Asm. Michele Matsikoudis

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A4184 establishes a program within veterans' memorial homes to provide direct support to families of residents. The program, administered by resident advocates at each home, offers families information on health updates, benefits, financial assistance, counseling services, and community resources upon request. It requires the program to be promoted to families and the public, with eligibility limited to spouses, domestic partners, civil union partners, or children (by blood, half-blood, or adoption) who are New Jersey residents. The program must be implemented within 90 days of the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryBill A4104 requires New Jersey schools to immediately notify parents when seclusion techniques are used on students with disabilities (with a written report within 48 hours) and mandates the Department of Education to collect and publicly report annual data on restraint/seclusion incidents, psychiatric clearance exclusions, and demographic details (by race, gender, age, and county). It directly affects students with disabilities, their families, school districts, and the Department of Education. Key provisions include strict limits on seclusion use (only in emergencies), documentation requirements for behavior plans, and data collection on exclusion practices requiring psychiatric evaluations. The bill aims to increase transparency around school discipline practices without specifying expected outcomes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4114) requires New Jersey’s Department of Education to define behavior modification costs as allowable instructional expenses for approved private schools serving students with disabilities. These schools use behavior modification as part of individualized education plans (IEPs) for students with disabilities like autism or emotional disabilities. By including these costs in tuition rate calculations, the policy ensures schools can cover necessary behavioral services without increasing tuition fees. The change directly affects approved private schools and their funding structure for disability-related instruction.

Maddy summaryACR 130 proposes a constitutional amendment requiring New Jersey's Legislature to hold four annual meetings - once per quarter - solely to vote on bills certified as providing property tax relief. These certified bills must lower property taxes without increasing revenue, and must address specific areas like pension reform, education funding, or local government spending. The amendment mandates that if a bill passes one legislative house, the other house must vote on it within 60 days, with the final meeting required at least 70 days before the legislative term ends. It does not require voting on all property tax bills or block consideration outside these quarterly sessions. The Legislature would designate a body to certify qualifying bills, ensuring they meet defined relief criteria.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey municipalities to earn extra credits toward their affordable housing requirements by reserving units for teachers. Specifically, for each low- or moderate-income housing unit reserved for a household with at least one teacher employed in preschool through grade 12 (public or private school), a municipality receives one standard credit plus a 1.5 bonus credit. The policy directly benefits teachers and their families in qualifying housing, defined as households where at least one member works as a K-12 educator. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 19-member task force to study how New Jersey funds and oversees private schools serving students with disabilities. The task force - including parents, school representatives, and state officials - will examine tuition-setting, funding, financial accountability, and costs compared to public school programs. It will also review student outcomes and operational practices like hiring and transportation. The task force must submit a final report with recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within one year.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's bill A4115 would join the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact, allowing licensed professionals from other participating states to practice in New Jersey without obtaining a separate New Jersey license. This mutual recognition system enables audiologists and speech-language pathologists to provide services across state lines - including via telehealth - while maintaining state regulatory authority over practice standards. The bill directly affects licensed practitioners seeking to work in multiple states and patients who gain easier access to these services, particularly benefiting military families relocating between member states.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "New Jersey Farm to Public Institution of Higher Education Program" within the Department of Agriculture. It requires public colleges and universities (like Rutgers and state colleges) to adopt new procurement practices, including creating price preferences for locally grown food, improving kitchen facilities to use fresh produce daily, and using a public directory to connect schools directly with New Jersey farmers. The program also mandates a dedicated website to share purchasing agreements and promote local food networks. This directly affects public institutions of higher education, New Jersey farmers, and students by increasing local food access in campus meal programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 4106) requires New Jersey's Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to create a Disabled Veterans Transportation Task Force. The task force, composed of DMVA leadership, transportation officials, disabled veterans, veterans' organization representatives, and county commissioners from specific geographic regions, will study transportation barriers faced by disabled veterans across the state. Its key duties include identifying ways to improve transportation access, developing reimbursement recommendations for travel expenses, and making legislative suggestions. The task force must submit an interim report within six months and a final report within 12 months of its first meeting, with both reports publicly posted online.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 4109) allows New Jersey mobile intensive care paramedics to administer CDC-recommended vaccines during public health outbreaks of communicable diseases. It permits paramedics to give any available vaccine the CDC recommends for the outbreak to any patient, regardless of age (unless the CDC specifies age restrictions), while requiring them to follow CDC or state health department guidelines. Vaccines can be given under standing orders, individual prescriptions, or government-sponsored programs - not tied to specific patients. The law takes effect immediately upon passage and directly affects paramedics and public health response during outbreaks.