Asm. Carol Murphy

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Task Force on Student Mental Health in New Jersey to study mental health issues affecting public school students, such as depression, anxiety, and trauma. The 16-member task force includes state officials, educators, parents, and public members with relevant expertise, who will examine current programs and recommend ways to improve access to mental health care services. The group will review topics like student identification, counseling expansion, school safety connections, funding needs, and successful programs from other states, then submit a final report to the Governor and Legislature within one year of organizing. The task force will operate without compensation for members but may receive reimbursement for necessary expenses, and it will dissolve 30 days after issuing its report.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Jersey's legal definitions for abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults, specifically clarifying who qualifies as a vulnerable adult and what constitutes a caretaker. It directly affects county adult protective services providers, healthcare professionals, and individuals caring for adults aged 18 and older with physical or mental conditions that limit their decision-making capacity. The key provision revises the definition of a vulnerable adult to include those living in community settings who lack sufficient understanding to make decisions about their well-being, while explicitly excluding individuals receiving only spiritual healing as a reason for needing protective services. The bill also refines terms like "community setting" to distinguish private residences from licensed facilities, ensuring clearer guidelines for when protective services should be provided.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a pilot program to study how New Jersey school districts could combine existing high schools with local elementary and middle schools to form unified K-12 regional districts. It authorizes the State Department of Education to select three pilot sites across the state and provides $150,000 in funding to support feasibility studies and planning grants for participating districts. If the pilot shows success, the bill outlines a process requiring voter approval in each municipality before implementation, along with state financial incentives to help cover initial costs. The program includes a five-year implementation phase and an independent evaluation component to assess impacts on student achievement, finances, and community satisfaction.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all sexual assault forensic evidence in New Jersey to be kept for at least 10 years from the date it was collected, or 10 years after a minor victim turns 18, regardless of whether the case was reported or the victim released the evidence. It applies to law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, healthcare facilities, and crime laboratories, which must notify victims within 30 days of collection that the evidence may be discarded after the 10-year period. County prosecutors or the Division of Criminal Justice may authorize destruction after the retention period, with provisions for transferring custody to the state if needed. The law also allows custodians to contract with other entities to ensure proper storage of the evidence.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection to launch a public awareness campaign about hunting, specifically targeting residents near hunting areas to inform them about hunting seasons, rules, and activities on state-owned land. The legislation also mandates that an orange flag be displayed at every entrance to state parks and forests on days when hunting is permitted to increase visibility and safety. The Department must include funding for these measures in its annual budget request, and the changes take effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to create procedures for reporting harassment, intimidation, and bullying online through their official websites. It mandates that districts update their existing anti-bullying policies to include an electronic reporting form accessible to students, parents, and staff. The law also maintains current requirements for written reports to principals within two school days and prohibits formal discipline based solely on anonymous reports. School districts must allow anonymous reporting while still following established investigation and disciplinary processes for confirmed incidents.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands eligibility for New Jersey's Military Dependents Scholarship program to include students enrolled in approved career and technical education programs, in addition to undergraduate studies. It also extends scholarship eligibility to dependents of military members who served in Operation Freedom's Sentinel and Operation Inherent Resolve, alongside previously covered operations. The legislation modifies the governing board to require at least five public members who were directly affected by specific military operations, ensuring representation from those with direct experience. Scholarships remain available for spouses, children, or other eligible dependents of New Jersey residents who were killed, missing in action, or permanently disabled due to service in the specified operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey school districts to count absences due to a student's mental or behavioral health issues as excused absences. It requires the state Commissioner of Education to work with the Commissioner of Health to create guidelines that define what counts as an excused absence for these health reasons and what documentation schools may need when students return. The policy changes would apply starting the first day of the second full school year after the bill is enacted, giving the state time to prepare administrative rules. Students with mental or behavioral health challenges would gain flexibility in their attendance records, while schools would have a standardized framework to verify these absences.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires pediatric healthcare providers in New Jersey to screen children for Lyme disease during well-child visits and symptom-related visits (for fever, rash, fatigue, joint pain, or headache) between April 1 and October 31 each year. It mandates using a standardized checklist developed by the Department of Health to assess tick exposure and symptoms, with providers documenting results and ordering tests or referrals if risks are identified. Additionally, the bill requires physicians to complete one mandatory continuing medical education credit on Lyme prevention, diagnosis, and treatment as part of their license renewal. The law aims to improve early detection of Lyme in children through standardized screening and provider education.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates "Dementia-Specific Advance Directives" (DSADs), allowing New Jersey adults diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other neurodegenerative dementia to formally document their future healthcare preferences while they still have decisional capacity. DSADs must be signed, dated, and witnessed (with one non-relative witness) and specify choices about feeding (including "comfort feeding only" - hand-feeding for comfort, not tubes or IVs), hospitalization, life-prolonging treatments, and triggers for comfort care. The state will establish an electronic registry for DSADs, require healthcare facilities to honor them, provide provider training, and publish annual data on DSAD usage. It directly affects individuals with dementia, their families, and all New Jersey healthcare providers, ensuring their documented wishes guide care during advanced stages.