Asm. Annette Quijano

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey to issue special license plates for registered nurses, featuring the caduceus symbol and the words "Registered Nurse." It requires a $50 one-time application fee and a $10 annual renewal fee on top of standard vehicle registration costs. The Motor Vehicle Commission must monitor plate production costs, and if expenses exceed the $50 fee for two consecutive years, the program may be discontinued. Implementation depends on state budget approval for initial costs, with the program becoming active 13 months after funding is secured.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey taxpayers to voluntarily contribute a portion of their tax refund or make an additional payment when filing their state income tax return to support United Way of New Jersey. It establishes a special "United Way of New Jersey Fund" within the Department of the Treasury to collect these contributions, with administrative costs deducted before deposits. The Legislature must annually appropriate all funds in the special fund, distributing them equally to all United Way chapters across the state for their programs. The bill does not require contributions, only provides an option for taxpayers to support United Way through their tax filing process.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires board members of New Jersey homeowners' associations, condominiums, and cooperative communities (collectively called "planned real estate development associations") to complete a mandatory 3-hour training program within 180 days of starting their term. The training, established by the Commissioner of Community Affairs, covers essential topics like budgeting, legal requirements, record keeping, and state resources to help board members perform their duties effectively. Board members who fail to complete the training may be removed from their position. The requirement applies only to the first term beginning after the bill takes effect.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey bill A2564 requires all teaching certification candidates - both new graduates from approved educator programs and out-of-state teachers - to complete youth mental health education training by the 2027-2028 school year. This includes either a course or a state-developed online module covering youth mental health risks, creating safe classroom environments, and cultural competence. Approved educator programs must update their curricula to include this requirement and submit revisions to the Department of Education. Candidates with comparable training completed within the past five years may apply for an exemption. The bill applies directly to educators seeking or holding teaching certifications in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows individuals previously enrolled in New Jersey's diversion programs for specific marijuana offenses to participate again under certain conditions. It directly affects people charged with marijuana-related disorderly persons offenses who have prior participation in programs for similar past offenses (like possession, use, or paraphernalia violations involving marijuana). The key change amends the law to remove automatic disqualification for repeat participation when the prior program involved marijuana offenses specifically, rather than all drug offenses. This clarifies that prior participation in marijuana-focused diversion programs does not prevent future eligibility for similar programs under the same circumstances.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's State and private correctional facilities to allow inmates to make telephone and video calls at no cost to either the inmate or the recipient. It amends existing law to eliminate all charges, including per-minute fees, surcharges, or account maintenance costs, while still requiring facilities to contract with phone service providers following state procurement rules. The bill specifically prohibits facilities from accepting commissions or imposing additional fees beyond the provider's base rate, ensuring calls remain free for both parties. It applies to all State and private facilities (county facilities are addressed separately in the current law) and includes provisions for international calls at no charge for inmates in these facilities. The policy change directly affects incarcerated individuals and their families by removing financial barriers to communication.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new retirement plan within New Jersey's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) specifically for emergency medical services (EMS) workers, including paramedics, EMTs, emergency medical supervisors, and other certified personnel who provide life support services. It requires these employees to join the "EMS Part" of PERS, pay a 10% salary contribution, and receive enhanced retirement benefits: 50% of their final salary for 20+ years of service, or a special option of 65% of final salary plus additional payments for 25+ years of service. Existing retirement credits will transfer to the new plan without extra cost to employees, and the bill also provides death benefits to beneficiaries equal to half the employee's final salary. The bill directly affects all eligible EMS employees in New Jersey state, county, and municipal roles.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires courts to mandate domestic violence counseling for offenders convicted of domestic violence crimes or placed on probation/sentence suspension for such offenses. It applies directly to defendants found guilty of domestic violence, replacing the previous discretionary court option with a mandatory requirement. The law specifies that counseling must be provided by experts in domestic violence and requires defendants to submit proof of attendance. Additionally, completing this counseling becomes a condition for dissolving restraining orders.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 3117) requires all health insurance plans sold in the state - including hospital service contracts, medical service plans, individual policies, group plans, and health maintenance organizations - to cover BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic testing at no additional cost to the patient. It directly affects individuals seeking testing for these breast cancer-related genes, as well as all health insurers operating in New Jersey. The law mandates coverage "to the same extent as for any other medical condition," meaning patients won’t face extra out-of-pocket costs for this specific testing. It applies to all plans issued or renewed in New Jersey after the bill’s effective date.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's bill A-1324 requires social media companies with at least 5 million global users to implement specific safety measures for minors under 18. Key provisions include developing algorithms to detect inappropriate adult-minor interactions, real-time monitoring for abuse with automatic reporting to authorities, and blocking minor accounts from appearing in search results unless the searcher is a pre-approved contact. The bill also mandates geo-fencing to restrict minors' access to inappropriate content, verification processes for accounts using minors' names/likeliness in over 25% of paid promotional posts (requiring parental ID), and public banners identifying verified adult accounts. Enforcement falls to the Division of Consumer Affairs, with fines up to $2,500 per violation for noncompliance.