Asm. Eliana Pintor Marin

Maddy summaryThis bill automatically suspends child support payments (both current and past-due amounts) for individuals incarcerated or detained for over 180 consecutive days, without requiring a court order. It applies to all child support orders monitored by New Jersey’s IV-D agency or probation division, while past-due amounts (arrearages) remain due and can be collected through administrative methods like tax offsets or license suspension. Both the person ordered to pay support and the custodial parent must receive written notice about the suspension, expected reinstatement date (90 days after release), and their right to request payment if the person has income while incarcerated. The Department of Corrections and Juvenile Justice Commission must also inform individuals about this suspension during intake processing.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey State job applicants who have had a first interview to disclose any past or ongoing criminal investigations. The Civil Service Commission must create a form asking applicants about investigations by law enforcement (including accusations from other state employees), arrests, charges, convictions, and court outcomes related to those investigations. The form also specifically asks about past arrests or convictions for sexual assault offenses under state law (N.J.S.2C:14-2 or 14-3). This disclosure requirement applies to all State government positions in classified, unclassified, and senior executive service.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a three-year pilot program to improve sickle cell disease care in New Jersey, appropriating $10.2 million from the General Fund. The Department of Health will competitively select federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), prioritizing those in Jersey City, Newark, Paterson, Plainfield, Trenton, Camden, and other high-need areas, to develop comprehensive treatment programs. The program requires participating centers to provide coordinated care (including telehealth where permitted), build specialized medical workforce capacity, conduct outreach, promote awareness, and collect state-wide data on sickle cell disease incidence and healthcare use. Funds must be used for these purposes during the three-year pilot, with unspent funds reverting to the General Fund after expiration.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires building owners with cooling towers to register them with the Department of Health, conduct quarterly inspections and testing for contaminants and Legionella bacteria, and maintain proper cleaning and disinfection schedules. Owners must register new cooling towers before operation and existing towers within 30 days of the law's effective date, and must clean and disinfect towers within 48 hours if test results indicate maintenance issues or within 24 hours for serious health threats. Building owners must annually certify compliance by November 1 and maintain records of inspections, tests, and maintenance for three years. Non-compliance can result in civil penalties up to $10,000 for violations causing serious injury or death, or criminal charges for willful violations. The bill directly affects building owners who operate cooling towers, which are part of recirculated water systems in buildings.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey health insurers to cover mammograms for women starting at age 18, rather than the current age 40 requirement. It also mandates coverage for additional imaging tests like ultrasounds, MRIs, or 3D mammograms when medically necessary based on breast density, abnormal results, or risk factors such as family history of breast cancer. The coverage applies to all health insurance plans in New Jersey, including individual, group, and state health benefit plans, requiring insurers to cover these services to the same extent as other medical conditions. Insurers can still review medical necessity for additional tests through utilization review processes.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey bill A437 provides civil liability immunity to first responders who forcibly enter property during emergencies. It directly affects volunteer and paid emergency personnel - including firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, hospital staff, and college police officers - when they enter homes, businesses, or structures without permission. The immunity applies only if responders have a good faith belief entry is needed for emergency medical care or to prevent imminent harm, and no property occupant responds to requests within a reasonable time. This protection does not cover willful or wanton acts and does not apply to vehicle operation during emergency services.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires that when appointing members to state boards, commissions, or similar bodies established by law, the appointing official (such as the Governor, Senate President, or Assembly Speaker) must prioritize achieving racial and gender diversity that reflects New Jersey’s population. The goal of diversity becomes a primary consideration for all appointments made after the bill’s effective date, unless it conflicts with specific circumstances or the law creating the body. The bill defines "gender" to include gender identity and "race" as based on physical characteristics or shared ancestry. This policy change directly affects how officials select members for these state entities, aiming to improve representation without mandating specific quotas.

Maddy summaryThis bill would create a new license allowing wineries that produce more than 250,000 gallons of wine annually to directly ship wine to consumers. Currently, wineries exceeding this production threshold are prohibited from direct shipping, while smaller wineries (250,000 gallons or less) can ship directly to consumers. The new license would permit these larger wineries to ship up to 12 cases of wine per year (with each case not exceeding nine liters) to consumers aged 21 or older for personal consumption only, not for resale. Wineries would need to collect and pay applicable taxes, and maintain records of shipments for inspection by enforcement officers for three years. This change would expand direct shipping options for larger wineries that currently cannot ship directly to consumers.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services (DHS) to create a quality-based reimbursement system for registered family child care providers participating in the state's subsidized child care program and the Grow NJ Kids quality rating initiative. It directly affects family child care providers who serve low-to-moderate income families and have earned a quality rating through Grow NJ Kids. The key mechanism is providing enhanced reimbursements to higher-rated providers, replacing the current flat-rate system with payments tied to quality standards. DHS must also seek federal approval to maintain funding for these subsidized child care programs under the new system.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires landlords who rent space to child care facilities (like daycares or preschools) to install and maintain lead-removing water filters at all water outlets used for drinking, food prep, or baby formula if they previously refused to allow water system replacement of lead pipes. Landlords must install filters certified to meet safety standards (like NSF/ANSI 42/53), maintain them, and annually certify compliance to the environmental agency. Failure to comply can result in daily fines of up to $500, and tenants can force rent into court-ordered escrow until filters are installed. If the landlord's refusal causes children or staff to have elevated lead levels, they face unlimited financial liability for damages.