Asm. Andrea Katz

Maddy summaryThis bill bans the sale, distribution, import, or manufacture of children's products intended for children under six that contain lead, mercury, or cadmium. It requires manufacturers to issue immediate recalls if they discover such products, and retailers must remove recalled items from shelves within 48 hours and return inventory within 14 business days at the manufacturer's cost. Manufacturers must then destroy recalled products within 60 business days to prevent public access. Violations carry penalties including fines up to $20,000 for initial offenses, or criminal charges with up to 10 years in prison for repeated failures.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's burglary statute (N.J.S.2C:5-5) to explicitly include keyless locking mechanisms under the definition of "burglar's tools." It makes it a crime to manufacture, possess, or publish plans for tools designed to bypass keyless locks with the intent to commit burglary. Manufacturing such tools or publishing plans is a fourth-degree crime (up to 18 months in jail or $10,000 fine), while mere possession is a disorderly persons offense (up to 6 months or $1,000 fine). The law directly affects individuals who create or distribute devices specifically intended to illegally access premises through keyless systems.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) to ensure its child abuse reporting hotline provides callers with information about available support resources for victims and their families. The hotline, which currently handles abuse reports, will now also share details on community services such as counseling, parenting programs, and substance abuse treatment. This change mandates that all hotline interactions include referrals to these assistance programs, directly helping families seeking immediate support after reporting abuse. The amendment applies to the emergency hotline maintained by DCPP and takes effect immediately.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires licensed child care centers in New Jersey to provide parents or guardians with 60 days' written notice before increasing tuition rates. Centers must send the notice via certified mail (with return receipt), first-class mail, or in-person delivery to the parent's last known address, and also post it on their website and display it prominently at the center. The notice requirement applies to all tuition rate changes occurring three months after the bill's enactment. This directly affects parents of children enrolled in licensed child care centers by giving them advance warning of fee changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds the right to use assisted reproductive technology (ART), including in vitro fertilization (IVF), to New Jersey's constitutional protections for reproductive choice. It explicitly expands existing rights - previously covering contraception, sterilization, and pregnancy decisions - to include choosing whether to use ART. The law states that any state, county, or local law limiting this right is invalid and unenforceable. It directly affects all New Jersey residents seeking or providing ART services, reinforcing access amid legal challenges in other states like Alabama. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey state colleges to close on Election Day for general elections, meaning no academic classes will be held on that date. It directly affects public colleges across the state by mandating they treat Election Day as a holiday on their academic calendars. The law takes effect in the first full academic year following its enactment, ensuring colleges adjust their schedules to accommodate the holiday.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A4736) amends New Jersey's Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act to explicitly protect teachers and staff members from harassment, intimidation, and bullying, not just students. It expands the definition of "harassment, intimidation, or bullying" to include acts using deceptive audio or visual media, such as AI-generated deepfakes that falsely depict someone speaking or acting. School districts must update their anti-bullying policies to include these protections, with specific procedures for reporting incidents against staff and addressing AI-generated harassment. The bill also requires schools to implement new reporting mechanisms specifically for staff members who experience bullying. This change directly affects teachers, staff, and all public school districts across New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require all public and nonpublic schools participating in the National School Lunch Program or federal School Breakfast Program to provide free meals to every enrolled student, regardless of their family's income or federal eligibility status. Currently, schools only provide free or reduced-price meals to students who meet specific federal income or categorical eligibility criteria (like being homeless or receiving SNAP benefits). Under this bill, all students would receive meals at no cost, with the state covering the unreimbursed costs for students who are not federally eligible. This would expand New Jersey's existing "Working Class Families" Anti-Hunger Act, which previously provided free meals to students from families earning up to 224% of the federal poverty level.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires large distribution facilities (100,000+ square feet) or those in overburdened communities (50,000+ square feet) that generate 50+ truck trips daily to obtain a permit from New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and annually implement air pollution reduction measures. The permit program mandates facilities to earn points through specific actions like purchasing electric trucks, installing solar power, or using cleaner equipment to achieve zero emissions by 2050. Facilities must pay annual permit fees and face penalties of $10,000-$20,000 per violation for non-compliance, while the DEP will monitor compliance through truck counting, emissions monitoring, and facility inspections.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to provide reading intervention programs for kindergarten through third-grade students who show reading deficiencies, as identified by approved assessments. The programs must use a data-driven, multi-tiered system of supports to deliver explicit instruction in phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension while monitoring student progress throughout the year. School districts must adopt scientifically based instructional materials, and the Department of Education must provide age-appropriate resources and develop an evaluation process for the program. The law takes effect immediately for the first full school year after enactment.