Asm. Sterley Stanley

Maddy summaryThis bill adds two student representatives to Rutgers University's Board of Governors. The student members must be full-time, matriculated students in good academic standing, aged 18+ and U.S. citizens, elected by Rutgers students. For the first election, one student serves as a voting member for one year while the other serves as an alternate for two years (becoming voting in year two); subsequent elections follow this alternate-to-voting pattern for two-year terms. Student representatives have full board participation rights except on personnel decisions, property transactions, or litigation where confidentiality is required.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a public database managed by New Jersey's Business Action Center (within the Department of State) listing vacant commercial properties available for small businesses to lease or purchase. The database must include specific details like square footage, included equipment, and building systems (e.g., HVAC, security). Commercial property owners are required to report vacancies or occupancy changes to the center, which will update the database monthly using input from owners, realtors, and municipalities. The database will be accessible online and promoted to business associations and local chambers to help small businesses find suitable space more efficiently.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands requirements for public awareness signage about human trafficking. It adds 10 new locations where businesses and facilities must display the Commission on Human Trafficking's sign, including gas stations, staffing agencies, law enforcement offices, nail salons, and New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission offices. The sign must be 8.5x11 inches, in 16-point font, and bilingual (English/Spanish), containing the national trafficking hotline number. Businesses failing to display or replace defaced signs face $300 fines for first offenses and $1,000 for subsequent violations. The bill directly affects the listed establishments by mandating visible signage to aid trafficking victims.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases Medicaid reimbursement rates for certain mental health services to at least the Medicare rate. It directly affects Medicaid-eligible patients (adults and children) and providers like licensed substance abuse treatment centers or mental health professionals offering evidence-based outpatient counseling. The key provision requires that services must be proven effective (listed in federal registries or approved by state officials) and limited to individual/group therapy in outpatient settings. This policy change aims to improve payment for specific behavioral health treatments under New Jersey's Medicaid program.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurers, the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP), and the State Employees Health Benefits Program (SEHBP) to cover specific mammogram screenings. It mandates one baseline mammogram for women aged 35 and annual screenings for women 35 and older, while also requiring coverage for women under 35 with breast cancer risk factors (like family history) as determined by their provider. Additional tests like ultrasounds or MRIs are covered if needed due to dense breast tissue, abnormal results, or other risk factors. The law applies to all health insurance plans in New Jersey, ensuring these screenings are covered without additional out-of-pocket costs for eligible individuals.

Maddy summaryThis bill reduces the maximum interest rate property owners pay to redeem tax liens from 18% to 9% per year. It directly affects homeowners and property owners who have had tax liens placed on their properties by municipalities. The key change amends existing law (R.S.54:5-32) to cap the redemption interest rate at 9%, while allowing bidders to offer cash premiums instead of interest rates. This policy change simplifies the redemption process and lowers costs for affected property owners under current tax lien procedures.

Maddy summaryThis bill standardizes pension benefits for New Jersey teachers by moving all current non-retired members of the Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) into a single benefit tier (previously called "Tier 1"), granting them the same retirement benefits as members who joined before July 1, 2007. It requires public employers to enroll teachers earning above minimum salary but not meeting work-hour requirements into TAPF within 60 days of enactment. Teachers in the separate Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP) can automatically transfer their service credit to TAPF for retirement eligibility (but not pension amount calculations), with contributions staying in DCRP; they may opt out within six months of notification. The bill also allows TAPF members with long-term disability insurance to apply for disability retirement within two years of enactment.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 3945) protects hospitality franchisees - such as owners of hotels, motels, and inns - from certain unfair practices by franchisors. It prohibits franchisors from: - Keeping hidden payments from vendors (requiring full disclosure and sharing with franchisees or a committee), - Forcing franchisees to buy goods/services exclusively from them (unless reasonable standards apply), - Opening competing locations in a franchisee’s protected territory, or - Unilaterally changing terms without justification (like health/safety updates). The law also requires franchisors to disclose all fees in advance and get franchisee approval for new charges, with a Franchisee Advisory Committee overseeing fund use. It applies only to franchises operating in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey bill A2365 extends in-state tuition eligibility to spouses and dependents of military service members who move due to a service member's transfer. It allows these individuals to maintain in-state tuition rates at public colleges in New Jersey if they were already enrolled before the transfer and maintain continuous enrollment. The bill specifically applies to spouses and dependents who were attending school in New Jersey prior to the military relocation, ensuring they don't lose tuition benefits during temporary moves. This change directly affects military families facing frequent relocations, removing a barrier to educational affordability during service-related transfers. The policy update amends existing law (P.L.1985, c.231) to include these scenarios without requiring new funding.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill expands the crime of bias intimidation to cover more protected characteristics like gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability, and increases penalties for such offenses. It raises the severity of bias intimidation to one degree higher than the underlying crime (e.g., making a fourth-degree offense a third-degree crime), adds mandatory sentencing for first-degree cases, and requires courts to impose separate sentences for bias intimidation and the underlying offense. Perpetrators convicted of bias intimidation must also complete sensitivity training, counseling, or pay compensation to victim support programs. Victims of bias-motivated crimes benefit from new financial penalties ($250-$2,000 per offense) collected by the state and directed to community services. The law applies to anyone committing crimes like assault or harassment with bias motivation, directly affecting both offenders and victims in hate crime cases.