Asm. Reginald Atkins

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an independent Office of the Child Advocate within New Jersey's government to protect children at risk of abuse or neglect. The Child Advocate, appointed by the Governor, will monitor how state agencies and private entities provide child welfare services, investigate complaints, and ensure children in state custody receive appropriate care. The office will have the authority to review facilities like juvenile detention centers and group homes, require agencies to develop corrective action plans for systemic issues, and maintain a 24-hour hotline for public concerns. The Child Advocate will report annually to the Governor, Attorney General, and Legislature on findings and recommendations for improving child welfare services.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A2385) clarifies factors courts must consider when determining pretrial detention or revoking release conditions. It requires courts to weigh offense nature, defendant history (excluding certain marijuana-related offenses), community ties, and pretrial services recommendations. For violations of release conditions, the bill mandates minimum detention periods (30 days for first violation, increasing to 120 days for third, and until final disposition for fourth violations). The bill also specifies that pretrial services must use a risk assessment tool excluding certain marijuana offenses and cannot be discriminatory, and requires annual reporting on whether courts followed pretrial services recommendations.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a guardianship monitoring program within New Jersey's Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults. It requires court-appointed guardians of elderly adults to submit regular reports on their wards' well-being and finances, which the Office must review for signs of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. If issues are identified during review, the Office can intervene to protect the elderly adult. The bill designates the Office as an "interested party" that must receive all required guardian reports directly.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public school districts to provide written informational materials to all students in grades K-12 about the U.S. citizenship process. The materials must cover applying for citizenship, preparing for tests, and local citizenship workshops, and must be available in English, Spanish, and any other language significant to the district's student population. School districts must also host two annual parent sessions (in-person or virtual) explaining citizenship steps. The New Jersey Department of Education will develop guidelines to help districts identify resources. The law applies to all public school districts starting the first full school year after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Interagency Council on Homelessness within New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs to replace the existing Homelessness Prevention Task Force. The council, composed of 24 members including state agency leaders and public representatives (with at least two members who have experienced homelessness and two with housing expertise), will advise the Office of Homelessness Prevention and develop recommendations for coordinating services, identifying funding, and creating permanent housing solutions. It must produce an annual report for the Governor and Legislature detailing its findings and proposals. The council directly affects state agencies, homeless service providers, advocacy groups, and people experiencing or at risk of homelessness through its collaborative policy development process.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public school districts to maintain restrooms in working order and meet specific daily standards. It directly affects every public school serving students aged 5-20, mandating that restrooms must have functioning toilets/sinks, stocked toilet paper, operable stall doors, working hand dryers or paper towel dispensers, emptied trash bins, and maintained menstrual product disposal units. School districts must clean and sanitize restrooms daily and update or renovate facilities as needed. The law amends existing requirements for school facilities to explicitly include these restroom standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public school districts, charter schools, and special education programs to follow strict procedures when removing a student for a mental health clearance. It limits removals to true emergencies where a student poses immediate physical danger to self or others, mandates written documentation and parent notification within 48 hours, and requires schools to provide free mental health assessments (except when parents choose outside clinicians). Schools must also provide alternative instruction during removals, update student plans upon return (like IEPs or 504 plans), and post policies online. The bill directs the state to collect and publish annual data on removals, disaggregated by student characteristics, to track usage and outcomes.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows health care professionals, patients, and their employers to sue if someone files or uses lawsuits to stop reproductive health care services provided in New Jersey. It targets "abusive litigation," such as lawsuits filed in other states to punish providers for services given to patients in New Jersey (even if the patient was elsewhere), or efforts to enforce out-of-state rulings against these services. Affected parties can seek court orders, money damages, or other relief within three years of the harmful legal action. The law specifically protects services like abortion, contraception, and pregnancy care covered under existing New Jersey laws (P.L.2021, c.375 and P.L.2022, c.51).

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 17-member "Police Body Camera Implementation Task Force" to study and make recommendations about body camera use by law enforcement in New Jersey. The task force includes diverse stakeholders like law enforcement leaders, public defenders, civil rights advocates, and municipal representatives, with the Attorney General serving as chair. It will examine implementation requirements, best practices for camera use, and rules for accessing body camera recordings. The task force must submit its final report to the Governor and Legislature by December 30, 2021.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's requirements for professional guardians who care for incapacitated adults. It expands the list of disqualifying acts that could prevent someone from becoming a professional guardian or lead to suspension/revocation of their registration, including self-dealing where guardians act in their own interest rather than the ward's. The bill establishes a civil penalty of $5,000-$10,000 for those whose registration is suspended or revoked. Additionally, it adds an explicit duty for guardians to avoid abuse, neglect, or exploitation and to act in the ward's best interests at all times. This affects professional guardians and the incapacitated adults they serve in New Jersey.