Asm. Margie Donlon

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a statewide stockpile of essential medicines, vaccines, and medical supplies to be managed by New Jersey's Department of Health in collaboration with the State Office of Emergency Management. It creates guidelines for procuring, managing, and distributing these resources during emergencies like natural disasters, disease outbreaks, or public health crises, with priority given to rural and medically underserved areas. The stockpile will include a "virtually sequestered" vendor-managed inventory to prevent expiration, and the bill appropriates funds from the General Fund to implement it. Healthcare providers, hospitals, and designated emergency organizations will directly benefit by accessing these supplies during critical events.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5590) requires health insurance plans covering groups of more than 50 people to include coverage for storing sperm and oocytes (eggs) for individuals up to age 21 when medical treatment may cause infertility. It applies to hospital service corporations, medical service corporations, health service corporations, group health insurance policies, health maintenance organizations, and state health benefits programs. The law mandates that insurance coverage for fertility preservation services must be provided on the same terms as other medical conditions, with the same copayments and deductibles. It also prohibits insurers from denying coverage based on personal characteristics like age, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. This builds on existing law that already required coverage for fertility preservation services when medical treatments may cause infertility.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey acute care hospitals to create and submit environmental sustainability plans every four years, with newly licensed hospitals needing to submit one within six months. The plans must set goals for reducing waste, conserving water and energy, using renewable power, adopting sustainable purchasing, and lowering carbon emissions. Hospitals must also file annual progress reports detailing implementation, which will be published online. The law aims to reduce healthcare's environmental impact while highlighting potential cost savings from sustainability efforts, as noted in the bill's findings.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5594) changes how New Jersey licensing boards ask about mental health during healthcare professional licensure applications. It prohibits boards from inquiring about an applicant’s history of receiving behavioral health care (like therapy or counseling), except when specifically assessing current conditions that impair their ability to practice safely. Licensing forms must limit questions to whether a current health condition affects safe practice, with confidentiality guarantees and assurances that treatment-seeking alone won’t lead to license denial. The bill also requires training for licensing staff on handling such disclosures without stigma. It directly affects doctors, nurses, therapists, and other licensed healthcare workers applying for or renewing their New Jersey licenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to create a program for building electrification and mandates electric public utilities to develop multi-year plans to replace fossil fuel systems with electric alternatives. The plans must meet specific greenhouse gas reduction targets and be cost-effective from a societal perspective, considering environmental benefits like reduced methane emissions. Key mechanisms include converting gas heating/water systems to electric heat pumps, replacing gas appliances with electric models (e.g., induction stoves), and funding contractor training programs. The bill directly affects electric utilities, building owners, and contractors by requiring systemic shifts toward electrified heating, cooking, and industrial processes.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits force-feeding geese, ducks, or other poultry using tubes or apparatus to produce foie gras, except when done to improve a bird's health. It also bans selling or distributing foie gras unless the product originates from a state or jurisdiction that already prohibits force-feeding. Violations result in a written warning for first offenses, followed by $100 civil penalties for repeat violations (with each day of ongoing violation counted separately). The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.

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 allows pharmacists in New Jersey to transfer Schedule II prescriptions for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications between pharmacies, directly affecting patients who need these medications. Currently, patients must obtain a new prescription from their doctor if a pharmacy cannot fill an ADHD prescription; this bill enables direct pharmacy-to-pharmacy transfers instead. The transfer must comply with federal regulations and applies only to ADHD prescriptions for Schedule II drugs (stronger medications like Adderall), not all Schedule II substances. This change aims to improve access during medication shortages and reduce patient wait times.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 3620 requires electric and gas utilities using smart meters to establish an "Energy Bill Watch" program for smart meter customers. The program mandates utilities to notify customers when their daily usage exceeds the previous billing cycle's average (on the 10th and 20th days of each cycle), offer customizable dollar-value alerts, and include average monthly usage costs and kilowatt/therm amounts in notifications. Utilities must automatically enroll smart meter customers, provide opt-out options, advertise the program through multiple channels, and include specific billing details in all customer bills (previous cycle amount, current cycle amount, and the difference between them). This bill directly affects smart meter customers of New Jersey's electric and gas utilities.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires all health insurance plans to cover diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations without cost-sharing (such as deductibles or copays). It applies to all insurance plans, including employer-sponsored coverage, health maintenance organizations, and state employee health programs. Diagnostic exams evaluate abnormalities found during screening or detected through other means, while supplemental exams are used for screening when no abnormality is present but risk factors like family history or dense breast tissue exist. The bill mandates coverage for these exams under the same terms as other medical conditions, following National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines.