Asm. Shanique Speight

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all members, officers, and employees of New Jersey's Legislature to complete annual implicit bias and cultural competency training. It mandates an online tutorial by April 1 of every even-numbered year, plus additional annual in-person training directed by leadership. Staff must submit public certifications verifying completion to the Legislative Counsel. The goal is to help legislators and staff understand unconscious biases and interact effectively with diverse communities when making policy decisions.

Maddy summaryAJR 64 designates November of each year as "Transgender Awareness Month" in New Jersey. The resolution requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation encouraging public officials and citizens to observe the month with activities that raise awareness of transgender individuals' challenges, including discrimination and violence. It also recognizes the contributions and resilience of transgender people, referencing existing New Jersey observances for Transgender Awareness Week and Transgender Day of Remembrance. This is a symbolic designation with no new legal requirements or funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3359) requires New Jersey nursing homes to have specific pharmacy staffing and oversight structures to improve medication management. It mandates each facility to employ a consultant pharmacist (not affiliated with the facility's pharmacy staff), a provider pharmacist or in-house pharmacy director, and an interdisciplinary pharmacy committee that meets quarterly to review medication use. The committee must include the facility administrator, nursing staff representative, and consultant pharmacist, with records maintained of all meetings. The bill also adds a conflict-of-interest requirement, requiring consultant pharmacists to attest they have no ties to the facility’s pharmacy leadership. *Note: The bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, as it was already codified in P.L.2025, c.294.*

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a five-year pilot program requiring New Jersey's Juvenile Justice Commission to establish three arts-based education programs for youth in detention and correction facilities. The programs, developed through partnerships with arts organizations, community groups, and private funders, aim to build skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and self-esteem using creative arts. Each program will undergo annual evaluation to measure impacts on educational outcomes and youth development, with final recommendations for continuation or expansion to be submitted after four years. The bill directly affects juvenile offenders in state correctional facilities and requires collaboration with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for implementation.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a New Jersey program to help reproductive health care professionals reduce student loan debt. It appropriates $5 million to redeem up to $200,000 in qualifying student loans for eligible providers who work at approved sites (including abortion providers) for 1-4 years. Participants earn 18% loan redemption after one year of service, increasing to 26%, 28%, and 28% for subsequent years. The program prioritizes providers in counties with shortages of reproductive health services, targeting areas where abortion access is limited. It directly affects licensed professionals providing reproductive health care, including abortion services, within the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Medicaid program to cover self-administered hormonal contraceptives when dispensed by a pharmacist under a standing order. It directly affects Medicaid beneficiaries, particularly low-income women, by expanding access to contraception without needing a separate prescription from a doctor. The key provision amends existing Medicaid coverage rules to explicitly include these contraceptives under the "prescribed drugs" category, allowing pharmacists to provide them under a standing order. This change would make contraceptive care more accessible and affordable for eligible individuals without altering prescription requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all police basic training programs in New Jersey to include cultural diversity and implicit bias training. It directly affects police training schools, instructors, and new officers entering law enforcement. The key mechanism mandates that the Police Training Commission add specific curriculum materials developed under prior law, and requires instructors to have specialized training in this area. The bill defines "implicit bias" as unconscious attitudes or stereotypes about people. This is a concrete policy change to standardize training content, not a prediction about outcomes.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes New Jersey's Deepfake Technology Unit within the Division of Criminal Justice to combat AI-generated deceptive media (deepfakes). The unit will provide law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts with technical expertise, training, and evidence analysis to detect and investigate deepfakes - defined as AI-manipulated videos, audio, or images that falsely depict people or events. It requires the unit to issue annual reports on detection methods, technological advances, and policy recommendations, and appropriates $2 million from the General Fund to cover operational costs. The unit directly supports state and local agencies in addressing a growing threat to public safety and legal integrity.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 12-member Commission on Oversight of Public Institutions of Higher Education to examine and improve financial transparency, accountability, and oversight of New Jersey's public colleges and universities. The commission includes officials, college presidents, labor union representatives, faculty, and student representatives appointed by the Governor and legislative leaders. It will study tuition transparency, student outcomes, and institutional performance, then issue a report to the Governor and Legislature within 180 days of organizing. The commission's work expires 30 days after the report is submitted.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey hospitals providing inpatient maternity services and licensed birthing centers to offer new parents who have given birth either: (1) an in-person lactation consultation before discharge, or (2) a remote consultation via live voice if requested. The counseling must include breastfeeding education, support, care planning, demonstration of breastfeeding techniques, recommendations for assistive devices, and health benefit information. It defines "lactation counselor" and "lactation consultant" to include certified professionals like IBCLCs without requiring additional nursing licensure. The law applies to facilities licensed under New Jersey's birthing center regulations and aims to standardize postpartum lactation support.