Asm. Tennille McCoy

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to assign paid or volunteer advocates to work directly at long-term care facilities. These advocates must conduct in-person visits with residents to help address their financial, health, legal, and social needs. The bill mandates an appropriation from the General Fund to cover the costs of these assigned advocates. It directly affects residents of long-term care facilities by ensuring they have on-site support to advocate for their needs. The policy change is a concrete requirement for the ombudsman's office to implement, funded by the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires NJ Transit (NJT) to create an education program to inform people with disabilities, seniors, and others with mobility needs about available services. The program must publish details online and in pamphlets on Access Link vehicles, hold monthly accessible information sessions statewide (with transportation provided), and run public awareness campaigns. NJT must also submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature by March 1 detailing the program's activities. The bill aims to improve access to information about reduced fares and mobility services without changing the services themselves.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's investor-owned electric companies to submit annual emergency response plans to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) by May 15 each year. The plans must detail procedures for restoring power after widespread outages, including staff responsibilities, customer communication methods, medical electricity needs documentation, safety protocols, crew deployment, and equipment planning. Companies failing to file plans face $1,000 daily fines, while those violating BPU-established service restoration standards risk up to $10,000 per day in penalties (capped at $1 million per incident). Fines collected fund grants for municipalities to maintain public rights-of-way near power infrastructure, reducing future outage risks through activities like tree trimming.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) to study whether the state could create a program allowing pre-tax savings to fund special needs trusts for individuals with developmental disabilities. The DDD must consult with at least five disability advocacy groups and family representatives, then post online resources about how these trusts can help cover long-term care needs. The study requires a report to the Governor and Legislature within nine months, after which the bill expires. It does not create a new program but only examines the feasibility of one. The bill directly affects individuals with developmental disabilities and their families by seeking to improve access to financial planning tools for care.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 2518) clarifies when hotel or motel occupants qualify as "residential tenants" rather than transient guests, directly affecting long-term guests seeking protection under the Anti-Eviction Act (P.L.1974, c.49). It establishes a seven-factor test: stay duration (3+ months), intent to stay long-term (e.g., changing address or school registration), owner notification, being the occupant’s only residence, presence of kitchen appliances, and personal housekeeping. Exceptions include occupants receiving emergency housing assistance (who retain tenant protections until benefits end) and those who fail to provide registration information (though property owners who neglect to collect this info cannot deny tenant status). The bill codifies existing court standards to ensure consistent application of residential eviction rules for qualifying long-term occupants.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 1977) modifies retirement benefits and salaries for New Jersey prosecutors and judges. It allows county prosecutors to count judicial clerk service (as a law clerk to a judge) toward retirement credits in the state retirement system without additional cost, and increases the annual salary for county prosecutors to $204,166.50 starting January 1, 2024. It also raises the salary of the Presiding Judge of the Appellate Division to $218,545.82 and permits retired judges to receive their pension while serving as county prosecutor. The bill is pending before the Assembly State and Local Government Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes restrictions that previously prevented manufacturers from selling zero-emission light-duty trucks directly to consumers. It amends New Jersey's motor vehicle franchise law (P.L.1999, c.45) to eliminate a provision barring manufacturers from owning or operating retail facilities for warranty service on zero-emission vehicles. The key change allows manufacturers to sell these specific vehicles directly to customers without requiring dealership intermediaries, affecting both manufacturers (like Tesla) and consumers purchasing zero-emission trucks. This is a direct policy change to update franchise rules for new vehicle technology, not a broader sales reform.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's "Health Care Consumer Information Act" to require public profiles for physicians, podiatrists, and optometrists - previously only physicians had these profiles. Each profile will include standardized information like education history, license dates, criminal convictions (last 10 years), disciplinary actions, and malpractice claims (last 5 years), excluding pending cases. The Division of Consumer Affairs will make these profiles freely available online and via a toll-free number. The law directly affects all licensed physicians, podiatrists, and optometrists in New Jersey, who must provide required information to update their profiles.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow New Jersey dentists and dental hygienists licensed in New Jersey to practice in other states that join the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact without obtaining a separate license in each state. It creates a "compact privilege" that enables licensed professionals to work across participating states while still following each state's practice rules and standards. The compact requires states to share disciplinary information and maintain their own licensing requirements, aiming to improve access to dental care in underserved areas and support workforce mobility. The bill does not change New Jersey's current licensing standards or requirements for dental professionals.

Maddy summaryThis is a non-binding resolution (not a law) urging New Jersey restaurants that accept mobile orders to add pop-up warnings reminding customers not to place orders while driving. It directly affects restaurants in New Jersey using mobile ordering platforms, asking them to implement simple safety features during the ordering process. The resolution cites data showing distracted driving - including mobile ordering - contributes to 42 highway fatalities in New Jersey during 2021 and 3,142 nationwide deaths in 2020. It does not impose penalties but encourages voluntary adoption of safety measures to reduce distracted driving risks.