Asm. Lou Greenwald

Maddy summaryThis bill provides $400 million in bonuses to essential healthcare workers in New Jersey earning $100,000 or less annually. It covers direct care workers (like nurses, EMTs, and therapists) and support staff (such as janitors, cafeteria workers, and administrative staff) who work hands-on with patients or support healthcare providers. Bonuses are tiered based on average weekly hours: $500 for 20-29 hours, $1,000 for 30-34 hours, and $1,500 for 35+ hours (capped at $3,000 total per employee). Employers must track hours, submit claims to the state, and pay bonuses within 30 days, with strict auditing to prevent misuse of funds.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires that mail-in ballot application forms, which voters return by mail, include prepaid postage paid by the State. It directly affects voters who apply for mail-in ballots using the physical form (as opposed to the electronic option starting in 2026) by eliminating the need for them to purchase postage. The key mechanism mandates that the Secretary of State’s application forms must include prepaid postage, ensuring voters can return their applications without cost. This change streamlines the process for mail-in ballot applicants without altering eligibility or voting procedures.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits temporary appointments for specific state officials to six months without Senate confirmation. It applies to cabinet-level department heads, the Attorney General, and county prosecutors - positions requiring the Governor to nominate and the Senate to confirm. If the Governor doesn’t submit a nomination within six months, the official must step down from the acting role. The law also requires the Governor to nominate current acting officials within 30 days of the bill’s effective date or they must vacate the position.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A2817) would allow staff attorneys at New Jersey's Government Records Council to directly handle certain government records complaints that previously required full council review. Currently, the council itself must process all complaints, contributing to a backlog of unresolved cases. Under this bill, staff attorneys would adjudicate routine complaints, with decisions appealable to the council, potentially speeding up resolution times for requesters. The change responds to a 2022 recommendation by the Office of the State Comptroller that the council use staff attorneys to process complaints more efficiently. The bill does not alter the process for appealing council decisions to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a two-year pilot program to provide 24-hour behavioral health urgent care at hospital facilities in New Jersey. It requires Medicaid managed care organizations to contract with six hospitals (two per region) to integrate behavioral health services into urgent care settings, with facilities needing at least one behavioral clinician and social worker on staff, plus telehealth psychiatry partnerships. The program uses Medicaid-funded quarterly bundled payments based on projected patient costs, aiming to stabilize behavioral health crises and reduce unnecessary emergency department visits. After the pilot, the Department of Human Services must report findings on patient outcomes, costs, and recommendations for potential expansion. The program directly affects Medicaid patients experiencing behavioral health crises, participating hospitals, and managed care organizations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Human Services (DHS) to publish an online guide for facilities seeking licensure as integrated care providers. The guide must detail the specific rules and steps needed for facilities - such as mental health centers, substance use treatment programs, and primary care clinics - to meet licensing requirements for integrated health services, which coordinate general and behavioral health care. It also mandates that the guide include clear contact information for DOH and DHS staff who can answer facility questions. The guide must be written in plain language and structured for easy understanding by providers.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill revises the Franchise Practices Act to strengthen protections for motor vehicle dealers (franchisees) against unfair practices by car manufacturers (franchisors). It prohibits franchisors from imposing unreasonable performance standards, requiring franchisees to purchase unnecessary vehicles or equipment, or restricting franchisees' ability to sell alternative products like insurance or service plans. The bill also requires franchisors to buy back all unsold vehicles from franchisees upon termination (expanding from current model year and one prior year to all prior years) and clarifies that franchisors can only exercise a right of first refusal if they have a formal program to increase minority ownership of dealerships. These changes aim to balance the power dynamic between franchisors and franchisees in New Jersey's motor vehicle dealership system.

Maddy summaryACR 91 is a New Jersey concurrent resolution urging the U.S. President and Congress to enact a federal ban on assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines. It references the expired 1994 federal assault weapons ban and notes New Jersey’s existing 1990 law prohibiting these weapons. The resolution has no legal force but formally requests federal action to address concerns about gun violence, citing past incidents like the 2011 Arizona shooting.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Sciences to collect specific data for six months on drug evidence handled by law enforcement. It mandates recording details like whether drug field tests were used, results, lab analysis outcomes, false positives, and time between tests. The data will be reported to the legislature within 90 days of the six-month period, including analysis of false positive rates and trends. The bill directly affects law enforcement agencies and forensic labs that process drug evidence in New Jersey, but does not change existing laws or penalties.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a process allowing nursing homes, assisted living residences, and other licensed healthcare facilities to request independent, informal dispute resolution hearings when they object to deficiencies cited during inspections by New Jersey's Department of Health (DOH). Facilities would request these hearings in a format set by the DOH, triggering a contract with an independent third-party panel of three objective experts (with no ties to DOH or the facility) to review the disputed issue. The panel would recommend whether the deficiency should be upheld, deleted, or modified, and the DOH Commissioner could accept, overrule, or adjust this decision. The process operates under existing administrative procedures and does not replace a facility's right to pursue formal legal challenges if unresolved.