Asm. Tennille McCoy

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's bill A 3715 establishes a five-year pilot program to provide integrated early childhood services from pregnancy through age three. The program targets 50 underperforming public schools in low-income communities, selecting them based on student performance data and community need. It requires partnerships between schools, health providers, nonprofits, and community organizations to deliver coordinated prenatal care, pediatric health services, nutrition support, and developmental resources for infants and toddlers. A state-selected nonprofit will manage the pilot, assign site coordinators to participating schools, and develop application criteria for school participation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public colleges and universities to post a syllabus for every undergraduate course on their website. Each syllabus must include descriptions of major assignments, required readings (with titles/authors), and a general overview of lecture content. Institutions must make these syllabi available no later than seven days before course registration begins for each semester. The law applies to all undergraduate courses offered for academic credit at public higher education institutions.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey Assembly Resolution (AR 79) requests Congress to enact Medicare coverage for eyeglasses, hearing aids, and dentures. It directly addresses elderly Medicare beneficiaries, noting that nearly 100% of those aged 55+ require reading glasses, 42% have significant hearing loss, and many need dentures - yet current Medicare excludes these essential devices. The resolution formally asks Congress to expand Medicare to cover these costs, aiming to reduce financial strain on seniors. Introduced to the Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee in January 2026, it is a non-binding memorial urging federal action.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new $2 million stipend program to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters in New Jersey. It provides new volunteers aged 18+ with a $750 monthly stipend for 15+ hours of service per month during their first year, administered through the Department of State’s Office of Volunteerism. Firehouses must certify volunteer hours, and the program includes after-school fire service education in grades 6-8 to promote future recruitment. The $2 million appropriation funds the stipends and related initiatives through a dedicated, permanent state fund. The bill directly affects new volunteer firefighters, fire departments, and school districts offering the youth programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the "Medical Debt Homestead Protection Act," protects New Jersey residents from losing their primary home due to medical debt. It allows any person aged 18 or over living in New Jersey to exempt one home (a traditional house, condo/co-op, or manufactured home with land) from being seized or sold if a court judgment is issued for unpaid medical bills. The exemption applies only to medical debt judgments, not other debts, and limits each person to protecting just one residence. This change takes effect 90 days after the bill is signed into law.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Medication Management, Outreach, and Support Program within New Jersey's Department of Human Services to serve people with severe mental illness living in the community. It appropriates $8 million from the General Fund to fund licensed provider organizations (like community health centers) to offer medication management services, including early intervention, crisis support, and collaborative care planning with clinicians and families. The program requires providers to hire clinical staff (such as psychiatrists and social workers) to minimize medication side effects and improve health outcomes through continuous quality improvement. It directly affects community-based mental health service recipients and the providers delivering those services.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (AR 23) urges the U.S. Congress to renew funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides broadband internet discounts to low-income households. The ACP currently offers up to $30/month (or $75 on Tribal lands) for internet service and a one-time $100 device discount, benefiting over 20 million households nationwide - including 335,079 in New Jersey as of January 2024. The program is set to expire in April 2024 if Congress does not provide additional funding to replenish its $14.2 billion budget. New Jersey has received $152 million in ACP funding, saving enrolled households $8.3 million monthly on internet costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes New Jersey law to allow mail-in ballots to be counted even if the voter dies after mailing, delivering, or depositing the ballot (e.g., via drop box) but before election day. It directly affects voters who pass away after submitting their ballot and county election boards that process ballots. The key provision repeals laws requiring rejection of such ballots, meaning they will be counted unless they have other defects (like missing signatures) unrelated to the voter's death. Ballots rejected for non-death-related issues will not be eligible for correction, and the rejection decision is final except in election result challenges.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's Bill A1696 updates optometrists' scope of practice by expanding their ability to provide eye care services. The bill allows optometrists to prescribe pharmaceutical agents (including controlled substances under specific conditions), administer immunizations for coronaviruses, flu, and shingles (for patients 18+), and perform minor procedures like removing superficial foreign bodies or treating chalazions. It also permits certain non-invasive laser/ultrasound treatments (e.g., trabeculoplasty) using only topical anesthesia, while explicitly prohibiting invasive eye surgery, orbital procedures, or general anesthesia. These changes apply to all optometrists practicing in New Jersey and require adherence to CDC guidelines for immunizations and reporting to the state immunization registry.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends existing school funding law (P.L.2007, c.260) by adding new definitions for school finance calculations, such as "at-risk pupils" and "base per pupil amount." It does not create new school aid for housing conversions, as suggested by the title; the bill text contains no provisions related to age-restricted housing developments. The bill focuses solely on revising technical definitions used in the state's school funding formula. It was introduced to the Assembly Education Committee on January 13, 2026.