Asm. Verlina Reynolds-Jackson

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey colleges and universities to publicly report employment and earnings data for graduates, including full-time job placement rates in their major field, overall employment, graduate school enrollment, and average salaries one year after graduation. Institutions must disaggregate this data by race, ethnicity, age, family income, gender, and first-generation status. They must post the information on their websites annually, maintain it for four years, and conduct annual surveys starting in the first full academic year after enactment. This applies to all institutions of higher education in New Jersey, directly affecting students, families, and prospective applicants seeking transparency about post-graduation outcomes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires every New Jersey municipality to provide basic life support (BLS) services - such as CPR, wound care, and emergency ambulance transport - to meet community needs. It designates BLS as an "essential service" and gives municipalities five options to arrange it: contracting with private or nonprofit entities, entering mutual aid agreements with other towns, partnering with hospitals, or using existing fire/EMS departments. The law applies directly to all 565 New Jersey municipalities and takes effect immediately. It does not specify funding sources or service standards beyond the defined BLS scope.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands financial aid eligibility for New Jersey students at public colleges. It increases the income threshold for the Community College Opportunity Grant Program from $65,000 to $100,000 annual adjusted gross income, allowing more students at county colleges to qualify for "last-dollar" aid (covering remaining tuition costs after other grants). It also codifies the Garden State Guarantee Program, providing similar last-dollar grants for students in their third or fourth year (90-128 credits) at four-year public colleges, with income eligibility capped at $100,000. Both programs require students to apply for other aid, maintain academic standing, and enroll full-time (12+ credits for four-year schools, 6+ for community colleges).

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the New Jersey Center for Black Excellence in Health at Rutgers University. The center will address health disparities in Black communities and people of color by facilitating public health programs, researching culturally appropriate care models, building community partnerships, and recommending systemic changes to the state's health system. It requires Rutgers to form a 12-member steering committee with state agencies, health organizations, and advocacy groups to guide the center's work. The center may accept grants and Rutgers may hire staff to support these activities, with the bill taking effect immediately.

Maddy summaryAJR 232 designates July of each year as "Uterine Fibroid Awareness Month" in New Jersey. This resolution aims to increase public awareness about uterine fibroids - a common noncancerous growth affecting many women - and their impact on health and quality of life. It specifically highlights that fibroids disproportionately affect women of color and often lead to delayed diagnosis (average 3.6 years) and significant symptoms like heavy bleeding and infertility. The resolution requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation to encourage statewide recognition and support for research into better diagnosis and treatment options.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey public school districts, charter schools, and renaissance schools to count virtual or remote instruction days toward their required 180-day school year when schools close due to inclement weather. Schools may use up to three days per year of virtual instruction (requiring at least four hours of instruction) to meet this requirement, provided they follow commissioner-established criteria. School boards must develop and adopt policies for this use before implementation. The bill ensures virtual days count for attendance, graduation, and course credit purposes while requiring equitable access to technology for all students.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the sale of cosmetic and personal care products containing 1,4-dioxane above specific limits in New Jersey, affecting manufacturers, retailers, and distributors of these products. It sets maximum allowable concentrations: 10 parts per million for cosmetics and 2 parts per million for personal care products (reducing to 1 part per million after two years). Manufacturers may request a one-year waiver if they are actively reducing 1,4-dioxane but cannot comply immediately, with a possible second waiver. The Department of Environmental Protection must establish these limits and review them within three years to determine if lower levels are needed for health protection.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey to issue special "Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc." license plates for motor vehicles. Vehicle owners who apply pay a $50 one-time fee and a $10 annual fee, with the collected funds (after covering administrative costs) deposited into a dedicated "Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. License Plate Fund." The fund's annual appropriations support the sorority's mission, including youth education programs, economic development, and community health initiatives for disadvantaged groups. The program requires 500 initial applications and private funding to cover startup costs before implementation.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill prohibits colleges and universities from paying online program management companies (OPMs) commissions, bonuses, or tuition-based fees for recruiting students, except when targeting international students. It requires institutions to submit all OPM contracts to the state education secretary within 20 days (or 30 days for existing contracts) and mandates governing boards to review and reject agreements that allow OPMs to control curriculum, admissions, faculty hiring, or institutional branding. Annual reports must detail OPM spending across categories like marketing and instruction, and institutions must publicly disclose program costs, financial aid options, and OPM relationships on their websites. Violations carry $10,000 fines per incident or the value of prohibited payments, whichever is higher.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the Work First New Jersey Child Care subsidy program appropriation by $28 million in the FY2026 budget, raising the total from $565.8 million to $593.8 million. It directly affects lower-income families who rely on the child care subsidy program to cover part of their child care costs. The bill reverses a pause on new applications and a recent increase in family copayments (from 1-5% to 2-6% of income) by requiring the Department of Human Services to resume accepting applications and return to pre-August 1, 2025 eligibility standards and copayment rates. This addresses a projected $25-30 million funding shortfall that had forced the program to limit enrollment and raise costs for families.