Asm. Heather Simmons

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Governor's Survivor Leader Advisory Council within New Jersey's Department of Health to address human trafficking risks linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The council, composed of nine human trafficking survivors with relevant expertise, must evaluate existing anti-trafficking laws, review assistance programs, and develop public awareness campaigns - including hotlines and signage - before and during the event. It is required to submit a detailed report with specific recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within 240 days, covering best practices, law changes, and coordination with law enforcement. The bill appropriates $1 million to fund the council’s operations and mandates the Attorney General to issue guidelines for responding to trafficking risks during the World Cup.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $15,815,984 in constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax revenues to the New Jersey Historic Trust. It provides grants for specific historic preservation projects (like restoring historic sites and managing preservation efforts) and covers related administrative costs. The funds are distributed through three grant categories: capital preservation, historic site management, and emergency repairs, as approved by the Trust. This is a direct funding mechanism for existing preservation programs, not a new policy initiative.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 1067) requires the state's Department of Human Services to conduct a landscape analysis of mental health services accessible to deaf and hard of hearing residents. It mandates that mental health services be provided in a client's primary communication method (like sign language or speech), delivered by professionals certified in that method and trained in culturally appropriate care for the deaf community. The bill also requires the creation of a resource guide listing providers meeting these standards and defines key terms like "culturally affirmative mental health services." It directly affects deaf and hard of hearing individuals seeking mental health care across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 3041 prohibits cooperatives from receiving public works contracts if any member contractor or subcontractor within the cooperative has failed to pay prevailing wages. The bill extends a three-year ban (currently applied to individual contractors) to cover entire cooperatives, meaning a cooperative cannot win contracts if one of its members violates wage laws. It defines a "cooperative" as a business with collective ownership and long-term member control, and includes a process for affected cooperatives to request a hearing if they believe the ban is wrongly applied. The prohibition applies to all cooperative entities with a member on the prevailing wage violation list, lasting three years from the date of listing.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's State Board of Medical Examiners to allow physicians to count one optional continuing medical education (CME) credit toward their license renewal for training on menopause. The training covers menopause's physiological and psychological aspects, treatments, related health risks (like heart health and osteoporosis), and communication strategies. Physicians who complete this training would earn a credit that counts toward their required 100 CME hours for license renewal. The bill defines menopause as the natural process where a woman permanently stops having menstrual periods after 12 months without one. It does not mandate the training but offers it as an optional credit.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires licensing for owners and operators of boarding houses in New Jersey, including cooperative sober living residences (which serve individuals recovering from addiction). It clarifies definitions - such as "boarding house" (excluding hotels/motels) and "cooperative sober living residence" - and mandates separate licensing categories for owners and operators, with fees ranging from $150-$600. Operators must obtain a license from the Department of Community Affairs (or a participating municipality), and violations carry civil penalties up to $25,000 per building. The law directly affects boarding house operators, sober living residences, and the Department of Community Affairs, which administers the licensing process.

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates the automatic presumption that defendants charged with sex offenses against minors (victims under 18) can be released before trial. Instead, courts must now evaluate each case to determine if release would reasonably ensure the defendant's court appearance and protect community safety. The law specifically removes the "presumption of pretrial release" for these offenses, requiring judges to apply stricter standards rather than assuming release is appropriate. It directly affects defendants facing such charges in New Jersey, shifting the burden to the court to justify release conditions. The change applies to all sex offenses against minors defined under state law (C.2C:7-2), not just specific cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows winery license holders who produce up to 250,000 gallons of wine annually to sell their wine to other wineries in New Jersey for sale on the buyer's premises, or to sell wine to wineries outside New Jersey in accordance with those states' laws. It establishes a new "supplemental wine production facility sublicense" that permits winery license holders to produce wine at a separate facility they own or lease, with wine sold to other wineries counting toward the buyer's production volume but not the seller's. The bill requires that at least 50% of a winery's annual wine sales must be produced on its own premises. Winery license holders with this sublicense pay a $750 fee and cannot sell wine directly to consumers at the supplemental facility. This change provides wineries with more flexibility in production and distribution while maintaining certain local production requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the "Patient and Provider Protection Act," imposes new requirements on pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) in New Jersey. It requires PBMs to have a fiduciary duty to patient health outcomes, prohibits misleading marketing to steer patients to network pharmacies, and bans contracts with drug manufacturers that condition rebates on excluding generic drugs. PBMs must reimburse contracted pharmacies at cost or higher and independent pharmacies at no more than 5% less than contracted rates (but still at cost), and cannot block independent pharmacies from matching network prices. These changes directly affect PBMs, pharmacies (both contracted and independent), and patients covered by health plans using PBMs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all nursing schools in New Jersey to include specific education on inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) in their professional nursing curricula. IBC is a rare, aggressive form of breast cancer that often causes skin inflammation, thickening, and pain without a lump or visible mammogram results, and it disproportionately affects younger women, Black women, and overweight individuals. The curriculum must be developed with input from medical experts on IBC diagnosis and treatment. The requirement takes effect 12 months after the bill is enacted.