Asm. Sterley Stanley

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates tiered retirement benefits in New Jersey's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), moving all current non-retired members to the "Tier 1" benefit level previously available to members who joined before July 1, 2007. It requires public employers to enroll eligible employees (earning above minimum salary but not meeting hour requirements) into PERS within 60 days, and automatically transfers service credit from the Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP) to PERS for DCRP participants - without transferring their contributions - unless they opt out within six months. Disability recipients under long-term insurance become eligible for disability retirement benefits if they apply within two years. Changes apply only to retirement applications processed after the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a process for certain long-incarcerated individuals to seek rehabilitative release. It requires the Department of Corrections to issue a Certificate of Eligibility to people who have served at least 20 years (and are age 60+) or 30 years for murder (and are age 62+). Eligible individuals may then petition a court for sentence modification, which the court may grant if it finds they are not a danger, demonstrate reentry readiness (e.g., through education/vocational programs), and the interests of justice warrant release. If granted, the person receives a five-year parole term and must have victim input considered during the court hearing.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5052) requires New Jersey health insurers, Medicaid (NJ FamilyCare), and state health benefit programs to cover screening, prevention, and treatment services for children's behavioral health issues without requiring a formal mental health diagnosis. It establishes "at-risk diagnosis" as a billing mechanism, allowing providers to use Social Determinants of Health Z-codes (instead of standard mental health codes) for preventive care based on factors like family circumstances. Coverage must be provided at the same level as other medical services for children under 18. The law applies to all health plans, Medicaid contracts, and state employee health programs effective 90 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes municipalities and school districts to install school bus monitoring systems with cameras to capture vehicles illegally passing school buses. If a violation is recorded by such a system, the violator would face a $250 civil penalty instead of criminal penalties, with collected funds going to the municipality or school district for safety programs. The monitoring systems must capture specific evidence including the bus's flashing lights, the violating vehicle's license plate, and the date/time/location of the violation. Recorded images are not public records and must be purged within 95 days of recording. The registered owner of the vehicle would be liable for the penalty unless they can prove the vehicle was used without consent or was stolen.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey cosmetology, barbering, and hair braiding schools to include training on textured hair (defined as coiled, curly, or wavy hair) in their existing curricula. The training must cover working with various coil, curl, and wave patterns, hair strand thickness, and hair volume. It also mandates that textured hair be included in both written and practical portions of licensure examinations for these professions. The requirement is to be integrated into current training without adding additional hours of instruction.

Maddy summaryS 1965 requires New Jersey long-term care facilities (including nursing homes and assisted living residences) to have a consultant pharmacist and either a provider pharmacist or an in-house pharmacy director. It mandates an interdisciplinary pharmacy committee - comprising the facility administrator, nursing staff, and consultant pharmacist - to meet quarterly and maintain records. The bill also prohibits consultant pharmacists from having conflicts of interest with facility pharmacy staff and requires proper Drug Enforcement Administration registration for facilities storing controlled substances. These requirements take effect immediately, with the Health Commissioner authorized to create implementing rules. The bill directly affects all licensed long-term care facilities in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey nursing homes to have a licensed pharmacist serving as either a consultant pharmacist or director of pharmaceutical services, and to establish an interdisciplinary pharmacy committee. The committee, which must include the facility administrator, nursing staff representative, and consultant pharmacist, must meet at least quarterly and maintain detailed records of its work. Nursing homes must also appoint a consultant pharmacist who avoids conflicts of interest with the facility's pharmacy staff, and must ensure proper handling of controlled substances if kept on-site. These requirements apply to all licensed nursing homes in New Jersey, aiming to standardize and oversee medicine management for residents.

Maddy summaryS 4387 requires New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs to create an automated tracking system for licensees in regulated professions (like healthcare or real estate) who must complete continuing education to renew their licenses. The system will automatically monitor each licensee’s completed education hours and verify compliance before license renewal. It specifically allows regulating boards to still address individual hardships, even if a licensee hasn’t met requirements. This bill affects professionals needing continuing education to maintain their licenses, ensuring timely compliance checks. The system must be implemented within 13 months of the bill’s enactment.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution designates July 30 of each year as "Brian Sicknick Day" in New Jersey to honor Officer Brian Sicknick, a U.S. Capitol Police officer who died protecting the Capitol on January 6, 2021. It requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation recognizing the day. The resolution commemorates Sicknick’s service, including his 12-year career with the Capitol Police and his New Jersey roots (born in New Brunswick, served in the NJ Air National Guard). As a ceremonial resolution, it has no legal effect beyond recognition.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A5217, the "Ensuring Fairness in Cost-Sharing Amounts Act of 2024," requires health insurance carriers and pharmacy benefits managers to count third-party discounts and payments toward patients' out-of-pocket costs like copayments, deductibles, and coinsurance. This means discounts from drug manufacturers, patient assistance programs, or other third parties must reduce what patients actually pay for covered health services, rather than being ignored by insurers. The bill prohibits insurers from using "accumulators" that would prevent these discounts from counting toward a patient's deductible. It applies to all health benefits plans in New Jersey and requires annual compliance certification from insurers and pharmacy benefits managers.