Sen. Teresa Ruiz

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens New Jersey's human trafficking law by increasing penalties for traffickers. It defines trafficking more broadly (including holding people for sexual activity or labor through threats, fraud, or document confiscation) and makes violations a first-degree crime punishable by 20 years to life in prison with no parole eligibility for the first 20 years. Perpetrators must pay restitution to victims based on New Jersey's prevailing wage laws or federal standards, and fines will fund a new "Human Trafficking Survivor's Assistance Fund." The law directly affects traffickers facing harsher sentences, victims receiving restitution, and agencies managing the survivor fund.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public schools to prominently display a link to the free and reduced-price school meals application on their official websites. It directly affects public schools, which must add this link to a visible location on their online platforms. The provision supplements existing law by mandating website accessibility for the application, which parents use to determine eligibility for the National School Lunch Program and federal School Breakfast Program benefits. The requirement takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services (DHS) to create accessible tools helping NJ FamilyCare and SNAP recipients meet new federal work/volunteer requirements through community service. Specifically, DHS must develop a public web tool to find approved volunteer opportunities and a mobile app for beneficiaries to submit hours for compliance. It directly affects over 1.8 million NJ FamilyCare recipients (including children, parents, and seniors) and 425,000 SNAP households, who now face expanded work requirements under federal law. The bill focuses on streamlining compliance - replacing paperwork with volunteer hours - by connecting people to verified opportunities through state resources. This is a procedural policy change to support existing eligibility rules, not a new benefit or requirement.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey retailers selling cigarettes or vapor products to undergo two annual inspections by health officials to enforce flavor restrictions. It directly affects businesses selling flavored cigarettes (except tobacco, clove, or menthol) or flavored vapor products (like fruit or candy flavors), which are prohibited under existing law. Inspectors must conduct follow-up checks within three months if a violation is found, and penalties include fines up to $1,000 per cigarette violation or $2,000 per vapor product violation, paid to the local municipality. The inspections aim to ensure compliance with bans on non-tobacco flavors in these products.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require New Jersey Medicaid to cover ovulation-enhancing drugs and related medical services for people aged 21-44 experiencing infertility. It defines infertility as failure to conceive after 12 months of regular, unprotected sex for ages 21-34, or six months for ages 35-44. Covered services include office visits, hysterosalpingograms, pelvic ultrasounds, and blood testing. The coverage would apply only when federal funding is available for Medicaid programs. This would expand existing Medicaid benefits to include fertility treatments for this specific population.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require New Jersey Medicaid and the Plan First program to cover fertility preservation services when medically necessary treatments (such as surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy) could cause iatrogenic infertility. It defines "iatrogenic infertility" as fertility impairment from medical treatments affecting reproductive organs, and specifies coverage for standard procedures like sperm, egg, embryo, and ovarian tissue storage. The bill prohibits denying coverage based on age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or marital status. It would provide low-income individuals with access to fertility preservation services that are often cost-prohibitive. The bill applies to Medicaid beneficiaries and Plan First participants facing potential iatrogenic infertility from medically necessary treatments.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies New Jersey's higher education credit transfer system by replacing the current "collective Statewide transfer agreement" and "collective Statewide reverse transfer agreement" with new standards established by the Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the New Jersey Presidents' Council. It creates the position of "New Jersey Transfer Ombudsman" within the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education to resolve disputes between students and public institutions regarding credit transfer compliance. The Ombudsman will make final decisions on disputes, review institutions' credit transfer policies every three years, and prepare an annual report on transfer outcomes. Public institutions must also provide transfer students with data on program completion rates, directly affecting county colleges, four-year public universities, and students transferring between them.

Maddy summaryS 1518 establishes requirements for public agencies considering contracting out services previously provided by public employees. The bill mandates competitive bidding for contracts over $500,000 (for local agencies) or $1 million (for state agencies), requiring contractors to maintain current service quality, not increase public fees, and pay wages/benefits at least equal to those of displaced public employees. Agencies must demonstrate cost savings compared to public provision, provide quarterly reports on contractor compliance, and prepare transition plans for displaced workers. The Office of the State Comptroller reviews contracts for compliance, and the State Auditor conducts annual post-audits to verify actual cost savings and service quality.

Maddy summaryThis bill bans the use of regulated PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in menstrual products sold in New Jersey, directly affecting manufacturers of tampons, pads, cups, and related products. It defines regulated PFAS as chemicals intentionally added for functional purposes or present at 10 parts per million or higher, and requires manufacturers to test products using state-approved labs, sharing results with the Department of Environmental Protection and Health. Violations would be treated as consumer fraud under New Jersey law, with fines up to $20,000 per offense. The ban takes effect 18 months after enactment, allowing for early administrative preparations.

Maddy summaryThis bill imposes a $3 daily surcharge on hotel room occupancies in New Jersey cities of the first class that have an international airport (like Newark). The collected funds go into a dedicated fire services trust fund managed by the state, which municipalities must use exclusively for firefighting services - such as hiring staff, buying equipment, and capital improvements. Municipalities can only spend these funds if their annual fire service budget increases compared to the previous year, and they cannot use more than 37% of the surcharge revenue for firefighter salaries and retention through 2028. The surcharge is in addition to existing taxes and is designed to supplement, not replace, current fire service funding from property taxes or state aid.