Asm. Lisa Swain

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health to create mandatory maternity care standards for general hospitals licensed to provide maternity services. The standards must focus on patient safety throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, aiming to reduce negative health events and racial disparities in outcomes. Hospitals must comply with these standards as a condition of their licensure. The standards will be based on national best practices from groups like the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health and must be updated as needed.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to establish a "School Meal Fund" to accept public donations that help students pay for school breakfasts or lunches or clear past-due meal bills. The fund must be managed in a separate bank account with strict financial controls, equitable distribution policies, and annual audits. School districts must inform parents, guardians, and the community about the fund and donation process through written materials and their website, unless they already provide free meals to all students under federal eligibility programs. The fund’s purpose is strictly limited to assisting students with meal costs, with no other uses permitted.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to track and publicly report natural disaster-related spending by state and local governments, including counties, municipalities, school districts, fire districts, and local authorities. DCA must categorize spending into four clear types: preparedness (planning and training), mitigation (reducing disaster risks), response (immediate actions after a disaster), and recovery (rebuilding communities), while showing funding sources and reimbursement details. The DCA will publish an annual plain-language summary of this data on the state website, making it easily accessible to the public. Local governments and school districts must include this information in their existing annual budget summaries, which will also be made publicly available online.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Transportation (DOT), New Jersey Transit (NJT), and Department of Human Services (DHS) to study and improve transportation accessibility for people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities. Specifically, it mandates DOT to review current infrastructure design practices for highways and transit projects, then adopt new standards to help these individuals travel more independently. The agencies must also study nationwide best practices for operating public transportation and mobility programs to make them more accessible. Finally, DOT must encourage local governments applying for state funding to adopt these improved accessibility standards.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public school districts to incorporate age-appropriate instruction on racial discrimination and social justice into middle school Social Studies classes as part of their existing New Jersey Student Learning Standards implementation. It directly affects all middle school students and school districts across the state. The key mechanism mandates the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Amistad Commission, to provide school districts with sample learning activities and resources to support this instruction. The requirement takes effect immediately for the first full school year after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill would restore approximately $331 million in municipal aid reductions that occurred during fiscal years 2009-2011 by gradually increasing distributions from the Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund over five years. Starting in fiscal year 2017, municipalities would receive incremental increases (20% in 2017, 40% in 2018, 60% in 2019, 80% in 2020, and 100% starting in 2021) to fully restore aid levels from fiscal year 2012. The bill requires municipalities to subtract any additional aid received from their property tax levy when calculating their next year's tax amount. This directly affects all New Jersey municipalities that received aid from these funds, allowing them to lower property tax rates for residents while maintaining their overall aid levels.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health to create a pilot program providing pet food for cats and dogs to owners facing financial hardship. Funded by a $1 million appropriation, the program will be operated by selected non-profit organizations and volunteer groups working with the state, including establishing food banks in communities. The Department must report to the Governor and Legislature after one year on whether to make the program permanent, and includes liability protections for donors and recipients of pet food distributed in good faith.

Maddy summaryACR 57 is a concurrent resolution directing New Jersey's State Commission of Investigation (SCI) to examine human trafficking activity at massage and bodywork therapy businesses. It specifically targets locations where employers of licensed massage therapists (already registered under existing laws) operate. The SCI must complete its investigation within two years, issue a report with findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature, and may delay the report for up to 120 days if the Attorney General objects to findings about potential trafficking. The resolution does not change existing laws but mandates an examination of trafficking risks in this specific sector.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2311) creates a pilot program allowing same-day voter registration for eligible voters during New Jersey's 2021, 2022, and 2023 general elections. Eligible voters - those meeting standard requirements (U.S. citizenship, age 18, 30-day residency in state and county) - can register at designated county locations on election day and cast a provisional ballot at their assigned polling place. The program requires counties to designate at least one registration site per county, with optional additional sites in later years. The Secretary of State must submit annual reports evaluating the program's impact on voter participation and fraud risk, with a final report due March 2024 to determine if same-day registration becomes permanent statewide.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services (DHS) and Department of Health (DOH) to apply for federal waivers to cover menstrual hygiene products (like tampons, pads, and cups) under NJ FamilyCare, SNAP (food stamps), and WIC programs. If the federal government denies the waiver, DHS must establish a state-funded benefit using $2 million from the General Fund, with eligibility determined through a household certification process for minors. The law mandates an educational campaign to inform program participants about the new benefit and applies to anyone enrolled in these specific public assistance programs who menstruates. The $2 million appropriation is contingent solely on federal denial of the waiver request.