Asm. Nancy Muñoz

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A4070 requires all public school districts to create policies mandating students and school staff wear visible identification cards at all times during school hours in school buildings. The cards must include the wearer's name, a current photo, and the school year, with staff cards also listing their job title. The state education commissioner will develop guidelines for the cards and explore using student IDs for school services like meal purchases or library access. Additionally, the bill mandates school districts to implement visitor pass systems with screening procedures to monitor entry into school facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public school districts to submit their current safety and security plans to the Commissioner of Education within six months of the law taking effect. The Commissioner must review each plan against specific criteria, including emergency notification procedures, staff emergency assignments, building access policies, bullying prevention measures, hazard analysis, active shooter protocols, and crisis communication plans. After review, the Commissioner must provide each district with a written report detailing weaknesses and recommended solutions. Within three years, the Commissioner must also submit a summary report to the Governor and Legislature detailing aggregate findings across all districts, without revealing individual school data.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the New Jersey State Police to maintain a 24-hour, toll-free hotline for anonymous tips about school safety threats, accessible via phone or text. It allows students, parents, school staff, and the public to report incidents like violence, assaults, suicide threats, or bullying without revealing their identity. The State Police must share reported information with local law enforcement and school officials to enable prompt investigation and intervention. Additionally, the State Police, in collaboration with the Department of Education, will distribute hotline details to all schools for sharing with students and families.

Maddy summaryThis bill, "The Voter Convenience Act," allows New Jersey voters to cast ballots at any polling place within their municipality on election day, rather than being restricted to their assigned polling location. It requires the Secretary of State and county election officials to develop uniform guidelines enabling electronic poll books to verify voter eligibility and provide the correct ballot for their election district at any municipal polling site. The law amends election statutes to update sample ballots with all available polling place locations and adjusts district board staffing rules to support this system. It directly affects all registered voters in New Jersey municipalities that choose to implement the policy, streamlining the voting process without changing voter eligibility or ballot content.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4033) revises licensing and oversight requirements for residential substance use disorder treatment facilities in New Jersey. It directly affects facility operators, owners, and principals by requiring independent financial audits, criminal background checks (including fingerprinting), and annual unannounced inspections by the Department of Health. Facilities must also file annual reports on safety incidents (like injuries, deaths, or outbreaks) and disclose detailed financial and staffing information to funding entities. Additionally, the bill establishes standards for peer recovery counselors operating within these facilities. These changes aim to enhance accountability and transparency in the sector.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits substance use disorder treatment providers in New Jersey from using deceptive marketing practices. It directly affects licensed treatment facilities, certificate holders, and recovery residences by requiring all advertising to include accurate, plain-language details about services, location, and provider identity. The law bans false claims about network status, misleading contact information, fake website details, implied partnerships without consent, or inaccurate service/location descriptions. Violations carry $1,000 civil penalties per incident, and harmed individuals can seek triple damages plus attorney fees.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4031) revises New Jersey law to make it a third-degree crime (up from fourth-degree) for health care providers, facilities, non-profits, and recovery residences to accept or give payments for referring patients to substance use disorder treatment facilities. It mandates a $50,000 fine for violations and prohibits payments tied to referral volume, treatment duration, or service type. The law explicitly exempts payments that don’t vary based on these factors, such as standard fees not linked to specific referrals. It directly affects entities that connect patients to treatment centers, aiming to prevent financial incentives that could influence referrals.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the non-consensual creation and distribution of deepfake pornography (realistic fake videos or images that appear to show someone engaging in sexual activity they didn't actually participate in). It makes it a crime to create or share such content without consent, with penalties ranging from 3-5 years in prison and $15,000 fines for general deepfakes to 10-20 years in prison and $200,000 fines for deepfakes involving children. Victims can pursue civil claims for $1,000 per violation plus additional damages. The law updates existing privacy and child pornography statutes to address technology that wasn't covered when those laws were written, applying to anyone who creates, shares, or distributes deepfake content without consent.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill increases penalties for motor vehicle theft by elevating it to a second-degree crime (up from third-degree), establishes a rebuttable presumption of pretrial detention for those charged with such offenses, and authorizes home detention for minors convicted of motor vehicle theft instead of jail. It also creates a $7 million two-year pilot program through the Juvenile Justice Commission to provide at-risk youth with services including mental health care, substance use treatment, education support, and job training to prevent auto theft. The program will operate in counties with populations over 300,000, with service providers selected through a competitive process, and requires courts to hold hearings for minors arrested for motor vehicle theft within 48 hours.

Maddy summaryThis bill ensures children in New Jersey's NJ FamilyCare program (ages 21 and under) who transition from the child health program (EPSDT) to the long-term care program (MLTSS) automatically retain their previous weekly private duty nursing hours. It requires managed care organizations to continue nursing coverage during appeals of reduced services and extends the appeal filing window from 10 to 30 days. The bill also directs the state to review past transitions to identify beneficiaries eligible for increased nursing hours and removes the current 16-hour weekly cap on these services under MLTSS. These changes aim to prevent coverage gaps during program transitions and strengthen appeal rights for families relying on personal nursing care.