Sen. Andrew Zwicker

Maddy summaryThis bill transfers responsibility for inspecting on-farm dairy processing operations from the Department of Health to the Department of Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture must collaborate with the Department of Health and local health boards to conduct these inspections. This change directly affects dairy farmers who process milk on their farms, shifting oversight from health-focused to agricultural authorities. The bill requires no new funding or operational changes beyond the departmental transfer.

Maddy summaryThe "Healthy Smiles Act" (S 3011) increases NJ FamilyCare's fee-for-service reimbursement rates for pediatric dental services by 20% starting July 2025, and requires managed care organizations to pay providers at least the same rate for identical services. This directly affects dental providers treating NJ FamilyCare enrollees (20% of New Jersey's population, including low-income and minority children) and aims to improve access to dental care. The bill addresses longstanding low reimbursement rates - ranked in the bottom 10% nationally since 2007 - that have reduced provider participation and delayed care for children with high rates of untreated tooth decay. It mandates annual adjustments tied to regional inflation and imposes penalties on managed care plans that fail to comply.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey state, county, private, and juvenile correctional facilities to provide free voice calls, video calls, and email services for incarcerated people. It eliminates all costs for both inmates and their families by banning per-minute charges (previously up to 11 cents), surcharges, commissions, or fees on these services. Facilities must maintain current access levels and transfer any remaining prepaid funds to inmates' commissary accounts. The bill appropriates funds from the General Fund to cover implementation costs and takes effect six months after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 2046) expands the Family Leave Act to provide up to 21 days of protected leave for employees experiencing specific bereavement events, including the death of a child (including stillbirth), miscarriage, or failed fertility treatment. It directly affects employees working for employers with 30+ staff (down from 50 under previous rules), covering situations like pregnancy loss or a child’s death, whether through birth, adoption, or gestational carrier arrangements. The leave is available through the existing Temporary Disability Benefits system, with 21 days for cases not covered by other leave types (like miscarriage) and 7 days when other leave applies (like stillbirth). This change ensures employees can take time off without job loss for these deeply personal losses, aligning with New Jersey’s broader family leave protections.

Maddy summaryS 1497 requires New Jersey state employees (including those at Rutgers and other public universities) to be granted one additional administrative leave day per year for each of the religious holidays Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, without using their regular leave allotment. It also mandates that public school districts record absences for these holidays as excused for all students. The bill ensures students absent for these observances cannot be penalized academically (e.g., lose awards or test opportunities) if a parent/guardian provides written notice, and excludes these absences from transcripts or employment forms. These provisions make Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha official excused religious holidays for both state workers and public school students in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1658) allows New Jersey municipalities to adopt stricter storm water management standards for residential development projects than the state’s minimum requirements. It directly affects local governments (municipalities) and residential developers, giving municipalities the authority to implement more rigorous storm water controls. The key provision amends existing law to explicitly permit municipalities to set higher standards under various state environmental laws (e.g., the Water Pollution Control Act, Flood Hazard Area Control Act). This change does not alter state minimum standards but provides local flexibility to address community-specific storm water concerns.

Maddy summaryS 215 allows New Jersey municipalities governed by the Uniform Nonpartisan Elections Law to adopt instant run-off voting (IRV) for local elections where one candidate is elected. Under IRV, voters rank candidates in order of preference; if no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on voters' next preferences until one candidate achieves a majority. The bill requires municipalities to formally adopt IRV via ordinance and mandates that voting equipment be certified by the Secretary of State before implementation. This change directly affects local voters and candidates in participating municipalities, altering how elections are conducted without changing the scope of elected offices.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1655) allows educational research and services corporations - formed by New Jersey public universities, colleges, school districts, and other eligible institutions - to act as lead agencies for purchasing *any* goods, services, or public works projects on behalf of their member entities. It expands existing law, which previously limited such corporations to handling only educational technology procurement, to cover all procurement needs. This change enables these corporations to streamline purchasing for members like school districts, counties, and municipalities under shared services agreements. The bill does not alter funding or create new obligations but modifies how these entities can coordinate procurement efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a state grant program to fund high-impact tutoring for New Jersey students. It directly affects public school districts, charter schools, and approved tutoring providers (nonprofits or school-administered programs) by requiring them to partner with the Department of Education to offer tutoring meeting specific criteria. Key provisions include: the Department must establish a list of qualified tutoring providers, fund competitive grants for programs that use research-based methods, track student progress via diagnostic assessments aligned with state standards, and require annual program evaluations. The program prioritizes tutoring during school hours and aims to support students needing academic help, with grants allocated based on program quality, student impact, and cost-effectiveness. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Education Committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires mail-in ballot application forms sent to voters to include prepaid postage, paid for by the State of New Jersey. It directly affects voters who request mail-in ballots, eliminating the need for them to pay postage when returning the application. The key provision updates existing election law to mandate that the state covers the postage cost for these forms, streamlining the process for voters. The change applies to all mail-in ballot applications submitted by mail, as specified in the bill's amendments to election statutes.