Asm. Annette Quijano

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a two-year Sports Equipment Equity Pilot Program administered by New Jersey's Commissioner of Education. It awards grants to six selected school districts to provide students with sports equipment and resources for school athletic programs, prioritizing geographic and demographic diversity (southern/central/northern regions, urban/suburban/rural). School districts must apply with evidence of need and current equipment quality, and must submit post-program reports detailing student participation and program effectiveness. The program's success will determine if it continues or expands statewide.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the deadline for implementing fire sprinkler systems in new townhouses from 7 to 25 months after the original law's enactment. It requires construction permit applications for new townhouses (defined as attached single-family homes with yard/public access on two sides) to include sprinkler system plans before being approved, unless the project had certain pre-existing approvals. Key exemptions include developments with prior municipal zoning approvals, affordable housing agreements, or building permits submitted before the new deadline. The bill also delays the timeline for the state to adopt sprinkler design rules from 5 to 13 months after this bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryAJR 125 designates October 11 of each year as "Perimenopause Day" in New Jersey. The bill aims to raise awareness about perimenopause - a natural transition period before menopause involving symptoms like irregular periods, hot flashes, and mood changes - and combat stigma around it. It directs the Governor to issue an annual proclamation encouraging public observance of the day through educational activities. This is a ceremonial resolution with no new laws, regulations, or funding, aligning with the existing global observance on October 11.

Maddy summaryThis bill ensures children in New Jersey's NJ FamilyCare program (ages 21 and under) who transition from the child health program (EPSDT) to the long-term care program (MLTSS) automatically retain their previous weekly private duty nursing hours. It requires managed care organizations to continue nursing coverage during appeals of reduced services and extends the appeal filing window from 10 to 30 days. The bill also directs the state to review past transitions to identify beneficiaries eligible for increased nursing hours and removes the current 16-hour weekly cap on these services under MLTSS. These changes aim to prevent coverage gaps during program transitions and strengthen appeal rights for families relying on personal nursing care.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all ballot scanning machines used in New Jersey to include a privacy screen, shield, or curtain, ensuring voters' ballot choices remain private when inserting their ballots. It also mandates that polling places provide privacy screens, shields, or curtains in voting booths to maintain secrecy while voters prepare their ballots. The law amends existing election statutes (R.S.19:8-7, R.S.19:15-26, and R.S.19:53A-6) to enforce these physical privacy measures at all in-person voting locations using scanning machines. This directly affects voters in counties like Essex, Warren, Middlesex, Union, Gloucester, and Salem, where paper ballots are scanned, but not counties using fully electronic voting systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey employers to provide specific accommodations for employees who are breastfeeding their infants. It mandates employers to offer reasonable break time during work hours (paid at the employee's regular rate), job restructuring, and modified work schedules for breastfeeding needs. Employers must also provide a private, non-restroom space for expressing breast milk, free from intrusion by other employees or customers. These accommodations must be provided for as long as the employee desires, and employers cannot penalize employees for requesting or using these accommodations. The bill clarifies these protections as part of New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public school districts to cover Advanced Placement (AP) exam fees for high school students from households earning at or below 3.70 times the federal poverty level (approximately $87,135 for a family of four in 2024). Specifically, districts must pay fees for students at or below 1.85x poverty level (up to $43,567.50 for a family of four), and for those between 1.85x and 3.70x poverty level. The state will reimburse districts for these costs, with district payments not exceeding current fees. The law takes effect for the 2024-2025 school year.

Maddy summaryThis bill would exempt sales of books at school book fairs from New Jersey's sales and use tax. It directly affects elementary and secondary schools holding book fairs, as well as vendors selling books at these events. The exemption applies only to book fairs held at schools where books are sold exclusively to students and their parents or guardians. The bill defines "school book fair" to ensure the exemption covers only school-organized events meeting these specific criteria. The tax exemption would take effect four months after the bill is signed into law.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey Assembly Resolution (AR 101) urges President Biden to use executive authority to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt per eligible borrower. It directly addresses the 43 million Americans holding approximately $1.6 trillion in federal student loans, with particular focus on borrowers disproportionately impacted by debt burdens (including women, minorities, and low-income households). The resolution cites Section 432(a) of the Higher Education Act as the legal basis for administrative debt cancellation, referencing prior pandemic-era relief under this authority. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new law but formally requests the President take action.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare programs to cover specific nutrition services for enrollees with certain diet-related health conditions. It mandates coverage for up to 10 ready-to-eat meals per week for conditions like heart failure, type 2 diabetes, COPD, or kidney disease; enough grocery items for 14 meals per week for type 2 diabetes or obesity; $25+ weekly food vouchers for pre-diabetes, overweight, or high blood pressure; and medical nutrition counseling for diabetes or kidney disease. All services must be prescribed by a healthcare provider and designed by a dietitian or nutritionist as part of a treatment plan, with the state seeking federal approval to implement these changes.