Asm. Shama Haider

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's Bill A 3345 requires the Department of Health (DOH) to encourage healthcare facilities and licensed professionals (like pediatricians and family doctors) to adopt the national "Reach Out and Read" program. This program integrates early literacy promotion into routine well-child visits for children aged six months to five years, with providers advising parents on shared reading activities. The DOH must support implementation by providing printed materials and a website link for facilities to apply as program sites. The goal is to improve children's language development, strengthen parent-child bonds, and give healthcare providers tools to monitor early childhood well-being. This affects healthcare providers directly and benefits parents and young children through evidence-based literacy support during medical visits.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's criminal mischief statute (N.J.S.2C:17-3) to specifically criminalize knowingly damaging, interfering with, or tampering with historic places or sites. It defines "historic place or site" as structures approved for the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, identified in local master plans as historically significant, or officially recognized by the State Agriculture Development Committee. Damaging such sites becomes a third-degree crime, punishable by up to five years in prison, a $15,000 fine, or both. The law directly affects individuals who intentionally harm protected historic properties, including buildings, monuments, or structures meeting the defined criteria.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's stalking law to increase penalties when a perpetrator uses a device or program on the victim's phone to monitor communications or location. Normally, stalking is a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months in prison and $10,000 fine), but if the stalking involves installing or using a monitoring tool on the victim's cellular or wireless device to intercept calls, messages, or track location, it becomes a third-degree crime (3-5 years in prison and up to $15,000 fine). The law specifically targets the misuse of common apps or preinstalled software, which are widely available but often used without consent in stalking cases. This change directly affects victims of tech-assisted stalking and those who exploit phone monitoring tools to harass others.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires state-level public bodies (like agencies, boards, and commissions serving statewide interests) to offer remote participation options for all public meetings. It mandates that these bodies provide electronic means (such as video conferencing) for the public to join meetings online, making it easier for residents to participate without traveling. The requirement does not apply to local government bodies or entities focused solely on local/regional issues. The bill would take effect 30 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3119) extends New Jersey's child care subsidy law (P.L.2021, c.324) through June 2025, requiring licensed child care centers and registered family day care providers to base government payments on the number of enrolled children eligible for subsidies, not on daily attendance. It mandates that providers set staff wages and work hours based on enrollment numbers, not attendance, and requires the Department of Human Services to study enrollment-based versus attendance-based payment systems within three years. The law directly affects child care providers receiving state subsidies by changing how their funding is calculated and administered. The extension ensures continued stability for providers and families during the study period.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's proposed Bill A 3444 requires all correctional police officers in state prisons to wear body cameras during most duties, with limited exceptions (such as restroom use, medical appointments, or strip searches). It also mandates security camera systems in correctional facilities. Recordings must be retained for a minimum of 180 days, with extended retention (up to three years) if a complaint is filed, an officer requests it for evidentiary value, or the footage relates to an investigation. The bill applies directly to correctional officers and facilities, aiming to document officer activities and incidents like use of force or disciplinary actions.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies that New Jersey's private career school closure requirements - including the need for a plan to transfer students and provide transcripts - apply to cosmetology and hairstyling schools licensed by the New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling. It requires the Board to develop a standard model teach-out plan for these schools to use when submitting closure plans to the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development. The model ensures students can transfer to another school and receive their academic records if a school closes abruptly, addressing gaps seen in past closures like Capri Institute. This change extends existing protections for students at other private career schools to cosmetology and hairstyling programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public school districts to grant up to 10 excused absences per school year for students experiencing symptoms of specific menstrual disorders, including dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, menorrhagia, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Students must be allowed to make up missed work, and these absences cannot count toward chronic absenteeism or affect attendance-based awards. Schools may request medical documentation to verify the condition, and the state education commissioner must develop criteria for defining these absences. The policy directly affects menstruating students in public schools who manage these health conditions.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the "Health Care for Child Care Program" to provide state-funded health insurance coverage for employees at licensed New Jersey child care centers. It appropriates $10 million from the General Fund to cover the full premium costs for eligible workers - those employed at least 30 hours weekly for 90 days at a licensed center or registered family child care home - through New Jersey’s gold-level health plan. The program eliminates out-of-pocket costs for workers and their employers, with the Department of Banking and Insurance administering the fund. It directly affects child care workers, who often lack employer-provided health benefits, and aims to stabilize the sector by reducing financial strain on centers.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's "Packaging and Paper Product Stewardship Act" (A-3744) requires producers of packaging and paper products sold in the state to manage the end-of-life disposal of these items through mandatory stewardship plans. It directly affects manufacturers and sellers of packaging (like food containers, bags, and beverage containers) and paper products (excluding books and non-recyclable items), shifting responsibility for waste management from taxpayers to producers. Key mechanisms include creating "environmentally sound" recycling, composting, or reuse systems via producer groups (PROs) or individual plans, setting annual recycling rate targets, and prioritizing waste management in "overburdened communities." The bill defines specific terms like composting (excluding wastewater treatment) and recycling to ensure waste is handled safely and effectively, without relying on incineration or landfill disposal.