Asm. Ellen Park

Maddy summaryThis bill imposes civil penalties for frivolous lawsuits in domestic violence cases in New Jersey. It requires courts to assess $5,000 for a first offense, $10,000 for a second, and $15,000 for third or subsequent offenses when a party files a complaint, counterclaim, or defense deemed frivolous - such as in bad faith, for harassment, or as part of coercive control tactics against domestic violence victims. These penalties, collected from the offending party, are directed to the Domestic Violence Victims’ Fund. The law applies specifically to cases under New Jersey’s Prevention of Domestic Violence Act (P.L.1991, c.261).

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Office for Women’s Advancement within New Jersey’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The office will directly support women in New Jersey workplaces by collecting data on issues like the gender pay gap, hiring practices, and work-family balance; collaborating with state agencies and groups like the Advisory Commission on the Status of Women; reviewing legislation for gender equity; and publishing reports and hosting events. It creates a dedicated "Women's Advancement Fund" to receive annual state appropriations and eligible federal or private funding for the office’s operations. The policy change creates a permanent state office focused on advancing gender equity in employment, career development, and workplace culture across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Attorney General to review and update the statewide use-of-force policy every even-numbered year, ensuring it prioritizes de-escalation, limits force to necessary and proportional measures (with deadly force as a last resort), and includes officer duties like intervention and reporting. It mandates three public hearings across the state to gather community input and requires all law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and the State Police to receive the revised policy. The bill also establishes a public online reporting system for use-of-force incidents, compiling data under open records laws for public access. Additionally, it sets detailed guidelines for handling barricaded individuals - emphasizing mental health crisis protocols and de-escalation - and mandates training for law enforcement on these procedures.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes two new entities in New Jersey: the Office of Healthcare Affordability and Transparency (within the Department of Health) and the Health Care Cost Containment and Price Transparency Commission. It requires hospitals, health insurers, and other healthcare providers to publicly report detailed pricing data for services like inpatient care, emergency visits, and physician services. The Commission will set annual benchmarks for healthcare cost growth and hospital pricing, monitor entities exceeding these benchmarks, and may impose public transparency requirements or civil penalties for noncompliance. These provisions directly affect all New Jersey hospitals, health insurers, and healthcare providers by mandating transparency in pricing and cost reporting to promote affordability.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's bill A 1391 would enter the state into the Interstate Physician Assistant Licensure Compact, allowing physician assistants (PAs) licensed in participating states to practice in New Jersey without obtaining a separate license. Under the compact, PAs with an unrestricted license in good standing from another participating state would receive a "Compact Privilege" to provide medical services in New Jersey while adhering to New Jersey's laws during patient encounters. The compact requires participating states to share license and disciplinary information through a centralized data system and includes a provision to ease licensing for military families by allowing them to use their home state license. This change would directly affect PAs seeking cross-state practice, particularly those near state borders or in military communities, and aims to improve access to medical services in underserved areas.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies New Jersey's cosmetology licensing exam requirements. It expands language options beyond English by requiring the State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling to offer practical and written exams in English plus the four most commonly spoken languages in the state (determined using Census data). This affects both new applicants and practicing licensees, who may now take each exam portion in one of these four languages or use a translator for practical exams if approved by the board. The Division of Consumer Affairs must verify and update the list of available languages every five years using official data. The change replaces the current limited option of Spanish for practicing licensees.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all health insurance policies in New Jersey to cover at-home rehabilitation services for people recovering from injury or illness. It applies to every type of health plan - including individual policies, group plans, HMOs, and health benefits plans - mandating that coverage must be provided "to the same extent as for any other medical condition." The law defines "at-home rehabilitation" as treatment using medical equipment within a person's home for functional physical or mental impairments. This change directly affects insurers (who must include this coverage) and patients needing such services, eliminating gaps in coverage for home-based care.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases annual payments from New Jersey's Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund to municipalities by $15 million (from $740 million to $755 million) over two years. It directly affects most municipalities (excluding those with a municipal purposes tax rate of $0.10 or less per $100) by requiring them to subtract this additional aid from their property tax levies. The bill also prohibits municipalities from anticipating certain revenue when creating annual budgets. These changes aim to provide more direct property tax relief to local governments through the existing fund, which receives energy-related tax revenues.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A 1399 (now law as P.L.2025, c.255) creates a new criminal offense for possessing digital instructions that enable illegal firearm manufacturing. The law specifically targets digital files, guides, or plans that could be used to make firearms or components without authorization. It directly affects individuals who access or share such digital materials, making it a crime separate from actually manufacturing firearms. This provision adds to New Jersey's existing firearm laws by addressing the digital means of circumventing manufacturing restrictions. The law became effective upon enactment and does not change penalties for actual illegal firearm production.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a two-year pilot program to improve coordination of behavioral health services in New Jersey. It requires the Department of Human Services to identify eligible patients with severe behavioral health disorders using Medicaid data, then contract with community providers to deliver coordinated care. Key mechanisms include mandatory needs assessments, "rapid referrals" for timely access to services, "warm hand-offs" between providers, and hiring service navigators to help patients access treatment. The program directly affects patients with severe mental health or substance use disorders who are identified through Medicaid claims. The pilot will operate across three regions of the state, with managed care organizations administering the program.