Sen. Vince Polistina

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new minimum Medicaid reimbursement rate for structured day program services provided to Medicaid beneficiaries with brain injuries. It requires these rates to match the average reimbursement for Day Habilitation Services (Tiers D and E) under the Division of Developmental Disabilities program, raising payments from $3.65 to $9.09 per 15-minute service unit. The policy directly affects approved brain injury service providers and beneficiaries receiving structured day care for traumatic or non-traumatic brain injuries. It expands existing Medicaid reimbursement rules, which previously only covered community residential services for brain injury care.

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3318) prohibits third-party reservation services (like apps or websites) from advertising, listing, or selling reservations for restaurants without a written agreement with the restaurant. It directly affects restaurants (food service establishments) and third-party reservation platforms, requiring explicit permission before they can list a restaurant’s reservations. Violations carry daily civil penalties up to $500 per restaurant per day, and restaurants can sue for damages, attorney fees, or injunctions against unauthorized services. The law aims to prevent third parties from charging customers for reservations they cannot legally offer.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits third-party reservation platforms (like OpenTable or Yelp) from listing, advertising, or selling restaurant reservations without a written agreement with the restaurant. It directly affects third-party services and food service establishments (including restaurants, pushcarts, and stands serving food to consumers). The key provision requires written authorization from the restaurant before a third-party platform can offer its reservations, with violations subject to daily civil penalties up to $1,000 per restaurant per day. The bill mirrors similar laws in New York and Illinois, aiming to prevent unauthorized reservation arrangements. It is currently pending in the New Jersey Senate Commerce Committee.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 1583 requires free cancer screenings every three years for volunteer firefighters through the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) network. The screenings cover 11 specific cancers (including colon, lung, prostate, and breast) with no out-of-pocket costs for firefighters. Physicians providing these screenings can be reimbursed up to $1,250 per three-year period by the state, and fire districts must maintain records to facilitate payment. This extends an existing benefit for paid firefighters to volunteer firefighters, who previously did not have guaranteed access to such screenings.

Maddy summaryS 585, "The Voter Convenience Act," allows voters in New Jersey municipalities to cast ballots at any polling place within their town or city on election day, rather than being restricted to their assigned polling location. The bill requires county election officials to create uniform guidelines enabling this system, using existing electronic poll books to verify voter eligibility and provide the correct ballot for their district. It amends election statutes to update sample ballots with websites listing all available polling places in the municipality. This change directly affects all registered voters in New Jersey municipalities by increasing voting location flexibility on election day.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's bias intimidation law to explicitly include Sikhs as a protected class, allowing law enforcement to prosecute hate crimes targeting individuals based on their Sikh identity. The legislation also appropriates $100,000 in funding, likely to support enforcement and community outreach efforts. By adding Sikhs to the state's existing bias intimidation protections, the bill aims to address incidents of discrimination and violence against Sikhs, who are often mistaken for Muslims and have faced increased hate crimes following the September 11 attacks. The measure reflects concerns about rising anti-Sikh prejudice and the need for legal safeguards for this community within New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill would prohibit certain institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes in New Jersey that are listed on the market and available for purchase. The law defines institutional investors as corporations, partnerships, trusts, and their affiliates, while exempting nonprofit housing developers, family trusts, and family limited liability companies. It also creates a special category for "small institutional investors" that own 20 or fewer single-family homes, which may be treated differently under the restrictions. The measure aims to limit large investment firms from buying residential properties while allowing family-owned entities and affordable housing nonprofits to continue acquiring homes.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill prohibits grocery stores and third-party delivery platforms from using dynamic, surveillance, or personalized algorithmic pricing when selling food items to consumers. The law defines these pricing strategies as those that use real-time algorithms or electronic surveillance to set different prices for individual customers based on their data, while still allowing standard discounts and loyalty program benefits. Violations would be treated as consumer fraud offenses punishable by fines, and penalty money would be collected into a special fund. That fund would then be distributed to community food pantries to help purchase groceries for those in need.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to keep nasal rescue medications and oxygen supplies available for seizure emergencies. It mandates that these supplies be stored in accessible locations throughout each school building and that designated staff members receive training to administer them when a school nurse is not present. The legislation also establishes a reimbursement system for districts to cover implementation costs and requires parental consent and liability waivers before designees can administer emergency treatment.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the annual cap on tax credits available for neighborhood revitalization projects in New Jersey from $15 million to $65 million. It directly affects businesses that fund qualified neighborhood preservation projects, allowing them to claim larger tax credits against certain business taxes. The key change is raising the total credit limit per fiscal year and adding a carryover provision: if credits aren't fully used in one year, the unused amount rolls over to the next year. This expands funding flexibility for projects under the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program, which supports community development through private investment.