Asm. Lou Greenwald

Maddy summaryS 4845 extends New Jersey's Municipal Stabilization and Recovery Act (P.L.2016, c.4) for five years, affecting financially struggling municipalities designated under the law. It updates key deadlines, changing the recovery plan timeframe from nine to fourteen years and extending oversight until the 169th month (from 109th) after a municipality is deemed in need of stabilization. The bill maintains the existing framework where municipalities must submit recovery plans to the state commissioner for approval, with continued oversight if plans fail to achieve financial stability. This extension preserves the current process for managing municipal fiscal distress without creating new requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A6119) expands New Jersey's list of healthcare projects exempt from the certificate of need (CON) requirement. It specifically exempts hospitals and maternity facilities from needing a CON for two actions: adding baby beds (intermediate/intensive bassinets) or increasing their neonatal care level - regardless of existing neonatal care certification. However, reducing baby beds or decreasing neonatal care levels would still require a CON. The bill directly affects healthcare facilities providing inpatient maternity services seeking to expand neonatal care capacity.

Maddy summaryThis bill sets fixed minimum funding levels for programs funded by New Jersey's hotel and motel occupancy fee, effective fiscal year 2027. It requires $31.9 million annually for the State Council on the Arts, $5.5 million for the Historical Commission, $17.6 million for tourism advertising (via the Division of Travel and Tourism), and $720,000 for the Cultural Trust. The bill also appropriates $1 million from the General Fund to the Division of Travel and Tourism for tourism advertising, ensuring a total of $17.6 million for this purpose in fiscal year 2026. Additionally, it clarifies that failure to appropriate these minimum amounts would trigger a "poison pill" provision, halting occupancy fee collection.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the Municipal Stabilization and Recovery Act (P.L.2016, c.4) for five additional years. It directly affects financially struggling municipalities designated as "in need of stabilization and recovery" by the state. Key changes include extending the recovery plan timeframe from 109 months to 169 months (about 14 years) and lengthening the state oversight period from 10 to 15 years. The bill maintains existing requirements for municipalities to submit recovery plans within 150 days of designation, including balanced budgets and detailed debt repayment schedules, while allowing more time for implementation.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's A5217, the "Ensuring Fairness in Cost-Sharing Amounts Act of 2024," requires health insurance carriers and pharmacy benefits managers to count third-party discounts and payments toward patients' out-of-pocket costs like copayments, deductibles, and coinsurance. This means discounts from drug manufacturers, patient assistance programs, or other third parties must reduce what patients actually pay for covered health services, rather than being ignored by insurers. The bill prohibits insurers from using "accumulators" that would prevent these discounts from counting toward a patient's deductible. It applies to all health benefits plans in New Jersey and requires annual compliance certification from insurers and pharmacy benefits managers.

Maddy summaryThe "John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey" requires all voting policies to be interpreted in ways that maximize voting access for all eligible voters, particularly members of racial, color, and language-minority groups. It prohibits voting practices that burden protected class members and mandates language assistance for limited English proficient voters. The bill creates a preclearance process for voting changes in jurisdictions with a history of voting rights violations and establishes the New Jersey Voting and Elections Institute to maintain public voting data. These provisions aim to ensure equitable access to voting and protect against voter suppression and vote dilution.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $1.5 million from New Jersey's General Fund to fund two specific programs run by the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers. It provides $1 million to the Department of Health for the "Pledge to Connect Program," which helps hospital patients with behavioral health needs access community-based care to reduce future emergency visits. It also allocates $500,000 to the Department of Community Affairs for the "Housing First Program," which provides permanent housing and support services to chronically homeless individuals in Camden. The funding restores state support for these programs, which had not received dedicated funding in the current fiscal year.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's aggravated assault statute to update the definition of "health care professional" to match the broader definition established in the "Health Care Heroes Violence Prevention Act." Currently, the aggravated assault statute only covers specific health care workers, while the "Health Care Heroes" law includes a wider range of staff such as volunteers, supportive services staff, and other employees working in health care facilities. By aligning these definitions, the bill ensures all health care professionals covered under the "Health Care Heroes" law would also be protected under the aggravated assault statute. This change directly affects health care workers, volunteers, and support staff across New Jersey who provide patient care or perform official duties in health care settings.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the "Patient and Provider Protection Act," imposes new requirements on pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) in New Jersey. It requires PBMs to have a fiduciary duty to patient health outcomes, prohibits misleading marketing to steer patients to network pharmacies, and bans contracts with drug manufacturers that condition rebates on excluding generic drugs. PBMs must reimburse contracted pharmacies at cost or higher and independent pharmacies at no more than 5% less than contracted rates (but still at cost), and cannot block independent pharmacies from matching network prices. These changes directly affect PBMs, pharmacies (both contracted and independent), and patients covered by health plans using PBMs.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds $10 million in off-budget funding from the Universal Service Fund to New Jersey's NJSHARES-S.M.A.R.T. Program for the 2026 fiscal year. It provides utility payment assistance, including help with past-due bills (arrearages), to eligible homeowners and tenants facing financial hardship. The Commissioner of Community Affairs will establish quick-processing guidelines to award grants, but applicants cannot receive duplicate aid from private insurance or other existing programs. This supplemental funding builds on a prior $5 million appropriation for the same program.