Sen. Teresa Ruiz

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2211) requires New Jersey's Department of Health (DOH) to encourage health care facilities and licensed pediatricians, family practice doctors, and other health care professionals to implement a "Reach Out and Read Program" during well-child visits for children aged 6 months to 5 years. The program promotes early literacy by having health care providers give parents books and advice on shared reading. The DOH must support this by creating and distributing informational materials about the program and posting a link to sign up on its website. The goal is to improve children's language development, strengthen parent-child bonds, and provide health care professionals with tools to monitor child well-being.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Education to annually collect data from schools about physical restraints and seclusion used on students with disabilities. Schools must report the number of incidents, types of restraint, duration, and the number of affected students. The data must be published yearly on the DOE website, broken down by county, race, gender, and age - all while protecting student privacy. The bill does not change school policies but mandates transparency about restraint use.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $20 million in supplemental funding to support STEM teachers in New Jersey public schools through two programs. It provides eligible new STEM teachers (those completing educator preparation programs or advanced STEM degrees in 2021-2022) with either: 1) Upfront loan redemption covering 25% of eligible student debt (up to $20,000), or 2) Upfront tuition reimbursement covering 25% of eligible tuition costs (up to $20,000). Recipients must sign a contract committing to four years of teaching in a New Jersey public school STEM classroom and maintain teaching certification. Failure to complete the service period requires repayment as a loan. The funding modifies existing programs under P.L.2019, c.401 for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Maddy summaryS 1754 increases annual payments from New Jersey's Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Fund to municipalities over two years. It directly affects all municipalities receiving these state funds, requiring them to reduce their property tax levies by the full amount of the increased aid. The bill mandates that any additional aid distributed under this fund must be subtracted from the municipality's annual property tax levy, preventing local governments from using the extra funds to raise taxes. This policy change ensures that state aid directly lowers the property tax burden on residents and businesses in affected municipalities.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the "New Jersey Migrant and Refugee Assistance Act," creating a Migrant and Refugee Resource Coordination Program within the Department of Human Services. The program connects migrants (individuals relocating to NJ from other countries) and refugees (those granted federal refugee status) with public assistance resources, including housing, healthcare, education, job training, and legal services. The Department must collaborate with local governments and community organizations, implement multilingual outreach, and submit annual reports detailing program effectiveness and recommendations. The law takes immediate effect and focuses on facilitating access to existing state services, not creating new benefits.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 2227 requires all public school districts, charter schools, and renaissance schools to create or expand summer school programs for students entering kindergarten through 12th grade the following fall. These programs must address pandemic-related learning loss with focused instruction in language, literacy, math, and social-emotional skills, plus family support resources. Schools must offer the programs to all enrolled students, with parental requests required 45 days before the summer start date (or at kindergarten registration if late). Schools must also report program details to the Commissioner of Education annually and may use federal funds or partner with other organizations to implement the requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a tuition protection fund for students attending private career schools in New Jersey. Private schools must pay quarterly contributions into a revolving fund managed by the State Treasurer, building toward a $2.5 million cap. If a school closes, students who paid tuition but can't complete their program can apply for refunds from the fund, covering up to the full tuition amount paid. The fund is prioritized after using the school's required performance bond, and students must assign rights to the state for any further claims against the school.

Maddy summaryS 2838 establishes the "New Jersey Reparations Task Force" to research and develop recommendations addressing generational harms caused by New Jersey's historical role in slavery and ongoing systemic racial discrimination. The task force will examine specific issues like racial wealth gaps (where Black families have a median net worth of $5,900 vs. $309,000 for white families), housing discrimination, mass incarceration, and voting disparities affecting Black residents. It will produce a report with policy proposals for state-based reparations, focusing on systemic inequities documented in the bill, such as Black children being 30 times more likely to be incarcerated than white children. The bill directly affects Black communities in New Jersey facing persistent racial disparities in housing, education, and criminal justice.

Maddy summaryS 2771, the New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act, prohibits state and local government agencies from holding individuals for federal immigration authorities based on immigration detainers. It requires agencies like schools, hospitals, and law enforcement to provide services without fear of immigration enforcement, ensuring all residents access public services regardless of immigration status. The bill specifically bans cooperation with "immigration detainers" (requests from federal authorities to detain people) unless supported by a judicial warrant. This directly affects immigrant communities by reducing barriers to healthcare, education, and public safety services, while directing state resources toward local priorities instead of federal immigration enforcement.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1200) would have required public water suppliers to immediately notify municipalities, school districts, charter schools, nonpublic schools, and colleges when drinking water violations occur that trigger federal Tier 2 Public Notices. The notification would detail specific contaminants, test results, locations, and suggested remedies. The bill was introduced in January 2026 but was withdrawn the same day because it was already enacted as part of P.L.2025, c.341. It does not currently require action, as the requirement is already in effect through prior legislation.