Asm. Annette Quijano

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires the Department of Education to study student caregivers in high schools. The study will examine challenges faced by students caring for family members at home, absenteeism rates among these students, and how caregiving impacts graduation rates and college enrollment. Within one year, the Education Commissioner must submit a report with findings and any recommendations for potential support programs. The bill directly affects high school students in public and nonpublic schools who serve as primary caregivers.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes rules for when New Jersey state and local agencies contract with private companies to replace public employees providing services (e.g., sanitation, maintenance). It requires agencies to use competitive bidding for contracts over $500,000 (local) or $1 million (state), prove substantial cost savings, and ensure services maintain current quality and pricing. Key provisions include mandating public disclosure of bid details, requiring contractors to match public employee wages/benefits, and demanding quarterly public reports on service quality and costs. Contracts must not increase fees for the public or reduce service standards, and agencies must retain the ability to reclaim services if needed. Exclusions cover emergency contracts, IT services, and certain rehabilitation programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's "Daniel's Law" (P.L.2021, c.371) to add licensed land surveyors to the list of professionals who may access unredacted property addresses for their work. It directly affects licensed land surveyors and surveying businesses, allowing them to request full addresses from public records when conducting surveys in their ordinary course of business. The key provision removes redaction requirements for addresses in property records when requested by these surveyors, ensuring they have necessary information for their services. This change aligns surveyors with other exempted professionals like title companies and real estate brokers under the existing law.

Maddy summaryThis bill, now law as P.L.2025, c.272, provides employment protections for New Jersey paid first responders (including police, firefighters, EMTs, and 9-1-1 dispatchers) diagnosed with work-related PTSD. It prohibits employers from firing, harassing, or discriminating against employees who take leave for qualifying PTSD treatment, requiring reinstatement to their previous position after documented recovery. Employers violating these protections face civil fines ($5,000 for first violation, $10,000 for subsequent), court-ordered reinstatement, lost wages, and attorney fees. The law applies only when PTSD arises from on-the-job trauma or vicarious trauma experienced during official duties.

Maddy summaryAJR 115 is a symbolic resolution (not a law) passed by New Jersey's legislature to formally condemn all hate, bias, and hate crimes. It specifically rejects hatred based on race, religion, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics, urging the state to continue existing efforts to support victims and prevent such crimes. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but reaffirms New Jersey's commitment to combating hate through current initiatives like the Bias Crime Unit and victim support programs. It directly affects all New Jersey residents by expressing the state's official stance against hate crimes and promoting inclusivity.

Maddy summaryThis bill restructures the governance of New Jersey's State Health Benefits Program (SHBP), which provides health coverage to state employees. It creates a new 11-member State Health Benefits Commission (replacing the previous structure) and a separate 12-member Plan Design Committee. The Commission includes the Treasurer, agency heads, and members appointed by labor unions representing state employees, while the Plan Design Committee focuses specifically on designing health plan benefits like medical, dental, and prescription coverage. These changes affect all state employees enrolled in the SHBP by altering who oversees their health plan offerings and administration. The bill does not change the actual benefits provided, only the decision-making bodies managing the program.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act (A-1400), prohibits state and local government agencies - including law enforcement, schools, and hospitals - from cooperating with federal immigration authorities on immigration detainer requests that lack judicial warrants. It directly affects immigrants and their families by ensuring they can access public services like healthcare and education without fear of deportation. Key provisions ban agencies from holding individuals beyond their release date based on federal immigration detainers (like I-247 forms) and require them to prioritize local safety over federal immigration enforcement. The law aims to prevent unconstitutional detentions and maintain community trust in public services, as federal detainers have been found to violate constitutional rights in multiple courts.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's law governing employment programs for people with disabilities, renaming it the "Extended Employment Act" and updating terminology (e.g., replacing "sheltered workshop" with "extended employment"). It directly affects individuals with significant disabilities who choose these programs, as well as nonprofit providers offering vocational services. Key provisions include defining "extended employment" as community-based work opportunities with flexible service models (like retail or restaurants), requiring nonprofit providers to be nationally accredited, and tying state funding to inflation (CPI-W) rather than fixed amounts. The law also expands program goals to include competitive integrated employment and requires providers to submit annual expense analyses for funding adjustments.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases accidental death benefits for firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, hazardous materials responders, and fire instructors in New Jersey's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). It raises the surviving spouse's pension from 50% to 70% of the member's final salary-based compensation (or $50,000, whichever is greater), and expands child benefits to 70% if no spouse survives. The bill also adds retroactive health insurance coverage for surviving spouses and children through employer-sponsored plans, and requires lump-sum payments for the difference between old and new benefits dating back to January 1, 2021. These changes align PERS accidental death benefits with those provided under the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow New Jersey taxpayers to deduct union dues paid to labor organizations from their state gross income tax. It directly affects workers who pay dues to labor organizations (defined as groups addressing workplace issues like wages or conditions). To claim the deduction, taxpayers must provide verification of dues paid to the state tax division. The bill is currently pending in the Assembly Labor Committee and would apply to tax years starting after its enactment.