Asm. Ellen Park

Maddy summaryThis bill requires most health insurance plans in New Jersey, including Medicaid and state employee plans, to cover specific family planning and reproductive health services without deductibles, copays, or coinsurance. It explicitly includes abortion (both aspiration and medication methods), emergency services for mothers/newborns, family planning counseling, genetic testing, pre/postpartum hospital care, and well-baby care. Childbirth itself is excluded from the required coverage. Religious employers may opt out under existing law, and exemptions for federal funding concerns are permitted but limited to the minimum necessary.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey state employees with access to agency computers to complete annual cybersecurity training. The training, developed by the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC), covers essential practices like updating passwords, identifying phishing scams, preventing ransomware, and responding to data breaches. It applies to employees across the Executive and Legislative branches, including legislators. The NJCCIC will administer the program, with the Office of Homeland Security adopting implementation guidelines. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a $250,000 grant program administered by New Jersey's Office of the Secretary of Higher Education to support scientific conferences hosted by the state's colleges and universities. Institutions of higher education can apply for grants to cover costs like venue rentals, speaker fees, travel, and lodging for scientific conferences, but not food or unrelated vendor expenses. Applications must include conference details, speaker credentials, and cost information, with grant amounts determined by the Secretary. The program aims to help local academic institutions host scientific events by offsetting specific operational costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey high school students to complete a one-semester financial literacy course as part of graduation requirements for a State-endorsed diploma. It mandates that the course cover budgeting, savings, credit, debt, banking, taxes, college financial planning, and behavioral economics - excluding business/entrepreneurship-focused content. The instruction must be taught by teachers with specific endorsements in business, finance, social studies, or related fields. School districts must implement this by the 2027-2028 school year for students entering 12th grade that year, building on existing middle school financial literacy requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey colleges and universities to install automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in every athletic facility and student center, placed in unlocked, accessible locations during normal operating hours. Institutions must also maintain a supply of naloxone nasal spray near each AED for opioid overdose emergencies, with a designated campus medical professional overseeing its administration and storage. Staff must include at least two trained individuals in CPR and AED use during facility hours, and all equipment must be regularly maintained per manufacturer guidelines. The bill provides legal immunity for institutions and staff acting in good faith to comply with these requirements.

Maddy summaryThis Assembly Resolution (AR 149) amends the New Jersey General Assembly Rules to require all members to be formally addressed as "State Representative" instead of "Assemblyman" or "Assemblywoman." It adds Rule 25:1 stating: "All members of the General Assembly shall be addressed, and referred to, as State Representative." The resolution aims to adopt a gender-neutral title, aligning with the state constitution's use of "members" and the practice of 45 other states. This change affects all current and future General Assembly members in formal communications and records.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4730) allows New Jersey courts to admit evidence of a defendant’s prior domestic violence, child abuse, or sexual offenses in related criminal prosecutions. It specifically permits prosecutors to introduce such evidence - not to prove the defendant committed the specific act in question - but to provide context and refute defenses like "consent" in sexual assault cases or lack of prior history in domestic violence cases. The evidence can only be admitted after a judge determines it meets Rule 403 standards (balancing probative value against undue prejudice). This change directly affects victims and prosecutors in domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault cases, where limited evidence often leads to dismissed or downgraded charges.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public colleges and universities to provide a replacement scholarship to student-athletes who lose their athletic scholarship due to a sports-related injury or illness that makes them medically ineligible to compete. If an athletic scholarship is rescinded or not renewed because of such an injury or illness (as determined by the institution's medical staff), the school must offer a new scholarship equal in value for the remainder of the student's undergraduate degree program or up to five academic years total - whichever is shorter. It specifically covers injuries directly related to intercollegiate athletics that prevent continued participation. The bill applies only to public institutions of higher education in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill revises New Jersey's law prohibiting feeding black bears by replacing the previous "unintentional feeding" exemption with specific, allowed activities. It permits certain actions without penalty, including agricultural operations (with food stored properly), bird feeders maintained under strict conditions (e.g., 10-foot height, nightly emptying), animal shelters feeding pets (with uneaten food removed nightly), and government wildlife management. The law also changes where civil penalties for violations go, directing collected fines to the local municipality instead of the Division of Fish and Wildlife. It directly affects residents, farmers, and pet owners in bear-prone areas by clarifying permitted feeding practices.

Maddy summaryThis Assembly Resolution (AR 150) formally recognizes Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey, as one of only two surviving Negro League stadiums in the U.S. and highlights its historical significance as a landmark honoring African American athletes. It specifically acknowledges the annual football rivalry game between Montclair State University and William Paterson University held at the stadium, calling it a cultural event that preserves the site's legacy. The resolution has no legal effect but serves to publicly affirm the stadium's importance through formal recognition. It directs copies to university leaders, the Governor, relevant legislators, and the New Jersey Historical Society. The resolution does not alter any laws or funding but aims to promote awareness of the stadium's role in sports history.