Asm. Carmen Morales

Maddy summaryAJR 207 is a New Jersey legislative resolution urging Congress to call a constitutional convention to consider amending the U.S. Constitution. It specifically seeks to establish a national standard for reproductive health care rights, including access to contraception, abortion, and pregnancy decisions, to replace the current patchwork of state laws following the *Dobbs* decision. The resolution requests Congress convene a convention - requiring two-thirds approval in both chambers - to propose such an amendment, which would then need ratification by 38 states. As a procedural resolution, it does not create law but formally requests federal action to address disparities in reproductive care access.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurers in New Jersey to continue providing dependent health coverage for adult children with disabilities who are 26 years of age or older. It applies to various health coverage types including hospital service corporations, medical service corporations, health maintenance organizations, and group health plans. The coverage must continue if the adult child is incapable of self-sustaining employment due to an intellectual disability or physical handicap and is chiefly dependent on the subscriber for support and maintenance. This extends existing law that previously limited dependent coverage to age 26, adding a specific exception for certain disabled adults. The bill would take effect 90 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4881) requires New Jersey colleges and universities to notify state education agencies when the federal government approves borrower defense loan discharge for a student. Specifically, institutions must inform the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority and the Secretary of Higher Education within a reasonable time after receiving federal notice of approved discharge. The bill also mandates that institutions report whether the student was a New Jersey resident during enrollment. This ensures state agencies are aware of discharged loans for potential state-level support or oversight, aligning with federal borrower defense rules that allow loan discharge when institutions engaged in misconduct harming students.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4626) requires construction permit applicants in New Jersey to disclose the anticipated funding sources and amounts for their projects. It directly affects developers and contractors applying for construction permits by mandating this financial transparency in their initial applications. The bill also requires applicants to certify or update this funding information before receiving a certificate of occupancy. The Commissioner of Community Affairs must develop implementing rules within 180 days of the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes public-private partnerships to develop artificial intelligence (AI) job training programs in New Jersey. It allows private entities to design and deliver AI-related training for two groups: displaced workers (those losing jobs due to AI adoption) and current workers seeking to upgrade their skills. Under the bill, private partners assume full financial and administrative responsibility for these programs while being exempt from standard state procurement rules and prevailing wage requirements. The Department of Labor will review training proposals, require annual progress reports from an advisory council, and ensure programs are publicly advertised. The goal is to strengthen the state's workforce competitiveness in the AI sector through targeted training.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey Assembly Resolution (AR 131) urges the federal government to update the poverty threshold used to determine eligibility for public assistance programs. It argues the current federal poverty line - based on 1960s food costs and unchanged for decades - fails to account for modern expenses like housing, healthcare, and transportation, leaving millions who struggle to afford basics ineligible for aid. The resolution states that 53 million households face hardship but only 37.9 million are officially counted as poor under the current measure. It directly affects low-income households excluded from programs like Medicaid and food assistance due to the outdated calculation, especially amid rising costs since 2020. The resolution has no binding effect but requests federal action to expand access to public assistance.

Maddy summaryThe Blasting Damages Compensation Act establishes a system to reimburse residential property owners for damage caused by rock quarry blasting operations. It requires quarry operators to conduct pre- and post-blasting assessments of nearby properties, provide public notice of blasting activities, and maintain insurance or self-insurance funds. The bill creates a tax on rock quarry operations ($0.15 per cubic yard of rock excavated) to fund a dedicated compensation fund. Property owners within blast impact zones can apply for reimbursement for repair costs, water supply damage, medical expenses, and other related costs not covered by the quarry's insurance. The fund uses a pro-rata system when funding is limited, with claims needing to be submitted within one year of discovering damage.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Office of Bilingual and English Language Learner Education within New Jersey's Department of Education to directly support over 130,000 students in public schools who are learning English (representing about 9% of all students). The office will develop bilingual programs, provide teacher training, offer student academic support, create multilingual parent resources, and monitor school compliance with state/federal requirements. School districts must annually report on English learner enrollment and progress, and non-compliant schools must create corrective action plans. The office must also launch a multilingual website within 60 days, offering information in New Jersey's five most common languages.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits landlords in New Jersey from conducting "hard credit inquiries" (which can lower a tenant's credit score) when evaluating applicants for affordable housing, defined as low- or moderate-income rental units or those under state/federal subsidy programs. Landlords may only use "soft credit inquiries" (which don’t affect credit scores) for these applicants. Violations carry fines of up to $100 for the first offense in a year and $200 for each subsequent offense within the same year. The bill also requires credit reporting agencies to count multiple hard credit checks for rental applications within one month as a single inquiry.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires rental car companies in New Jersey to delete renters' personal information from vehicle computer systems when a vehicle is returned. It defines "personal information" to include navigation history, phone data, and garage door codes, and mandates deletion using NIST-approved protocols or the vehicle manufacturer's factory reset option. Rental companies failing to comply face civil penalties of $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for subsequent offenses. The law applies to all businesses renting vehicles short-term to the public, including hourly or daily rentals. It directly affects renters whose data could remain in vehicle systems and rental companies responsible for implementing the deletion process.