Asm. Craig Coughlin

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a public registry for individuals convicted of specific financial crimes in New Jersey, including insurance fraud, mortgage fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering. It requires offenders to register with the Department of Law and Public Safety, with information like names, physical descriptions, photos, and crime details made available online. Registration duration depends on offenses: 10 years for a first offense, plus 10 years for a second, and life for a third. Offenders may apply for removal after five years if they paid all restitution, completed court-ordered treatment, and had no new convictions (excluding minor traffic offenses). The registry includes disclaimers about accuracy and prohibits harassment.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey bill A3871 requires public and nonpublic schools with lunch programs to gradually expand free lunch eligibility over five years, ultimately providing free meals to all students regardless of income or federal eligibility. It uses existing federal reimbursement mechanisms like the Community Eligibility Provision to allow schools to serve universal free meals without individual income applications. The bill directly affects all participating schools in the state’s National School Lunch Program, eliminating income verification for students. This policy change shifts school meal funding toward universal provision, building on federal program structures.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A-2957) upgrades the legal classification of certain assaults against school personnel from "simple assault" to "aggravated assault" when the attack occurs while they are clearly performing their duties (e.g., in uniform or identifiable as staff). It specifically targets incidents involving school board members, administrators, teachers, school bus drivers, or other school employees acting in their official roles. The change increases penalties for these assaults by elevating the charge under New Jersey's assault statute (N.J.S.2C:12-1). This directly affects school staff members who are assaulted during work hours in identifiable professional roles.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for intentionally disrupting online meetings or teleconferences (commonly called "bombing" when participants flood a session with unwanted content). It reclassifies such disruptions as a second-degree crime under New Jersey's computer crime law, raising the penalty level. The change directly affects individuals who deliberately interfere with virtual meetings, including by introducing disruptive content or causing technical disruptions. The amendment specifically targets interference with "online video conference or teleconference" as a distinct violation under the law.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's domestic violence laws to strengthen firearm restrictions for alleged abusers. It requires law enforcement officers to arrest individuals suspected of domestic violence when there is probable cause, including cases involving visible injuries, existing restraining orders, or weapons. Officers must seize firearms on the premises if they believe a victim faces serious injury risk, and must deliver seized weapons to the county prosecutor within 45 days. The prosecutor may then petition a court to revoke the accused person's firearm permits or return weapons to the owner, with a hearing required within 45 days of seizure. The law directly affects domestic violence victims, alleged abusers, law enforcement, and courts handling these cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to submit an annual financial report by March 1 each year, detailing the status of special funding accounts under its control. The report must cover both "appropriated balances" (funds available for reuse) and "unappropriated balances" (funds available for future allocation) across accounts funded by sources like federal grants, dedicated taxes, fees, bond proceeds, and one-time appropriations. It also mandates an immediate interim report within 30 days of the bill's enactment, using the most recent available data. The goal is to increase transparency around these "special revenue" accounts, which often operate outside regular budget scrutiny.

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 summaryNew Jersey's bill A3872 requires Medicaid prescription drug services to shift from managed care to a fee-for-service system, meaning pharmacies will be paid directly for each drug dispensed rather than through managed care organizations. It mandates that reimbursement for covered drugs (including brand name, generic, specialty, and clotting factors) be calculated using the lowest of several pricing methods, such as the National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) or state maximum allowable costs, plus a fixed $10.92 dispensing fee. This change directly affects Medicaid beneficiaries, pharmacies, and the state's Medicaid program by altering how drug costs are reimbursed. The bill also specifies that clotting factors must use a Point of Sale System for billing starting January 1, 2020. These changes aim to standardize reimbursement while potentially reducing costs, as seen in similar programs in West Virginia and New York.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how motor vehicle fine money is distributed when violations are issued by the State Police. Specifically, it directs that one-third of the total fines collected from State Police-issued tickets must go to the municipality where the violation occurred, while two-thirds go to the State Treasurer for designated state funds. The municipality can use this one-third share to help cover costs like operating its municipal court. This applies only to violations where the State Police were the issuing agency, not to tickets from other law enforcement. The change aims to provide direct local funding for municipal court operations from these specific fines.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey state employees without a union representative (due to lack of majority representation) to enroll in specific health care plans under the State Health Benefits Program. Starting January 1, 2025, these employees must choose between the CWA Unity DIRECT or CWA Unity DIRECT2019 plans (or their successors), based on their hire date, for their health coverage. The bill sets the state's and employee's payment obligations for these plans to match the terms of existing collective bargaining agreements that would apply if the employee had union representation. It directly affects state employees without a majority union representative, ensuring they access standardized health plan options.