Asm. Andrea Katz

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to assign paid or volunteer advocates to long-term care facilities. The advocates must conduct in-person visits to help ensure residents' financial, health, legal, and social needs are met. The bill also appropriates funds from the General Fund to cover the costs of these new advocates. It directly affects long-term care facilities and their residents by adding a new layer of on-site support.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows landowners to host farm-focused events like pumpkin festivals or tractor pulls on land protected for farming, but requires a permit from the county agriculture board. The permit limits events to no more than four per year per farm, with each event lasting only one week or weekend, and ensures the land remains usable for farming afterward. It clarifies that following these permit rules won't violate existing farmland preservation agreements. The bill directly affects landowners seeking to host such events and county boards issuing permits.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a 15-member Interagency Council on Menopause within New Jersey's Department of Health. The council includes 3 Department of Health officials (ex officio) and 12 public members appointed by the Governor, such as individuals with menopause experience, healthcare providers, researchers, and advocates. Its key duties include promoting evidence-based menopause care, creating multilingual educational resources for health providers, supporting research, and developing state-supported treatment services. The council must report annually to the Governor and Legislature on its findings and recommendations regarding menopause care access and quality. This bill directly affects New Jersey residents experiencing menopause and the state's healthcare system.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A3851 requires public schools to implement evidence-based early reading instruction for students in preschool through third grade. It mandates the Commissioner of Education to develop a specific literacy plan within one year, emphasizing phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension - while prohibiting "balanced literacy" and the "MSV" three-cueing model. School districts must adopt this instruction starting in the second full school year after the bill takes effect, and teacher preparation programs must require six credits of evidence-based reading training for certification. The bill directly affects New Jersey public schools, educators, and teacher training programs by changing curriculum standards and certification requirements.

Maddy summaryAssembly Resolution 112 urges New Jersey public schools to implement share tables in cafeterias to reduce food waste and address food insecurity. Share tables are designated areas where students can leave unopened, unconsumed food for others to take or donate to food pantries, directly affecting school cafeterias and students. The resolution cites that 21% of school lunch calories are wasted and nearly 10% of children in New Jersey face food insecurity. It is a non-binding resolution that would be shared with school officials for consideration but does not require schools to adopt the program.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey Assembly Bill A3658 requires the state to reimburse school districts for transportation costs incurred when serving homeless students. Currently, the student's "district of residence" pays these costs, but this bill shifts that responsibility to the state. The bill amends existing law to specify that the state must cover transportation expenses for homeless students attending school outside their home district, including cases where students are displaced by disasters or terrorism. This directly affects school districts (reducing their costs) and homeless students (ensuring continued transportation access). The law takes effect July 1 following enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey school boards of education to post specific financial summaries on their public websites. It mandates posting summarized payroll data, total accounts payable, and weekly accounts payable, plus a user-friendly overview of major spending categories and vendors selected through competitive bidding. The information must be placed prominently and in a format approved by the state education commissioner. This directly affects every public school district in New Jersey by increasing financial transparency for residents. The bill takes immediate effect upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires healthcare providers to give women aged 35-39 a pamphlet about menopause-related conditions during their annual physical exams, starting 180 days after the bill takes effect. The pamphlet must cover premature menopause, early menopause, and primary ovarian insufficiency, as created by the Department of Health. The Department of Health must publish this resource online within 90 days of the bill's effective date. The law applies specifically to licensed health care professionals conducting these annual exams on eligible patients.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A3569) requires licensed healthcare providers to give an informational pamphlet about menopause-related changes to female patients aged 40 or older during their annual physical exams, starting 180 days after the law takes effect. The pamphlet, created by the New Jersey Department of Health within 90 days of the law's passage, covers perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. It directly affects women receiving annual physicals in New Jersey and healthcare providers who conduct those exams. The law mandates this distribution as a standard part of care for eligible patients, with no additional costs or requirements specified.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Jersey municipalities, local government agencies, and officials to publish required legal notices in specific "qualified newspapers" instead of traditional outlets. A qualified newspaper must publish weekly (48 weeks/year), have at least 25% of its content in English, be publicly accessible in print within the municipality, and contain locally relevant information. The law applies to all legal notices currently mandated by state law for municipal publications. It takes immediate effect upon enactment.