Asm. Ellen Park

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an independent Office of the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Addiction Services within New Jersey's Department of the Treasury (though operating separately from it). The office directly serves residents with mental illness or addiction by helping them access treatment, ensuring proper care in facilities, providing counseling and job support, and educating the public about substance use disorders. The Governor appoints a qualified ombudsman who must annually report to the Human Services Commissioner, Governor, and Legislature on services provided and recommendations. The bill creates a dedicated resource to support individuals navigating mental health and addiction services across the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the operational rules for New Jersey's Commission on Human Trafficking, allowing the commission to begin functioning once a majority of its 17 members are appointed (rather than requiring all members to be appointed first). The commission, established in 2013, evaluates human trafficking laws, reviews victim services, and promotes public awareness. The key change is that a majority (9 or more members) can now form a quorum to exercise the commission's powers, including organizing meetings and making recommendations. This procedural adjustment ensures the commission can start its work without waiting for full membership appointments. The bill does not alter the commission's duties, membership requirements, or substantive responsibilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases funding for New Jersey's Work First New Jersey Child Care program by $28 million in the FY2026 budget, raising its appropriation from $565.8 million to $593.8 million. It directly affects lower-income families who rely on child care subsidies to cover expenses, reversing actions taken in August 2025 that paused new applications and raised family copayments from 1-5% to 2-6% of income. The bill requires the state to resume accepting new applications and return to pre-August 2025 copayment rates (no higher than those in place on June 30, 2025). This funding adjustment addresses a projected shortfall identified by the Department of Human Services to ensure the program operates fully without suspending enrollment.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey state officials and employees from accepting virtual currency (like Bitcoin) or non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as gifts. It amends existing ethics laws to explicitly define "gift" as including these digital assets, covering all state officers and employees as defined in the statute. The key change adds virtual currency and NFTs to the list of items banned from being accepted as gifts to prevent potential conflicts of interest. This applies to all state agencies, departments, and elected officials, excluding members of the Legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow New Jersey taxpayers to deduct union dues paid to labor organizations from their state gross income tax. It directly affects workers who pay dues to labor organizations (defined as groups addressing workplace issues like wages or conditions). To claim the deduction, taxpayers must provide verification of dues paid to the state tax division. The bill is currently pending in the Assembly Labor Committee and would apply to tax years starting after its enactment.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill replaces all references to "alien" and "illegal alien" in state laws with "foreign national" and "undocumented foreign national," respectively. It directly affects state statutes covering inheritance, estates, and lottery prize distributions, as seen in amended sections like N.J.S.3B:5-12 and the lottery assignment rules. The key mechanism is a simple terminology update across all state laws and a prohibition on executive branch agencies using the outdated terms. The bill makes no new policy changes - it only updates language to align with current terminology. It is currently pending in the Assembly State and Local Government Committee.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires health insurance plans and providers to ensure their networks include enough mental health providers so that every covered person can access care. It mandates that 100% of policyholders must have access to either in-person mental health services within 15 miles and 30 days of requesting care, or telehealth services within 30 days if in-person options are unavailable. Insurance plans must cover telehealth mental health services with no higher deductibles, copays, or coinsurance than in-person visits, and reimburse providers at least the Medicaid rate. The law applies to all health insurance plans, including Medicaid managed care organizations, and self-funded plans may choose to comply.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 1371) allows parents or legal custodians separated from their children due to federal immigration actions - such as detention, arrest, or removal - to formally appoint a standby guardian for their minor child. It expands existing standby guardianship law to specifically include "administrative separation" caused by immigration enforcement. Parents can designate a guardian through written consent (without needing medical proof for immigration-related cases), and the guardian assumes care upon the parent's separation, without terminating parental rights. The bill directly affects immigrant parents facing immigration enforcement actions who wish to secure childcare arrangements in advance.

Maddy summaryThis bill adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism as an educational resource for New Jersey state agencies, schools, and law enforcement. It defines antisemitism as hatred toward Jews, including specific examples like Holocaust denial, harmful stereotypes (e.g., conspiracy theories about Jewish control), and double standards applied to Israel. The definition is explicitly non-binding and must be used while protecting constitutional rights like free speech. New Jersey lawmakers cite the state's high rate of antisemitic incidents - including ranking third nationally in 2023 - as the basis for this measure.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires veterinarians to provide clear, written disclosures to pet owners before rabies testing on dead companion animals. It mandates that veterinarians give owners a standard notification form detailing testing reasons, body handling protocols, and disposal rules (including that heads may not be returned after testing), along with a pamphlet explaining rabies vaccines and testing procedures. The pamphlet must be provided to owners when a rabies vaccine is administered, and veterinarians must display a related poster in their offices. The law applies to pet owners and veterinarians, with penalties for non-compliance, while also establishing optional mental health training for veterinary staff.