Asm. Robert Karabinchak

Maddy summaryThis bill allows high school students in New Jersey who are 16 or older, enrolled in 12th grade, residents of the state, and maintaining good academic standing to take career certificate courses at county colleges. Students must get written permission from their high school principal, but they do not need a state-endorsed diploma or GED to enroll in these credit-bearing courses. County colleges must permit enrollment if space is available, though they are not required to waive existing prerequisites or application procedures. The policy applies specifically to career-focused courses, not general college classes, and takes effect for the first full academic year after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends paid leave for New Jersey public employees who serve in military reserves or the National Guard. It allows state, county, school district, and municipal workers to take paid leave for required inactive duty training (like regular drills) within existing annual limits: 30 work days for federal reserve members and 90 days for New Jersey National Guard members. The law maintains current pay protections but requires the state to reimburse local governments and school districts for any additional costs incurred. This change applies immediately to all affected public employees.

Maddy summaryThis bill imposes penalties on clinical laboratories that receive Medicaid overpayments (funds wrongly paid due to non-compliance with rules) totaling $100,000 or more. It bars such labs for 10 years from state contracts, grants, or business with state-funded entities, and permanently revokes licenses for overpayments of $1 million or more. The bill also requires the Department of Health to create a public database listing penalized labs, and bans any entity doing business with these labs from receiving state funds for five years. It directly affects clinical labs and their business partners who work with state Medicaid programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey health insurers to cover mammograms for women starting at age 18, rather than the current age 40 requirement. It also mandates coverage for additional imaging tests like ultrasounds, MRIs, or 3D mammograms when medically necessary based on breast density, abnormal results, or risk factors such as family history of breast cancer. The coverage applies to all health insurance plans in New Jersey, including individual, group, and state health benefit plans, requiring insurers to cover these services to the same extent as other medical conditions. Insurers can still review medical necessity for additional tests through utilization review processes.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A515 allows utility lines for solar energy facilities approved by the Board of Public Utilities to cross municipally-owned preserved open space under specific conditions. It directly affects solar developers seeking to connect facilities to the grid and local municipalities managing conservation lands. Key provisions require lines to be underground with land restoration, prove no alternative routes exist, obtain local unit approval, and provide compensation - while ensuring the land remains usable for recreation and conservation. The bill streamlines grid connections for solar projects without altering land preservation status, pending compliance with these safeguards.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a four-year "New Jersey STEM Scholars Grant Pilot Program" within the Department of Education to provide funding for schools. It directly affects public school districts, charter schools, and "renaissance schools" (a New Jersey term for publicly funded alternative schools) seeking to expand STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education. The program awards competitive grants for three specific areas: project-based learning (student-led STEM projects), afterschool STEM (after-class programs like clubs), and out-of-school STEM (non-classroom activities like workshops). Grants must supplement, not replace, existing STEM funding, and schools must submit detailed plans for program design, student recruitment, teacher support, and long-term sustainability. Funding comes from annual state appropriations and private donations, administered through a new "STEM Scholars Grant Fund."

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public school districts to adopt a policy setting temperature standards for classrooms and school facilities. The policy must ensure temperatures support learning by designating staff to monitor compliance, creating protocols for extreme temperatures, and aligning with existing indoor air quality standards. School boards must also identify permitted temperature adjustments that follow building and fire codes. The state education and health departments will jointly create guidance to help schools implement these requirements, effective July 1 after the bill passes.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's child tax credit to include taxpayers with children aged six through eleven, currently only covering children under six. Eligibility remains tied to New Jersey taxable income of $80,000 or less, with credits ranging from $200 to $1,000 based on income levels (e.g., $1,000 for income under $30,000). The change applies to tax years beginning January 1, 2023, and does not alter existing income thresholds or refundability rules. It directly affects New Jersey resident taxpayers with children in this age group who meet the income criteria.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires electric power suppliers and gas suppliers to include specific complaint information in customer contracts and on bills, including the phone number and website for filing complaints with the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and an explanation of "slamming" (unauthorized changes to a customer's energy supplier). It also mandates the BPU to publish quarterly reports on customer complaints that list the energy companies against which complaints were filed, without revealing personal customer information. The bill directly affects energy suppliers, utilities, and the BPU by increasing transparency and making complaint processes more accessible to consumers. This policy change aims to improve consumer awareness and accountability in the energy market.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A593 requires every public school to employ at least two full-time certified mental health professionals (licensed school counselors or psychologists) on staff. For schools with over 500 students, districts must add additional staff proportional to enrollment. This applies to all public school districts statewide, beginning with the first full school year after the law takes effect. The bill directly affects school boards and administrators by mandating specific staffing levels for student mental health support.