Sen. Joe Cryan

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the New Jersey Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide at Rutgers School of Public Health. The center will research suicide causes, prevention methods, and treatments at individual and community levels, including societal determinants and consequences. It must collaborate with state agencies (like the Department of Health), provide researcher training, and administer competitive grants for suicide-related research. The center will submit annual reports to the governor and legislature detailing its work, funding, and research outcomes.

Maddy summaryS 2241 expands New Jersey's subsidized child care assistance program to cover families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), raising the income limit from 200% FPL ($55,500 for a family of four in 2022) to 300% FPL ($83,250 for a family of four in 2022). The bill requires the Division of Family Development to establish at least four income tiers for determining eligibility and co-payment amounts. It appropriates necessary state funds for implementation, to be determined by the Commissioner of Human Services and approved by the budget office. This change directly affects low-to-moderate-income working families who previously exceeded the income threshold for child care subsidies.

Maddy summaryS 1948 requires New Jersey nursing homes to provide more detailed financial disclosures and ownership information. Nursing homes must now submit annual reports including balance sheets with equity details, itemized expenses for leases and contracts over $10,000, and comprehensive organizational charts showing parent companies, subsidiaries, and related parties providing services worth over $200,000 annually. For ownership transfers, applicants must submit detailed information about current and proposed owners, including organizational charts, and the Department of Health must post these applications online. The bill also requires owner-certified financial statements prepared by certified public accountants and increases penalties for noncompliance to up to $200 per day. These changes aim to increase transparency about nursing home ownership structures and financial relationships.

Maddy summaryS 2239 extends New Jersey's requirement that child care subsidy payments for licensed centers and registered family day care providers be based on the number of enrolled eligible children (not attendance) until June 30, 2025. The bill mandates that providers set staff wages and hours based on enrollment numbers, not attendance, and requires the Division of Family Development to study the cost differences between enrollment-based and attendance-based payments. This study must be reported to the Governor and Legislature within three years of the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryS 1983 would eliminate the requirement for advanced practice nurses (APNs) in New Jersey to practice under physician collaboration or supervision, allowing them to provide care independently. This directly affects APNs - over 75% of whom specialize in primary care - and aims to improve healthcare access in underserved communities, including areas with physician shortages and among racial/ethnic minorities, low-income populations, and those facing transportation barriers. The bill cites that 24 states and the District of Columbia already permit full practice authority for APNs, and during pandemic waivers (Executive Order 112), no adverse incidents occurred while APNs practiced without restrictions. It states removing these barriers could reduce healthcare access disparities by over 38 percent, aligning New Jersey with other states to address chronic shortages in primary care services.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's school bus safety laws to authorize using school bus monitoring systems for enforcement. It changes penalties for drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses: violations captured by these systems will result in only a $250 civil penalty (instead of potential fines or jail time), with funds directed to municipalities and school districts for safety programs. The law applies to buses transporting children or individuals with developmental disabilities when stopped to load/unload. It does not create new monitoring systems but specifies how existing systems can be used to enforce stop laws through civil penalties.