Asm. Verlina Reynolds-Jackson

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Attorney General to create a training program for municipal police departments to manage large gatherings (over 500 people) and "flash mobs" (50+ people organized via social media without advance notice, impacting safety). The training covers crowd control techniques, juvenile-specific approaches, social media response strategies, and inter-agency coordination. It also establishes protocols allowing local police to request state resources like mobile command units, social media monitoring tools, and additional personnel during such events. The bill, now effective as part of P.L.2025, c.246, directly affects municipal police departments across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows students receiving Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) grants to use a portion of their award for summer courses that count toward graduation or their major. Students must notify the Higher Education Secretary before the academic year starts, which reduces their regular academic year disbursement by a specific amount. The Secretary must annually report how many students used the summer option and their graduation rates within standard timeframes. It directly affects EOF grant recipients at participating New Jersey institutions, implementing a 2016 commission recommendation to improve college affordability.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals a 1995 law (P.L.1995, c.63) that prohibited public colleges from adding funds for legislative agents or organizations to student tuition bills. It directly affects students at New Jersey public colleges, removing a restriction that previously barred mandatory assessments for groups seeking to influence legislation. The repealed law had allowed optional student fees for nonpartisan legislative organizations only if approved by a student referendum, with specific disclosure requirements. This bill eliminates that requirement, allowing institutions to assess funds for legislative activities without those restrictions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public bodies in New Jersey to set aside 0.5% of state or public funds used for construction projects over $1 million (or any project funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) to support outreach and training programs for minorities and women in the construction industry. The funds must be used to create apprenticeships, provide job training, and offer supportive services to help these groups enter and advance in construction trades, including engineering and management roles. Programs will be implemented through grants to community organizations, labor groups, educational institutions, and other local partners. Public bodies must annually report on fund usage and outcomes, such as employment rates, earnings, and retention for participants in these programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 1408) amends New Jersey law to require human trafficking awareness signs at specific establishments - including massage businesses, hotels, airports, hospitals, and transportation hubs - to include Chinese and Korean translations, in addition to English and Spanish. The signs must be at least 8.5x11 inches, printed in 16-point font, and displayed in visible locations like restrooms and dressing rooms. Businesses failing to comply face civil penalties of $300 for a first offense and $1,000 for subsequent violations. The change responds directly to a 2024 Commission of Investigation report on human trafficking in New Jersey’s massage industry.

Maddy summaryThis bill, now law as P.L.2025, c.272, provides employment protections for New Jersey paid first responders (including police, firefighters, EMTs, and 9-1-1 dispatchers) diagnosed with work-related PTSD. It prohibits employers from firing, harassing, or discriminating against employees who take leave for qualifying PTSD treatment, requiring reinstatement to their previous position after documented recovery. Employers violating these protections face civil fines ($5,000 for first violation, $10,000 for subsequent), court-ordered reinstatement, lost wages, and attorney fees. The law applies only when PTSD arises from on-the-job trauma or vicarious trauma experienced during official duties.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires four-year public colleges in New Jersey to create and maintain a reproductive health services plan for students, while county colleges must establish a referral network to off-campus reproductive health providers. The plan must ensure access to contraception (including emergency contraception via vending machines or 24-hour options), STI/HIV testing/treatment, prenatal care, and abortion services through campus clinics or verified referrals. It specifically addresses student barriers like limited pharmacy access and lack of transportation by mandating campus-based options and community referrals. The bill does not require institutions to directly provide abortion services but ensures students can access care through structured pathways.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes confidentiality for landlord-tenant court records in New Jersey to prevent unfair housing denials. It requires all such records to remain private for 60 days after filing, and permanently confidential if the tenant wins, settles favorably, or the case is dismissed - only allowing public access if a landlord wins a judgment for possession. The law directly affects tenants (especially low-income renters) by stopping screening agencies from using bare court filings as a sole reason to deny housing, even when tenants had valid legal defenses like withholding rent for unsafe conditions. Landlords and tenant screening agencies must now wait for case outcomes before accessing records, reducing "blacklisting" based on incomplete information.

Maddy summaryAJR 115 is a symbolic resolution (not a law) passed by New Jersey's legislature to formally condemn all hate, bias, and hate crimes. It specifically rejects hatred based on race, religion, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics, urging the state to continue existing efforts to support victims and prevent such crimes. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but reaffirms New Jersey's commitment to combating hate through current initiatives like the Bias Crime Unit and victim support programs. It directly affects all New Jersey residents by expressing the state's official stance against hate crimes and promoting inclusivity.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2529) amends New Jersey law to allow certain substitute teachers to enroll in the Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF). Currently, TPAF eligibility typically applies to regular classroom teachers, but this bill expands it to include specific substitute educators who meet defined criteria. The key provision modifies eligibility rules under N.J.S.18A:66-2 to permit these substitute teachers to contribute to and eventually receive retirement benefits from the fund. It directly affects substitute teachers who qualify under the new enrollment rules, providing them access to a retirement savings system previously unavailable to them. The change focuses on concrete eligibility expansion without altering existing benefit calculations or funding mechanisms.