Asm. Antwan McClellan

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A3558 bill establishes the state's official definition of antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) standard, including specific examples of antisemitic conduct. State agencies and institutions must use this definition when reviewing, investigating, or deciding on cases involving discriminatory acts motivated by antisemitism. The bill appropriates $100,000 for a public awareness campaign by the Attorney General's office to educate residents on identifying and reporting bias crimes through community outreach and the existing bias crimes hotline. This campaign aims to improve reporting of antisemitic incidents without affecting First Amendment rights or conflicting with existing anti-discrimination laws.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 1439 requires health insurance plans (including hospital, medical, health service, and individual policies) to cover orthotic and prosthetic appliances from licensed providers - including podiatrists - when medically necessary for daily activities. It also mandates coverage for *additional* appliances needed for specific sports and recreational activities like running, swimming, skiing, and team sports, as determined by a physician. Insurance plans must reimburse at the same rate as federal Medicare for these appliances. This applies to all relevant health insurance contracts in New Jersey, directly affecting insured individuals needing these devices for mobility or recreation.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 2.5% annual limit on rent increases for tenants living in modular or manufactured homes used as their primary residence. It directly affects renters in these specific housing types, excluding owner-occupied properties with three or fewer units and affordable housing units with income restrictions. Landlords cannot raise rents more than 2.5% over any 12-month period for covered units, and violations require reverting to the previous rent amount. The law supplements existing rent protections but does not override stricter local rent control ordinances.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a secure database managed by New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to store digital copies of veteran separation documents, such as DD-214 or NGB-22 forms. Veterans or their family members can voluntarily submit these documents (or posthumously for deceased veterans), with originals returned promptly at no cost to the submitter. The database is accessible only to public agencies for verifying eligibility for veteran benefits and is exempt from public records laws, preventing unauthorized access. This aims to prevent document loss during benefit applications while ensuring privacy and security.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5838) allows county sheriffs to certify that law enforcement officers employed by their departments meet existing requirements for license renewal. It amends current law to permit sheriffs (instead of just the chief law enforcement officer) to verify officers satisfy criteria like good moral character, completion of required training, and absence of disqualifying offenses (e.g., certain convictions or bias-related conduct). The certification must cover the same standards already required for renewal applications. This change specifically applies to officers working in county sheriff's departments across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5545) changes New Jersey law to allow soil conservation districts to have more than five supervisors, removing the current fixed limit. It gives the State Soil Conservation Committee the authority to set a maximum number of supervisors for each district based on local needs. The change affects all 20 New Jersey soil conservation districts, which currently must have exactly five supervisors appointed by the committee. The amendment updates R.S. 4:24-18 to state districts must have "at least five" supervisors, with the committee determining the maximum.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires health insurance plans to cover additional orthotic and prosthetic appliances when a physician determines they're necessary for physical and recreational activities like running, biking, swimming, and sports. It expands current coverage requirements, which already mandate coverage for basic orthotic and prosthetic appliances that are medically necessary, to include additional devices needed for recreational activities. The bill applies to all health insurance contracts in New Jersey, including hospital, medical, and health service corporations, and requires reimbursement at the same rate as federal Medicare. It would take effect 90 days after enactment for policies issued or renewed after that date.

Maddy summaryBill A4163 requires health insurers in New Jersey to cover biomarker testing for diagnosis, treatment, management, or ongoing monitoring of diseases when supported by medical evidence such as FDA approvals, drug labels, or clinical guidelines. The bill applies to all health insurance plans including individual, group, Medicaid, and health maintenance organization contracts. Insurers must provide coverage without causing unnecessary disruption (like multiple biopsies) and must make prior authorization decisions within 24 hours for urgent requests or 72 hours for non-urgent requests. This ensures patients can access precision medical testing that's clinically supported without excessive administrative barriers.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all health insurance plans and Medicaid in New Jersey to cover treatment for stuttering, including habilitative and rehabilitative speech therapy as determined medically necessary by a patient's doctor. The coverage must be provided without prior authorization, utilization management requirements, or any cost-sharing such as deductibles, copays, or coinsurance. It applies to all insurance types including individual and group health plans, health maintenance organizations, and Medicaid, and covers both in-person and telehealth services. The bill defines habilitative speech therapy as therapy that helps a person keep, learn, or improve daily living skills, and rehabilitative speech therapy as therapy that helps restore or improve skills that have been lost or impaired. This legislation would directly affect individuals with stuttering who rely on insurance or Medicaid for speech therapy services.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires that at least one member of New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) live in each of the state's three defined regions: northern (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Warren counties), central (Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Ocean, Somerset, Union counties), and southern (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem counties). The Governor must ensure this regional representation for all new BPU appointments after the bill takes effect. The bill does not change the total number of BPU members (five) but adds a geographic requirement to their appointments. This ensures that the BPU reflects the state's regional diversity in its decision-making.