Asm. Lisa Swain

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A4848) requires doctors and nurses to screen pregnant patients for lead exposure if they identify risk factors - such as living in older housing - based on CDC and medical guidelines. It mandates one lead screening per pregnancy for at-risk patients, with providers notifying patients of elevated lead levels and ensuring children under six in the household are screened. Patients can refuse testing in writing, and labs must report results to health departments within five business days. The law applies to all pregnant individuals in New Jersey receiving care from covered healthcare providers, aiming to prevent lead poisoning during pregnancy.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the enrollment window for newborn infants in health benefits coverage from 60 to 90 days after birth. It directly affects newborns and their parents or guardians who must enroll infants in existing health plans. The key change modifies existing law to require that notification of a birth and required payment must be submitted within 90 days (previously 60 days) to maintain coverage beyond that period. The policy change provides families with additional time to complete enrollment paperwork without losing coverage for their newborn. This applies to both family-type and non-family-type health benefit contracts.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new criminal offense called "fertility fraud" for health care practitioners who perform assisted reproduction treatments (like IVF or artificial insemination) without a patient's written consent, using either the practitioner's own reproductive material or another person's material. If convicted, the practitioner faces a third-degree crime penalty (up to five years in prison, a $15,000 fine, or both) and must have their medical license permanently revoked. The law also extends the statute of limitations to 20 years from the treatment date (or 10 years from when the victim discovers the fraud). It directly affects fertility clinics and health care providers in New Jersey who conduct reproductive treatments.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5907) prohibits New Jersey law enforcement agencies and users of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) from sharing ALPR data with out-of-state agencies for investigations targeting legal reproductive health services in New Jersey. It specifically bans sharing such data to pursue civil or criminal liability related to services like pregnancy care, contraception, or abortion that are lawful in New Jersey. The bill requires out-of-state agencies to provide written confirmation they won’t use the data for these investigations before sharing is permitted. Violations carry civil penalties of up to $1,000 for a first offense or $5,000 for repeat offenses.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 1067) requires the state's Department of Human Services to conduct a landscape analysis of mental health services accessible to deaf and hard of hearing residents. It mandates that mental health services be provided in a client's primary communication method (like sign language or speech), delivered by professionals certified in that method and trained in culturally appropriate care for the deaf community. The bill also requires the creation of a resource guide listing providers meeting these standards and defines key terms like "culturally affirmative mental health services." It directly affects deaf and hard of hearing individuals seeking mental health care across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 3041 prohibits cooperatives from receiving public works contracts if any member contractor or subcontractor within the cooperative has failed to pay prevailing wages. The bill extends a three-year ban (currently applied to individual contractors) to cover entire cooperatives, meaning a cooperative cannot win contracts if one of its members violates wage laws. It defines a "cooperative" as a business with collective ownership and long-term member control, and includes a process for affected cooperatives to request a hearing if they believe the ban is wrongly applied. The prohibition applies to all cooperative entities with a member on the prevailing wage violation list, lasting three years from the date of listing.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services to create a public awareness campaign about doulas. It mandates the campaign to explain doulas' role before, during, and after pregnancy; describe their services and benefits; and list free or low-cost resources for doula care. The campaign must develop materials in the top 10 languages spoken in New Jersey and distribute them online and through health clinics, WIC offices, Planned Parenthood, pharmacies, and community organizations. The bill directly affects residents seeking maternal care by improving access to information about doula services, without changing healthcare eligibility or funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's existing STEM teacher grant program to include retired teachers receiving retirement benefits from the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund. It allows these retired teachers, as well as current teachers, to teach STEM classes at nonpublic schools and receive direct payments calculated using the statewide average teacher salary (adjusted by 1.25). The program, funded with $3.5 million, also broadens eligible STEM subjects to include areas beyond traditional science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This change modifies a 2019 program that previously only covered active teachers and required school district payments.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all public school staff in New Jersey to complete training on caring for students with epilepsy or seizure disorders every two years. It directly affects school staff (including teachers, coaches, and support personnel) and students with these conditions. The training, provided through Department of Health-approved courses by nonprofit organizations, covers recognizing seizures, emergency response, and daily care. This update builds on existing law (P.L.2019, c.290) that already requires schools to develop individualized health plans for affected students but adds the mandatory biennial staff training requirement. The law applies to all school-sponsored activities, including those outside regular school hours.

Maddy summaryThe Protecting Against Forever Chemicals Act prohibits the sale of certain products containing intentionally added PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances), including cosmetics, carpets, fabric treatments, and food packaging, beginning two years after the act's effective date. Manufacturers must notify the Department of Environmental Protection about PFAS in their products within one year of the act's effective date and pay a $1,000 fee per notification. The act requires cookware containing PFAS in contact with food to display a clear label stating "This product contains PFAS" in both English and Spanish. The Department of Environmental Protection must establish a source reduction program and conduct PFAS research, funded by a $5 million appropriation from the General Fund. The bill allows products with trace amounts of PFAS from unavoidable impurities to continue being sold, focusing on prohibiting the intentional addition of PFAS rather than trace amounts.