Asm. Avi Schnall

Maddy summaryThis bill lowers the minimum uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage required for transportation network company drivers (like Uber or Lyft drivers) and their companies when drivers are actively providing rides. It reduces the required coverage from $1.5 million to $25,000 per person (rising to $35,000 after 2026) for bodily injury, $50,000 (to $70,000 after 2026) for multiple people, and $25,000 for property damage per accident. The change applies to insurance policies issued or renewed after January 1, 2023, with gradual increases in the minimums after 2026. This directly affects ride-share drivers and companies by lowering their insurance cost requirements during active rides.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the "Expanding Physician Access Act of 2025," creates a new pathway for international medical graduates to obtain a provisional license to practice medicine in New Jersey. It requires the State Board of Medical Examiners to grant provisional licenses to international graduates with a job offer from a New Jersey healthcare facility, provided they meet specific criteria: a recognized medical degree, 5+ years of practice in their home country, English fluency, valid U.S. work authorization, and residency in one of nine specified countries (e.g., Australia, Canada, UK). After a 3-year probationary period, the provisional license automatically converts to a full license, and graduates are not required to stay with their initial employer. The bill repeals an existing licensing section (R.S.45:9-14) and amends current licensing rules to align with these new procedures.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act (A-1400), prohibits state and local government agencies - including law enforcement, schools, and hospitals - from cooperating with federal immigration authorities on immigration detainer requests that lack judicial warrants. It directly affects immigrants and their families by ensuring they can access public services like healthcare and education without fear of deportation. Key provisions ban agencies from holding individuals beyond their release date based on federal immigration detainers (like I-247 forms) and require them to prioritize local safety over federal immigration enforcement. The law aims to prevent unconstitutional detentions and maintain community trust in public services, as federal detainers have been found to violate constitutional rights in multiple courts.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds "Sikhism" to New Jersey's list of protected classes under the state's bias intimidation law (N.J.S.2C:16-1), explicitly including Sikhs in legal protections against hate crimes motivated by religious bias. It directly affects Sikh residents and community members who face discrimination or violence due to their religious identity, such as attacks targeting turbans, beards, or gurdwaras. The key mechanism amends the statute to cover offenses committed "because of their membership within a protected class," including Sikhism, and creates a legal presumption that bias was a motivating factor in such crimes. The bill also appropriates $100,000, likely for educational or support programs related to Sikh community awareness, though specific funding details aren't outlined in the text.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's law governing employment programs for people with disabilities, renaming it the "Extended Employment Act" and updating terminology (e.g., replacing "sheltered workshop" with "extended employment"). It directly affects individuals with significant disabilities who choose these programs, as well as nonprofit providers offering vocational services. Key provisions include defining "extended employment" as community-based work opportunities with flexible service models (like retail or restaurants), requiring nonprofit providers to be nationally accredited, and tying state funding to inflation (CPI-W) rather than fixed amounts. The law also expands program goals to include competitive integrated employment and requires providers to submit annual expense analyses for funding adjustments.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases funding for New Jersey's Work First New Jersey Child Care program by $28 million in the FY2026 budget, raising its appropriation from $565.8 million to $593.8 million. It directly affects lower-income families who rely on child care subsidies to cover expenses, reversing actions taken in August 2025 that paused new applications and raised family copayments from 1-5% to 2-6% of income. The bill requires the state to resume accepting new applications and return to pre-August 2025 copayment rates (no higher than those in place on June 30, 2025). This funding adjustment addresses a projected shortfall identified by the Department of Human Services to ensure the program operates fully without suspending enrollment.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Jersey's school funding formulas and creates a Special Education Funding Review Task Force. It requires the education commissioner to notify school districts annually about funding amounts, including per-pupil costs, special education aid, and geographic adjustments, based on the state's Educational Adequacy Report. The bill clarifies how districts calculate their required local tax levies and adjusts special education funding when actual aid differs from initial projections. It directly affects all New Jersey public school districts by changing how state aid is calculated and distributed. The Special Education Funding Review Task Force will be established to examine funding mechanisms for students with disabilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits automobile insurers from raising premiums for drivers deemed not at fault in accidents involving municipal vehicles (e.g., city-owned cars). It specifically bans insurers from using such accidents as a factor to assign drivers to higher insurance rating tiers. The rule applies only when the at-fault party was a municipality protected by legal immunity under New Jersey law. Private drivers affected by this provision would no longer face rate increases due to accidents where they were not at fault and the other party was a municipal vehicle.

Maddy summaryThis bill bans the farming (aquaculture) of any octopus species for human consumption in New Jersey, exempting wild-caught octopus. It prohibits businesses from selling, possessing, or transporting octopus products resulting from aquaculture. Violations carry civil penalties up to $1,000 per day, with each day of violation treated as a separate offense. The law takes effect immediately.

Maddy summaryThis bill adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism as an educational resource for New Jersey state agencies, schools, and law enforcement. It defines antisemitism as hatred toward Jews, including specific examples like Holocaust denial, harmful stereotypes (e.g., conspiracy theories about Jewish control), and double standards applied to Israel. The definition is explicitly non-binding and must be used while protecting constitutional rights like free speech. New Jersey lawmakers cite the state's high rate of antisemitic incidents - including ranking third nationally in 2023 - as the basis for this measure.