Asm. Carol Murphy

Maddy summaryThis bill requires licensed child care centers in New Jersey to send parents or legal guardians an annual notice detailing the center's emergency procedures for events like evacuations, lockdowns, natural disasters, or civil emergencies. The notice must be mailed via certified or receipted first-class mail to the parent's last known address and also posted on the center's website or electronic platform. It directly affects all parents/guardians of children attending licensed child care centers statewide. The law aims to ensure families are consistently informed about safety protocols without adding new safety requirements to the centers.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public schools, including both new construction and existing buildings, to implement specific security measures to enhance safety. Key provisions mandate secure vestibules at main entrances (with optional bullet-resistant glass), access control systems for remote door locking, separated vehicle and pedestrian routes, and bollards to block vehicle access near building entrances. It also requires schools to adopt safety-focused design principles like Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), clear emergency signage for responders, and policies prohibiting propped-open doors. These changes aim to control access and reduce vulnerabilities in school facilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "College Child Care Advisory Commission" to study child care access for college students who are parents. The 15-member commission includes state education officials, appointed public experts, and a student parent, tasked with compiling data on student child care needs, reviewing existing campus programs, and exploring partnerships between colleges and child care providers. It will examine successful models from other states and issue recommendations to the Governor, Legislature, and colleges within one year. The commission's report will inform potential future policies but does not create new programs or funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires counties, municipalities, and school districts to make their budgets more accessible by providing "user-friendly" summaries on their websites. Local governments must include a prominent link on their website home page leading to a plain-language budget summary that includes key information like revenue sources, property tax rates, and budget categories. The summary must be available for the current year and the previous three years. This requirement applies to all local government units that maintain a website, aiming to improve transparency and public understanding of local government finances.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey school districts to count absences due to students' mental or behavioral health issues as excused. It requires the state Education Commissioner, in consultation with the Health Commissioner, to develop guidelines defining these absences and specifying required documentation (e.g., medical notes) for students returning after such absences. The policy directly affects public school students, districts, and state education officials by expanding eligibility for excused absences. The guidelines must be established before the policy takes effect in the second full school year after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination to grant volunteers raising service or guide dogs the same public access rights as people with disabilities. It specifically applies to individuals training dogs for accredited programs before formal instruction, typically between 8 weeks and 18 months of age. To qualify, volunteers must have their dogs wear identifying gear (collar/leash), keep them leashed and under control, and carry program credentials for inspection. These requirements mirror existing rules for professional trainers but extend protections to volunteer dog raisers.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a three-year pilot program for New Jersey's Medicaid program to pay for certain high-cost prescription drugs based on their real-world effectiveness, rather than a fixed price. The state will select at least three drugs with measurable health outcomes (like reduced hospital visits) that are among the most expensive in Medicaid, and negotiate payments with manufacturers tied to patient results. Medicaid managed care organizations must participate, and the program requires agreements that adjust reimbursement based on observed drug performance. After three years, the state must report results and recommend whether to continue or expand the program, using de-identified patient data to protect privacy.

Maddy summaryThis bill raises the maximum age for residents in New Jersey's pediatric long-term care facilities from 19 to 26 years old. It directly affects young adults aged 19-26 who previously could not access pediatric long-term care services as they aged out of the system. The key provision amends existing law to allow these facilities to admit and provide services to residents up to age 26, effective immediately. The Commissioner of Health must create implementing rules within the Administrative Procedure Act framework.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A3605) prohibits New Jersey's Department of Education from administering PARCC assessments - standardized tests developed by the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers - after the 2015-2016 school year. It requires the Commissioner of Education to develop and implement a new statewide assessment program by the 2016-2017 school year that does not include PARCC tests. The bill directly affects public school students and educators in New Jersey, replacing a specific testing system with a state-designed alternative. It does not address the content or quality of the assessments, only the requirement to phase out PARCC and establish a new program.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A3607) requires all New Jersey public schools to provide suicide prevention instruction in every grade from kindergarten through 12th grade. It mandates that the State Board of Education revise curriculum standards within 180 days to include specific, age-appropriate elements such as recognizing warning signs, understanding mental health's role in wellness, addressing stigma, and identifying support resources. The instruction must be evidence-based and adapted to students' developmental levels. The law takes effect immediately for the first full school year after enactment.