Asm. Carmen Morales

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health (DOH) to establish regional hospital coalitions to coordinate emergency preparedness across the state. Each coalition - comprising hospitals and local health departments - must develop and annually update plans addressing response coordination, staffing, patient surge capacity, and service continuity during public emergencies. The DOH will review these plans, conduct annual system-wide preparedness surveys, and provide grants with technical assistance to hospitals identified as deficient in emergency readiness. The program directly affects all licensed hospitals and local health departments in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the "New Jersey Reparations Task Force" to research and develop proposals addressing generational harms from New Jersey's role in slavery and systemic racial discrimination. The task force will examine historical and current disparities affecting Black communities, including voter disenfranchisement, youth incarceration rates, housing discrimination, wealth gaps, and school segregation. It will produce a report with policy recommendations for state-based reparations based on documented harms. The bill directly affects Black residents of New Jersey who face these systemic inequities, as outlined in the legislative findings.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A-2573) updates New Jersey's NJBEST program, which helps families save for education expenses. It increases the tax-free asset protection threshold from $25,000 to $50,000 per account, expands tax deductions for contributions (up to $15,000 annually for lower-income filers), and creates new matching grants: $1,000 for initial deposits by low-income account holders and $500 for transfers from out-of-state 529 plans. The bill also establishes an advisory council to guide program management and clarifies that grant funds are not counted as taxable income. These changes directly benefit New Jersey residents opening or contributing to NJBEST accounts, particularly lower-income families.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits landlords from conducting "hard credit inquiries" (which can lower a tenant's credit score) when screening applicants for affordable housing, defined as low- or moderate-income households with housing subsidies or applying to subsidized units. Landlords may only use "soft credit inquiries" (consent-based, with no score impact) for these applicants. Violations incur escalating fines: $100 for the first offense in a year, then $200 more for each subsequent offense. The bill also requires consumer reporting agencies to count multiple hard inquiries within one month for rental applications as a single inquiry to prevent score damage, and mandates the housing department to post online resources about these rules within six months.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's Bill A-2593 requires the Commissioner of Education to create a sensitivity training program for high school athletic directors, coaches, and sports officials. The training covers topics like gender/sexual orientation, race, disabilities, religious tolerance, unconscious bias, and diversity. Coaches, athletic directors, and sports officials must complete the training every four years (with new hires doing it in their first year), and officials must certify completion when applying for certification. This bill, currently introduced but not yet enacted, directly affects all public and nonpublic high school sports staff in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to study within 60 days whether it can implement an electronic system for processing vehicle liens and titles, replacing the current paper-based system. If the MVC lacks resources, it must contract with a qualified vendor under specific terms: a 7-year agreement, no cost to the state (with the vendor reimbursing implementation costs), and fees for lienholders. Within one year of the system launching, most lienholders (including banks and lenders) must use the electronic system, with exemptions for individuals and non-business lienholders. The bill focuses on transitioning to digital records while ensuring the state incurs no costs for implementation.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a New Jersey program to help reproductive health care professionals reduce student loan debt. It appropriates $5 million to redeem up to $200,000 in qualifying student loans for eligible providers who work at approved sites (including abortion providers) for 1-4 years. Participants earn 18% loan redemption after one year of service, increasing to 26%, 28%, and 28% for subsequent years. The program prioritizes providers in counties with shortages of reproductive health services, targeting areas where abortion access is limited. It directly affects licensed professionals providing reproductive health care, including abortion services, within the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill (NJ A432) requires landlords in New Jersey to inspect rental properties within 90 days for lead service lines (pipes connecting water mains to buildings) or lead plumbing. If lead pipes are found, landlords must disclose this to current tenants and provide written notice about health risks to prospective tenants before new leases. Violations carry a $500 penalty per offense, with each day of noncompliance considered a separate violation. The law directly affects all landlords of residential rental properties in New Jersey and aims to ensure tenants are informed about potential lead exposure in drinking water.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public colleges to provide a replacement scholarship to student-athletes who lose their athletic scholarship due to an injury or illness directly related to intercollegiate athletics. If the injury makes a student-athlete medically ineligible to compete (as determined by the institution's medical staff), the school must offer a scholarship equal in value for the remainder of their undergraduate degree program or up to five years total - whichever is shorter. It specifically applies to student-athletes enrolled at public institutions of higher education in New Jersey. The law defines "incapacitating injury or illness" as one directly tied to athletic participation that causes medical ineligibility for competition.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 20-member Chronic Absenteeism Task Force to study chronic absenteeism in New Jersey public schools. The task force, appointed by the Governor and legislative leaders, will analyze root causes - including mental health, school climate, pandemic impacts, and discipline policies - and research state best practices to develop recommendations. It must issue a final report to the Governor and Legislature within six months, focusing on strategies to improve school attendance and family engagement. The task force expires 30 days after submitting its report. This bill directly affects public school students and districts by addressing a growing issue: chronic absenteeism rose to 16.6% in 2022-2023, up from 10.6% pre-pandemic.