Asm. Eliana Pintor Marin

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2815) establishes a program where groups of nonpublic schools (consortia) take over transportation responsibilities for students who are legally required to receive school bus service from public school districts. Under the program, participating school districts would pay consortia the current aid-in-lieu transportation rate ($1,022 per student) for mandated transportation, and the consortia would assume all transportation duties for those students. Consortia may also offer optional transportation for other students at parental cost (capped at $1,022), and must refund unused funds to districts based on actual student usage. The program requires annual audits, an oversight committee, and takes effect immediately for the 2023-2024 school year.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1940) requires law enforcement officers to provide domestic violence victims with information about their rights in English, Spanish, and up to 10 additional high-demand languages spoken in New Jersey, as identified in the Supreme Court-approved Language Access Plan. It also mandates the Administrative Office of the Courts to create standard templates for temporary and final restraining orders in these languages for use by law enforcement, municipal courts, and Superior Court judges. These templates would be provided to both victims and defendants when restraining orders are issued. The bill aims to improve language access for non-English speaking domestic violence victims seeking legal protections across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "CreateNJ" Center at Thomas Edison State University to help nontraditional students and workers convert work experience into recognized academic credits and career credentials. The center will create a standardized "CreateNJ Workforce Transcript" validating skills, knowledge, and training, and maintain a voluntary database of credentialed skills from participating colleges. It requires a 12-member steering committee - co-chaired by the university president and labor commissioner - with representatives from education, business, and workforce agencies to guide the program. The center may charge fees to fund its operations and accept grants to support its mission of connecting workforce development with higher education pathways.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the state to reimburse counties for holiday pay costs when county employees perform state services on holidays recognized by counties but not by the state (e.g., county-specific paid days). Counties must pay employees 1.5 times their base hourly rate for work on those holidays, then apply to the Division of Local Government Services for reimbursement of the amount exceeding base salary. The state reimburses counties annually for these costs, which counties can deduct from their next year's tax levy and count as anticipated revenue in their budget. This directly affects counties and their employees who provide state services on non-state-recognized holidays.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires owners or operators of industrial establishments to certify in writing to New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection that they have no actual knowledge of contamination exceeding cleanup standards when applying for a de minimis exemption under the Industrial Site Recovery Act (ISRA). Currently, businesses can qualify for this exemption - avoiding full environmental cleanup requirements - by meeting low thresholds for hazardous substance use (e.g., under 500 pounds of hazardous materials), but a 2012 court ruling invalidated prior certification rules. The bill would legally mandate this certification as a condition for the exemption, replacing the invalidated regulation. It directly affects industrial businesses seeking to transfer, close, or change operations without full remediation.

Maddy summaryThe bill extends accommodations for businesses participating in New Jersey's economic development programs that were implemented during the COVID-19 emergency. For the 2024 tax period and beyond, businesses can elect to waive the requirement that full-time employees spend at least 60% of their time at the business facility, provided they demonstrate employees spend at least 80% of work time in New Jersey and meet other conditions. Businesses making this election must pay 5% of their tax credit to the authority for small business support. These accommodations apply to programs including the Business Employment Incentive Program and Emerge Program. The change addresses ongoing pandemic impacts on business operations while maintaining program requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the Medicaid reimbursement rate for adult medical day care providers in New Jersey from $89.55 to $93.10 per day, funded by a $3.6 million supplemental appropriation. It directly affects community-based medical day care centers that provide medically necessary services to non-resident adults with physical or cognitive impairments, enabling them to remain open. The rate change amends the existing annual appropriations act to adjust the per diem reimbursement for these providers, following previous rate increases since 2021. The goal is to stabilize these essential services amid financial pressures from the pandemic, ensuring vulnerable residents can access community care.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies the charitable mission of New Jersey health service corporations (HSCs), requiring them to focus on affordable care, supporting underserved populations, and improving public health. It revises board composition to include three members elected by qualified subscribers (those with a subscription for at least one year) and establishes a process to determine an "efficient surplus" range for HSCs. If an HSC's surplus exceeds this range, it must submit a plan to reduce it or deposit the excess into a new "New Jersey Quality Health and Wellness Fund," which will be used to improve health services statewide. The bill also requires HSCs to annually publish financial information on the Department of Banking and Insurance website.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $30 million competitive grant program to fund new child care facility construction in New Jersey, using existing federal recovery funds. It directly affects nonprofit child care providers (with at least five years’ experience) who serve children ages five and younger, particularly in areas classified as "child care deserts" (where three times more children live than licensed slots exist). Eligible providers must commit to serving low-income families through subsidized care, participate in the state’s quality rating system (Grow NJ Kids), and share de-identified program data. Grants are awarded by a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) selected by the Economic Development Authority, with preference given to providers serving high-need communities. The program expires once the $30 million is fully expended.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows married, domestic partner, or civil union couples in New Jersey to share up to 12 weeks of family leave benefits after a child's birth or adoption. Eligible couples can divide the benefits between them - using the higher earner's weekly rate for the first six weeks and the lower earner's rate for the second six weeks - regardless of who takes leave first. It applies only to benefits under New Jersey's temporary disability leave program for new parents. The bill is pending legislative approval and would take effect three months after enactment.