Asm. Reginald Atkins

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires health care providers to order a bilateral ultrasound at the same time as a mammogram when a woman has specific breast cancer risk factors, such as family history, dense breast tissue, or other medical indications. It also mandates that all health insurers cover both the mammogram and the concurrent ultrasound without additional out-of-pocket costs for patients. The law applies to all health insurance plans in New Jersey, including commercial, individual, group, and state health benefit plans. The requirement triggers when a health care provider determines a patient has additional risk factors for breast cancer, as defined in the bill. This policy aims to improve early breast cancer detection by ensuring comprehensive screening for at-risk patients.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Office of Professional Corporate Guardians within the Department of Human Services to regulate business entities that serve as guardians for incapacitated or disabled individuals. The office will set licensing requirements, including background checks for owners, insurance coverage, minimum staffing standards, and disciplinary measures for non-compliance. It will maintain a public database of registered guardians and oversee the quality of services provided to vulnerable adults who need guardianship. This affects professional corporate guardians (business entities providing guardianship services) and the incapacitated individuals they serve, creating a standardized oversight system for this type of guardianship.

Maddy summaryBill A4372 allows educational research and services corporations to contract for any goods or services - including educational technology, consulting, staffing, and related support - on behalf of member institutions like public colleges, school districts, and municipalities. The bill exempts these contracts from public bidding requirements under New Jersey law, including the County College and State College Contracts Laws. It broadens the scope of agreements these corporations can enter into and classifies them as "shared services agreements," streamlining procurement without standard public bidding processes.

Maddy summaryS 3132 requires secondhand dealers of cell phones and wireless devices to document each transaction with the device’s ID number (MEID/IMEI/ESN) and verify seller identity. Dealers must collect two forms of ID (including one photo ID), confirm the seller is the lawful owner, and record details if photo ID is unavailable. The bill prohibits dealers from selling devices with altered identifiers or knowingly purchasing devices from sellers providing false information. Violations incur civil penalties of $250-$1,000 per offense, collected by the Division of Consumer Affairs. This applies to dealers purchasing used phones, excluding carriers and their authorized retailers.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5421) requires New Jersey's Division of Taxation to create and maintain a free, online training program specifically for small and micro-businesses. The program will teach how to file and pay state taxes, including corporation business tax, gross income tax, and sales tax. It must be updated as tax laws change and made available on the Division's website. The bill directly affects small and micro-business owners who need guidance on New Jersey tax filing processes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires large social media platforms (with 5 million+ global users) to cooperate with designated nonprofits in removing nonconsensual intimate images or videos - including AI-generated deceptive media - from their platforms. It directly affects victims of "revenge porn" (including minors), social media companies, and nonprofits like StopNCII.org working to remove such content. Key provisions mandate platforms to establish procedures for nonprofits to flag content, immediately remove flagged material pending review, and determine if images/videos were consensual. Violations carry civil penalties of up to $20,000 per offense. The law aims to address gaps in voluntary cooperation while defining nonconsensual content broadly to cover minors and AI-generated media.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A4521 (A4521) creates a role for county pretrial release coordinators to connect eligible defendants with voluntary services during pretrial release. It directly affects defendants charged with indictable offenses or disorderly persons offenses who are released before trial. Coordinators must help defendants access substance use treatment, SNAP/Medicaid benefits, housing assistance, job training through One-Stop Career Centers, and other needed services - without requiring participation. The bill also mandates data collection on service uptake and outcomes, annual stakeholder meetings to improve services, and annual state funding for implementation.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey law to extend the cancellation period for home improvement contracts from three to five business days for consumers aged 65 or older. It requires contractors to include a clear, conspicuous notice in contracts detailing the five-day window for seniors (and the existing three-day window for all consumers) and the written cancellation process (via registered mail or in-person delivery). If canceled within the timeframe, contractors must refund all payments within 30 days and cancel related credit agreements without penalty. The change specifically aims to provide additional time for senior citizens to review contracts, reflecting their potential need for more consideration.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4577) requires all New Jersey state departments, agencies, and the Office of Information Technology (OIT) to submit annual reports detailing plans to improve digital services for the public and enhance remote work capabilities for employees. Departments must outline strategies like user research for cohesive online/mobile/in-person service experiences and upgrading hardware/software for remote work. The OIT must also provide annual reports with specific recommendations, including transitioning to cloud services, integrating data into a single portal, ensuring secure access, and moving remote work tools to web portals instead of Virtual Private Networks. The goal is to improve government efficiency and maintain operations during emergencies.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a "Summer Termination Program" that prevents utility companies (including local authorities, municipal utilities, rural electric cooperatives, and public utilities) from disconnecting electricity, water, or sewer service to eligible residential customers during extreme heat. It triggers when a 72-hour forecast predicts temperatures reaching or exceeding 85°F for at least 24 hours. Eligible customers include those receiving assistance under the existing Winter Termination Program or those unable to pay bills due to hardships like unemployment, illness, or family emergencies. The program requires the Department of Community Affairs and the Board of Public Utilities to establish self-certification processes for customers to claim financial hardship.