Asm. Tennille McCoy

Maddy summaryThis bill provides a $300,000 tax deduction over five years for qualified primary care physicians practicing in New Jersey. Eligible physicians (specializing in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, or OB/GYN) receive $100,000 in the first year, then $80,000, $60,000, $40,000, and $20,000 in the following years. To qualify, physicians must maintain their New Jersey practice for all five years; failure to do so requires repayment of the full deduction amount, though hardship exemptions may apply. The policy aims to retain and attract primary care providers amid known workforce shortages.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) to study whether the state could create a program allowing pre-tax dollars to fund special needs trusts for people with developmental disabilities. The DDD must consult with at least five disability advocacy groups and post online resources about how these trusts support long-term care needs. The agency must complete this study and submit findings to the governor and legislature within nine months. The bill does not create a new program but only initiates a feasibility study, expiring once the report is issued.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services (DHS) to create or buy a free electronic health record (EHR) system for community agencies that provide services to people with developmental disabilities. The system must allow these agencies to digitally record care details, service dates, outcomes, and submit reports to DHS for payment requests. Agencies currently using paper records would transition to this unified digital system, which must be fully implemented by January 1, 2021. Additionally, agencies that previously spent money on similar EHR systems can have those costs counted toward their future reimbursement rates under DHS payment agreements.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's Early Intervention Support Services (EISS) program to every county in the state. Currently available in 11 counties, the program provides short-term crisis intervention and stabilization services - including medication, therapy, and case management - to adults (18+) with serious mental illness, offered outside hospitals through community-based locations or outreach. The Department of Human Services must designate qualifying existing programs as EISS, coordinate public education and referral access, and allocate funding for full county expansion based on program needs. The bill also requires annual reporting on service utilization, client outcomes, and program effectiveness to the Governor and Legislature.

Maddy summary"Madalyn's Law" requires New Jersey school districts to teach students in grades 4-12 about toxic shock syndrome (TSS) as part of health education, including causes, symptoms, and risk reduction. It also mandates that public restrooms with two or more toilets (excluding elementary schools' lower grades) display signs about TSS warning signs, causes, and dangers, placed near tampon dispensers or in prominent locations. Owners of affected facilities face $100 penalties per violation for non-compliance. The state Department of Health must create signage standards and provide public informational materials about TSS online. The law applies to all school districts and public restrooms meeting the specified criteria.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2996) provides a cost-of-living adjustment for certain retired public employees and their beneficiaries in New Jersey. It applies to retirees or beneficiaries receiving monthly payments from the Teachers' Pension Fund (TPAF), Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS), Judicial Retirement System (JRS), or State Police Retirement System (SPRS) whose benefits are at or below 150% of the federal poverty level for a single-person household. The adjustment equals 100% of the Consumer Price Index change (instead of the previous 60%), effective January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024. The state will fund these increases through appropriations from the General Fund for fiscal years 2023 and 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2968) establishes a three-year "Comprehensive Geriatric Fall Prevention Pilot Program" within New Jersey's Department of Human Services (DHS), targeting at least 6,000 elderly Medicaid recipients aged 60+ for fall prevention services. It appropriates $11.7 million from the General Fund to provide proven interventions, including individualized fall risk assessments, counseling, and rehabilitation services, while designating another 6,000 Medicaid recipients as a control group to measure effectiveness. The program aims to reduce fall-related injuries and hospitalizations - directly affecting vulnerable seniors - and is modeled on successful state programs that achieved significant Medicaid cost savings. DHS must evaluate the pilot's cost-effectiveness within three years and report findings to the Legislature, with the program intended to be financially self-supporting through reduced Medicaid costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill would make tuition free at New Jersey's four-year public colleges for spouses and dependent children of disabled veterans who have applied for all other eligible state, federal, and Veterans Affairs benefits. To qualify, students must be accepted as undergraduates in good standing, have applied for all available financial aid, and meet classroom space requirements. The state would reimburse colleges for waived tuition costs. A "disabled veteran" is defined as someone with a VA-certified service-related disability.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A876 bill would create a single online application for residents to pre-apply for affordable and senior housing (determining initial eligibility and waitlist position) and to apply for 10 housing subsidy programs, including Section 8 vouchers, rental assistance, and energy aid (where the application serves as final eligibility determination). Currently, applicants must submit separate forms for each housing option and subsidy program. The application would allow users to select specific municipalities, counties, or regions and cover rental, for-sale, temporary, and priority housing types. This consolidates fragmented processes into one platform, reducing administrative burden for applicants.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the New Jersey Commission on Health Equity within the Department of Health to address health disparities linked to racism and systemic inequities. The 27-member commission, including department heads and a local health department representative, will develop strategies to improve health outcomes for communities of color. Key provisions require collecting data on health outcomes by race, ethnicity, and language; making recommendations on implicit bias training for healthcare providers; and establishing a health equity framework for government decision-making. The commission must report annually to the Governor and Legislature on progress and recommendations, directly affecting state agencies, healthcare providers, and communities experiencing health disparities.