Asm. Lisa Swain

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a New Jersey nurse aide workforce development program to support individuals seeking certification. It requires the Department of Health to provide free information on certification benefits, requirements, and cost protections - such as no fees for certification exams during training for those employed in long-term care facilities, and reimbursement for training costs within 12 months of hiring. A one-year pilot program will reimburse eligible nurse aide students up to 25% of training costs after course completion. All resources will be centralized on a dedicated Department of Health website, using available funds and expiring 365 days after the pilot begins.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires every New Jersey public school to employ at least one full-time school psychologist, with a maximum student-to-psychologist ratio of 500:1 per school. It directly affects all local school districts and their students by mandating specific staffing levels for school psychologists. Districts must apply for federal funds to support implementation, and the requirement takes effect in the second full school year after enactment. The bill defines "school psychologist" as a licensed professional with a New Jersey educational services certificate in that field.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A2310) requires all health insurance carriers to cover mental health treatment and therapy for victims of domestic violence as medically necessary, providing full benefits without limitations. It applies to all health insurance providers, including hospitals, medical service corporations, health maintenance organizations, and individual and group health insurance plans. The bill amends current law to mandate that mental health treatment for domestic violence victims be treated the same as physical injury treatment for coverage purposes. This fills a gap where insurance previously covered physical injuries from domestic violence but not mental health services for the same victims. The coverage requirement applies to all plans where insurers can change premiums.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires owners of pre-1987 residential buildings with three or more units, schools, and licensed child care centers to test drinking water for lead every three years. Testing must be done by certified labs, with at least one sample per occupied unit (or random sampling for buildings over 10 units). If lead levels exceed EPA standards, owners must notify tenants, parents, staff, and local health officials, and schools/child care centers must post results online. The law applies to all qualifying properties, with existing testing requirements exempting some properties under prior law.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A1918 requires state government agencies (like departments and bureaus providing public services) to translate vital documents and provide interpretation services in the 15 most common non-English languages spoken by limited-English proficiency residents, based on U.S. Census data. Agencies must complete translations for the 10 most common languages within 365 days of the law's effective date and the additional 5 within 730 days, with immediate translation for applications, rights notices, and privacy documents. Each agency must create a language access plan within 90 days detailing how they'll provide services, train staff, document usage, and assign a language access coordinator to monitor compliance and produce annual reports. Funding for implementation comes from American Rescue Plan Act funds and state General Fund, with no requirement to remove existing translation obligations (like Spanish services).

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey long-term care facilities (including nursing homes and assisted living residences) to meet annually with each resident and their family to review emergency contact details on file. It also mandates that facilities offer residents the opportunity to update their primary and secondary emergency contacts at least twice yearly. The law applies to all facilities licensed under state law and aligns with existing privacy regulations. Facilities must follow these steps to ensure contact information remains current for resident safety during emergencies.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2278) requires all New Jersey employers to adopt written domestic violence policies developed by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD). The policies must include employee training, procedures for supporting workers affected by domestic violence, bystander intervention strategies, and victim resources. Employers must implement these policies within one year of the law taking effect and share them with all employees at least once annually. The DOLWD will create and post these culturally competent policies online for employers to adopt.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to create a priority system for awarding nonpoint source pollution control grants under the Water Pollution Control Act. The ranking system must give higher priority to projects in areas with stormwater utilities, municipalities banning lawn fertilizers, regions suffering economic harm from polluted waterbodies, or municipalities enforcing strict septic system inspection rules. These grants, funded by Corporation Business Tax revenues and federal Clean Water Act funds, will now be distributed based on these specific criteria. The bill directly affects municipalities and project applicants seeking DEP grants, not the general public. It does not change existing grant programs but modifies how projects are evaluated for funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public schools that already provide free menstrual hygiene products (tampons and sanitary napkins) to prominently display information about their availability throughout school buildings. Specifically, schools must place notices in locations like nurse's offices, bathrooms, and locker rooms. The law defines "menstrual hygiene products" as tampons and sanitary napkins used during menstrual cycles. It takes effect immediately, ensuring students can easily find these essential items.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A1618 requires all public school districts to submit annual reports to the Department of Education (DOE) by April 30 each year on computer science courses offered. The reports must detail course availability (including AP courses), subject matter, teacher demographics (gender, credentials), and student enrollment disaggregated by gender, race, special education status, and socioeconomic factors. The DOE will compile this data and publish it online by October 1 annually. This bill directly affects all New Jersey public school districts and aims to track participation gaps in computer science education to address underrepresentation of women and minorities.