Asm. Shama Haider

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Bill A-1329 establishes the "New Jersey Pathways to Career Opportunities Initiative" to connect students, workers, and job seekers with training for high-demand careers. It creates Centers of Workforce Innovation at community colleges focused on 11 key fields like healthcare, cybersecurity, renewable energy, and manufacturing. These centers will develop public curricula, provide job-specific skills training, promote financial aid (including Community College Opportunity Grants), and expand apprenticeships. The bill was introduced in 2026 but withdrawn after being approved as P.L.2025, c.374.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits mobile service providers and app developers from sharing customers' GPS location data with third parties without explicit consent. To obtain consent, app developers must provide a clear, bold notice requiring users to actively agree ("I agree to allow my location data to be disclosed"). Exceptions apply for legal requirements like law enforcement requests, and third parties accessing the data cannot sell it or share it beyond the purpose of the consent. Violations would violate New Jersey's consumer fraud law, potentially resulting in fines up to $20,000 per offense. The bill is pending in the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey county colleges to collaborate with county social services boards and state agencies to expand access to social services for low-income students. It mandates colleges to work directly with social services representatives to help students apply for programs like SNAP, TANF, and childcare subsidies, and to streamline enrollment processes. The bill also directs colleges and workforce boards to partner with community organizations to identify unemployed residents who could benefit from college enrollment for career pathways. These provisions aim to connect students with existing support systems and improve access to education and workforce opportunities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey Transit (NJT) to ensure all interior doors providing access to train operator cabins or control compartments remain locked at all times, except during emergencies or when health, safety, or security demands otherwise. It directly affects NJT passenger trains by mandating this safety measure for all rail vehicles owned or operated by NJ Transit. The key provision is the permanent locking requirement for these specific doors, with clear exceptions for emergency situations. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill would provide $615,000 in additional state funding to the NJ 2-1-1 Partnership, a statewide service that connects residents to human services like food assistance, housing support, and mental health resources through a free 24/7 phone hotline. The funds would be allocated within the Department of Human Services' budget specifically for the Partnership's ongoing operational costs to maintain its 2-1-1 service. Since 2002, the NJ 2-1-1 Partnership has been the sole provider of New Jersey's 2-1-1 dialing code, serving all residents statewide. This is a routine budgetary measure to sustain an existing community resource, not a new policy.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (2011) requires the Commissioners of Health (DOH) and Human Services (DHS) to conduct language needs assessments for all their department offices and programs. The assessments must identify which language communities use services, which don’t access services, and where unmet needs exist for non-English materials. Based on these findings, the two departments must jointly plan for future translation services to serve communities with significant language needs. The bill mandates that departments adopt implementing rules within 180 days of its effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows students with diagnosed menstrual disorders (including severe cramps, endometriosis, heavy bleeding, or PCOS) to attend school remotely. Students' parents or guardians must submit a written request by the start of the school day, and schools may require medical documentation to verify the condition. Remote attendance counts as a full school day for graduation and course credit requirements. The bill directs education and health officials to create guidelines for schools on implementing this accommodation. It directly affects students in New Jersey public schools who experience these specific, medically recognized conditions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to conduct a five-year assessment of unregulated perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. It specifically mandates the DEP to evaluate whether current drinking water standards adequately protect children (considering their smaller body size and higher water intake relative to weight) and determine if new standards are needed for unregulated PFAS. The DEP must submit written reports of these assessments to the Governor and Legislature, and publish them online. The bill is pending before the Assembly Environment Committee and has not yet become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows individuals aged 18 or older, emancipated minors, or their authorized representatives to create a voluntary nonopioid directive, stating opioids should not be administered or prescribed for them. The directive must be completed using a form developed by the New Jersey Department of Health and entered into the patient's electronic health record. Healthcare providers are protected from disciplinary action or liability if they comply with the directive in good faith, though opioids may still be prescribed if medically necessary. The bill also requires the Department of Health to publicize the program and allows the directive to be revoked anytime.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) rules to allow temporary state employees at psychiatric hospitals or correctional facilities to qualify for accidental disability benefits. It specifically covers injuries sustained after January 2003 while working temporarily at these facilities (before becoming a PERS member), making such injuries eligible for PERS benefits once the employee gains membership. The key change deems these pre-membership injuries as occurring "during membership" if the employee joins PERS without interruption in the same job. This expands eligibility beyond current rules, which only provided workers' compensation for such injuries before PERS membership.