Asm. Mitchelle Drulis

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey state, municipal, and county employers to automatically enroll employees in retirement savings plans (deferred compensation plans) unless they opt out. It establishes a default contribution rate, permits periodic increases in contributions, and requires employers to provide employees with clear notice and the option to adjust or stop contributions. Employers must also negotiate automatic enrollment terms with union representatives for covered employees, and designate a default investment option if employees don’t choose one. The bill was withdrawn after being enacted as part of P.L.2025, c.358, making these provisions effective law.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2224) requires New Jersey's Medicaid program to cover over-the-counter emergency contraception (such as Plan B) without a prescription. Currently, Medicaid only covers prescription-based emergency contraception, forcing enrollees to pay out-of-pocket for the same products purchased without a prescription. The bill mandates that Medicaid managed care organizations include this coverage without requiring a prescription or other authorization. It directly affects Medicaid recipients in New Jersey who need emergency contraception for reproductive health.

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates the statewide high school graduation proficiency test requirement for all New Jersey students. It directly affects every high school student in the state by removing a mandated test as a condition for earning a diploma. The key mechanism deletes references to the "Statewide proficiency test" from existing graduation statutes (including sections of P.L.1979, c.241), shifting responsibility to local school districts to set their own graduation standards. This change means students will no longer need to pass a state-administered test to graduate, though local districts must still establish and monitor proficiency requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill reinstates automatic cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirement benefits of members in New Jersey's Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS). It directly affects current and future retirees who are members of this system, restoring annual benefit increases tied to inflation. The key provision amends existing law to allow the retirement system's board of trustees to reinstate these automatic COLAs without requiring additional contributions from members, provided actuarial certification confirms the change won't harm the fund's long-term stability. The bill does not create new benefits but returns a previously reduced feature of the retirement system.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires coaches of middle and high school sports, cheerleading, and dance programs, as well as athletic trainers in public schools and public colleges, to complete a state-developed eating disorder awareness training program. The training, created by the Commissioner of Education with health and education input, covers identifying eating disorder symptoms, prevention strategies, available support services, and connecting student-athletes to care. Coaches and trainers must complete the training within six months of appointment or the start of the school year, and every two years thereafter. Additionally, school boards must establish protocols for addressing suspected eating disorders in student-athletes, including notifying parents and connecting students with appropriate resources.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to make three versions of their budgets publicly accessible: the initial proposed budget submitted to the Commissioner of Education, the commissioner-approved version, and the final adopted budget. All versions must be posted on school district websites (if available), provided in print using plain language, and made available upon public request. The commissioner-approved budget must be posted no later than 48 hours before the public hearing on the budget. These changes apply to school budgets for the second full school year following the bill's enactment, directly affecting all New Jersey school districts.

Maddy summaryThis proposed bill establishes the New Jersey Student Teacher Scholarship Program to reduce financial barriers for future teachers. It provides eligible students up to $7,200 per semester for full-time clinical practice (the final teaching internship) in approved teacher preparation programs at New Jersey institutions. To qualify, students must be NJ residents enrolled full-time in an approved program and complete required steps for clinical practice. The program requires annual data collection on participants' demographics and program experiences, with funding to be appropriated annually by the legislature. The bill is currently pending before the Assembly Education Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Transportation (DOT), New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA), and South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) to install physical suicide prevention barriers on certain bridges and overpasses. Within one year of enactment, each agency must study bridges over State roads to identify those posing a significant suicide risk based on height, location, transportation hazards, and past suicide incidents. If barriers are feasible, agencies must install them; if not, they must implement alternatives like surveillance systems, emergency phones, or informational signs. The law applies only to bridges under their jurisdiction that carry State highways, not local or county structures.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands accidental death benefits under New Jersey's State Police Retirement System to cover recruits who die during required pre-service training at the academy or from related complications. It directly affects surviving spouses, children, or parents of such recruits by reclassifying these deaths as "in the line of duty" for benefit purposes. Key provisions set a minimum $50,000 benefit for surviving spouses, with calculated amounts for children or parents if no spouse exists (e.g., 70% of final compensation for children, 25-40% for parents). The law also allows retroactive payments for past deaths, with survivors having 12 months from enactment to apply. Current law previously excluded recruits since they weren't sworn officers during training.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as "Anthony's Legacy Act," modifies New Jersey's visitation rights law to provide special consideration for grandparents seeking visitation who are Gold Star family members (relatives of military service members who died in active duty). It requires courts to specifically weigh the grandparent's status as a Gold Star family member as part of the "best interests of the child" evaluation when reviewing visitation applications. The bill does not change the existing burden of proof or other factors courts consider, but adds this specific consideration to the list of factors under Section 1(b)(2). It directly affects grandparents in military-connected families seeking court-ordered visitation with their grandchildren. The policy change is limited to visitation proceedings and does not alter other aspects of family law.