Sen. Teresa Ruiz

Maddy summaryS 1210 requires owners of venues hosting large public gatherings (1,000+ people) and youth athletic events to keep an automatic external defibrillator (AED) on-site and accessible at all times. It mandates that these venues store the AED in a central, unlocked location near seating, train staff in CPR and AED use, and ensure at least one certified person is present during events to respond to cardiac emergencies. The bill also requires venues to create a cardiac response protocol, notify emergency services of the AED’s location, and mark it with visible signage. Non-compliance results in civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation, with immunity from liability for proper AED use.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 2183 requires owners of certain public buildings - including schools, government facilities, and commercial spaces like malls - to install baby diaper changing stations in at least one public restroom per gender (or in a family restroom) during new construction or substantial renovations costing over $5,000. The law applies to "group A or M occupancies" (defined as public-facing commercial or assembly spaces) and mandates signage directing visitors to these stations. Violations carry $500 penalties per offense, while public entities like school districts may seek reimbursement for installation costs through a new $500,000 state fund. The bill does not apply retroactively to existing restrooms but sets a timeline for compliance in public buildings.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires telemarketers making sales calls to display their actual name and phone number through caller identification services during the call. Specifically, they must accurately identify themselves within the first 30 seconds of contact and cannot block, falsify, or circumvent caller ID displays. It directly affects telemarketing companies and their call centers operating in New Jersey, applying to all unsolicited sales calls. The law aims to increase transparency for consumers by ensuring they can identify and verify telemarketers before engaging with them.

Maddy summaryS 1602 amends New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on height or weight in employment, housing, and public accommodations. It adds "height or weight" to the list of protected characteristics alongside race, gender, disability, and other existing categories. The bill updates enforcement mechanisms by directing the Division on Civil Rights to handle complaints related to height or weight discrimination. This change directly affects individuals who face bias due to their physical stature in workplaces, housing, and public services.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires licensed health care professionals to provide a Department of Health-prepared pamphlet about perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause to female patients aged 40 or older during annual physical examinations, starting 180 days after the law takes effect. The Department of Health must create and publish this pamphlet online within 90 days of the law's effective date. It directly affects healthcare providers performing annual exams for women over 40 and their patients. The policy mandates this information distribution as a standard part of routine care, with no additional costs or requirements specified for providers.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health (DOH) to collect and coordinate data on the language skills and educational progress of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, from birth through age 10. The data will be gathered using a centralized platform, shared with the Departments of Human Services and Education (with parental consent), and used to develop better support programs. It directly affects children aged 0-10 diagnosed with deafness or hearing loss in New Jersey. The law mandates privacy compliance with federal and state laws and requires parental written consent before sharing any data.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution (SR 71) urges the federal USDA to create a permanent waiver program for the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) nutrition program. It would allow states to temporarily authorize WIC participants to use their benefits for alternative infant formula brands or types during public emergencies - like supply shortages - without needing to renegotiate contracts each time. The resolution specifically references the 2022 infant formula shortage (caused by recalls and factory closures) and the temporary USDA waivers that expired in 2023, arguing states need this flexibility for future emergencies. It directly affects low-income pregnant/postpartum individuals and infants in WIC who rely on formula when breastfeeding isn’t possible, ensuring they can access needed nutrition during crises.

Maddy summarySJR 77 designates November each year as "Hospice and Palliative Care Awareness Month" in New Jersey to increase public understanding of end-of-life care options. The resolution requests the Governor issue an annual proclamation encouraging awareness activities, noting that 1.6 million people nationwide receive hospice and palliative care annually. It does not create new policies or alter existing programs, focusing solely on raising public awareness about these services.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires private health insurers, the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP), School Employees Health Benefits Program (SEHBP), Medicaid, and NJ FamilyCare to cover wigs as a durable medical equipment benefit under specific circumstances. It mandates coverage when a State-licensed dermatologist, oncologist, or attending physician prescribes a wig and certifies its medical necessity for treating a diagnosed illness, chronic condition, or injury. Coverage would be provided no more frequently than once every 36 months, on the same basis as other durable medical equipment. The bill prohibits restricting wig coverage to only those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. This applies to all health insurance plans operating in New Jersey, expanding current coverage that only partially included wigs for certain conditions.

Maddy summaryS 2530 establishes a rebuttable presumption that defendants charged with domestic violence by strangling their victims must be detained before trial rather than released on bail. The presumption applies when a court finds probable cause that the defendant committed aggravated assault by strangling a domestic violence victim, and the defendant may rebut it with a preponderance of evidence. This extends a current presumption (which applies to murder or life imprisonment crimes) to this specific domestic violence scenario. The bill aims to increase safety for domestic violence victims by keeping alleged perpetrators in custody during pretrial proceedings.