Asm. Tennille McCoy

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health and the Board of Nursing to provide homemaker-home health aide and nursing assistant certification exams in multiple languages. Specifically, exams must be available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Tagalog - minimum languages specified - both in writing and orally. The law mandates these language options to help non-English speakers access certification, directly affecting individuals seeking these healthcare roles. It takes effect six months after enactment, with rules to implement the requirement developed under existing administrative procedures.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a three-year "Comprehensive Geriatric Fall Prevention Pilot Program" within New Jersey's Department of Human Services, targeting at least 6,000 Medicaid recipients aged 60 or older (with a control group of 6,000) to reduce falls. It provides proven prevention services including individualized risk assessments, counseling, and rehabilitative care - tailored for high-risk seniors and Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles - with funding from an $11.7 million appropriation. The program requires a review of Medicaid reimbursement policies and a cost-effectiveness evaluation within three years, aiming to lower healthcare costs by preventing falls, building on successful models from states like Pennsylvania and Florida.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's stalking law to increase penalties when a perpetrator uses a device or program on the victim's phone to monitor communications or location. Normally, stalking is a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months in prison and $10,000 fine), but if the stalking involves installing or using a monitoring tool on the victim's cellular or wireless device to intercept calls, messages, or track location, it becomes a third-degree crime (3-5 years in prison and up to $15,000 fine). The law specifically targets the misuse of common apps or preinstalled software, which are widely available but often used without consent in stalking cases. This change directly affects victims of tech-assisted stalking and those who exploit phone monitoring tools to harass others.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 2488) defines voter disenfranchisement as denying or abridging voting rights and establishes criminal penalties for specific acts that cause it, including intimidation, submitting false voter applications, or providing misleading voting information. It requires all polling places to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and be conveniently located, with strict rules for selecting accessible sites. The bill creates an Independent Election Oversight Committee to monitor voting rights, authorizes voters to sue for disenfranchisement, and appropriates $100,000 for a public awareness campaign about voting rights. These changes directly affect voters (especially those with disabilities or elderly), election officials, and election administration procedures.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's bill A2411 prohibits knowingly transmitting false or misleading caller identification information during phone calls or text messages with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or obtain value. It directly affects scammers who manipulate caller ID to impersonate others, as well as telecommunications companies providing caller ID services. The bill makes such actions unlawful under the state's consumer fraud law, with penalties including fines up to $20,000 per violation and potential court-ordered injunctions. Exceptions include law enforcement activities authorized by court order and allow blocking caller ID capabilities, while not restricting existing laws like the Do-Not-Call registry.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes safety and occupancy standards for seasonal farm worker housing in New Jersey. It directly affects farm operators who provide housing to seasonal agricultural workers and requires them to meet specific requirements, including: limiting occupancy to 50 people (up to 100 with proper exit routes), ensuring all sleeping areas are on the first floor, installing hard-wired smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, providing bathroom facilities within 200 feet, and obtaining annual certificates of occupancy. The standards apply exclusively to temporary housing used for seasonal work, not permanent housing, and prohibit cooking without compliant hoods. The commissioner must adopt these rules within six months of the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new contracting goals for New Jersey state agencies to increase participation by minority and women-owned businesses, based on a 2024 disparity study showing ongoing statistical gaps in public contracting. It requires state agencies and prime contractors to make a "good faith effort" to meet specific targets - 7% for minority-owned businesses and 3% for women-owned businesses - across construction, professional services, and goods/services contracts. The law defines key terms like "minority business" and references the 2024 disparity study as the basis for these goals, which replace previous race-neutral approaches. The bill is pending before the Assembly State and Local Government Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey to provide cost-of-living increases to retirees and beneficiaries in specific public pension systems (Teachers', Judicial, Public Employees', Police/Fire, and State Police Retirement Systems) whose monthly payments are at or below 150% of the federal poverty level for a single person. The increases, calculated as 100% of the Consumer Price Index change (instead of the previous 60%), apply only on January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024. The state will fund these adjustments through the General Fund, with annual certification of costs by pension authorities. Beneficiaries may voluntarily waive the increase or later reinstate it with 30 days' notice.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation with the state's Science, Innovation and Technology Commission, to study how artificial intelligence affects the state's economy. The study must examine AI's impact on high-skill professions (like doctors and data analysts), industries most affected, implications for workforce education, emerging new jobs, and AI's effect on productivity and economic growth. Within one year of the bill's effective date, the Commissioner must submit a written report to the Governor and specific legislative committees detailing these findings. The bill does not make policy changes but mandates this study to inform future decisions about workforce development and economic planning.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 2484) amends New Jersey law to allow jointure commissions (regional education entities) to provide school bus transportation services to local school districts without public bidding, specifically when the commission owns or leases the buses. It removes the current requirement for public bidding when a jointure commission serves districts that were not members as of January 1, 2004. The key change permits these commissions to offer transportation services directly, aligning them with other public entities like educational services commissions under existing rules. This affects jointure commissions and the school districts they serve, streamlining the process for bus-based transportation contracts.