Asm. Annette Quijano

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1940) requires law enforcement officers to provide domestic violence victims with information about their rights in English, Spanish, and up to 10 additional high-demand languages spoken in New Jersey, as identified in the Supreme Court-approved Language Access Plan. It also mandates the Administrative Office of the Courts to create standard templates for temporary and final restraining orders in these languages for use by law enforcement, municipal courts, and Superior Court judges. These templates would be provided to both victims and defendants when restraining orders are issued. The bill aims to improve language access for non-English speaking domestic violence victims seeking legal protections across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill caps hospital charges for laboratory services at 150% of the federal Medicare payment rate for most patients in New Jersey. It directly affects patients receiving lab services at licensed hospitals, prohibiting charges above this threshold - except for the existing 115% cap under P.L.2008, c.60, which still applies to uninsured patients with family income under 500% of the federal poverty level. The key provision requires hospitals to charge no more than 150% of Medicare’s rate for all lab services, aligning with existing rules for low-income uninsured patients but expanding the cap to all others. The bill takes immediate effect and applies to all licensed hospitals in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes estate executors or administrators to legally access, manage, or delete online accounts (such as social media, email, or microblogging services) belonging to a deceased person. It directly affects families and estate administrators who previously faced obstacles in handling digital assets after a death. The law clarifies that executors may take necessary steps - including seeking court orders - to control these accounts, aligning with similar laws in Oklahoma and other states. The bill takes immediate effect and aims to resolve practical challenges in managing digital legacies.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases accidental death benefits for surviving spouses and children of law enforcement officers, correction officers, and firefighters in New Jersey's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) who were ineligible for membership in the Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS). It raises the benefit rate from 50% to 70% of the deceased member's compensation for surviving spouses, and to 70% for children when there's no surviving spouse. The bill also redefines "child" to include children 18 or older enrolled in secondary school, or under 24 enrolled in college (taking at least 12 credit hours per semester). These changes apply to benefits initially granted on or after September 11, 2001, with retroactive payments for eligible beneficiaries.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires sellers of single-family homes with installed solar panels to disclose specific information to buyers. Sellers must provide the name and contact details of both the solar panel installer and the company owning or leasing the panels (if different), plus clear terms about whether lease or power purchase agreement rights are being transferred to the new owner. If false claims are made about this information, sellers face liability for $1,000 or actual damages plus legal fees. The law directly affects home sellers in New Jersey with solar installations and aims to ensure transparency during real estate transactions.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to include taxpayers who use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) instead of Social Security Numbers. Currently, the state credit mirrors federal eligibility rules, which require a Social Security Number and exclude ITIN holders. The bill amends the law to allow ITIN users to qualify if they meet the federal EITC's income and filing requirements. This change would make the tax credit accessible to more low-income workers, including some immigrant families who previously could not claim the benefit.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows individuals who previously participated in diversion programs for certain marijuana offenses to participate again if their first participation was for an offense that was later decriminalized. It amends New Jersey's laws on conditional discharge, supervisory treatment (Pretrial Intervention), conditional dismissal, and Veterans Diversion Program to remove the restriction that limited participation to one time per person for marijuana-related offenses. The bill is retroactive to February 22, 2021, the effective date of New Jersey's 2021 marijuana decriminalization law, and applies to cases involving offenses like possession of marijuana or hashish that became non-criminal under that law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) agencies to remain open during public health emergencies and ensures the state funds one HPP agency in each populous county (defined as a county with 350,000 or more residents per the latest federal census). The Department of Community Affairs must provide ongoing funding for these agencies, and if federal pandemic-related funds become unavailable, the agency may request state funding from the General Fund. This applies specifically to counties meeting the population threshold, guaranteeing continuous homelessness prevention services during emergencies.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a three-year pilot program to improve sickle cell disease care in New Jersey, appropriating $10.2 million from the General Fund. The Department of Health will competitively select federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), prioritizing those in Jersey City, Newark, Paterson, Plainfield, Trenton, Camden, and other high-need areas, to develop comprehensive treatment programs. The program requires participating centers to provide coordinated care (including telehealth where permitted), build specialized medical workforce capacity, conduct outreach, promote awareness, and collect state-wide data on sickle cell disease incidence and healthcare use. Funds must be used for these purposes during the three-year pilot, with unspent funds reverting to the General Fund after expiration.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires businesses receiving financial assistance from New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA) to stop paying employees differently based on gender for substantially similar work. The EDA must adopt rules prohibiting gender-based pay discrimination and require these businesses to submit written documentation verifying compliance. The bill defines gender discrimination as paying employees of one sex less than the rate paid to employees of the other sex for work requiring comparable skill, effort, and responsibility. It applies to all businesses receiving EDA assistance - including loans, grants, tax credits, and other financial support - covering corporations, partnerships, and non-profits.