Asm. Yvonne Lopez

Maddy summaryThis bill removes an exemption in New Jersey's Smoke-Free Air Act that previously allowed smoking in casinos and casino simulcasting facilities. Currently, these venues could permit smoking in areas used for gambling (like slot machine rooms or table games), but the bill would eliminate that exception. After passage, all indoor areas of casinos and simulcasting facilities open to the public for gambling would be required to be smoke-free. This change aligns these venues with the state's general indoor smoking ban, which applies to most public workplaces and spaces.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires every New Jersey public school district to employ a certified school nurse at each individual school building within the district. It directly affects all public school districts and their staffing requirements. The key provision amends existing law to mandate that every school building must have a certified school nurse present, rather than allowing districts to provide nursing services across multiple buildings with a single nurse. Districts may still supplement with non-certified nurses, but only if those nurses are assigned to the same building or school complex as the certified nurse. This changes current practice by requiring certified nursing presence at every building level.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3445) requires publicly held corporations with their principal office in New Jersey to have boards of directors that reflect the racial and gender diversity of New Jersey by December 31, 2021. Corporations must use the most recent U.S. Census data to determine compliance, can add directors to meet the requirement, and must annually report director demographics to the Secretary of State. Failure to comply results in civil penalties of $100,000 for the first violation and $300,000 for subsequent violations. The Secretary of State must also annually report on compliance, corporate relocations, and companies no longer subject to the law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Corrections to establish minimum living standards for all prison housing units, including disciplinary housing units known as Restorative Housing Units (RHUs). The standards must meet or exceed those set by the American Correctional Association. The DOC must adopt these rules through standard administrative procedures under the Administrative Procedure Act. The law would take effect 90 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A-2540, "Cancer Patient Care and Compassion Act") requires health insurance plans and Medicaid in New Jersey to cover specific cancer treatments without cost-sharing for patients with Stage III, IV, or terminal cancer. It mandates coverage for parenteral treatments (like IV medications), survivorship care plans, and other services determined by regulators. The bill also adds protections: mortgage lenders must pause foreclosure during active treatment, creditors cannot initiate collections, and tenants facing eviction can request a 45-day stay with physician certification. These provisions directly affect cancer patients and their families by removing financial barriers to care and preventing housing/financial instability during treatment. The bill is pending before the Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public utilities (including electricity, gas, water, sewer, and telecom providers) to notify municipalities 24 hours before work on poles or underground facilities in a single municipality, and to restore streets to their original condition after repairs using hot patch asphalt and repaving. It mandates paying prevailing wages for restoration work and imposes daily fines of up to $1,000 for failure to restore streets within 90 days, with exceptions for winter months (November-April) and emergencies. The law applies to all utilities operating in New Jersey, directly affecting how they coordinate with local governments during street repairs. Key provisions include mandatory municipal consent for pole placement in gas-lit areas and emergency exemptions for immediate safety threats.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services (DHS) to create a quality-based reimbursement system for registered family child care providers who participate in both the state's subsidized child care program and the Grow NJ Kids quality initiative. It directs DHS to provide enhanced payments to these providers based on their quality ratings within the Grow NJ Kids system. The bill mandates DHS to seek necessary federal waivers to maintain funding for subsidized child care programs serving low-to-moderate income families. This directly affects registered family child care providers enrolled in Grow NJ Kids who serve subsidized families. The key mechanism is a tiered payment structure tied to quality ratings, replacing the previous reimbursement approach.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires nationwide consumer reporting agencies (like credit bureaus) to annually report to New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs the number of free consumer reports they provided to New Jersey residents in the previous year. Specifically, agencies must report how many residents received one free report and how many received two free reports. Agencies that fail to submit this report by March 1st each year face a $10,000 penalty. The law directly affects credit reporting companies operating nationwide that handle consumer credit data, ensuring transparency about free report distribution to New Jersey residents.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill criminalizes the creation, sale, or use of fake COVID-19 vaccination verification cards. It imposes penalties including up to 10 years in prison and $150,000 fines for selling or making fake cards (second-degree crime), up to 5 years and $15,000 for displaying them (third-degree), and up to 18 months and $10,000 for possessing them (fourth-degree). The Attorney General must establish a fraud prevention program within 30 days, using confidential data from the state's immunization system solely to investigate fake card cases. The program targets individuals and businesses involved in producing or distributing counterfeit cards to falsely claim vaccination status.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new eligibility category for subsidized child care services, allowing qualifying child care workers to receive assistance regardless of their household income. It specifically covers educators or staff employed at least 30 hours weekly by licensed child care centers or registered family child care providers who have children aged zero to five and are not already eligible for the state's child care program. The state Human Services Commissioner must establish a verification process for employment hours and secure federal waivers to maintain funding under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act. The bill also requires a report to the legislature within three years detailing how many workers qualified and received benefits, and whether the program improved recruitment and retention at child care facilities.