Asm. Carol Murphy

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health to study two options for funding long-term health care benefits for certain residents. The study will model a worker-funded payroll deduction program and a public-private insurance model to cover high-cost care needs. It must analyze costs, participant numbers, potential Medicaid savings, and state risks, with a report due within 365 days. The findings will inform future legislation but won't create benefits immediately. This directly affects New Jersey residents who may require long-term care services, such as those over 65.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 2731) adds the right to use assisted reproductive technology (ART), including in vitro fertilization (IVF), to New Jersey's fundamental reproductive rights. It directly affects all individuals in New Jersey, including those under state control, by legally protecting their choice to access ART for starting or expanding a family. The key mechanism declares any state law, rule, or regulation limiting this right "deemed invalid" and unenforceable under New Jersey law. The bill responds to Alabama's 2024 court ruling that threatened IVF access, expanding existing protections for reproductive choices. It takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides health care benefits to surviving dependents of police, fire, or state employees who retired due to accidental disability linked to 9/11 WTC rescue, recovery, or cleanup operations. It clarifies eligibility for recalculating retirement allowances for those who participated in these operations for at least eight hours between September 11-October 11, 2001. The bill specifically covers health conditions tied to 9/11 exposure, such as respiratory illnesses, PTSD, or skin diseases. It amends New Jersey’s retirement systems to ensure survivors receive these benefits without requiring additional proof of the disability’s connection to the 9/11 operations. The bill directly affects surviving spouses and dependents of eligible retirees who served at the World Trade Center site.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4220) prohibits enforcing any provision in a deceased person's will that requires the euthanasia of a healthy pet. It specifically targets fiduciaries like executors or trustees who might be directed to carry out such a request. The law declares these will clauses void and unenforceable, ensuring pets kept for companionship (not for business or agriculture) cannot be forced into euthanasia solely based on a decedent's written instruction. The policy change applies immediately to all such will provisions in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows juveniles adjudged delinquent for acts that would have been robbery under adult law to expunge their records, provided the act did not involve bodily injury, force against another, or use of a deadly weapon. It directly affects youth in New Jersey who committed non-violent robbery-like offenses as minors. The key provision amends expungement law to create an exception for these specific juvenile robbery cases, which are currently ineligible for expungement under general rules. The change applies only to cases without violence or weapons, aligning juvenile expungement eligibility with the standard for adult robbery offenses that typically cannot be expunged.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the New Jersey Dog Trainer Licensure Board within the Division of Consumer Affairs to regulate professionals who train dogs for compensation. It requires dog trainers and behavior consultants to obtain a license by completing an approved certification program that prohibits aversive training methods (such as fear- or pain-inducing techniques) and mandates 36 hours of continuing education every three years. The board, composed of nine members including licensed trainers, a veterinarian, and consumer representatives, will oversee licensing and enforce standards. Exemptions cover military K-9 training, law enforcement work, and kennel club services provided exclusively to members.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the State Commission on Minority Affairs within New Jersey's Department of State. The commission, composed of department heads, legislative appointees, and 16 public members representing diverse backgrounds, will study issues affecting minority communities. Its key duties include examining minority employment, business opportunities, affordable housing availability, and civil rights protections, while collecting data on existing support programs. The commission will meet quarterly and report findings to the state, though it does not have authority to enact new laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 11-member State Seal Task Force to review New Jersey's state seal, adopted in 1777. The task force will analyze how the state's demographics, economy, and representation have changed since 1777, assess the seal's inclusiveness, and consider redesign options. It must hold at least three public hearings, include at least two high school students (with parental consent if under 18), and submit recommendations to the Legislature and Governor within 18 months. The bill does not mandate any seal changes but requires the task force to evaluate whether a redesign would better reflect modern New Jersey. The task force expires after submitting its final report.

Maddy summaryAJR 123 is a ceremonial resolution designating the second full week in November each year as "School Psychology Awareness Week." It requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation and encourages public officials, organizations, and citizens to observe the week with events highlighting school psychologists' role. The resolution recognizes school psychologists' contributions to student mental health, safety, and academic success without creating new programs or funding. As a procedural resolution, it has no direct policy impact beyond raising awareness.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey state agencies to provide public forms, applications, and documents in the five most commonly spoken languages in the state, as determined by the latest federal census. It also specifically mandates that agencies make materials available in Gujarati, Korean, and Punjabi upon request. The requirement applies to every state department, commission, board, or authority defined in the bill. Implementation will use the most recent decennial census data to identify the required languages.