Asm. Avi Schnall

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new pathway for international medical graduates (IMGs) to obtain a provisional license to practice medicine in New Jersey. It directly affects IMGs who have completed 5+ years of practice in their home country, hold a medical degree from a recognized program, meet English fluency requirements, and are employed at a New Jersey healthcare facility. Key provisions include automatic conversion to a full license after a 3-year probationary period (without requiring continued employment), and requiring licensure from specific countries (e.g., Australia, Canada, UK). The bill replaces existing licensing rules in the state code and repeals the outdated R.S.45:9-14 section.

Maddy summary"CJ's Law" (A5129) would criminalize the manufacture, distribution, and possession of substances containing kratom (mitragyna speciosa korth, mitragynine, or derivatives) in New Jersey. It establishes two offense levels: second-degree for 1 ounce or more (5-10 years in prison, up to $150,000 fine) and third-degree for less than 1 ounce (3-5 years in prison, up to $15,000 fine). The law includes an exception for licensed practitioners (doctors, dentists, veterinarians, etc.) who may handle such substances in professional practice. The legislation is named after Christopher James Holowach, who died from cardiac arrest related to a drug mixture containing kratom, and is based on FDA warnings about kratom's health risks including addiction and serious health issues.

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 modifies New Jersey's NJBEST savings program to provide a dollar-for-dollar match on all initial deposits to accounts, up to $750 total. It directly affects low-income residents (with gross income of $75,000 or less) who open NJBEST accounts. Previously, these account holders could only receive one matching grant for their initial deposit, but the change allows multiple matches for each new initial deposit. This makes the program more flexible for families building savings through multiple contributions.

Maddy summaryThis bill would change New Jersey's recording law from "one-party consent" to "all-party consent," making it unlawful for private citizens to record phone calls or conversations without the agreement of every participant. It directly affects anyone recording private discussions, such as in personal, business, or social settings, by requiring all parties to consent beforehand. The key mechanism updates Section 4 of New Jersey's wiretapping statute to remove the existing exception allowing recordings with only one party's consent. This aligns New Jersey with 11 other states that require all-party consent for audio recordings. Law enforcement and certain service providers would remain exempt under existing exceptions.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires hospitals to install and operate electronic monitoring devices (like cameras or video phones) in a patient's room upon request by an incapacitated patient or their legal representative. It directly affects hospitalized patients who cannot communicate verbally due to unconsciousness, immobility, or lack of capacity, and their representatives. Key provisions include hospitals covering all costs for the device, storing recorded video footage for 60 days after discharge, informing patients about this right during admission, and obtaining written consent from roommates before installation. The bill also prohibits hospitals from denying admission or discharge based on such requests and makes tampering with the device a criminal offense.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey automobile insurers from raising insurance rates for private drivers who were not at fault in accidents involving municipal vehicles (like city buses or police cars). It specifically bans insurers from using such accident details as a reason to assign higher rates, ensuring these drivers aren't penalized for incidents where the municipality was liable. The law requires insurers to follow uniform underwriting rules and prevents them from unfairly increasing premiums based solely on these types of accidents. This directly affects private vehicle owners who experience non-fault collisions with municipal vehicles.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey Medicaid to cover ovulation-enhancing drugs and related medical services for individuals aged 21-44 experiencing infertility, with coverage limited to three treatment cycles per person. Infertility is defined as failure to conceive after 12 months of regular, unprotected sex for those 21-34 years old, or six months for those 35-44 years old. Covered medical services include office visits, hysterosalpingograms, pelvic ultrasounds, and blood testing, but not the drugs themselves for more than three cycles. The coverage is contingent on federal financial participation being available.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes several changes to New Jersey's school funding system. It requires the Department of Education to publish school district funding calculations in plain language, establishes a Special Education Funding Review Task Force to examine special education funding models, and creates "reduction adjustment aid" to limit annual reductions in state school aid to no more than 2% of a district's previous year's total operating budget. The bill also adjusts vocational expansion stabilization aid for enrollment changes and establishes protections for school districts in municipalities with high tax rates that are spending below adequacy levels. These changes aim to improve transparency, adjust funding formulas, and protect school districts from excessive aid reductions.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's Assembly Bill 6147 would lower the minimum required uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for transportation network company (TNC) drivers and companies, such as Uber or Lyft drivers. Currently, when a TNC driver is providing a ride, the law requires at least $1.5 million in such coverage; the bill would reduce this minimum amount. This change directly affects TNC drivers and companies by decreasing their mandatory insurance obligations. The bill amends existing insurance requirements without altering other coverage types like liability or medical payments.