Asm. Linda Carter

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's Bill A3436 creates a 15-member Task Force on Child Care Deserts within the Department of Children and Families. The task force will study areas where over two-thirds of children cannot access licensed child care (defined as "child care deserts") and examine factors like geographic access, family demographics, funding gaps, and infrastructure needs. It will review existing research and develop policy recommendations for eliminating these deserts. The task force must issue a report to the Governor and Legislature within six months of organizing, with the group dissolving 30 days after the report is issued. This bill directly affects families in underserved urban and rural communities lacking child care options.

Maddy summaryThis bill modernizes the New Jersey Council of County Colleges' role in state funding and strategic planning. It requires the Council to submit an annual unified budget request to the Governor and Legislature, establish a performance-based funding formula (capping state operational support at 43% of colleges' base-year costs), and develop a strategic plan aligned with state priorities. The Council must also advise state agencies on higher education policy, promote equitable funding, and enhance data sharing for student success initiatives. Note: The bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, as it was superseded by P.L.2025, c.371.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 3716) requires rental car companies to provide renters with clear notice about deleting personal data from a vehicle's computer system when returning the car. The notice - required to be posted at return locations, on company websites, or in rental agreements - must advise renters to unpair personal devices and delete information like navigation history, phone data, or garage codes. Rental companies failing to comply face civil penalties of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for repeat violations, enforced by the Division of Consumer Affairs. The law directly affects rental car businesses and renters in New Jersey, aiming to protect personal data stored in vehicle systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 2122) clarifies court procedures for visitation requests involving incapacitated individuals (wards) under guardianship in New Jersey. It requires courts to set a hearing date and issue a temporary visitation order within 10 days of a request, establishes a rebuttable presumption favoring visitation, and limits denial to cases where clear evidence shows it harms the ward’s best interests - requiring a written court decision. Courts retain discretion to impose limitations like supervised visitation. The bill directly affects wards, their families, and interested parties seeking visitation rights in guardianship cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill redirects fines from specific prostitution-related convictions to the "Human Trafficking Survivor's Assistance Fund." It applies to fines collected for offenses under subsection b. paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), or (7) of N.J.S.2C:34-1, which include promoting prostitution of minors, compelling others into prostitution, or other serious violations. The funds will be deposited into the existing state fund established to support trafficking survivors, as specified in prior law. This policy change modifies where penalty money goes but does not alter the definition of prostitution or the penalties themselves. The bill affects individuals convicted of these specific prostitution-related offenses in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's NJ STARS scholarship program to remove a one-year deadline for students who qualify for the scholarship but initially lack college readiness. It directly affects high school seniors in New Jersey who meet NJ STARS eligibility criteria but need remedial coursework to take college-level classes. The key change eliminates the requirement that these students must demonstrate readiness within one year of graduation, instead allowing their eligibility to remain active indefinitely as long as they meet the program's criteria when they enroll. This provides more time for students to complete necessary remediation before accessing the scholarship for up to five semesters of county college study.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey colleges and universities from paying online program management companies (like third-party firms managing their online courses) incentive-based compensation (such as commissions or bonuses tied to student enrollment or financial aid) except for recruiting international students. It requires all new or amended contracts with these companies to be submitted to the state higher education office within 20 days and approved by the institution's governing board, banning provisions like tuition-based payments, involvement in curriculum design, or use of the school's branding. Institutions must also submit annual reports detailing how these companies spent funds across specific categories, including instruction, student support, and technology. The law applies to both public colleges and licensed for-profit schools offering degree programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes minimum hourly Medicaid reimbursement rates for private duty nursing (PDN) services provided in home settings. It sets a $60 minimum rate for registered nurses and $48 for licensed practical nurses, replacing current maximum rates of $40 and $28 that were deemed insufficient to cover service costs. The law requires the Commissioner of Human Services to seek federal waivers within 180 days to implement these changes and secure matching federal funding. It directly affects nurses providing home-based care for Medicaid beneficiaries, aiming to ensure sustainable reimbursement for these services.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows courts to retroactively reduce mandatory parole ineligibility periods for certain inmates convicted of specific drug and theft offenses before the bill's effective date. It applies to people sentenced under 11 listed offenses, including drug distribution, cargo theft, shoplifting, and certain school-related drug crimes. The process requires the Corrections Department to identify eligible inmates, prosecutors to get Attorney General approval before objecting to sentence changes, and courts to decide based on public safety risks if objections are filed. Inmates without objections receive automatic sentence adjustments without hearings, while objections trigger a hearing to assess public safety concerns.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A 2136 creates new criminal penalties for unlicensed marijuana sales and purchases. It makes it a third-degree crime (up to 5 years in prison or $15,000 fine) for owners of unlicensed businesses that manufacture, distribute, or dispense marijuana, and a second-degree crime (up to 10 years or $150,000 fine) for leaders of multi-location illegal networks. The bill also imposes a misdemeanor charge (up to 6 months or $1,000 fine) for knowingly buying marijuana from unlicensed businesses. Enforcement allows state police and the Attorney General to shut down violating businesses and seize illegally sold marijuana. This bill supplements existing law (CREAMMA) by adding specific penalties for unlicensed commercial activity, not personal use.