Asm. Reginald Atkins

Maddy summaryBill A3564 creates a program allowing family members or approved third parties to become certified homemaker-home health aides (CHHAs) for New Jersey residents aged 65+ who qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare (dual-eligible enrollees). Family members must complete required training (paid entirely by the home care agency) and provide services under a registered nurse's direction. The bill mandates that these services be reimbursed at a minimum rate of $30 per hour - higher than standard rates - to encourage participation and support care for elderly residents.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A513 would provide tuition-free classroom training for eligible apprentices in registered apprenticeship programs. It directly affects low-income individuals whose household income is below New Jersey's median (determined by U.S. Census data), who are enrolled in apprenticeships and meet specific criteria: their employer doesn't cover tuition, they've exhausted federal aid, and they maintain active apprenticeship employment with good academic standing. The bill requires public colleges and vocational schools to waive tuition for these courses, funded through existing state workforce development funds or Wagner-Peyser Act dollars. This policy change aims to reduce financial barriers for apprentices pursuing vocational training.

Maddy summaryAJR 118 designates the second week of November each year as "Urinary Incontinence Awareness Week" in New Jersey. The resolution aims to raise public awareness about urinary incontinence, a condition affecting over 26 million people in the U.S., particularly high-risk groups like women post-childbirth, seniors, and those with certain health conditions. It requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation encouraging public observance but does not create new laws or funding. This is a symbolic recognition measure with no direct policy changes or obligations.

Maddy summaryAJR 106 establishes a 15-member task force to address the underreported crisis of missing and murdered Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) women and girls in New Jersey. The task force, appointed by legislative leaders and the Governor with representation from impacted communities, will develop cultural competency training for first responders, create prevention materials for BIPOC communities, collect and analyze data on missing BIPOC women, identify abduction hotspots, and launch a public awareness campaign. It must submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within 18 months of its formation. The task force will use existing state agency resources and report on strategies to improve response systems and data collection for this specific population.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services, in collaboration with the Department of Health, to create a public awareness campaign about period poverty. The campaign must provide clear information on the definition, causes, and scale of period poverty (a lack of access to menstrual products, education, and sanitation) in New Jersey and the U.S., along with practical solutions. It mandates developing multilingual educational materials (including English and Spanish) and distributing them through state websites, health clinics, libraries, and community organizations. The departments must also report annually on campaign activities and results to the Governor and Legislature starting 24 months after the bill takes effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires owners of low-speed electric bicycles (max 20 mph) and low-speed electric scooters (max 19 mph) in New Jersey to register these vehicles with the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) and maintain liability insurance. Registration costs $8, expires after 11 months, and requires MVC approval of the vehicle type. Owners must carry minimum liability coverage of $35,000 per person for bodily injury, replacing prior exemptions that allowed operation without registration or insurance. The bill directly affects all residents who own or operate these devices on New Jersey roads and paths.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill clarifies that law enforcement officers may enforce helmet requirements for minors without conflicting with existing restrictions on officer actions regarding underage substance possession. It amends two statutes to explicitly permit officers to issue warnings or impose fines for juveniles under 17 failing to wear bicycle helmets (as required by current law) and for juveniles under 18 failing to wear helmets on motorized bicycles. The bill specifically states that prohibitions on police conduct related to alcohol or cannabis enforcement do not block helmet law enforcement. This affects all minors operating bicycles or motorized bikes in the state, ensuring consistent enforcement of helmet safety rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "Innovation Partnership" to support emerging technology businesses across New Jersey through regional focus areas (northern: financial technology/cybersecurity, central: healthcare/life sciences, southern: agriculture/aviation, shore: renewable energy/autonomous vehicles). It creates an Innovation Fund to provide grants to certified nonprofit organizations, requiring private sector matching of funds for each grant. The program prioritizes nonprofit partners with diverse leadership and locations in designated municipalities, while specifically targeting support for minority and women's emerging technology businesses. Partners must report annually on their activities to the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a three-year pilot program in New Jersey's six highest-crime municipalities (based on state police data) to fund non-profit organizations for outreach about the Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO). The program provides grants to non-profits to inform crime victims about compensation services they may qualify for through VCCO. The Department of Law and Public Safety will administer applications and require a post-pilot report to the Governor and Legislature, recommending whether to continue, expand, or make the program permanent. The direct beneficiaries are crime victims in these six urban areas seeking financial assistance for crime-related expenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Medicaid program to cover social adult day care services for seniors aged 60+ who meet the same clinical, income, and asset criteria used for the state's Medicaid long-term care program. It expands current coverage, which only applies to those enrolled in the state's managed long-term care program, to all eligible seniors regardless of program enrollment. The bill mandates the state health department to seek federal Medicaid waivers to secure funding and implement the change, though the law cannot take effect until federal approval is obtained. This would provide community-based daytime support for seniors with functional impairments when their caregivers are unavailable, currently only available to a limited subset of Medicaid recipients.