Asm. Lisa Swain

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the State Capitol Joint Management Commission to create and implement an environmental sustainability plan for the New Jersey State House Complex. The plan must include specific measures like energy efficiency upgrades (using Energy Star products and alternative electricity), water conservation, sustainable food service practices (e.g., locally sourced foods), carbon emission reduction strategies, and performance tracking. The commission must revise the plan every four years, issue annual public progress reports online, and appoint an advisory committee of sustainability experts. The bill directly affects the Commission and all state operations within the complex, mandating concrete environmental improvements in its management.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey county colleges to partner with county social services agencies to help low-income students access essential support programs like food assistance (SNAP), childcare subsidies, and temporary financial aid. It directs the state council of county colleges to work with the Department of Human Services to provide students clear information about available services and streamline application processes. Additionally, colleges must collaborate with workforce development boards to identify unemployed or underemployed residents and facilitate their enrollment in career-focused programs. These changes aim to reduce barriers to education and improve access to both social services and job training opportunities.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the sale of cosmetics, carpets, and fabric treatments containing intentionally added PFAS (forever chemicals) starting two years after enactment. It also requires cookware manufacturers to notify consumers if their products contain PFAS. The law directly affects manufacturers of these consumer goods and aims to reduce human exposure to PFAS, which accumulate in the environment and are linked to health issues like cancer. The bill mandates state-funded research and educational programs about PFAS to protect public health.

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 provide students with information about programs like SNAP, TANF, and childcare subsidies, and to facilitate direct application assistance through on-campus partnerships. The New Jersey Council of County Colleges must coordinate with the Department of Human Services to train college staff on helping students navigate these supports. Additionally, colleges must partner with workforce boards to identify unemployed residents and connect them to career-focused college programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates group disability insurance for disabled members of New Jersey's Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) and Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). It provides monthly income benefits equal to 60% of a member's base salary (minimum $50) while they are totally disabled, payable until age 70 if disability began before age 60. Members must have completed one year of continuous service to qualify, and coverage excludes pregnancy, war injuries, self-harm, imprisonment, or time outside the U.S. Canada. The State Treasurer purchases the insurance through a special fund, with premiums paid from employer contributions.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Early Language Access Program within New Jersey's Department of Health to provide free language instruction services to deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind children under age 5 and their families. The program matches families with interprofessional teams (including ASL interpreters, speech therapists, and audiologists) who deliver up to 25 hours per week of tailored instruction - using the family's preferred communication method (like ASL, spoken language, or multimodal approaches) - in settings such as homes, childcare centers, and preschools. It also covers support services like hearing device assistance, provider training, and case management. Eligibility requires proof of the child’s hearing loss, age, and New Jersey residency. The bill codifies and permanently authorizes this existing early intervention service.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the "New Jersey First Responders Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Protection Act," protects paid first responders (including police, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and 9-1-1 dispatchers) diagnosed with work-related PTSD. It prohibits employers from firing, harassing, or discriminating against these employees for taking leave related to a qualifying PTSD diagnosis, which must be linked to a traumatic event experienced during their duties or vicarious trauma from their job. Employers must reinstate employees to their prior position after leave, and violations allow employees to sue for remedies including $5,000 fines for first violations, reinstatement, back pay, and attorney fees. The civil action must be filed within one year of the alleged violation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public school staff (including those in after-school programs) to complete epilepsy and seizure disorder care training every five years. It directly affects school boards, administrators, and all school personnel who interact with students. The key provision mandates that training must be provided through a Department of Health-approved course from a nonprofit epilepsy support organization. This ensures staff can recognize seizures, provide appropriate care, and know when to seek help, as outlined in individualized health plans developed with parent input and physician guidance. The law applies to all schools in the state and takes effect at the start of the first full school year after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill permits New Jersey courts to extend the standard 48-hour timeline for pretrial release decisions when a defendant is charged with a firearm offense, allowing additional time for a firearms analysis. The extra time is limited to what is reasonably necessary for completing the analysis and providing results to the court. It applies only to cases involving the use or possession of a firearm and does not change existing release criteria or standards. This adjustment ensures courts have sufficient time to review firearm-related evidence before making release decisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes it a crime to possess, sell, or manufacture machine gun conversion devices, which are defined as devices designed to modify semiautomatic firearms to fire multiple shots with a single trigger pull. It establishes a third-degree crime for possessing such devices, punishable by 3-5 years in prison and/or a $15,000 fine, and creates a separate third-degree crime for manufacturing, selling, or distributing these devices. The bill clarifies that firearms equipped with machine gun conversion devices are considered machine guns under existing law, which is currently a second-degree crime. This law applies to anyone who possesses, sells, or manufactures these conversion devices, regardless of whether they are also in possession of a firearm.