Asm. Shama Haider

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and State Parole Board to conduct a new study on Megan's Law, replacing a previous study that was never completed. The study will examine how sex offender registration and community notification are implemented - including tier designation procedures, local law enforcement practices, and the effectiveness of the public Internet registry. It must evaluate all sex offender cases since Megan's Law's enactment and recommend standardized procedures for risk assessment, tier assignments, and public notification. The AOC and Parole Board must submit an initial report within 12 months and biannual updates thereafter to the Governor and Legislature. This study directly affects state agencies responsible for Megan's Law enforcement, not the public or offenders.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new privacy rules for health-related information in New Jersey, applying to health care providers, hospitals, and any entity handling patient data. It requires explicit, voluntary consent from patients before their health data - including medical conditions, genetic information, biometric details, or location data related to health care - can be collected or shared, banning consent obtained through deceptive designs or broad terms of use. The law defines "consumer health data" broadly to cover sensitive information like reproductive health, medications, and inferred data, while exempting research data approved by independent ethics boards. These rules aim to give patients greater control over their health information without restricting legitimate medical research.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurance carriers in New Jersey to cover prostate cancer screening without cost sharing (no deductibles, copays, or coinsurance). It expands the definition of "prostate cancer screening" to include more diagnostic methods beyond digital rectal exams and PSA tests, such as urinary analysis, serum biomarkers, and medical imaging. The coverage applies to men age 50+ who are asymptomatic, and men age 40+ with family history of prostate cancer or other risk factors. The bill extends these requirements to additional insurance types, including individual health insurance policies, that weren't previously required to cover prostate cancer screening under current law.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires health care providers to order a bilateral ultrasound at the same time as a mammogram when a woman has specific breast cancer risk factors, such as family history, dense breast tissue, or other medical indications. It also mandates that all health insurers cover both the mammogram and the concurrent ultrasound without additional out-of-pocket costs for patients. The law applies to all health insurance plans in New Jersey, including commercial, individual, group, and state health benefit plans. The requirement triggers when a health care provider determines a patient has additional risk factors for breast cancer, as defined in the bill. This policy aims to improve early breast cancer detection by ensuring comprehensive screening for at-risk patients.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a three-year pilot program in New Jersey public elementary schools to assess the academic and health benefits of using therapy dogs in wellness programs. It requires the state Department of Education (DOE) to select six school districts (two per geographic region) that apply with details about their schools, student wellness participation, and therapy dog plans. The DOE will provide participating districts with guidance on therapy dog activities, handler training, dog health checks, and insurance requirements. After three years, the DOE must submit a report evaluating whether the program improved student attendance, confidence, and academic outcomes like reading skills. The pilot directly affects public elementary schools that apply and participate.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A6038) would allow the Palisades Interstate Park Commission to apply for funding from New Jersey's Infrastructure Bank for specific projects. The Commission would be treated as a local government unit for eligibility purposes, making it eligible for the same funding streams as counties and municipalities. This would apply to hazard mitigation/resilience projects, transportation projects, wastewater treatment projects, and water supply projects. Applications would be submitted and reviewed in the same manner as those from other local government units.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of Family Development (part of the Department of Human Services) to maintain a waiting list for income-eligible applicants denied child care assistance due to limited funding. It mandates the division to create procedures for adding applicants to the list, notify them when funding becomes available (e.g., via website updates), and publish an annual report with key data like total applications, approved applicants, denied applicants, and those on the waiting list. The report must be posted online and sent to the Governor and Legislature. This directly affects low-income families seeking child care assistance who are temporarily unable to receive aid due to budget constraints.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the Work First New Jersey Child Care subsidy program appropriation by $28 million in the FY2026 budget, raising the total from $565.8 million to $593.8 million. It directly affects lower-income families who rely on the child care subsidy program to cover part of their child care costs. The bill reverses a pause on new applications and a recent increase in family copayments (from 1-5% to 2-6% of income) by requiring the Department of Human Services to resume accepting applications and return to pre-August 1, 2025 eligibility standards and copayment rates. This addresses a projected $25-30 million funding shortfall that had forced the program to limit enrollment and raise costs for families.

Maddy summaryThis bill bans the use of regulated perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in all menstrual products sold in New Jersey. It directly affects manufacturers and sellers of products like tampons, pads, menstrual cups, and underwear (both disposable and reusable). The law requires products to be tested for PFAS at or above 10 parts per million, with results shared with the Department of Health, and violations would be enforced under the Consumer Fraud Act with fines up to $20,000. The ban takes effect 18 months after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4971) creates a "Small Business Interruption Grant Program" administered by New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA). It provides grants to small businesses in low-income communities (defined as municipalities under 10,000 population with >7.5% poverty rate) that suffered economic loss due to prolonged state infrastructure or construction projects. Grants are based on actual or projected revenue loss from closures or reduced business, with $750,000 appropriated from the General Fund to fund the program. Businesses must independently own and operate (<100 employees), be located in a qualifying community, and demonstrate project-related revenue loss to qualify.