Asm. Heather Simmons

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new "institutional license" for veterinarians employed at accredited veterinary schools in New Jersey. It allows these employees to practice veterinary medicine, dentistry, and surgery solely related to their school duties, provided they meet specific requirements: holding a veterinary degree, passing the state jurisprudence exam, and proving employment at an accredited school. The license is tied to employment - requiring annual renewal through the school and automatic revocation if the veterinarian leaves the institution. It also mandates that such veterinarians be paid only by institutional, state, or federal funds, not directly by clients.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs New Jersey's State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) to identify farmland that qualifies for differential property tax rates under the Farmland Assessment Act of 1964 but does not meet its county's minimum acreage requirement for farmland preservation programs. The SADC must then notify affected landowners in writing about preservation eligibility criteria (excluding income requirements) and invite them to apply for preservation through easements or land sales under existing farmland protection laws. The bill ensures that if a farm meets income requirements for tax assessment, those requirements won't be applied to preservation applications. It requires the SADC to complete county surveys within two years, process applications in order of submission, and report results to the Governor and Legislature within a year of completion.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a permanent "Support for Students Exposed to Domestic Violence Fund" within New Jersey's Department of Education. The fund provides financial support to public schools for three specific purposes: (1) school-based therapy and trauma-informed mental health services for students impacted by domestic violence, (2) identifying resources to address unmet needs of these students, and (3) funding staff training and employment for mental health personnel. The Department of Education will administer the fund, allocate money to schools based on its own methodology, and require schools to report how funds are used. This policy directly affects public schools and students exposed to domestic violence across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of the Treasury to conduct a formal review of pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) for the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) and School Employees' Health Benefits Program (SEHBP) every five years. The reviews must assess whether PBM contracts are cost-effective, meet operational and financial goals, and generate net savings for the state and participating local governments. After each review, the Treasury must publish a public report online within 30 days, detailing findings on costs, savings, and performance. The bill directly affects state and school employees covered by these health programs through their prescription drug coverage and costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill, designated as Claudia's Law, requires healthcare providers to include specific information in patient chest x-ray reports when an abnormality is detected. It mandates that patients receive a standardized notification stating: "Your chest x-ray shows an abnormality that may be associated with a risk factor for various illnesses. Use this information to talk to your health care provider..." This directly affects patients receiving chest x-ray results with abnormalities. The law aims to prompt patients to discuss findings with their healthcare providers about potential risks and additional screening, without altering medical protocols.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a $1.5 million grant program for New Jersey's four-year public colleges to create or expand wine and grape science education programs (covering grape growing, winemaking, and business operations). It directs the Secretary of Higher Education to select three institutions - one in each of the state's southern, central, and northern regions - to receive up to $500,000 each, requiring applicants to detail program plans, industry partnerships, and student capacity. The program allows students under 21 to enroll in academic coursework but prohibits participation in alcohol-related activities. The Secretary must submit a final report to the Governor and Legislature six months before the program concludes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's public colleges and universities to provide tuition-free job training courses to workers who lost their jobs due to automation. To qualify, workers must have been in the workforce for at least two years, be unemployed or have a layoff notice from an automated workplace, and not receive other state or federal financial aid. Institutions may charge a $20 registration fee per term but cannot require tuition, and courses must have available space with a minimum number of paying students. The bill expands an existing program that previously covered job losses from factory or plant closings.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a "Farm Mental Health and Financial Services Task Force" to address mental health and financial stress among New Jersey farm workers. The task force, made up of the Agriculture and Health Secretaries plus three public members (a farmer advocate, banking representative, and mental health advocate), must create and maintain a public online list of existing mental health and financial services for farm owners, operators, supervisors, and laborers within 180 days. The list will detail available services, how to access them, and include recommendations based on other states' approaches. The list must be updated online at least every six months by the Agriculture and Health Departments.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires drivers to stop at least 25 feet from school buses loading/unloading children or individuals with developmental disabilities on undivided highways, and to slow to 10 mph on divided highways. It establishes that violations captured by school bus monitoring systems (like cameras) will result in a $300 civil penalty instead of criminal charges or license points. The law directly affects drivers near school buses, school bus operators, and enforcement agencies. Key provisions include standardized stopping distances, speed limits for divided highways, and shifting penalties for monitored violations to a civil fine system. This changes enforcement by prioritizing evidence from monitoring systems to reduce penalties for documented violations.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows individuals with complaints about farming operations (like noise, odors, or land use) to file their complaint with the agriculture development board in a neighboring county if their local board cannot meet due to conflicts of interest. It also creates two new alternate voting members for these county boards, who must be residents of the county or members of an adjacent county’s agriculture board. These changes aim to ensure complaints are processed when local boards are unable to act, directly affecting farmers, landowners, and county boards handling Right to Farm Act disputes. The policy focuses on streamlining complaint resolution without altering the existing legal framework for farm operations.