Asm. Shanique Speight

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2958) would require New Jersey's Commissioner of Human Services to request federal authorization allowing SNAP (food stamp) benefits to cover delivery fees for online grocery orders. Currently, SNAP funds cannot pay for delivery charges, even though New Jersey participates in a USDA pilot program enabling online grocery purchases through retailers like Amazon and 17 participating stores. The bill directly affects SNAP recipients who use online grocery delivery services, as it seeks to expand their benefit usage to include delivery fees. The request would be made to the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, which administers the federal SNAP program.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A1187) creates a safe haven program at fire stations to assist victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence. It requires firefighters to receive specific training on victim advocacy, legal resources, and emergency shelter referrals, while ensuring services are available regardless of citizenship status. The bill appropriates $1,000,000 from the General Fund to the Human Trafficking Survivor’s Assistance Fund to establish and implement this program, with the Attorney General overseeing coordination with relevant agencies. The program directly affects victims seeking immediate assistance and firefighters who will serve as first responders to connect them with support services.

Maddy summaryAJR 68 designates May 17 of each year as "Menstrual Empowerment Day" in New Jersey, honoring the birthday of Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner, a Black inventor who patented a sanitary belt in 1957. The resolution asks the Governor to issue an annual proclamation encouraging public officials, organizations, and citizens to observe the day through awareness activities. It aims to recognize Kenner's overlooked contributions to menstrual hygiene and align with global efforts to address period poverty and stigma. The bill does not create new laws or funding but formally designates an annual observance day.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Children and Families (DCF) to include an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in contracts with organizations providing child and family services. The COLA, calculated using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the previous year (October 1 to September 30), will be announced by DCF each October 1. It applies to organizations contracted by DCF - including those partially or fully funded by the State Medicaid program - to ensure their payments keep pace with inflation. The adjustment aims to cover rising operational costs, including staff compensation, for organizations delivering essential services to children and families.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits insurance companies from discriminating against individuals in disability and accident insurance based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, or sex. It requires that rates, terms, and conditions for these policies cannot be unfairly influenced by those characteristics, applying to issuance, renewal, and pricing. The law closes a gap in current New Jersey law, which previously did not cover such discrimination for disability and accident insurance. It is modeled after a similar Massachusetts law enacted to protect against these specific biases in insurance practices.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill prohibits the sale, manufacture, distribution, and use of firefighting foam containing PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) after two years, with limited exceptions for certain facilities. It allows oil refineries and petroleum terminals to continue using PFAS-containing foam for up to eight years, with potential extensions through a waiver process requiring proof of no available alternatives. The bill requires manufacturers to recall PFAS-containing foam within 27 months and directs the Department of Environmental Protection to establish a collection and disposal program for such foam, appropriating $250,000 for initial funding. Fire departments and facilities using PFAS-containing foam must report usage and implement containment measures to prevent environmental releases. The law aims to protect public health and the environment from PFAS contamination while providing a transition period for essential facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 15-member Legislative Enactment Oversight Committee within the New Jersey Department of State. The committee will monitor how state agencies implement new laws and joint resolutions, ensuring they are carried out effectively, efficiently, and on time within their specific provisions. It will track implementation progress, assess delays and resource needs, and submit biannual reports to the Governor and Legislature. The committee members, appointed by the Governor with legislative recommendations based on specific expertise areas, will serve full-time with salaries capped at $120,000 for the chair and $90,000 for other members.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a "Resiliency and Environmental System Investment Charge Program" (RESIC) that allows New Jersey water and wastewater utilities to recover costs for certain environmental and resiliency investments through a surcharge on customer bills. Utilities must get approval from the Board of Public Utilities for specific projects that enhance system resiliency, environmental compliance, or public health, with costs limited to non-revenue producing infrastructure. The surcharge would appear as a separate line item on customer bills, with total recovery capped at 5% of the utility's annual revenue. Utilities must file detailed reports with the Board semi-annually to track project costs and recovery amounts, and the program applies to both investor-owned and certain municipal utilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public school districts to provide annual trauma-informed education training to teaching staff and school board members. It directly affects educators and school leaders in every public school district across the state. The key mechanism mandates districts to use guidelines developed by the New Jersey Department of Education, which must cover identifying trauma signs in students, understanding trauma's impact on learning, implementing trauma-responsive classroom practices, and recognizing secondary trauma effects on staff. The training aims to address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and support students' cognitive, physical, social, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes New Jersey to create special "Domestic Violence Awareness" license plates featuring a purple ribbon and the phrase "Domestic Violence Awareness." Vehicle owners pay a $50 application fee and $10 annual renewal fee, with the revenue deposited into a dedicated fund. The fund, managed by the Department of Children and Families, provides annual grants to nonprofit organizations supporting domestic violence victims. Implementation requires 500 initial applications and $25,000 in private funding to cover startup costs before plates can be produced.