Asm. Balvir Singh

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a $4.5 million grant program to reimburse New Jersey school districts for costs incurred when expanding their procurement of locally grown food for students. It directly affects eligible school districts participating in federal meal programs (like National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs), requiring them to submit plans for new or expanded local food sourcing beyond current baseline levels. The program reimburses documented costs for minimally processed local foods (like fruits, vegetables, or grains grown in New Jersey), excluding fluid dairy milk. School districts must implement new policies to increase local food access during school meals or summer programs to qualify for reimbursement.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a five-year pilot program to test fully autonomous vehicles in New Jersey, requiring companies and institutions (called "autonomous vehicle testers") to obtain approval from the Motor Vehicle Commission before operating these vehicles. Participants must register vehicles, carry at least $5 million in liability insurance, and ensure operators are licensed, sober, and capable of taking manual control at any time. A task force of safety officials, industry experts, and consumer advocates will oversee the program, address safety concerns like collisions or cyberattacks, and provide quarterly reports. Testing will occur in controlled facilities and designated public road sections, with strict safety protocols to protect the public while allowing evaluation of autonomous technology.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs to create a model policy within three months for how professionals and licensed workers can use generative artificial intelligence in their work. Professional and occupational boards would then have six months to adopt this model policy with any necessary adjustments specific to their fields. The law defines generative artificial intelligence as systems that create text, audio, or visual content with minimal human oversight and temporarily bypasses standard rule-making procedures to speed up implementation. Once adopted, these rules would remain in effect for one year before being reviewed and updated through normal administrative processes.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 976) creates a temporary license for nonresident military spouses who move to New Jersey due to a military spouse’s assignment. It allows these spouses to practice certain licensed professions (like nursing or social work) without full New Jersey licensure, provided they hold a current license in another state with equivalent requirements and meet other criteria like recent experience and a clean disciplinary record. Most temporary licenses are valid for one year (extendable once), but licenses for six specific professions (including nursing and social work) are valid for two years. The bill directly affects military spouses relocating with active-duty service members, enabling them to work in their licensed professions while adjusting to their new home state.

Maddy summaryThis bill waives initial application and issuance fees for professional and occupational licenses in New Jersey for veterans and their spouses, domestic partners, or civil union partners who already hold a current, equivalent license in another state. It applies when the applicant resides in New Jersey and the out-of-state license meets the board's equivalent or substantially equivalent requirements. The exemption covers all licenses issued by professional boards under the Division of Consumer Affairs. The bill does not affect renewal fees or licenses obtained through other pathways.

Maddy summaryThis bill regulates pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) and insurance carriers to increase transparency and fairness in prescription drug coverage. It requires carriers and PBMs to establish pharmacy and therapeutics committees with strict conflict-of-interest rules, prohibits commission-based PBM compensation (mandating flat fees instead), and mandates detailed reporting of PBM fees for insurance filings. The law directly affects insurers, PBMs, and pharmacies by changing how drug formularies (approved drug lists) are managed and how PBM costs are calculated and disclosed. Key provisions include banning preferential formulary placement for higher-cost drugs over lower-cost generics/biosimilars and requiring actuarial documentation for PBM compensation. The bill aims to reduce patient cost-sharing and ensure PBM compensation aligns with administrative costs.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires social media platforms with at least five million global users to cooperate with designated nonprofit organizations (like StopNCII.org and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Take It Down initiative) to remove nonconsensual intimate images or videos. It mandates that platforms establish procedures for nonprofits to flag and request removal of such content - including AI-generated deceptive media - and requires immediate takedown of flagged material pending review. The law defines "nonconsensual" broadly, covering cases where victims didn’t consent, minors were involved, or deceptive media misrepresented individuals. Social media companies violating the law face fines up to $20,000 per offense. The bill directly affects platforms serving New Jersey users and protects individuals targeted by nonconsensual sharing of intimate content.

Maddy summaryThis bill would prohibit social media platforms from promoting content related to eating disorders - such as diet products, extreme weight loss practices, or harmful eating behaviors - to users under 18. Platforms must conduct quarterly internal audits and annual independent audits to ensure their algorithms or features don’t contribute to eating disorders in children, and fix any issues within 30 days if identified. Small platforms with less than $100 million in annual revenue are exempt from the audit requirements. The bill does not hold platforms liable for user-generated content unless the platform paid to promote it (e.g., via advertisements).

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey school districts to classify absences as excused when a student's parent or guardian is detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or when a designated caregiver changes due to such detention. To support these students, the legislation also permits districts to offer home or out-of-school instruction if the student cannot attend regular classes because of the family's immigration situation. The State Commissioner of Education is tasked with creating specific guidelines to ensure districts have clear procedures for verifying absences and delivering alternative education. These changes would take effect at the start of the first full school year following the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires residential customers to give explicit consent before their energy suppliers make significant changes to third-party electricity or gas contracts. The law defines a "material change" as any alteration to the contract's terms or duration, such as a price adjustment or a switch between fixed and variable rates. If a supplier intends to make such a change, they must obtain the customer's agreement through verbal, electronic, or written means and keep a record of that consent. The Board of Public Utilities will create specific rules to ensure suppliers follow these new requirements for contracts entered into or renewed after the bill takes effect.