Sen. Shirley Turner

Maddy summaryThis bill would classify 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a psychoactive compound found in Kratom, as a Schedule I controlled substance in New Jersey. It would make 7-OH illegal to possess, manufacture, or distribute without a prescription, as Schedule I drugs are defined as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Possession of 7-OH would be punishable as a crime (with penalties up to five years in prison and $15,000 in fines for smaller amounts). The bill directly affects individuals who currently use or distribute 7-OH, which is commonly available in Kratom products and sold for its opioid-like effects.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey retail businesses from charging convenience fees when customers pay with cash for in-person purchases. It directly affects most brick-and-mortar retailers, requiring them to accept cash without adding extra charges to the total price. Key exemptions include airports (with cash acceptance requirements), parking facilities, car rentals (accepting checks), and large sports venues. Violations carry civil penalties up to $5,000 for repeat offenses, enforced through court action. The law does not apply to online, phone, or mail-order transactions.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the maximum number of children a registered family day care provider can care for from five to ten at one time. It directly affects family day care providers operating from their homes, allowing them to serve more children without relocating to a licensed center. The bill requires providers caring for more than five children to meet all health and safety standards and have at least one additional trained person present during care. It also directs the use of federal child care funds to provide required training for these providers.

Maddy summarySenate Bill S 4770 establishes New Jersey's "Blue Band Program" to reduce preeclampsia-related complications and maternal mortality. The program requires hospitals and federally qualified health centers to voluntarily provide blue wristbands to pregnant or postpartum individuals at risk of preeclampsia - a condition involving high blood pressure that can cause life-threatening complications for mothers and babies. These wristbands serve as a visible alert for healthcare providers across all care settings, improving coordination during pregnancy and postpartum care. The Department of Health's Office of Maternal and Child Health will manage the program, develop educational resources, and issue annual reports tracking participation and impact on maternal health outcomes.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases funding for New Jersey's Work First New Jersey Child Care subsidy program by $28 million in the FY2026 budget, raising its total appropriation to $593.8 million. It directly affects lower-income families who rely on state child care subsidies to cover expenses for their children. The bill reverses policies implemented on August 1, 2025, by requiring the state to restart accepting new applications and return to pre-August 2025 family copayment rates (2-6% of income), which had been raised due to a funding shortfall. This change ensures the program operates fully without pausing new enrollments or increasing costs for eligible families.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Jersey's Athletic Training Licensure Act by revising key definitions to modernize the scope of practice. It replaces the term "athlete" with "physically active person" to include individuals participating in sports, performing arts, recreational activities, employment, or military exercise. The bill clarifies that athletic training covers injury prevention, evaluation, and rehabilitation under physician supervision, while explicitly excluding prescription of controlled substances. These changes directly affect licensed athletic trainers, ensuring their scope aligns with current practices and legal requirements. The revisions were enacted without opposition (passed 39-0 in Senate, 77-2 in Assembly).

Maddy summaryThis bill transfers authority for inspecting on-farm dairy processing operations from the Department of Health to the Department of Agriculture. It requires the Department of Agriculture to collaborate with the Department of Health and local health boards when conducting these inspections. The bill mandates the Agriculture Secretary to create necessary rules to implement this change, with no new requirements for dairy processors beyond the existing inspection framework. The transfer takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's child care assistance program to include full-time graduate and post-graduate students who meet income, asset, and residency requirements and are enrolled full-time in good academic standing at a public or private college or university. Currently, the program covers only full-time undergraduate students pursuing associate's or bachelor's degrees. The state must update its eligibility rules and seek federal funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant to cover the costs of this expansion. This change directly affects graduate and post-graduate students who are parents and rely on the program for child care support.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill ensures that district and county election boards, not judges, make the initial determination on whether ballots with unclear markings should be counted. The boards will use their judgment to decide if marks were intended to vote for a candidate (counting the ballot) or to identify the ballot (rejecting it). Currently, such decisions often required judicial review, but this bill shifts that authority to the election boards directly. This change affects how election results are finalized for ballots with ambiguous marks, streamlining the counting process without altering the criteria for ballot validity.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the time teachers can be away from service while maintaining membership in New Jersey's Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF). It increases the standard discontinuance period from two to seven years, and extends the return-to-service window to 25 years for teachers who were laid off or voluntarily left with 10 or more years of service. Teachers returning within these extended timeframes will be re-enrolled in the TPAF at their previous tier with no additional contributions required. The changes apply to all current and future TPAF members who meet the specified conditions.