Asm. Shama Haider

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Peer Recovery Specialist Committee to regulate individuals providing peer support for substance use disorder and mental health challenges. To become certified, applicants must meet specific requirements including a high school diploma or equivalent, 500 hours of peer recovery experience, 46 hours of training in key areas (advocacy, mentoring, wellness support, and ethics), and a background check. The committee will oversee certification, enforce standards, and manage renewals, while exempting clergy, students in training, licensed professionals (like social workers), and volunteers in self-help groups who do not claim the certified title. The law requires anyone using the title "peer recovery specialist" to hold certification, except in exempted circumstances outlined in the bill.

Maddy summaryThis bill would adopt New Jersey into the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, an interstate agreement that allows dentists and dental hygienists licensed in one participating state to practice in other participating states without obtaining separate licenses in each state. To practice in another participating state, licensees would need to meet requirements like passing national board exams and having graduated from accredited programs, and would apply for a "compact privilege" to practice there. The compact would establish a commission to oversee the agreement and a data system to share licensure and disciplinary information among participating states, with adverse actions in one state affecting a professional's ability to practice in all participating states.

Maddy summaryAJR 59 designates November each year as "Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Awareness Month" in New Jersey. The resolution requests the Governor issue a proclamation encouraging public education about the link between diabetes (affecting over 29 million Americans) and cardiovascular disease (the leading cause of death for people with type 2 diabetes). It aims to improve public understanding of this connection, particularly for communities disproportionately impacted like African American and Hispanic/Latino populations in New Jersey. This is a symbolic resolution with no new funding or policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A3883) prohibits pet shops from selling cats, dogs, or rabbits, requiring them instead to collaborate with animal shelters and rescue organizations to showcase animals available for adoption. It bans animal shelters, pounds, and rescue organizations from accepting payment from breeders or brokers for animals. The bill requires all animals available for adoption to undergo a veterinary examination and receive a health certificate, with re-examinations required if animals aren't adopted within 14 days. This replaces the previous "Pet Purchase Protection Act" with these new requirements for animal adoption and sales.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes New Jersey's Office of Clean Energy Equity within the Board of Public Utilities to ensure clean energy programs specifically benefit overburdened communities. It requires the board to implement solar programs reaching 250,000 low-income households (or 35% of all low-income households, whichever is larger) by 2030, aiming to reduce their energy costs to below 6% of household income. The bill also mandates 1,600 megawatt-hours of energy storage in overburdened communities by 2030, prioritizing community resilience hubs and job training. At least $50 million annually must be allocated to this office, with funding supplementing existing low-income energy programs and requiring public reporting on progress.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits large online retailers (with $1 million+ annual sales) and major retailers (over 75,000 sq ft with 50+ employees) in New Jersey from using shipping boxes larger than twice the volume of the product being shipped. It requires retailers to use appropriately sized boxes for consumer deliveries, aiming to reduce packaging waste. Violations carry civil penalties of $250-$500 per offense, with daily violations treated as separate offenses. Enforcement is authorized for state environmental and consumer protection agencies.

Maddy summaryThis bill abolishes New Jersey's Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) and replaces its system with a new municipal framework for meeting affordable housing obligations. Municipalities must now determine their own "fair share" of low- and moderate-income housing through binding resolutions, using state-published calculations, while allowing advocates to contest these determinations. The law appropriates $16 million for housing programs to support new construction and rehabilitation of substandard housing, particularly in urban areas. It directly affects all New Jersey municipalities and low-to-moderate-income residents seeking housing, ending regional contribution agreements and establishing clearer deadlines to prevent previous compliance gaps.

Maddy summaryThis symbolic Assembly Resolution (AR 122) condemns the Alabama Supreme Court ruling in *LePage v. Mobile Infirmary Clinic* (which treats embryos as "extrauterine children") and federal bill H.R. 431 (which would extend constitutional personhood to embryos from fertilization). It reaffirms New Jersey’s existing protections for reproductive health care access, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), which the state already supports through laws requiring insurance coverage for fertility services. The resolution does not create new legal requirements but publicly opposes actions that threaten IVF access and reproductive freedom. New Jersey has previously enacted measures to shield patients and providers from out-of-state prosecution for legally accessed reproductive care.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey state, county, and private adult and juvenile correctional facilities to provide free voice, video, and electronic mail services to incarcerated individuals, eliminating all fees for calls or messages. It prohibits facilities from charging per-minute rates, setup fees, or any other charges to incarcerated persons or their families, and mandates that services must be provided at no cost to any party. The bill appropriates funds from the General Fund to cover implementation costs, ensuring facilities can provide these services without financial burden. As a result, incarcerated individuals and their families will no longer face costs previously associated with communication, such as domestic call fees up to 11 cents per minute.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes New Jersey's "Grow Your Own Teacher Loan Redemption Program" through the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA). It provides eligible teachers who graduated from high schools in districts with teacher shortages a chance to have up to $10,000 in student loan principal and interest repaid annually for five years of full-time teaching in those districts, totaling a maximum of $50,000. To qualify, participants must be New Jersey residents, have graduated from or resided in a designated shortage district for five years, be hired as a certified teacher there, and have outstanding student loans. The program is capped at $500,000 annually in state funding and requires a five-year teaching commitment as part of a formal contract with HESAA.