Asm. Tennille McCoy

Maddy summaryThis bill phases in smaller employer coverage under New Jersey's family leave law by reducing the employee threshold from 30 to 5 employees over two years. Starting immediately, employers with 20+ employees must follow the law; one year later, the threshold drops to 10 employees; and after two years, all employers with 5+ employees must provide reinstatement rights after family leave. It directly affects workers at small businesses (5-20 employees) who previously had no legal right to return to their jobs after taking family leave. The law ensures these employees cannot be retaliated against for taking leave, aligning small business coverage with existing protections for larger employers.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the delivery of electronic smoking devices and tobacco products to anyone under 21 years old. It requires that any delivery to a residence must be signed for by an adult resident (21+), with an exception for U.S. Postal Service employees under federal law. Violations by retailers or delivery services can result in civil fines ($250-$1,000 per violation) and potential license suspension for repeat offenses. The law applies to all tobacco products and electronic smoking devices, including e-cigarettes and related components, and amends existing New Jersey statutes governing tobacco sales.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health (DOH) to study racial differences in ovarian cancer outcomes. The study must examine variations in cancer effects, rates, risk factors, symptoms, and treatment results among women of specific racial and ethnic groups, including Asian, African-American, Caucasian, Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander communities. The DOH must complete the study and submit a report to the Governor and Legislature within one year of the bill's enactment, after which the bill expires. The measure directly affects women in these communities by seeking data to understand potential disparities in ovarian cancer care.

Maddy summaryThis bill renames the Primary Care Practitioner Loan Redemption Program to the Health Care Professional Loan Redemption Program and makes several key changes to expand eligibility and improve program administration. It increases the maximum loan redemption amount from $120,000 to $200,000, allows psychiatrists and other health professionals designated by the Commissioner of Health to participate, and expands the definition of "State designated underserved area" to include municipalities where over 50% of households are at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. The program provides partial loan repayment for health care professionals who commit to working in underserved areas, with repayment amounts based on years of service at approved sites. The bill also establishes new criteria for sites to be automatically designated as approved sites and requires annual reporting on the program's impact to the Governor and Legislature.

Maddy summaryBill A5258 allows plenary winery license holders, out-of-state winery license holders, and farm winery license holders to sell wine by the glass for on-premises consumption in their licensed salesrooms. The bill defines "by the glass" as selling individual portions of wine (or wine mixed with nonalcoholic beverages) in open containers. This change expands the sales options available to these wineries, permitting them to serve wine by the glass in their salesrooms without requiring customers to purchase full bottles. The bill modifies existing licensing provisions without changing the fees or other requirements for these winery licenses. The sponsor states this will provide additional purchase options for consumers and increase revenue for winery license holders.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey state agencies - including departments, boards, and public authorities - to make their websites compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA standard, ensuring they are accessible to people with disabilities. It mandates that all websites must also function properly on smartphones, tablets, and similar mobile devices. State agencies must certify compliance with these standards within two years of the bill’s effective date, with biennial recertification required thereafter. The Chief Technology Officer will establish the certification protocol and oversee compliance for all state government websites.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows honorably discharged veterans in New Jersey to obtain special license plates displaying the word "Veteran" in addition to standard registration markings. To qualify, applicants must provide a DD-214 or discharge certificate and pay a $15 fee on top of regular vehicle registration costs. Surviving spouses of deceased veterans may continue using these plates on their vehicles. The Motor Vehicle Commission will design the plates, handle applications, and notify drivers about the option during registration renewals.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's post-election audit procedures to enhance election integrity. It requires the Secretary of State to appoint an independent audit team each year to oversee manual or third-party electronic audits of voter-verifiable paper records for federal, statewide, and selected local elections. Audits must cover at least 2% of election districts (with exemptions for smaller elections) and must meet strict statistical standards: ensuring 99% confidence for statewide races and 90% for others that a full manual recount wouldn’t change results. The audit team must include statistical and auditing experts, with strict rules barring campaign staff or voting system vendors from participation. These changes directly affect county election officials who must conduct the audits and the Secretary of State who appoints the teams.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $1.5 million grant program administered by New Jersey's Division of Local Government Services to help local governments (municipalities and counties) improve operational efficiency. It allows local governments to apply for grants - up to $150,000 for counties or $100,000 for municipalities - to hire licensed consultants for efficiency reviews, with applicants required to contribute 25% of the grant amount as matching funds. Recipients must report on specific cost savings, shared services, or service improvements achieved within one year of receiving funds. The program mandates public reporting of results through comparative profiles and annual summaries to the Governor and Legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey to issue special license plates honoring Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. It requires a $50 one-time application fee and $10 annual renewal fee for these plates, with all collected fees (after covering program costs) deposited into a dedicated fund. The fund's proceeds must be annually appropriated to support both organizations' missions, while the organizations must cover initial implementation costs (up to $25,000) and provide 500 applications before the program launches. The program remains inactive until these conditions are met, with an expiration if requirements aren't satisfied within 12 months.