Asm. Dan Hutchison

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution designates May 15 of each year as "Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Awareness Day" in New Jersey. It requests the Governor to issue an annual proclamation encouraging public recognition of this rare genetic condition, which affects multiple organs and often causes epilepsy, autism, and developmental delays. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but aims to raise public awareness for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, a condition affecting approximately 50,000 people in the U.S. It aligns with global awareness efforts observed on May 15.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires manufacturers of firefighting gear containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to provide written notice to buyers at the time of sale. The notice must state that PFAS is present, explain why it's used, and list the specific PFAS chemicals by name. Both the manufacturer and the purchasing fire department must keep copies of this notice for three years and provide it to the Division of Consumer Affairs upon request. Violations would be treated as consumer fraud under state law, potentially resulting in fines up to $20,000 per offense. The bill directly affects firefighting equipment manufacturers and fire departments purchasing this gear.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to create an online application system for residents to obtain REAL ID identification cards and licenses. It mandates that the MVC accept and process electronic copies of required identity and legal status documents through its website, aligning with federal REAL ID Act standards. The MVC must approve applications if all federal requirements are met or deny them if not, with implementation rules to be adopted within 60 days of the bill's enactment. This change directly affects New Jersey residents applying for REAL ID-compliant credentials, streamlining the process while maintaining federal compliance.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A5464) prohibits New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) from approving any electric utility rate increase without first conducting a full rate review. It directly affects electric utilities (like power companies) and their ratepayers (customers), requiring the BPU to complete a comprehensive review of a utility's rates before any increase can be approved. The key provision mandates that the BPU cannot approve rate hikes for electric services to end users without this full review process, as defined under state law. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the tax rate on fire insurance premiums collected by out-of-state insurers operating in New Jersey from 2% to 3%. It also raises the tax rate for New Jersey-based agents, brokers, or insurers who place fire insurance with out-of-state companies to 3%. The tax is paid annually by March 1 to the New Jersey State Firemen's Association, with funds allocated to local firemen's relief associations or the New Jersey Firemen's Home if no local association exists. The change applies to premiums collected during the previous calendar year, affecting out-of-state insurers and New Jersey-based intermediaries handling fire insurance for New Jersey properties.

Maddy summaryBill A4163 requires health insurers in New Jersey to cover biomarker testing for diagnosis, treatment, management, or ongoing monitoring of diseases when supported by medical evidence such as FDA approvals, drug labels, or clinical guidelines. The bill applies to all health insurance plans including individual, group, Medicaid, and health maintenance organization contracts. Insurers must provide coverage without causing unnecessary disruption (like multiple biopsies) and must make prior authorization decisions within 24 hours for urgent requests or 72 hours for non-urgent requests. This ensures patients can access precision medical testing that's clinically supported without excessive administrative barriers.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows pharmacists in New Jersey to transfer Schedule II prescriptions for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications between pharmacies, directly affecting patients who need these medications. Currently, patients must obtain a new prescription from their doctor if a pharmacy cannot fill an ADHD prescription; this bill enables direct pharmacy-to-pharmacy transfers instead. The transfer must comply with federal regulations and applies only to ADHD prescriptions for Schedule II drugs (stronger medications like Adderall), not all Schedule II substances. This change aims to improve access during medication shortages and reduce patient wait times.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 3620 requires electric and gas utilities using smart meters to establish an "Energy Bill Watch" program for smart meter customers. The program mandates utilities to notify customers when their daily usage exceeds the previous billing cycle's average (on the 10th and 20th days of each cycle), offer customizable dollar-value alerts, and include average monthly usage costs and kilowatt/therm amounts in notifications. Utilities must automatically enroll smart meter customers, provide opt-out options, advertise the program through multiple channels, and include specific billing details in all customer bills (previous cycle amount, current cycle amount, and the difference between them). This bill directly affects smart meter customers of New Jersey's electric and gas utilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires counties to pay election workers an hourly rate equal to the state minimum wage for mandatory training sessions they must attend, rather than allowing counties to decide whether to compensate them for this time. It amends New Jersey law to mandate this payment for workers serving on district boards of elections, ensuring they are fairly compensated for training hours that were previously optional for counties to cover. Counties can then apply to the State for reimbursement of these training costs through the existing reimbursement process. The bill directly affects election workers in all New Jersey counties who participate in required training programs under current election laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill lowers the cost threshold for public works projects that may include project labor agreements (PLAs) from $5 million to $3 million. It applies to projects requiring prevailing wages under New Jersey's Prevailing Wage Act, such as construction, renovation, or demolition work by public entities like state agencies, counties, or school districts. By reducing the threshold, more projects will be eligible to use PLAs - pre-hire agreements between labor organizations and contractors that set wages, benefits, and work rules for a specific project. The change takes effect immediately upon enactment.