Sen. Linda Greenstein

Maddy summaryThis bill requires owners or operators of public community water systems in New Jersey to test for Legionella bacteria in drinking water. Specifically, they must test a random sample of 0.1% of service lines quarterly and 1% of water system facilities (like treatment plants and storage tanks) monthly. Test results must be reported to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and if contamination exceeds DEP-established standards, the system must notify customers and remediate within 30 days (with full resolution required within six months). Violations would be enforced under the state's Safe Drinking Water Act, potentially resulting in civil penalties.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires electric power suppliers to offer net metering to authorized food waste recycling facilities for electricity they generate using Class I renewable energy. It directly affects facilities defined as Class C recycling centers authorized to handle food waste under state law. Key provisions include crediting facilities for excess electricity generated (with annual rollover), and offering two compensation options: payment for remaining credits or real-time billing at a set rate ($0.03/kWh above residential tariff). The bill clarifies these facilities won't be considered public utilities when selling excess power to end-use customers within their service area.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2982) expands the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to cover **all long-term care residents**, removing the previous age restriction that limited its focus to elderly individuals. It updates key definitions to clarify that the Ombudsman's role applies to any resident in facilities providing long-term care (including dementia care homes, retirement communities, and medical day care centers), regardless of age. The bill also broadens the scope of "facilities" covered and revises definitions of terms like "abuse," "exploitation," and "caregiver" to ensure consistent application. This change ensures the Ombudsman can address complaints and protect rights for all long-term care residents, not just those aged 60+. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Health Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires healthcare providers to order bilateral ultrasounds at the same time as mammograms for eligible patients, and mandates that health insurers cover both tests without additional cost-sharing. It directly affects women receiving mammograms (particularly those with dense breast tissue, abnormal results, or specific risk factors like family history) and insurers providing health coverage. The law amends existing coverage requirements to explicitly include concurrent ultrasound testing alongside mammograms, rather than requiring it as a follow-up. This changes how insurers must cover diagnostic breast cancer screening, ensuring both procedures are paid for as part of a single visit. The bill does not alter who qualifies for mammograms but specifies that ultrasounds must be ordered simultaneously when mammograms are prescribed.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Secretary of State to create and implement a marketing plan within one year for manufacturing businesses in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem counties (defined as "Southern New Jersey"). The plan must include strategies to attract new manufacturing businesses, retain existing ones, and encourage expansion, with the goal of growing jobs and capital investment in the region. The Secretary must update the plan every five years and can request assistance from state agencies like the Economic Development Authority, Labor Department, and Transportation Department to develop workforce strategies, funding programs, and transportation infrastructure. The plan directly affects manufacturers and economic development efforts in these four southern New Jersey counties.

Maddy summaryS 923 establishes a $5 million grant program to expand dual enrollment in career and technical education (CTE) for high school students. Public colleges and universities in New Jersey can apply for grants to offer college-level CTE courses on their campuses or in high schools, allowing students to earn college credits while still in high school. The program requires competitive applications detailing institutional capacity, student participation plans, and long-term sustainability, with the Secretary of Higher Education reporting annually on program impact and workforce effects. This directly affects high school students seeking early college credit in career fields and public higher education institutions receiving funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Jersey's business laws to allow partnerships, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies to convert into other business structures (like corporations or out-of-state entities) under specific rules. It requires approval by partners or governing documents, mandates filing a certificate of conversion with the state Division of Revenue, and ensures property, debts, and legal rights transfer smoothly to the new entity. The law applies to all businesses converting their legal structure within New Jersey, streamlining the process while maintaining compliance with both New Jersey and the converting entity's original governing laws.

Maddy summaryS 1657 establishes New Jersey's "Energy Infrastructure Public-Private Partnerships Program" to help public entities like schools, hospitals, and emergency facilities upgrade energy infrastructure through private partnerships. The bill allows these entities to enter 25-year contracts for energy projects (such as solar, wind, and storage systems) under existing public contracting laws, without requiring taxpayer funds. Key provisions include authorizing private companies to finance, build, and manage energy projects that improve resilience against weather events, reduce costs, and support renewable energy expansion. This directly affects critical facilities needing modernized energy systems while leveraging private capital to meet the state's decarbonization goals.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires public community water systems in New Jersey to test drinking water quarterly for secondary (non-health) quality standards, including sampling from at least 10% of customer taps. It mandates that water system operators report test results quarterly and annually to the Department of Environmental Protection, local municipalities, and customers. If water quality exceeds standards, operators must create a compliance plan within 30 days to fix issues within another 30 days, and develop a maintenance plan to prevent future violations. The bill directly affects water utilities serving residential areas and aims to improve transparency and accountability in water quality monitoring.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a program to reimburse county governments for providing transportation services to disabled veterans traveling to medical appointments at Veterans Affairs facilities in New Jersey or neighboring states. It removes a previous restriction requiring appointments to be specifically for service-connected conditions, expanding eligibility to all VA medical appointments. The bill appropriates $2 million from the state budget to fund this program through the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs. It directly affects disabled veterans (defined as those with a VA-certified service-connected disability) and county governments offering transportation services.