Maddy summaryS 4013 allows New Jersey clinical laboratories to offer discounts to patients facing financial hardship without reducing their NJ FamilyCare reimbursement rates or violating anti-rebate regulations. The bill permits labs to charge uninsured, underinsured, or vulnerable patients (including those experiencing homelessness, extreme poverty, awaiting Medicaid enrollment, or required for substance use disorder testing) less for services while maintaining standard reimbursement rates from NJ FamilyCare. To qualify for a discount, patients must demonstrate financial hardship through income documentation or evidence of exceptional circumstances. The bill also requires dismissal of pending enforcement actions against labs for previously offering such discounts, ensuring these discounts won't be considered violations of anti-rebate rules. This change aims to improve access to laboratory services for vulnerable populations without penalizing providers for offering financial assistance.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill requires Medicaid to cover substance use disorder treatment services provided by community-based organizations that are licensed by the Department of Health. It establishes standards for these organizations' licensure and creates a training program to help them meet requirements. The bill also allows opioid treatment programs to create medication units (which can be mobile) to provide medication-assisted treatment like methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Additionally, it prohibits denying treatment based on a patient's refusal of counseling and limits required drug screenings to eight per year, aiming to increase access to substance use disorder treatment.
Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $3 million from the General Fund to provide one-time bonus awards to specific state workers. It directly affects members of Local 195 of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFTPE) who worked frontline, essential roles during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds will be distributed by the Division of Budget and Accounting in consultation with the union president to eligible employees across state agencies. The appropriation is supplemental to the 2025 budget and requires no new policy changes, focusing solely on compensating pandemic-era frontline staff.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3998) standardizes benefits for New Jersey teachers' pension members by removing tiered eligibility. It requires all current non-retired members of the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) to receive the same benefits as those enrolled before July 1, 2007, effectively moving everyone to "Tier 1" benefits. Public employees meeting salary minimums but not hour requirements will be enrolled in TPAF, and current Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP) members can transfer service credit to TPAF (without transferring contributions) to qualify for retirement benefits. Changes apply only to retirement applications processed after the bill's effective date.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "New Jersey Target Zero Commission" within the Department of Transportation, consisting of 13 state agency representatives (including Transportation, Health, and Public Safety officials). The commission’s primary duty is to develop a statewide action plan by 2040 aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries through engineering, education, and enforcement strategies focused on equitable road safety for all users. Key mechanisms include creating a public data portal for crash statistics, requiring annual public hearings and reports to the Governor and Legislature, and advising on policy changes to support safer transportation infrastructure. The commission must adopt its action plan within 12 months of the bill’s effective date and host public feedback sessions before finalizing it. This is a procedural bill creating a study body, not a direct policy change.
Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $49.5 million from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax revenues to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for land acquisition and conservation efforts. The funds will be allocated as $23.7 million for acquiring lands across 14 specific recreation and conservation project areas throughout the state, and $23.7 million specifically for Blue Acres projects that protect properties from storm and flood damage. Additionally, $2.05 million is designated for administrative costs associated with the Green Acres program. The funding comes from revenues dedicated by voters in 2014 to support open space preservation, farmland protection, and historic conservation under the Preserve New Jersey Act.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "New Jersey Target Zero Commission" within the Department of Transportation to develop strategies for eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2040. The 13-member commission - including agency heads from transportation, public safety, health, and environmental departments - will create a statewide action plan, promote data transparency through a public safety portal, and advise state and local governments on equitable road safety improvements. It requires annual reporting to the Governor and Legislature on progress, including traffic crash data and demographic information. The commission focuses on "safe system approach" strategies like roadway design, speed management, and expanding accessible transportation options for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and people with disabilities.
Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the list of transportation infrastructure projects eligible for loans from the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank for Fiscal Year 2025. It adds new projects, removes some existing ones, and adjusts the priority and estimated loan amounts for various transportation projects across New Jersey municipalities, including bridge replacements, road improvements, and pedestrian trail projects. The bill increases the total funding authorization for these projects from $53,883,706 to $61,400,000. Local government units seeking loans for transportation infrastructure construction will be affected by these changes to the eligibility list and funding amounts. The New Jersey Infrastructure Bank will now have updated parameters for issuing loans under the Transportation Infrastructure Financing Program.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a "Bear Smart Fund" within New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to fund the distribution of bear-proof garbage cans to residents. The fund will be financed by civil penalties from bear-feeding violations (e.g., $100-$500 fines) and state or federal grants. The DEP will prioritize distributing these cans in counties with large bear populations - Sussex, Warren, Morris, and Passaic - to reduce human-bear conflicts, with residents possibly paying a small fee. The program may partner with municipalities or waste companies to lower costs, while existing bear-feeding prohibitions remain in place except for specific exceptions like bird feeders under strict conditions.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a legal framework for New Jersey's Department of Human Services to request a court-appointed receiver for service providers who fail to meet health, safety, and care standards for individuals with developmental disabilities. The Department must demonstrate a pattern of violations in health, safety, or care standards before a court can appoint a receiver to take over the provider's operations. The receiver would manage both financial and operational aspects of the provider, including hiring staff, handling finances, and making decisions to protect recipients, with the goal of either fixing the provider's issues or transitioning care to a new provider. The receiver would have broad authority to manage the provider's business, including controlling assets, making operational decisions, and ensuring services continue without interruption. This framework aims to protect vulnerable individuals with developmental disabilities when their current service provider is unable to maintain required standards.