Asm. Tennille McCoy

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 New Jersey's Department of Transportation (DOT) to create and annually update a public awareness campaign focused on motorcycle safety. The campaign must include educational materials about motorcycle safety, information on distracted driving risks, and variable message signs promoting safe road-sharing practices between drivers and motorcyclists. It directly affects all New Jersey drivers and motorcyclists by aiming to reduce motorcycle-related accidents on state roads. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides mortgage payment relief and foreclosure protection for New Jersey homeowners who received federal disaster assistance after Hurricane Ida damaged their primary residence in September 2021. It requires mortgage servicers to grant a one-year payment pause (forbearance) without fees, penalties, or credit reporting, retroactive to payments missed since September 1, 2021. Homeowners must meet income limits (≤150% of area median income) and asset thresholds (less than six months of income in bank accounts), and submit a written request. The relief ends either after one year or July 1, 2024, whichever comes first, and does not apply to federally-backed loans like FHA or VA mortgages.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits health insurers, third-party administrators, and state health benefit programs (like the State Health Benefits Program and School Employees' Health Benefits Program) from requiring prior approval or precertification for covered prenatal ultrasound screenings. It directly affects patients seeking these screenings and the health plans that cover them, ensuring that if a licensed provider prescribes a prenatal ultrasound and it's covered under the plan, the insurer cannot delay or block coverage through pre-approval steps. The law applies immediately to all health plans issued or purchased on or after its effective date. This changes the process by removing a common administrative barrier for a specific type of prenatal care.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Training Fund reimbursement rules. It allows private agencies training volunteer EMTs (including for EMT-A, EMT-D, and epinephrine auto-injector certification) to be reimbursed directly, prioritizing EMT-A certification first. Volunteer EMTs must work at least one service call monthly for three years to maintain "good standing," or their ambulance squad may have to repay the fund if they stop volunteering. The bill clarifies that reimbursement eligibility doesn't depend on whether the volunteer's squad receives payment for services.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits real estate appraisers in New Jersey from considering protected characteristics - including race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or national origin - when valuing properties. It directly affects licensed and certified real estate appraisers by banning these discriminatory factors from appraisal analysis. The key mechanism requires appraisers to complete a mandatory fair housing and appraisal bias training course (approved by the Appraisal Qualifications Board) as part of their continuing education for license renewal. The law codifies existing anti-discrimination protections and aligns with national standards for appraisal practice.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2470, now P.L.2024, c.56) makes three key changes to New Jersey's judicial and prosecutorial compensation and retirement systems. It allows county prosecutors to earn retirement credit for prior judicial clerkship service without extra cost, increases the Presiding Judge of the Appellate Division's salary to $218,545.82, and sets county prosecutors' base salary at $204,166.50 starting January 2024. It also permits retired judges to collect their pension while serving as county prosecutor. These changes directly affect current and future county prosecutors, judges, and retired judges returning to prosecutorial roles.

Maddy summaryThe "Louisa Carman Medical Debt Relief Act" prevents credit reporting agencies from including paid medical debt or medical debt under $500 in credit reports, regardless of when the debt was incurred. It prohibits medical creditors and debt collectors from reporting medical debt to credit agencies for services provided after the law takes effect. The bill requires a 180-day waiting period before collection actions can begin and mandates a 30-day notice with a clear payment deadline before starting collections. Additionally, it protects patients by prohibiting debt collection during pending insurance appeals and requiring credit bureaus to remove debt information if an appeal is pending or the debt is paid.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies New Jersey's down payment assistance program to provide additional support for first-generation homebuyers. It increases the maximum down payment assistance to $20,000 for first-time homebuyers, with an extra $7,000-$10,000 specifically for first-generation homebuyers (defined as individuals whose parents never owned residential property and who may have been in foster care). The program requires recipients to use the home as their primary residence for five years, complete homebuyer counseling, and repay the loan if they move before the five-year term. The assistance is structured as a zero-interest, forgivable loan if all conditions are met.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies New Jersey's down payment assistance program to better support first-generation and first-time homebuyers. It increases the maximum zero-interest, forgivable loan amount from $15,000 to $20,000, adds an extra $7,000-$10,000 for first-generation homebuyers (defined as those without parental home ownership history or who were in foster care), and requires recipients to use the home as their primary residence for five years. The program must allocate at least 50% of annual funding to first-generation homebuyers, with detailed reporting on recipient demographics and program effectiveness. This directly affects low-to-moderate income homebuyers seeking to purchase single-family homes through the state’s housing agency.