Asm. Shavonda Sumter

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey state and county correctional facilities to offer hepatitis B and C blood testing to all inmates upon the start of their sentence. Inmates would not be required to participate in the testing. The law applies to all facilities housing incarcerated individuals, with testing provided at the beginning of confinement. It does not mandate testing but ensures facilities proactively offer the service.

Maddy summaryThis bill transfers administration of all school meal programs in New Jersey from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Education. It covers programs including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, and emergency meal distributions, which provide nutritious meals to students and children in childcare settings. The transfer includes all related functions, funding, staff, records, and existing rules (which remain in effect until replaced by the Department of Education). The change aims to align program management with the Department of Education’s mission of supporting student academic success through school-based services.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create a statewide plan within one year to reduce public lead exposure from contaminated soil and drinking water. The DEP must use existing soil test data from cleanup sites, public water testing results, and other relevant information to identify high-risk geographic areas, prioritize public funding for soil and water remediation, and develop a public education program about lead health risks. The plan must be updated every five years and made publicly available online. It directly affects DEP operations and aims to protect residents in communities with lead contamination.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases financial aid to New Jersey municipalities from the Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund over two years, restoring approximately $331 million in reduced aid payments that municipalities received during fiscal years 2009-2011. In fiscal year 2023, municipalities will receive 50% of the difference between their 2008 and 2012 aid distributions, with full restoration beginning in 2024. Municipalities must subtract any additional aid received from their property tax levy calculations and cannot anticipate this aid when creating annual budgets. The bill requires municipalities to amend their budgets to properly reflect the total aid amount, ensuring the aid directly reduces the amount they need to raise through property taxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill excludes the first $5,000 earned annually in income from health promotion or disease prevention work as a community outreach worker from eligibility calculations for NJ FamilyCare (Medicaid), Work First New Jersey (WFNJ), and NJ SNAP. It directly affects temporary hourly or stipend-based workers employed by community organizations, health systems, or local health departments who connect people to health services. The key provision ensures this specific income - earned through outreach activities like sharing health information or connecting individuals to services - is not counted when determining eligibility for these assistance programs. The bill defines "community outreach worker," "disease prevention program," and "health promotion program" to clarify eligibility.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "Neighborhood Scholar Revitalization Pilot Program" in four New Jersey cities: Camden, Trenton, Jersey City, and Paterson. It offers college graduates with at least $7,000 in student loan debt a $7,000 reimbursement toward their loans after committing to live in designated low-income neighborhoods for 24 months. Businesses in participating enterprise zones can earn tax credits equal to their contributions to the program's fund, which is partially funded by transferring money from municipal enterprise zone assistance accounts. The program limits participation to 200 graduates per city, with a 3-year evaluation required to determine potential expansion.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A2053 requires the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to create mandatory standards for publicly funded transitional housing programs supporting individuals recently released from prison. The bill mandates that these standards ensure resident safety, provide emergency and long-term housing, and include counseling services (like substance abuse treatment, job training, and medical care), personalized care plans for long-term inmates, and assistance securing permanent housing. These regulations must be developed in consultation with the Corrections Commissioner and will apply to all state-supported reentry housing programs. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $1,995,000 from New Jersey's Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund to expand addiction recovery support services. It allocates $1,715,000 to supplement existing federal funding for STAR (Support Team Addiction Recovery) programs statewide, $192,500 to establish a STAR Jail Expansion program in Passaic County, and $87,500 for staff salaries for case managers and recovery support specialists. The STAR programs provide case management and recovery support services to individuals with substance use disorders, while the STAR Jail Expansion program specifically serves people recently released from correctional facilities. The bill specifies these funds are supplemental to, not a replacement for, existing federal funding for these programs. The funding supports evidence-based approaches to addressing opioid use disorder and co-occurring conditions.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a new rule of evidence that would allow statements reporting sexual assault or employment discrimination to be admitted as evidence, even though they would normally be considered hearsay. The statement must have been made spontaneously within a reasonable time after the incident to someone the victim would typically turn to for support. This evidence would be admissible to assess the complainant's credibility, counter the idea that delay means the report was fabricated, and help explain the investigative process. It would apply to both criminal and civil cases involving these allegations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health to create mandatory maternity care standards for general hospitals licensed to provide maternity services. The standards must focus on patient safety throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, aiming to reduce negative health events and racial disparities in outcomes. Hospitals must comply with these standards as a condition of their licensure. The standards will be based on national best practices from groups like the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health and must be updated as needed.