Maddy summaryNew Jersey Senate Bill S 3955 prohibits substance use disorder treatment providers - including licensed facilities and recovery residences - from using deceptive marketing practices. It requires all advertising materials to clearly state the types of services offered, service locations, and the provider’s name in plain language. The bill bans false claims about network status, misleading contact information, fake website redirects, implied relationships with other providers, and inaccurate descriptions of services. Violations carry civil penalties of up to $20,000 per offense, and affected individuals can sue for triple damages plus legal fees. The law aims to protect consumers from misleading advertising in the substance use treatment sector.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryS 3952 amends New Jersey law to strengthen penalties for improper payments related to patient referrals to substance use disorder treatment facilities, recovery residences (sober living homes), and clinical laboratories. It elevates violations from a fourth-degree to a third-degree crime, imposing an automatic $50,000 fine for anyone - including health care providers, facilities, non-profits, or recovery residences - who makes or receives payments tied to referrals based on patient volume, treatment duration, or insurance benefits. The bill explicitly clarifies that payments not varying by these factors remain permitted. This law takes effect immediately and directly affects entities involved in referring patients to substance use disorder treatment services.
Maddy summaryS 3098 requires health insurers in New Jersey to cover biomarker testing for diagnosis, treatment, management, or ongoing monitoring of medical conditions when supported by medical evidence. The bill defines biomarker testing as analysis of tissue, blood, or other biospecimens for biomarkers, and specifies coverage must be provided when tests align with FDA approvals, drug indications, CMS determinations, or nationally-recognized clinical guidelines. Insurers must process prior authorization requests within 72 hours for non-urgent cases and 24 hours for urgent cases, while minimizing disruptions like multiple biopsies. This requirement applies to all health insurance plans, including Medicaid, which must provide coverage with no cost-sharing for beneficiaries.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires all health insurance plans in New Jersey to cover the full cost of organ donation after death, with no out-of-pocket expenses for the insured. It applies when the deceased person was registered as an organ donor in New Jersey's official registry, or when a designated family member (like a spouse, adult child, sibling, or legal guardian) authorizes the donation. The coverage includes all necessary medical procedures related to organ donation following a declaration of death under New Jersey's Death Act. This policy directly affects insured individuals and their families who choose to donate organs after death.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 4286) changes New Jersey's healthcare licensing application process to protect professionals seeking mental health or substance use treatment. It prohibits licensing boards from asking about past behavioral health care history during initial applications or renewals, allowing questions only about current conditions that impair safe practice. Responses about treatment will remain confidential, and such information cannot be used alone to deny licensure if the applicant is not impaired. The bill also requires training for licensing staff on handling disclosures without stigma, aligning New Jersey with best practices adopted by most other states to support healthcare workers' mental health.
Maddy summaryThis bill expands the definition of "child" under New Jersey's Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS) and State Police Retirement System (SPRS) to include children of any age who are disabled due to intellectual disability or physical incapacity. Specifically, it adds a new provision (d) requiring the disability to prevent substantial gainful work for at least 12 months, as certified by a medical board. This change directly affects surviving family members of retired or deceased police and firefighter members who qualify as disabled children under the new criteria. The policy shift ensures these disabled children may now receive survivor benefits previously only available to younger or education-focused dependents.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey law to establish a 15-year useful life period for municipal expenses related to tree purchase, planting, and removal. It adds this specific provision to the existing list of capital assets (like buildings, roads, and equipment) that municipalities must account for over defined depreciation periods. As a result, New Jersey municipalities will now include tree-related costs in their 15-year capital budgeting schedule, aligning them with other infrastructure investments for financial reporting purposes. The bill does not change tree care practices or create new environmental requirements.
Maddy summaryThis bill ensures that New Jersey drivers and ID cardholders who designate themselves as organ donors retain that status automatically when renewing their license or card, without needing to re-register each time. The designation remains active unless the person actively removes it through a specified process outlined by the Motor Vehicle Commission. Licenses and ID cards will clearly display "ORGAN DONOR" to indicate this status, and the Commission must provide real-time electronic access to donor information for organ procurement organizations. This change simplifies the process for donors while maintaining their right to opt out.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2423, now P.L.2025, c.35) formally renames New Jersey's "Juvenile Justice Commission" to "Youth Justice Commission" throughout state law. It updates all statutory references, definitions, and provisions (such as in Sections 1, 3, and 1 of related laws) to replace "Juvenile" with "Youth" while preserving all existing legal procedures and policies unchanged. The bill has no policy impact - it solely adjusts terminology to reflect the commission's focus on youth services rather than juvenile justice. The name change is now law, effective March 17, 2025.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3848) amends New Jersey law to change how alcoholic beverage licenses work for sporting facilities. It removes two current restrictions: the rule limiting all-inclusive areas to one per game/event and the 500-person capacity cap for those areas. The bill clarifies that "sporting facility" includes all areas up to the security perimeter, and allows venues to establish unlimited all-inclusive zones of any size or number. This directly affects stadiums, arenas, and similar venues holding sporting facility licenses.