Sen. Shirley Turner

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a matching grant program for New Jersey public school districts, charter schools, and designated "renaissance" schools to address pandemic-related learning loss. It requires schools to use a portion of their federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to implement evidence-based programs that increase instructional time and accelerate learning, with the state matching 50% of those funds. Eligible schools must demonstrate increased learning loss (via state assessment data) and submit detailed plans for interventions like extended learning time, tutoring, summer programs, or targeted academic support. The program is funded from state ARP funds, capped at $200 million, and requires annual reports on effectiveness.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 255 requires all law enforcement disciplinary records - including complaints, hearing transcripts, dispositions, and bodycam footage - to be treated as public government records accessible to the public. It directly affects all New Jersey law enforcement officers (including police, correction officers, school safety officers, and parole officers) by mandating transparency in their disciplinary histories. The bill requires agencies to retain these records for at least 20 years (or 5 years for bodycam footage not tied to active legal cases), while redacting sensitive personal information like home addresses, medical details, and witness identities upon request. This policy change aims to increase accountability by making disciplinary actions publicly available, with specific rules for record retention and privacy protections.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's Child Advocacy Center-Multidisciplinary Team Advisory Board from 14 to 17 members and creates a new "Problematic Sexual Behavior Program" to address youth-related sexual behaviors. It establishes an annual progress review program for child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams to maintain funding eligibility, requiring compliance with National Children's Alliance standards. The program specifically defines "problematic sexual behavior" to include developmentally inappropriate actions by youth under 18, such as sexting or exposure to explicit content. The expanded board will include specialized professionals like psychologists, pediatricians, and care coordinators to oversee these initiatives. The bill directly affects child advocacy centers, multidisciplinary teams, and youth with problematic sexual behaviors in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases New Jersey's Work First New Jersey Child Care subsidy program funding by $28 million in the FY2026 budget, raising the appropriation from $565.8 million to $593.8 million. It directly affects lower-income families who rely on state child care subsidies to cover expenses, reversing a recent pause in new applications and increased family copayments. The key provision requires the state to resume accepting new applications and return to pre-August 1, 2025 copayment rates (2-6% of income), restoring the program to its prior operational status. This addresses a projected $25-$30 million shortfall that had forced the Department of Human Services to limit enrollment and raise costs for families.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 604 prohibits state pension and annuity funds from investing in the 200 largest publicly traded fossil fuel companies, ranked by carbon content in their oil, gas, and coal reserves. It requires full divestment from these companies within one year (two years for coal companies), with exceptions allowing temporary reinvestment if fund values drop below 99.5% of their hypothetical value without divestment. The bill mandates annual reports tracking divestment progress and compliance to the Governor, Legislature, and Attorney General. This policy directly affects the state's $100+ billion pension funds and their investment decisions regarding fossil fuel holdings.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a three-year, $1 million-per-district grant program through New Jersey's Department of Education to help school districts extend the school day or year. It prioritizes districts with high academic need (based on test scores, graduation rates, and dropout data), selecting up to 20 districts across regional groups. Funds cover costs like staff pay increases (with union agreement), transportation, and support services for extended learning time, requiring detailed applications and annual reports on participation and attendance. The program aims to support learning recovery and academic achievement, with a final evaluation report due after the pilot ends.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 385) sets new fire safety requirements for new residential buildings in New Jersey using light frame construction (like wood framing) that contain more than two dwelling units. It directly affects developers and contractors building such structures by mandating automatic sprinkler systems, requiring fire barriers (walls stopping fire spread) with at least a two-hour fire-resistance rating extending from foundation to attic, and specifying horizontal separations between units with similar fire-resistance standards. The bill also requires fire watch wardens (qualified firefighters or officials) to monitor construction during non-working hours until final sprinkler inspections are complete, or approved technology to provide equivalent monitoring. Additionally, it limits building height and stories based on whether structural framing is protected from fire.

Maddy summaryS 299 establishes New Jersey's Blue Band Program to reduce preventable maternal deaths linked to preeclampsia (a pregnancy condition involving high blood pressure). The bill requires the Department of Health's Office of Maternal and Child Health to implement a program where hospitals and federally qualified health centers provide blue wristbands to pregnant or postpartum individuals identified as at risk for preeclampsia. These visible wristbands alert all healthcare providers across appointments and care settings about the patient's condition, improving coordination during critical postpartum periods. The program includes developing educational materials, tracking participation through annual reports, and aims to reduce maternal mortality by enhancing early detection and follow-up care. It directly affects at-risk pregnant and postpartum individuals in New Jersey, with hospitals voluntarily participating in the initiative.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new Department of Early Childhood within New Jersey's Executive Branch to consolidate early childhood services. It transfers specific responsibilities from the Department of Education (covering preschool-through-kindergarten programs like teacher licensing and Title I services) and the Department of Human Services (covering pregnancy-to-age-eight services like child care programs and the First Steps Initiative) to this new department. The bill defines the Commissioner as the head of the department, appointed by the Governor, and outlines the department's authority to manage these transferred programs, develop regulations, and coordinate services. This creates a single state agency responsible for early childhood education and care, directly affecting children aged birth through eight and the agencies currently managing these services.

Maddy summaryThis bill standardizes retirement benefits for New Jersey public employees by removing tiered membership in the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS). It transfers all current non-retired PERS members to "Tier 1" (the benefits tier for those enrolled before July 2007), ensuring they receive identical retirement and health benefits as pre-2007 members. It also automatically transfers service credit from the Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP) to PERS for DCRP participants, though their contributions remain in DCRP, and gives them 6 months to opt out. Additionally, it requires public employers to enroll eligible employees (earning above minimum salary but not meeting hour requirements) into PERS within 60 days. Changes apply only to retirement applications processed after the bill’s effective date.