Sen. Raj Mukherji

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey municipalities to qualify for preferential treatment when applying for state-funded grants by adopting specific strategies to encourage denser residential development. Municipalities must update their master plans and zoning regulations to include housing strategies like permitting accessory dwelling units, reducing parking requirements, or allowing multi-unit buildings in areas previously restricted to single-family homes. After implementing these changes and submitting the updated plans to the state, eligible municipalities receive priority in competitive grant distributions. The preference applies to most state grants but excludes programs focused on fair housing obligations or shared services.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 3379) requires data center owners and operators to submit semi-annual reports to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) detailing water and energy usage. Existing data centers must begin reporting within three months of the law's enactment, while newer centers have six months. Reports must include basic facility information, usage data, and for centers receiving state funding, specific efficiency metrics like power usage effectiveness. The BPU will publish anonymized, aggregated data online but keep individual reports confidential.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill prohibits the sale, manufacture, and distribution of apparel containing intentionally added PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) starting two years after it takes effect. It defines "apparel" broadly to include most clothing for regular wear - such as athletic wear, swimwear, school uniforms, and work uniforms - but excludes personal protective equipment, military clothing, and motorcycle safety gear. Violations would be treated as consumer fraud under state law, resulting in fines up to $20,000 per offense and potential additional penalties like cease-and-desist orders. The law directly affects retailers, manufacturers, and distributors of apparel within New Jersey that use PFAS in their products.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 2260 strengthens legal protections for patients and providers accessing or delivering reproductive and gender-affirming health care services within the state. The bill explicitly defines "legally protected health care activities" to include seeking, providing, or assisting with these services (such as abortion, contraception, or gender-affirming care), regardless of a patient's location. It prohibits obstruction, intimidation, or physical barriers at facilities offering these services and grants licensing boards authority to impose civil penalties for violations. This directly affects patients traveling to New Jersey for care (not available in their home states) and healthcare providers operating in these fields. The law codifies existing protections to prevent harassment or violence against these services, following increased threats and protests nationwide after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Maddy summaryS 3412 would require certain social media platforms in New Jersey to display a black box warning about mental health risks to users, similar to health warnings on tobacco products. The bill targets platforms primarily designed for social connection (like Facebook or TikTok) that have users in New Jersey, excluding services focused on news, entertainment, or e-commerce. This requirement is based on findings that youth social media use exceeding three hours daily doubles risks of depression and anxiety, and platforms are aware of these harms. The warning must be displayed on platforms meeting the bill's definition of "covered social media platforms," affecting all users of those services in the state.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill 4015, the "New Jersey Kids Code Act," requires major online services (like social media and games) that minors are likely to use to set default privacy settings to the highest protection level for children. It prohibits these services from showing targeted ads to minors, using manipulative design tricks to change privacy settings, collecting certain personal data without clear consent, or promoting restricted products to children. The bill also mandates annual public reports detailing how these platforms protect minors’ privacy, their data practices, safety tools for parents, and how much time children spend on their services. This law directly affects large online platforms operating in New Jersey, not small websites or services not used by minors.