Asm. Carmen Morales

Maddy summaryAJR 58 establishes a 15-member task force to address cases of missing and murdered Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) women and girls in New Jersey. The task force, appointed by state leaders and agency heads, will develop culturally competent training for first responders, create prevention materials for affected communities, improve statewide data collection on missing BIPOC women/girls, identify high-risk locations, and launch a public awareness campaign. It must submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within 18 months of forming. The task force directly affects BIPOC women and girls who are missing or victims of violence, aiming to address underreporting and systemic gaps in law enforcement responses.

Maddy summaryAJR 76 designates May of each year as Haitian Heritage Month in New Jersey. The resolution aims to celebrate Haitian culture, history, and contributions - including the Haitian Revolution and culinary traditions - while raising public awareness about Haitian achievements. It requires the Governor to issue an annual proclamation encouraging public observance through community programs. This designation specifically recognizes New Jersey’s fourth-largest Haitian-American population (nearly 69,000 residents) and expands on Haitian Flag Day (May 18).

Maddy summaryThis bill requires private health insurers, the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP), State Employees Health Benefits Program (SEHBP), Medicaid, and NJ FamilyCare to cover the cost of wigs when prescribed by a dermatologist, oncologist, or physician for medical reasons. Insurers must cover wigs as "durable medical equipment" for subscribers diagnosed with illness, chronic conditions, or injury, provided the doctor certifies medical necessity. Coverage is limited to once every 36 months and cannot be restricted to chemotherapy patients only. The law applies to all health insurance contracts delivered, issued, or renewed in New Jersey after its effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows students receiving Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) grants to use a portion of their award for summer courses that count toward graduation or their major. Students must notify the Higher Education Secretary before the academic year starts, which reduces their regular academic year disbursement by a specific amount. The Secretary must annually report how many students used the summer option and their graduation rates within standard timeframes. It directly affects EOF grant recipients at participating New Jersey institutions, implementing a 2016 commission recommendation to improve college affordability.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey court records related to landlord-tenant disputes (such as evictions or rent collection cases) to become permanently confidential to the public starting five years after the case was filed. After this five-year period, landlords, tenant screening services, and the public cannot access these records unless a court specifically approves disclosure for public interest, while removing all tenant-identifying information. Landlords are also prohibited from using these old court records when screening new tenants. Public entities must ensure these records remain confidential, though demographic data about eviction trends (without tenant names or addresses) may still be used for research.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires licensed child care centers in New Jersey with existing audio-visual systems to retain all recordings for 180 days. It directly affects centers that already have such systems installed, not those without them. The key provision mandates that the Department of Children and Families or a designated organization must review the recordings before deletion. Centers may delete recordings after 180 days, but must follow this review process. The bill does not require new installations of surveillance systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's "Daniel's Law" (P.L.2021, c.371) to add licensed land surveyors to the list of professionals who may access unredacted property addresses for their work. It directly affects licensed land surveyors and surveying businesses, allowing them to request full addresses from public records when conducting surveys in their ordinary course of business. The key provision removes redaction requirements for addresses in property records when requested by these surveyors, ensuring they have necessary information for their services. This change aligns surveyors with other exempted professionals like title companies and real estate brokers under the existing law.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A2620 establishes an 11-member Artificial Intelligence Initiative Funding Task Force within the Department of the Treasury. The task force will research and report on public/private funding sources and tax incentives for businesses impacted by AI expansion, including recommendations for public-private partnerships and university collaborations. It must submit a final report within 12 months to the Governor and Legislature, detailing specific legislative proposals and aligning AI funding with workforce needs. The task force includes state agency leaders and appointed experts in AI, economic development, and tax policy, but does not create new funding or tax changes itself.

Maddy summaryThis bill restructures the governance of New Jersey's State Health Benefits Program (SHBP), which provides health coverage to state employees. It creates a new 11-member State Health Benefits Commission (replacing the previous structure) and a separate 12-member Plan Design Committee. The Commission includes the Treasurer, agency heads, and members appointed by labor unions representing state employees, while the Plan Design Committee focuses specifically on designing health plan benefits like medical, dental, and prescription coverage. These changes affect all state employees enrolled in the SHBP by altering who oversees their health plan offerings and administration. The bill does not change the actual benefits provided, only the decision-making bodies managing the program.

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.