Asm. Shanique Speight

Maddy summaryThis bill requires state agencies to assess substance and alcohol use disorder treatment providers for conflicts of interest before approving state funding, licensure, or certification. Providers must submit detailed financial information, board member details, and lists of stakeholders with financial ties. If a conflict is identified that could affect care quality, the provider has 90 days to resolve it or risk losing funding/approval. After resolution, providers must undergo two additional conflict assessments within the next year. The law applies to all licensed or certifying state entities and defines conflicts as situations where outside financial interests might influence treatment decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $4.5 million grant program to reimburse New Jersey school districts for costs incurred when expanding their procurement of locally grown food for students. It directly affects eligible school districts participating in federal meal programs (like National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs), requiring them to submit plans for new or expanded local food sourcing beyond current baseline levels. The program reimburses documented costs for minimally processed local foods (like fruits, vegetables, or grains grown in New Jersey), excluding fluid dairy milk. School districts must implement new policies to increase local food access during school meals or summer programs to qualify for reimbursement.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's Bill A 3496 requires state agencies to make a good faith effort to increase contracts (procured without advertisement) awarded to certified minority-owned and women-owned businesses by 30 percent within five years. This applies to agencies using delegated purchasing authority for contracts under specific dollar thresholds (e.g., $150,000-$250,000). The State Treasurer must develop guidelines for agencies and submit six-month progress reports to the Governor and Legislature, while agencies must report their actions to the Treasurer every 30 days. The bill directly affects state agencies managing procurement and certified minority/women-owned businesses seeking government contracts.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Chief Diversity Officer (within the Treasury Department) to partner with the Business Action Center and Economic Development Authority to organize regular outreach events and training programs for certified minority and women-owned businesses. The programs will promote awareness of state contracting opportunities and provide practical training in areas like marketing, finance, technology, and project management. These activities must occur virtually or at community locations (including non-profits or faith-based sites) throughout the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Chief Diversity Officer in the Treasury Department to create and run programs aimed at increasing contracts awarded to minority-owned and women-owned businesses. It expands the officer's existing duty of tracking current contracting data (like contract values and percentages going to these businesses) to actively develop new initiatives. The direct effect is on state procurement processes, aiming to help minority- and women-owned businesses secure more state contracts. The key change is shifting from passive monitoring to proactive program development, as specified in the amendment to P.L.2017, c.95.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill authorizes the Motor Vehicle Commission to issue special license plates for the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to vehicles registered in the state. Owners who apply for these plates must pay an additional fee, with the collected money placed in a dedicated fund to support the fraternity's mission and programs after administrative costs are covered. The design and color scheme of the plates will be selected in consultation with the fraternity's Eastern Region leadership, and the program includes provisions for publicizing the option to eligible motorists.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits businesses in New Jersey from charging extra fees to customers who pay with a debit card. It directly affects sellers of goods and services, requiring them to accept debit cards without adding a surcharge. The law also mandates that if a business does charge a fee for credit card use, they must clearly inform customers that no such fee applies to cash or debit card payments. Violations of this rule are classified as unlawful practices under state consumer fraud laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes protections for tenants in New Jersey against the disconnection of water and wastewater services when the property owner is the utility customer. It requires utility companies to provide a 30-day written notice before shutting off service and prohibits disconnection if the tenant informs the provider they are not the customer of record or lives in a multi-unit building with a single service connection. Under these rules, any unpaid bills must be collected from the property owner rather than the tenant, and the owner cannot later seek reimbursement from the tenant for those costs. The Department of Community Affairs and the Board of Public Utilities are tasked with notifying utilities of these new requirements and creating regulations to enforce them.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new Office of Interagency Cooperation within the Department of Community Affairs to improve local code enforcement across New Jersey. The office will be overseen by a board appointed by state leaders and will have the authority to form special "strike teams" in municipalities facing severe or repeated code violations. These teams will consist of state, municipal, and public health officials working together to inspect buildings with acute complaints. Additionally, the bill mandates the creation of a data-sharing dashboard to track repeat violators and allows the office to share information with local governments to target enforcement efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to display a person's full legal name - including Roman numerals - on specific driver's licenses, permits, and identification cards. It directly affects residents whose legal names (as recorded on birth certificates) include Roman numerals (e.g., "John Smith III"). The MVC must display these names upon receiving standard documentation proving identity, age, and residence, as already required for license issuance. The policy applies to all standard licenses, REAL ID cards, and commercial driver's licenses, ensuring official documents reflect legally recognized names.