Asm. Luanne Peterpaul

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Treasury to update the state's Disparity Study every five years, starting January 1, 2029. The updates must track changes in how often small, minority-owned, women-owned, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses secure state government contracts. The study, originally completed in 2024, directly affects state procurement policies and these business categories. This ensures regular assessment of opportunities for underrepresented businesses in state contracting.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4744) requires six New Jersey authorities (NJTA, SJTA, EDA, CRDA, PANYNJ, and DRPA) to consider and prioritize minorities and women in hiring decisions and to consider and prioritize minority-owned and women-owned businesses when awarding contracts. The bill defines "minority" to include Black, Hispanic, Asian American, and American Indian/Alaskan Native individuals, and specifies detailed criteria for minority and women-owned businesses. Each authority must publish demographic data about their employees and contractors on their websites, including counts by gender, race, and ethnicity with average salary and contract values, updating this information quarterly. The provisions for PANYNJ and DRPA will only become effective after New York and Pennsylvania pass similar legislation.

Maddy summaryAJR 197 designates May of each year as Haitian Heritage Month in New Jersey. This symbolic resolution directly affects New Jersey residents, particularly the state's fourth-largest Haitian-American community (nearly 69,000 people), by formally recognizing Haitian cultural contributions. The bill requires the governor to issue an annual proclamation encouraging public observance through events and educational activities. It highlights Haitian history, including the Haitian Revolution and global influences, without creating new laws or funding. As a procedural resolution, it serves to honor cultural heritage rather than implement policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health care providers in New Jersey to give patients a clear, itemized billing statement within 30 days of discharge or 7 days after a written request. The statement must break down all charges in plain language - no vague terms like "miscellaneous" or "supply charges" - and list specific services, dates, provider names, costs, and payment status (e.g., covered by insurance or patient responsibility). It also mandates that providers explain technical terms and include a contact for billing disputes. These rules apply to hospitals, clinics, and health care professionals, directly affecting how patients receive and understand their medical bills.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) to ensure its child abuse reporting hotline provides callers with information about available support resources for victims and their families. The hotline, which currently handles abuse reports, will now also share details on community services such as counseling, parenting programs, and substance abuse treatment. This change mandates that all hotline interactions include referrals to these assistance programs, directly helping families seeking immediate support after reporting abuse. The amendment applies to the emergency hotline maintained by DCPP and takes effect immediately.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires licensed child care centers in New Jersey to provide parents or guardians with 60 days' written notice before increasing tuition rates. Centers must send the notice via certified mail (with return receipt), first-class mail, or in-person delivery to the parent's last known address, and also post it on their website and display it prominently at the center. The notice requirement applies to all tuition rate changes occurring three months after the bill's enactment. This directly affects parents of children enrolled in licensed child care centers by giving them advance warning of fee changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds the right to use assisted reproductive technology (ART), including in vitro fertilization (IVF), to New Jersey's constitutional protections for reproductive choice. It explicitly expands existing rights - previously covering contraception, sterilization, and pregnancy decisions - to include choosing whether to use ART. The law states that any state, county, or local law limiting this right is invalid and unenforceable. It directly affects all New Jersey residents seeking or providing ART services, reinforcing access amid legal challenges in other states like Alabama. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires most health insurance plans in New Jersey, including Medicaid and state employee plans, to cover specific family planning and reproductive health services without deductibles, copays, or coinsurance. It explicitly includes abortion (both aspiration and medication methods), emergency services for mothers/newborns, family planning counseling, genetic testing, pre/postpartum hospital care, and well-baby care. Childbirth itself is excluded from the required coverage. Religious employers may opt out under existing law, and exemptions for federal funding concerns are permitted but limited to the minimum necessary.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's definition of qualifying newspapers to include online publications that meet specific new criteria for publishing official public notices. Online newspapers must demonstrate service to the local audience, provide email newsletters containing notices, and offer notices in Spanish and one other prominent regional language. It removes the prior requirement for newspapers to be registered as second-class mail with the U.S. Postal Service. The bill applies to all state and local government agencies publishing public notices in newspapers.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an annual two-month sales tax holiday in New Jersey from August 1 to September 30 each year. During this period, individuals purchasing qualifying items for personal, non-business use are exempt from state sales tax on: computers under $3,000, school computer supplies under $1,000, and specific school supplies (like notebooks and pencils), art supplies (paints, clay), and instructional materials (textbooks, reference books). The exemption applies only to retail sales to individual consumers, not businesses or bulk purchases. The tax holiday aims to reduce costs for families buying back-to-school essentials during a typical low-demand period for retailers.