Asm. Paul Kanitra

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all licensed health care facilities in New Jersey to ask patients about their immigration status and submit monthly, anonymized reports to the Department of Health on the aggregate costs of care provided to individuals defined as "illegal aliens" (those unable to prove lawful presence). Facilities must not collect personal identifying information, and reports will be posted publicly online. Patients who knowingly provide false immigration status information face a fourth-degree crime penalty. The law directly affects health care providers through reporting duties and patients through potential penalties for misrepresentation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs to maintain and post a public list of all registered ticket brokers on its website within 120 days of registration. It directly affects consumers (who can verify broker legitimacy) and ticket brokers (who must register to operate legally under existing rules). The key provision amends existing law to mandate the online display of this registry, ensuring transparency in the ticket industry without changing registration requirements for brokers.

Maddy summaryThe Next Gen STEM Support Act establishes a state grant program to provide public schools in New Jersey with funding for STEM coursework, resources, and extracurricular activities. Public schools applying for grants must detail current STEM offerings, student participation, and resource needs, with funds limited to expanding existing or new STEM programs (capping professional training for educators at one-third of each grant). The program requires annual reports on fund usage and impact, allocates grants based on commissioner-developed criteria within a $100,000 annual budget cap, and prioritizes geographic and demographic diversity in school selection. This directly affects public schools seeking to enhance science, technology, engineering, and math education through state-funded support.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public school districts to integrate age-appropriate lessons about the September 11, 2001 attacks into Social Studies curricula for elementary, middle, and high school students. It mandates specific content, including the historical context, timeline of events, recognition of first responders and Flight 93 passengers' sacrifice, and lessons on humanitarian aid and tolerance. Additionally, schools must hold annual commemorative events focused on conflict resolution, diversity, and cultural acceptance. The Commissioner of Education will provide sample resources to support implementation, with the law taking effect in the first full school year after enactment.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's Bill A1696 updates optometrists' scope of practice by expanding their ability to provide eye care services. The bill allows optometrists to prescribe pharmaceutical agents (including controlled substances under specific conditions), administer immunizations for coronaviruses, flu, and shingles (for patients 18+), and perform minor procedures like removing superficial foreign bodies or treating chalazions. It also permits certain non-invasive laser/ultrasound treatments (e.g., trabeculoplasty) using only topical anesthesia, while explicitly prohibiting invasive eye surgery, orbital procedures, or general anesthesia. These changes apply to all optometrists practicing in New Jersey and require adherence to CDC guidelines for immunizations and reporting to the state immunization registry.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey to issue special license plates featuring the U.S. Coast Guard seal for active or honorably separated Coast Guard members, their spouses, parents, or principal business owners. Applicants pay a $50 one-time fee and a $10 annual fee, with all fees deposited into a dedicated "Coast Guard License Plate Fund" that annually appropriates money to the Coast Guard. The plates must display the Coast Guard emblem, and the design is developed jointly with the Coast Guard, covering administrative costs through the fund. The program is procedural, focusing on recognition and funding for the Coast Guard through license plate fees, not broader policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds Alzheimer's disease and dementia to New Jersey's list of qualifying conditions for disability parking privileges. It allows individuals diagnosed with these conditions - whose walking ability is limited, impaired, or creates safety risks - to receive a disability placard or license plates displaying the wheelchair symbol, upon physician certification. Caregivers transporting these individuals may also use the reserved parking spaces. The change expands existing law, which previously covered mobility impairments from other causes, to specifically include dementia-related walking limitations.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A 266 bill would ban selling, distributing, or using urea (a fertilizer-like substance) specifically for melting ice on sidewalks, roads, or other outdoor surfaces. It does not restrict urea's other uses, such as farming, and explicitly excludes rock salt from the definition of "urea" for this purpose. Violations could result in fines up to $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for repeat offenses, enforced by environmental or local agencies. The bill is currently pending in the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee as of its January 2026 introduction.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows electric utilities in New Jersey to formally agree with private property owners to place power restoration equipment (like generators or repair tools) on their land before major disasters. It directly affects utility companies and private property owners who may be asked to host this equipment. The agreement would enable utilities to pre-position gear in advance of events like hurricanes, floods, or major storms that could cause power outages lasting over 48 hours. The bill is pending and would take effect immediately upon enactment, though it would remain inactive for 60 days after passing.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 288, the "New Jersey Public Health Emergency Business Immunity Act") grants businesses immunity from civil lawsuits claiming injury or damage due to exposure during a governor-declared public health emergency on their premises or during their managed activities. It directly affects businesses, employees, and patrons by shielding them from liability, except in cases of willful misconduct, reckless conduct, or intentional harm. The law explicitly states this immunity applies in addition to existing state or federal protections and takes effect immediately. It aims to reduce legal risks for businesses during emergencies, though it does not cover claims involving negligence beyond ordinary care.