Asm. Annette Quijano

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a central registry for newborns diagnosed with sickle cell trait in New Jersey, requiring laboratories to report positive screening results to the registry and notify the child's physician. Physicians must then provide parents with information about genetic counseling, including risks of passing the trait to future children and potential health complications. The registry will enable the Department of Health to send targeted follow-up notifications to parents during early adolescence (about athletic risks) and later adolescence (about reproductive implications), and to 18-year-olds about available resources. All registry data is kept confidential, with strict penalties for unauthorized disclosure, including fines or up to six months in jail per violation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey State correctional facilities to install air conditioning systems. Existing facilities must retrofit with AC within three years of the bill's effective date, and new facilities must include AC during construction. The air conditioning must maintain a heat index (how hot it feels, combining temperature and humidity) below 85 degrees. Facilities must also record and publicly report daily maximum indoor temperatures in annual department reports.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a five-year WATER Pilot Program within New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development to support new apprenticeship programs in water infrastructure, utilities, and related sectors. It appropriates $1 million to fund grants for eligible organizations (including businesses, colleges, nonprofits, and public utilities) that partner with industry to create accredited apprenticeships, with priority given to programs serving underserved communities. Grant recipients must demonstrate workforce needs, recruitment plans, and how funds will be used, while annual reports will track participant enrollment, completion, and job placement outcomes. The program requires coordination with New Jersey's existing workforce development initiatives and mandates annual evaluations of its effectiveness by the Department of Labor.

Maddy summaryThe New Jersey Ticket Consumer Choice Act requires ticket issuers (like venues, promoters, and teams) to offer consumers the option to purchase transferable tickets at the time of initial sale, allowing reselling or gifting without restrictions or requiring use of a specific platform. Exceptions permit non-transferable tickets for targeted promotions (e.g., group discounts for disability organizations) if clearly marked and not sold to the general public. The bill prohibits penalties or discrimination against ticket holders who resell tickets or use particular resale platforms and removes existing statutory caps on ticket resale prices. This law applies immediately to all ticket sales in New Jersey, affecting both consumers and event operators.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey retailers and service providers from using paper receipts containing bisphenol-A (BPA) or bisphenol-S (BPS) starting upon the bill's effective date, and bans all paper receipts 13 months later. It requires businesses to offer electronic receipts via email or text instead, with violations subject to $250-$500 civil penalties. The bill targets health and environmental concerns: 93% of paper receipts contain these toxic chemicals linked to reproductive issues and cancer, while receipt production consumes 3 million trees and 5 billion pounds of CO2 annually (equivalent to 400,000 cars). The law aims to eliminate exposure risks for consumers and workers while reducing environmental harm from paper waste.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a $10 million grant program to help New Jersey municipalities create free or low-cost recreational sports and STEM programs for children. Municipalities must apply for the grant, provide a matching dollar amount, and detail their plans for age-appropriate activities like robot-building, 3D printing, and Lego programs. Participating municipalities must report on program usage, impact, and expenditures within one year, with reports made publicly available. The bill prohibits charging participation fees for these programs but allows limited fees for premium services like field lighting or scoreboard use.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A1584) requires dealers or lessors to terminate a private motor vehicle lease immediately upon the lessee's death if the vehicle was registered in New Jersey. It prohibits charging any fee for this early termination (though reasonable fees for excessive wear/mileage specified in the lease may still apply). The bill also prevents leases from forcing surviving family members, guardians, or estate representatives to buy the vehicle, continue the lease, or pay for remaining terms. Dealers must include written notice of this termination right in lease agreements, with a $500 penalty for failing to do so. The law applies to leases signed after enactment and excludes commercial vehicles and surviving co-lessees who signed the lease.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurers in New Jersey to cover insulin without deductibles and limits patient copayments or coinsurance for insulin to $50 per 30-day supply. It applies to all health insurance plans covering diabetes treatment, including individual, group, and employer-sponsored plans. The bill also mandates insulin manufacturers to submit annual reports to the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance detailing pricing, sales, and research costs. These provisions aim to reduce financial barriers to insulin access for New Jersey residents with diabetes.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a program through New Jersey's Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to reduce student loan debt for bilingual and English as a second language (ESL) teachers. Eligible teachers working at public schools where at least 10% of students are enrolled in bilingual/ESL programs can have up to $20,000 of their student loan debt reduced over four years - 25% per year (capped at $5,000 annually). Priority is given to teachers at "low performing" schools (defined by student assessment data), and teachers aren’t required to stay at the same school for the full four years. The program requires teachers to be New Jersey residents and execute a contract with the Authority, with options to cancel the contract under specific circumstances like disability or death.

Maddy summaryThe Food Desert Elimination Act provides tax incentives to supermarkets and grocery stores that open their first location in designated food desert communities across New Jersey. It offers a tax credit equal to the property taxes paid by the store for the first four years (initial opening plus three subsequent years) to businesses establishing the first supermarket or grocery store in a designated food desert area. The bill also creates a special permit allowing these stores to sell alcohol for off-premises consumption, with different rules than standard liquor licenses. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority will designate up to 75 food desert communities based on criteria including poverty rates and access to healthy food. This program aims to increase access to fresh produce and nutritious food for residents in underserved communities.