Maddy summaryS 700 requires New Jersey's Department of Health (DHS) to establish a three-year Obstetric Discrimination Prevention and Mitigation Pilot Program. The bill directly targets Black mothers, who face higher maternal mortality rates due to systemic discrimination in maternity care, as highlighted by CDC data showing Black women are 2.6 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. Key provisions mandate the pilot program to address obstetric discrimination - such as dismissal of concerns or biased treatment - as a safety issue in hospitals, moving beyond current systems that focus only on clinical outcomes. The program will develop tools to measure, prevent, and mitigate discrimination, aiming to improve care quality and safety for Black mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new second-degree crime for threatening prosecutors, law enforcement officers, judges, jurors, witnesses in criminal proceedings, or their family members with the intent to cause imminent fear of death or harm. Prosecutors must charge individuals with this offense if all elements are met, and cannot offer plea bargains for it. Defendants charged with this offense are subject to a presumption of pretrial detention, meaning they would typically remain in jail before trial unless the court finds conditions ensuring their appearance and community safety. The bill also requires victim-witness advocates to coordinate with law enforcement to provide protection to threatened individuals until the case concludes.
Maddy summaryThis bill would create a program for New Jersey's Board of Public Utilities to provide financial incentives for small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) through payments per megawatt hour of electricity produced. The BPU would run a competitive bidding process to select SMR projects, with preference given to those at former nuclear or fossil fuel plant sites or with worker retraining programs. Incentives would be funded by the Global Warming Solutions Fund, which collects money from New Jersey's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. SMR owners would be required to pay an annual administrative fee to the BPU and could not sell the environmental benefits of the energy they produce. The program aims to help New Jersey meet clean energy goals by supporting reliable nuclear power generation.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a voluntary option on New Jersey's gross income tax returns allowing taxpayers to contribute a portion of their refund or make an additional payment to a new "New Jersey Access to Pro-Life Information and Services Fund." The fund, managed by the Department of the Treasury, collects these contributions and transfers them annually to the Department of Health for grants. These grants support nonprofit organizations providing specific services defined as "pro-life information and services," including pregnancy counseling, adoption support, and family assistance programs. The contributions are entirely voluntary, with no tax deduction or obligation for taxpayers.
Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey optometrists' scope of practice to include prescribing pharmaceutical agents (including controlled substances for eye conditions), administering immunizations for coronavirus, flu, and shingles (for patients 18+), and performing minor procedures like removing superficial foreign bodies, treating chalazions, and simple ophthalmologic treatments (e.g., trabeculoplasty) using topical anesthesia. It explicitly prohibits invasive eye surgery, orbital procedures, or general anesthesia. The law requires optometrists to report administered immunizations to the state's immunization registry and mandates they follow CDC guidelines for vaccine administration. This directly affects optometrists by broadening their clinical capabilities and patients by increasing access to certain eye care services within defined limits.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Labor to provide funding and training to county prosecutors for investigating and prosecuting wage theft cases. It mandates each county prosecutor's office to assign a dedicated assistant prosecutor to handle violations of state wage laws and the specific provision about unpaid wages (P.L.1999, c.90). The bill appropriates up to $2 million from the General Fund to cover these enforcement costs. It directly affects county prosecutors' offices and workers who face unpaid wages or wage law violations.
Maddy summaryThis bill (S 3855) requires health insurance carriers and state health benefit programs in New Jersey to reimburse providers for telemedicine and telehealth services at the same rate as in-person services, rather than at a rate that merely "does not exceed" the in-person rate. It applies to private insurance plans, Medicaid, NJ FamilyCare, the State Health Benefits Commission, and the School Employees' Health Benefits Commission. The bill ensures patients won't pay more for telehealth visits than in-person visits and prohibits restrictions on where or how telehealth services can be provided, as long as care standards are maintained. It also mandates coverage for routine remote patient monitoring through telehealth, such as monitoring vital signs. The bill does not require patients to use telehealth instead of in-person care.
Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates New Jersey's inheritance tax for step-grandchildren by changing the state's tax code to treat them the same as biological grandchildren and stepchildren. Currently, step-grandchildren (the children of a stepchild) face a 15% tax on inheritances up to $700,000 and 16% on larger amounts, while biological grandchildren and stepchildren pay no tax. The bill amends tax law to classify step-grandchildren as "Class A" beneficiaries, removing their tax liability entirely. This change applies to all estates where the decedent dies on or after January 1, 2025. The policy directly affects step-grandchildren inheriting property from a step-grandparent in New Jersey.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires contractors and subcontractors working on public projects covered by New Jersey's prevailing wage law to hold a mandatory orientation meeting for each new employee on their first day of work. The meeting must explain the employee's wages and job classification under the prevailing wage law, and the employee must sign a form confirming they received the information. Contractors must retain these signed forms for at least five years and provide them to the Department of Labor upon request. The law aims to ensure new employees understand their wage rights from the start of their employment.
Maddy summaryThis bill provides $20 million in additional state funding for New Jersey's Summer Tuition Aid Grants program for the summer 2025 semester. It directs that eligible undergraduate students - those who received aid in the prior fall or spring semester and are enrolled in summer courses at the same institution - will receive 75% of the full grant amount they would normally qualify for under current law. The funds are allocated to the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to cover tuition costs for students enrolled in six or more credits during summer 2025. This is a supplemental appropriation to the existing FY2025 budget, specifically increasing the grant amount for summer enrollment without changing eligibility requirements.