Asm. Verlina Reynolds-Jackson

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes standardized credit transfer rules for New Jersey public colleges and universities, replacing previous "collective agreements" with requirements set by the Secretary of Higher Education. It creates a New Jersey Transfer Ombudsman within the Secretary's office to resolve disputes between students and institutions about credit transfers, conduct compliance reviews every three years, and publish annual reports on transfer outcomes. Public institutions must now provide transfer students with data on program completion rates and ensure associate degrees earned at community colleges are fully transferable toward bachelor's degrees. The changes directly affect students transferring between NJ public colleges and universities, as well as the institutions themselves, by standardizing credit recognition and adding oversight.

Maddy summaryAJR 150 designates July of each year as "Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month" in New Jersey. This symbolic resolution encourages community organizations, medical institutions, and advocacy groups to raise public awareness about cleft lip and palate birth defects - conditions affecting about 1 in 1,700 babies in the U.S. - and promote collaboration on outreach and research. It does not create new laws or funding but requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation to support this awareness effort. The resolution directly affects New Jersey residents and families impacted by these birth defects by fostering community engagement and education.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4819) provides specific enrollment flexibility for military-connected students in New Jersey schools. It directly affects students dependent on active-duty military personnel, veterans, National Guard members, military retirees, or civilian military employees (as defined in the bill). Key provisions include waiving residency requirements for enrollment, granting preference in school placement, protecting against discrimination based on military status, and guaranteeing admission to any school under inter-district agreements if military orders document a temporary transfer of over 30 days. Parents can also choose to keep a child in their original school district through graduation for 11th graders, or enroll in installation schools within 10 days if housing isn't secured within 30 days.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Medicaid program (NJ FamilyCare) to pay inpatient hospitals the same rate for long-acting injectable antipsychotic drugs as it does for outpatient use. It directly affects hospitals and inpatient providers who treat patients with serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The key mechanism mandates that reimbursement for these drugs in hospitals must be separate from standard hospital payment systems (DRGs) and match the outpatient rate, which reflects the actual drug cost. This change aims to ensure hospitals receive adequate reimbursement for these high-cost medications, which are designed to manage symptoms for up to 24 weeks with a single dose.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes several changes to New Jersey's school funding system. It requires the Department of Education to publish school district funding calculations in plain language, establishes a Special Education Funding Review Task Force to examine special education funding models, and creates "reduction adjustment aid" to limit annual reductions in state school aid to no more than 2% of a district's previous year's total operating budget. The bill also adjusts vocational expansion stabilization aid for enrollment changes and establishes protections for school districts in municipalities with high tax rates that are spending below adequacy levels. These changes aim to improve transparency, adjust funding formulas, and protect school districts from excessive aid reductions.

Maddy summaryACR 98 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow New Jersey's Legislature to extend civil service hiring preferences to veterans who served during peacetime, not just those who served in wartime. Currently, state law grants hiring preference only to veterans who served during active war periods. The amendment would change the state constitution to remove the "in time of war" limitation, enabling future laws to include non-wartime veterans in this preference. This would directly affect veterans applying for state government civil service positions who did not serve during declared wars. The amendment requires voter approval before the Legislature could implement such a policy change.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Commissioner of Education to provide school districts with annual preliminary State aid notices by December 1st, detailing the minimum State aid amount they'll receive for the following school year. It also creates a New Jersey Education Funding Portal on the Department of Education website that will make transparent how school funding is calculated, allowing districts and the public to adjust data inputs like enrollment and property values to estimate potential funding impacts. The bill modifies school funding calculations by changing how districts determine their local share based on property values and income, and it gives districts facing potential aid reductions the ability to submit and revise their budgets within the first six months of the budget year. These changes aim to increase transparency and provide more flexibility for school districts in budget planning.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurance carriers in New Jersey to cover prostate cancer screening without cost sharing (no deductibles, copays, or coinsurance). It expands the definition of "prostate cancer screening" to include more diagnostic methods beyond digital rectal exams and PSA tests, such as urinary analysis, serum biomarkers, and medical imaging. The coverage applies to men age 50+ who are asymptomatic, and men age 40+ with family history of prostate cancer or other risk factors. The bill extends these requirements to additional insurance types, including individual health insurance policies, that weren't previously required to cover prostate cancer screening under current law.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a permanent "Minority-Serving Institution of Higher Education Fund" to support public colleges and universities in New Jersey that are federally designated as minority-serving institutions (like HBCUs or Hispanic-serving institutions). The fund, financed by state appropriations and eligible federal/private funds, provides money for four specific initiatives: increasing minority student enrollment and graduation rates, expanding college access, closing equity gaps in education, and supporting student success programs. The state's Higher Education Secretary will manage the fund and distribute money to qualifying schools based on a set method, requiring institutions to report how they use the funds. This directly affects public higher education institutions serving minority students across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $175 million from New Jersey's General Fund to the Department of Human Services (DHS) for Emergency SNAP Replacement Benefits during fiscal year 2026. It directly affects approximately 800,000 New Jersey SNAP households that experienced reduced federal benefits due to the November 2025 government shutdown. The key mechanism requires DHS to issue monthly replacement benefits equal to the shortfall between a household's certified federal SNAP amount and the actual benefit received, using the existing SNAP EBT system for food purchases. These state funds will be reimbursed by the federal government by June 30, 2026, once federal funding resumes.