantic County). The State-owned land being transferred 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 (occupied since 1964). The exchange allows the State to use its funds to construct new offices on the federal land, replacing aging facilities. The bill specifies that minor adjustments may be made to equalize the land values and exempts the transfer from certain state land sale regulations.