Maddy summaryThis bill establishes legal protections for patients and healthcare providers accessing or providing reproductive and gender-affirming health care services in New Jersey. It creates a new crime for interfering with these services (including physical obstruction, intimidation, or damaging property), with penalties ranging from a disorderly persons offense to a fourth-degree crime. The bill also prevents New Jersey from extraditing people for legally protected health care activities, prohibits licensing boards from penalizing providers for services that are legal in New Jersey but illegal in other states, and protects patient privacy related to these services. It specifically ensures that a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus has no independent legal rights under New Jersey law.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's bias intimidation law to specifically include Sikhism as a protected class, making it illegal to commit hate crimes against Sikhs based on their religious identity. It appropriates $100,000 annually for three years to fund Sikh awareness educational initiatives, including law enforcement training on Sikh identity features like turbans and religious symbols to prevent misclassification of hate incidents. The bill requires the Office of Attorney General to develop public awareness campaigns and educational programs about Sikhism for public schools, and mandates that all public entities incorporate anti-Sikh hate into their bias intimidation policies and diversity programs. These changes directly affect Sikhs in New Jersey (who are the second-most targeted religious group for hate crimes) and all public institutions across the state.
Maddy summaryThis bill (A4482) prohibits participating organizations - including healthcare providers, nonprofits, and government agencies - from selling or licensing social care information stored in closed-loop referral systems (CLRS). It also bans using such information for any purpose beyond its original collection reason, such as housing, food stability, or transportation assistance. Violations carry a $1,000 civil penalty per incident, enforced by the Division of Consumer Affairs. The law applies to all entities using CLRS systems for social care referrals in New Jersey.
Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies court procedures for revoking pretrial release in New Jersey. It requires courts to find clear evidence that no bail or release conditions would ensure court appearance and public safety before revoking release for defendants who violate conditions or commit new crimes while on pretrial release. Courts must also consider risk assessments for new charges when making revocation decisions. The bill specifically prohibits revoking release solely for minor marijuana offenses (like possession under N.J.S.2C:35-10). It directly affects defendants on pretrial release and the courts handling their cases.
Maddy summaryThis bill (A4204) changes New Jersey law to allow couples to obtain a marriage or civil union license in **any municipality** across the state, rather than requiring them to apply in the municipality where one partner resides. It directly affects couples seeking to marry or form a civil union, particularly those who are not residents of the specific municipality where they would otherwise need to apply. The key provision amends statute R.S.37:1-3 to remove the residency requirement for license acquisition, while still requiring the marriage or civil union to be performed within New Jersey. The Commissioner of Health must create rules to implement this change, and the law takes effect immediately.
Maddy summaryThe "Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act" requires New Jersey colleges and universities to implement specific mental health programs for students. Institutions must create a mental health awareness program including annual student orientation sessions, website resource hubs, and online screenings for conditions like depression and anxiety. They must also establish student peer support programs following best practices and form partnerships with local mental health providers to meet a benchmark of one clinical staff member per 1,250 students. A new Technical Assistance Center will develop standards, monitor progress, and share data to improve campus mental health services.
Maddy summaryThis bill exempts horse-boarding businesses in New Jersey from charging sales tax on two specific services: (1) renting stalls in barns or stables for horses, and (2) basic maintenance or servicing of boarded horses. It directly affects stables and boarding facilities by clarifying that these charges are no longer subject to the state's 6.625% sales tax. The bill amends the existing tax code to exclude "charges for storing a horse... in a barn, stable, or other similar structure" from the taxable "space for storage" category. These exemptions apply to taxable years beginning January 1 after the bill's enactment.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey law to allow owners of registered historic motor vehicles (at least 25 years old, owned as collector's items, and unaltered from original design) to use them for "occasional travel" - defined as driving for pleasure not more than one day per week. Currently, such vehicles are restricted to exhibition and educational purposes only. The change directly affects collectors and owners of historic vehicles who wish to drive them for personal enjoyment within the weekly limit. The amendment updates the legal definition of "occasional travel" without altering vehicle registration requirements or age thresholds.
Maddy summaryThis bill (A4265) creates a program to pay monetary awards to whistleblowers who report tax law violations by employers in New Jersey's construction industry. Whistleblowers providing specific, credible information that leads to enforcement actions (like penalties or settlements) can receive 15-30% of the money collected, or up to 10% if the information came from public sources like media or government reports. It excludes current Treasury employees and individuals who planned the violations they reported, and protects whistleblowers from retaliation under existing law. The award amount is based on how much the information contributed to the case outcome.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination to explicitly protect individuals from discrimination based on membership in a labor organization. It expands the definition of "labor organization" to include any group formed for collective bargaining or mutual aid among employees, and adds membership in such organizations to the list of protected characteristics. This means employers, labor organizations, and others cannot discriminate against employees or job applicants based on their membership in a labor union or employee representation committee. The law already protects people from discrimination based on characteristics like race, gender, and disability; this bill extends that protection to include labor organization membership.