Asm. Ellen Park

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey state agencies that collect demographic data to create specific categories for Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian/Indian Diaspora communities. It mandates breaking down data by detailed subgroups (e.g., Chinese, Lebanese, Guyanese) and separately tracking primary language spoken at home, replacing current broad categories. Agencies must include this detailed data in public reports and post it online, excluding personal information. The change aims to improve data accuracy for communities currently undercounted or misclassified, such as MENA residents (often grouped as "White") and South Asian diaspora groups. This affects all state agencies collecting demographic information, including departments, boards, and public universities.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how fines from State Police-issued traffic tickets are distributed. Currently, all such fines go to the state treasury, but this bill directs one-third of those funds to the specific municipality where the traffic violation occurred. The funds must be used to help cover the operational costs of that municipality's court system. This applies only to tickets written by State Police officers, not local police departments.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A1918 requires state government agencies (like departments and bureaus providing public services) to translate vital documents and provide interpretation services in the 15 most common non-English languages spoken by limited-English proficiency residents, based on U.S. Census data. Agencies must complete translations for the 10 most common languages within 365 days of the law's effective date and the additional 5 within 730 days, with immediate translation for applications, rights notices, and privacy documents. Each agency must create a language access plan within 90 days detailing how they'll provide services, train staff, document usage, and assign a language access coordinator to monitor compliance and produce annual reports. Funding for implementation comes from American Rescue Plan Act funds and state General Fund, with no requirement to remove existing translation obligations (like Spanish services).

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey municipalities to refund property taxes paid in error when an assessor makes a mistake or a taxpayer accidentally pays another's tax. It specifically mandates refunds without interest for overpayments due to duplicate assessments, wrong parcel assignments, or mistaken payments between property owners. Refunds are limited to the tax year of notification plus the three preceding years, and must be claimed within a three-year window. The law changes current practice by making refunds mandatory rather than optional for these specific error scenarios.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill allows courts to order GPS-based electronic monitoring for domestic violence offenders deemed to present a serious risk of re-offending. The Administrative Office of the Courts must establish a program for continuous satellite-based monitoring of eligible defendants, with costs borne by the monitored individuals. The legislation specifies that defendants face criminal penalties for tampering with monitoring devices or failing to comply with monitoring requirements. The bill appropriates $500,000 from the General Fund to implement the monitoring program. This policy aims to enhance victim safety by providing courts with an additional tool to monitor high-risk domestic violence offenders.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey Assembly Resolution (AR 63) is a non-binding request urging the U.S. President and Congress to pass federal legislation granting amnesty and creating an 8-year path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. It directly addresses the approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., citing their economic contributions and current lack of legal status. The resolution emphasizes that such legislation would improve economic outcomes, reduce exploitation, and integrate immigrants into society - referencing the 1986 Immigration Reform Act as a historical precedent. It does not create new law but formally calls on federal lawmakers to act.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a two-year pilot program to improve coordination of behavioral health services for people with severe mental health or substance use disorders in New Jersey. Managed care organizations will identify eligible patients using Medicaid data, require providers to conduct needs assessments, and implement care transition methods like warm hand-offs and supportive contacts. The program will be funded through a Medicaid value-based payment system that allows managed care organizations to retain savings if they reduce per-patient costs through effective coordination. After two years, the Department of Human Services must report on the program's effectiveness to the Governor and Legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows human trafficking victims to seek vacating and expunging of criminal records related to offenses they committed as a result of their trafficking victimization. It removes the previous restriction that only applied to prostitution-related offenses, making it applicable to nearly all offenses committed under trafficking conditions. The process involves filing a confidential application with the Superior Court, which requires showing by a preponderance of evidence that the person was a trafficking victim at the time of the offense. If approved, the court would order expungement of related arrest, charge, conviction, and DNA records from all relevant databases, including the State DNA Database. This process does not apply to certain serious offenses like murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, luring children, or sexual assault.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling membership from 13 to 15 members. It reduces public members from three to two, replaces the requirement for one licensed educator with two public school vocational program representatives and two private school representatives, and adds two members who own or operate hair braiding shops. The bill also broadens the six licensed professional slots to include any cosmetology-related profession the board licenses, rather than limiting them to specific roles. These changes aim to better represent New Jersey's diverse cosmetology and hairstyling industry stakeholders.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A1919) would allow New Jersey voters to apply for a mail-in ballot electronically via a secure website maintained by the Secretary of State up to seven days before an election. Currently, voters must apply earlier, so this extends the deadline for submitting applications. The electronic form would require the voter’s contact information (protected from public disclosure) and an electronic signature, matching the requirements of paper applications. It directly affects all New Jersey voters seeking mail-in ballots for upcoming elections. The bill is pending technical review and not yet law.