Asm. Dan Hutchison

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and state developmental/psychiatric hospitals in New Jersey. It requires specific ratios, such as 1 nurse per 4 patients on medical/surgical units and 1 nurse per 2 patients in critical care, along with unlicensed staff ratios (1 per 7 patients during day shifts). Hospitals must implement an acuity-based staffing system approved by the health department to adjust staffing based on patient needs and unit conditions. The law aims to ensure safe staffing levels without reducing existing standards, directly affecting healthcare facilities and patient safety.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to study the feasibility of developing advanced reactors statewide within 18 months. The study must examine suitable locations (including retired power sites), regulatory requirements, economic viability, safety, environmental impacts, and public input through three stakeholder sessions. It directs the BPU to recommend a potential program for deploying small modular reactors and publish findings online. The study expires 30 days after the report is submitted to the Governor and Legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires businesses in New Jersey's financial, essential infrastructure, and healthcare sectors (defined as "sensitive businesses") to report specific cybersecurity incidents to the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) promptly. It mandates reporting for incidents compromising billing, communications, data management, or industrial control systems that affect confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Within 30 days of receiving a report, the NJCCIC must order an independent cybersecurity audit of the business at the business's expense, identifying vulnerabilities and requiring corrective action plans. The audit findings and plans must then be submitted to the NJCCIC. The law takes effect 90 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill would generally prohibit "institutional investors" (large investment firms or entities controlling multiple properties) from purchasing or acquiring single-family homes in New Jersey, including townhomes. It defines "institutional investor" to exclude small investors owning four or fewer homes, nonprofits providing affordable housing, family trusts, and entities acquiring homes through foreclosure or eminent domain. The law applies to all single-family home purchases unless exempted under specific provisions, such as for nonprofits serving affordable housing or small-scale investors. It does not affect individual homebuyers or most standard real estate transactions.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 946), now law as P.L.2025, c.177, requires mental health services to be provided in the communication method preferred by each deaf or hard of hearing individual - such as sign language or oral communication - based on their assessment. It mandates that mental health professionals be fluent in that method, trained in cultural needs, and able to collaborate with interpreters. The law also requires a state resource guide listing specialized mental health services and ensures individuals can help shape their own care plans. It directly affects all deaf or hard of hearing residents seeking mental health support in New Jersey, addressing long-standing barriers in access and care quality.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires producers of firefighting gear containing intentionally added PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) to provide written notice to purchasers one year after the law takes effect. The notice must specify which PFAS chemicals are present, why they were added, and their chemical names. Beginning two years after the law takes effect, the bill prohibits selling, manufacturing, or distributing such firefighting gear in New Jersey, with exceptions for non-clothing items like breathing apparatuses until 2032. The law directly affects firefighting equipment manufacturers, sellers, and fire departments purchasing this gear, with violations subject to fines up to $20,000.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to study within 60 days whether it can implement an electronic system for processing vehicle liens and titles, replacing the current paper-based system. If the MVC lacks resources, it must contract with a qualified vendor under specific terms: a 7-year agreement, no cost to the state (with the vendor reimbursing implementation costs), and fees for lienholders. Within one year of the system launching, most lienholders (including banks and lenders) must use the electronic system, with exemptions for individuals and non-business lienholders. The bill focuses on transitioning to digital records while ensuring the state incurs no costs for implementation.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public colleges to provide a replacement scholarship to student-athletes who lose their athletic scholarship due to an injury or illness directly related to intercollegiate athletics. If the injury makes a student-athlete medically ineligible to compete (as determined by the institution's medical staff), the school must offer a scholarship equal in value for the remainder of their undergraduate degree program or up to five years total - whichever is shorter. It specifically applies to student-athletes enrolled at public institutions of higher education in New Jersey. The law defines "incapacitating injury or illness" as one directly tied to athletic participation that causes medical ineligibility for competition.

Maddy summaryThis bill, "The Manufactured Home Park Protection Act" (A-790), gives residents in certain manufactured home communities (with 10+ sites) the right to buy their land before the landowner sells to outsiders. It requires landowners to notify resident homeowners and a state-listed registry of affordable housing nonprofits when selling the community. Residents can form groups or purchase entities to collectively buy the land, with the Department of Community Affairs maintaining a public list of nonprofits ready to assist. The bill modifies existing law to prioritize resident ownership and prevent displacement in these communities. (Note: The bill was withdrawn after being superseded by P.L.2025, c.362.)

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies that home improvement and home elevation contractors in New Jersey must be licensed by the state board or work under a licensed supervisor. It directly affects contractors performing these services by requiring compliance with licensing rules, eliminating unlicensed work. The key provision specifies that unlicensed individuals cannot perform such work directly, ensuring all contractors meet state standards. This aligns with existing licensing requirements under current law, removing ambiguity about who may legally provide these services.