Asm. Lisa Swain

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 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 (A4603) allows commercial farmers in New Jersey to recover reasonable legal costs and attorney fees when defending against complaints they win under the "Right to Farm Act." It directly affects farmers who successfully prove a complaint was filed in bad faith and that their farming activity met the Act's legal standards. Key provisions require farmers to apply to their county agriculture board or the State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC), which must then determine if the complaint was filed in bad faith (by a preponderance of evidence) and if the costs/fees are reasonable before ordering the complainant to pay. The change provides a specific remedy for farmers facing frivolous legal challenges, strengthening existing protections under the Act.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires contractors and subcontractors working on public projects to submit payroll records to New Jersey's Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD). It applies to any business performing work for public bodies (like state/local governments or projects funded by public money), including construction, maintenance, or repair work. The key mechanism mandates that these contractors must register with DOLWD and provide payroll details to verify compliance with prevailing wage laws and apprenticeship program requirements. This affects all employers engaged in public work contracts, ensuring transparency in worker compensation and program participation.

Maddy summary# Summary of New Jersey Legislative Bill on Child Pornography and Sexual Offenses This comprehensive bill amends various New Jersey statutes related to child pornography, sexual offenses, DNA collection, and other criminal justice matters. The key changes include: ## Major Child Pornography Law Amendments 1. **Separation of Child Pornography Statute**: The bill separates child pornography from the broader child endangerment statute, creating a distinct crime for clarity in law enforcement and crime statistics tracking. 2. **Expanded Definition of Child Pornography**: The definition is updated to include "deepfakes" - manipulated depictions that appear to show an identifiable child (or purported child) engaging in prohibited sexual acts through image manipulation, creation, or modification. 3. **Alignment with Possession Thresholds**: The statute concerning "leaders of child pornography networks" is amended to match the possession thresholds: - First-degree crime: 1,000+ items (previously 100,000+) - Second-degree crime: Less than 1,000 items (previously 1,000-100,000) - Third-degree crime: Not specified (previously less than 1,000) 4. **Penalties**: - First-degree: 10-20 years imprisonment, up to $200,000 fine - Second-degree: 5-10 years imprisonment, up to $150,000 fine - Third-degree: 3-5 years imprisonment, up to $15,000 fine ## Additional Significant Amendments - **DNA Collection Requirements**: Expands DNA collection requirements for various offenses including child pornography, sexual assault, murder, kidnapping, and other violent crimes (Section 54) - **Invasion of Privacy Statute**: - Includes manipulated depictions ("deepfakes") appearing to show intimate or sexually explicit images of a person without consent - Clarifies that consent to being photographed doesn't imply consent to distribution - **Housing Provider Restrictions**: Limits housing providers' ability to consider criminal records in tenant screening (Section 52) - **Transportation Network Company Requirements**: Prohibits individuals convicted of certain crimes (including child pornography offenses) from being drivers for transportation network companies (Section 51) - **Criminal Background Checks**: Strengthens requirements for criminal history background checks for employment in child care settings, community agencies, and other positions involving vulnerable populations The bill represents a significant update to New Jersey's approach to addressing child exploitation, including modernizing the legal framework to address emerging technologies like deepfake pornography.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey state agencies to extend the 60-day cure period for certain business violations by an additional 30 days, if the agency determines denial would be contrary to equity and good conscience. It applies to businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees (or equivalent) facing first-time violations that don’t endanger public safety, harm the environment, or affect employee income. The extension applies only to violations not related to criminal activity, intentional acts, labor laws, or federal program requirements. Agencies must provide written notice of the violation to trigger the cure period, and must report waived infractions annually on their public websites. The bill amends existing law (P.L.2023, c.28) to add this extension provision.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to collaborate with neighboring states to research alternatives to PJM Interconnection's current electricity capacity market. It directs the BPU to propose one of three specific actions by December 2025: (1) require utilities to secure 80% of their future capacity through direct contracts with energy providers, (2) withdraw from PJM's market and develop a regional compact for alternative capacity sourcing, or (3) exit PJM's transmission grid to build an independent grid or join another regional system. The bill responds to concerns that PJM's capacity auction system has caused record-high costs - $14.7 billion for consumers in 2025/2026, up from $2.2 billion previously - due to market flaws and lack of state input. The proposal aims to address these issues and improve affordability for electricity ratepayers.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a Farm to School Local Food Procurement Reimbursement Grant Program to help school districts increase their sourcing of local foods for students. It appropriates $6,500,000 from the General Fund, with $5.5 million dedicated to grants and $1 million for administrative costs. Eligible school districts (those serving students eligible for subsidized meals) can apply for annual grants based on size: small districts (under 5,000 students) receive $10,000-$50,000, medium districts (5,000-10,000 students) get $20,000-$125,000, and large districts (10,000+ students) receive $44,000-$250,000. At least 80% of grant funds must reimburse costs for sourcing additional local foods, while up to 20% can cover equipment or staff training, with priority given to districts in food deserts or those sourcing from small/mid-sized farms.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A3007) raises the maximum age for residents in New Jersey pediatric long-term care facilities from 19 to 26 years old. It directly affects these facilities and young adults aged 19-26 who currently may not qualify for such care under existing law. The key provision amends licensing requirements to allow facilities to admit and provide services to residents age 26 or younger. The Commissioner of Health must adopt implementing rules, and the change takes effect immediately. (Based on bill text, current law limits pediatric care to under age 19.)

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's child care assistance program to include full-time graduate and post-graduate students who meet income, asset, and residency requirements and are enrolled full-time in good academic standing at a public or private college or university. Currently, the program covers only full-time undergraduate students pursuing associate's or bachelor's degrees. The state must update its eligibility rules and seek federal funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant to cover the costs of this expansion. This change directly affects graduate and post-graduate students who are parents and rely on the program for child care support.