Rep. Nancy Muñoz

Maddy summaryThis bill would direct excess revenue from New Jersey's energy sales and use tax (above what was collected in fiscal year 2025) to the Universal Service Fund, which supports utility assistance programs. If tax collections from energy and utility services exceed FY 2025 levels, the state would be required to deposit the excess into this fund instead of the General Fund. The Universal Service Fund currently administers programs like the Payment Assistance for Gas and Electric Program. This change would provide additional funding specifically for utility assistance without altering existing tax rates or utility service rates.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey county prosecutors to annually submit detailed data on plea agreements for cases involving controlled dangerous substances to the Attorney General. The report must include the type and quantity of the controlled dangerous substance, plea offers extended to defendants, whether those offers were accepted or rejected, and court decisions on plea agreements. The Attorney General will then compile this new data and include it in the existing annual report to the Legislature, which already covers broader criminal justice statistics.

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates the automatic presumption that defendants charged with repeat home invasion offenses will be released before trial. It specifically applies to individuals with prior convictions for home invasion burglary (C.2C:18-2.1) or residential burglary (C.2C:18-2.2) on separate occasions. Under current law, most defendants have a presumption of pretrial release, but this bill removes that presumption for these repeat offenders, requiring courts to evaluate detention instead. The change means judges must consider whether release would endanger the community or fail to ensure court appearance, rather than starting from a default of release.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows the value of stolen property to be combined across multiple theft incidents occurring within a two-year period when they're part of a single scheme or pattern. It applies to various theft-related offenses including standard theft, receiving stolen property, fencing, motor vehicle theft, and shoplifting. Under the bill, the total value of property stolen across multiple incidents can be used to determine the severity of the crime, potentially elevating it to a higher criminal grade. The bill clarifies that evidence of a common scheme might include similar nature of acts, same perpetrator, and occurrence within a two-year timeframe. This change means that even if individual thefts don't meet the monetary threshold for a more serious offense, combined they might.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires hospitals, birthing centers, and healthcare providers in New Jersey to screen pregnant individuals and those who have given birth within six weeks for preeclampsia when symptoms are present. Providers must use screening tools based on industry best practices, provide information on preeclampsia symptoms, and obtain written consent or refusal using a standardized form. The Commissioner of Health must develop an educational program about preeclampsia and its warning signs, and providers must create a treatment plan if a screening result is positive. The bill directly affects pregnant people and postpartum individuals in New Jersey who show symptoms of preeclampsia.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1825) establishes guidelines for health insurance plans regarding "step therapy" protocols, which require patients to try lower-cost medications before coverage is provided for a preferred medication selected by their doctor. It requires insurers to base these protocols on clinical guidelines developed by expert panels with conflict-of-interest safeguards, and creates a clear process for patients to request exceptions when step therapy would be harmful or ineffective. Insurers must grant or deny exception requests within 72 hours (24 hours in emergencies), and must report on exception requests and outcomes to the state insurance commissioner. This affects all health insurance carriers in New Jersey, including those offering SHBP, SEHBP, and Medicaid plans, as well as the patients and healthcare providers who use these plans.

Maddy summaryBill A4163 requires health insurers in New Jersey to cover biomarker testing for diagnosis, treatment, management, or ongoing monitoring of diseases when supported by medical evidence such as FDA approvals, drug labels, or clinical guidelines. The bill applies to all health insurance plans including individual, group, Medicaid, and health maintenance organization contracts. Insurers must provide coverage without causing unnecessary disruption (like multiple biopsies) and must make prior authorization decisions within 24 hours for urgent requests or 72 hours for non-urgent requests. This ensures patients can access precision medical testing that's clinically supported without excessive administrative barriers.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits health insurance companies, pharmacy benefit managers, and state health programs from requiring pre-approval or precertification for medical tests, procedures, or prescription drugs that are already covered under a health plan and prescribed by a licensed doctor. It directly affects patients and healthcare providers by eliminating bureaucratic delays that currently delay care - such as cancer patients waiting for medication due to slow insurance reviews. The law requires insurers to pay for covered services as prescribed, without additional approval steps. It applies immediately to all health plans issued or purchased on or after the effective date.

Maddy summaryS 3587 upgrades retail theft offenses in New Jersey, including elevating "leader of organized retail theft enterprise" to a first-degree crime punishable by 10-20 years in prison. The bill creates a new offense for "fostering the sale of stolen property" (including online sales), which is a disorderly persons offense punishable by up to six months in jail. It establishes a retail theft unit within the Department of Law and Public Safety to investigate and prosecute organized retail theft, appropriating $1 million for this purpose. The bill also includes new requirements for gift card sales to prevent fraud, such as mandatory notices for retailers and packaging restrictions for both open- and closed-loop gift cards.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to create written policies allowing students to use sunscreen and wear sun-protective clothing (like hats and sunglasses) outdoors during school and school events. It prohibits schools from demanding doctor’s notes for students to use these items and allows districts to require only parental permission for students to carry sunscreen. The policy must not mandate school staff to help students apply sunscreen. The law took effect in the first full school year after its passage in March 2025.