Maddy summaryThis bill exempts drug manufacturers and wholesale distributors from needing a pharmacist license when distributing dialysate drugs and devices for home dialysis treatment. It directly affects patients with end-stage renal disease who use home dialysis systems, as well as manufacturers and distributors of these specific medical supplies. The exemption applies only if the drugs/devices are FDA-approved, delivered in original sealed packaging with a physician's order, and delivered directly to patients, their designees, or healthcare providers. Manufacturers must also contract with a licensed pharmacist for weekly quality assurance checks on storage and distribution. This change streamlines access to home dialysis supplies while maintaining safety oversight.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryS 3939 requires New Jersey's Board of Nursing to establish a Nursing Scribe Program, enabling approved nursing schools to grant academic credit to students who complete a designated nurse scribe course. The program mandates specific training in electronic medical records, medical terminology, HIPAA privacy rules, and medical billing/coding, plus required practicum hours providing documentation support to licensed nurses. This defines "nurse scribe services" as clerical documentation assistance provided to nurses during patient encounters, consistent with their licensure scope. The bill directs the Board to create regulations for the program, which takes effect immediately.
Maddy summaryThis bill redirects $3 million annually from the Social Equity Excise Fee (a tax on cannabis sales) to fund Freedom Schools in New Jersey. The funds, collected through the state's cannabis regulatory program, will support K-12 students and families through summer academic programs and year-round tutoring and homework assistance. The appropriation is allocated to the Department of State for the Freedom Schools initiative, which operates under the New Jersey Office of Faith-Based Initiatives. This policy change specifically channels existing cannabis tax revenue toward educational support services without altering the fee structure or creating new taxes.
Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits landlords from conducting hard credit inquiries (which can lower a tenant's credit score) when screening applicants for affordable housing. Landlords may only use soft credit inquiries (with applicant consent) for these applicants, as soft inquiries do not impact credit scores. The bill also requires credit agencies to count multiple hard credit inquiries for rental applications within one month as a single inquiry. Landlords violating these rules face $100 penalties for the first violation in a year, $100 for the second, and $200 for each subsequent violation in the same year, with the state required to post related information on its website within six months.
Maddy summaryS 4585 prohibits the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and South Jersey Transportation Authority from charging E-ZPass account holders a "service fee" - defined as an extra charge added to monthly bills for simply having an account, not for actual toll usage. The bill directly affects all E-ZPass users in New Jersey by eliminating this enrollment-related fee from their billing statements. It bans such fees from being imposed by the authorities or their contracted administrators. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.
Maddy summaryS 4004 updates New Jersey's law governing employment programs for people with disabilities by renaming the "Sheltered Workshop Act" to the "Extended Employment Act" and replacing outdated terminology. It expands eligibility to include individuals with "significant" disabilities (not just "severe" ones) and removes requirements like prior workshop completion or proof of inability to compete in the open labor market. The bill shifts oversight from the New Jersey Commission for the Blind to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, revises funding to tie annual increases to inflation or 80% of provider expense reports (whichever is greater), and repeals outdated labeling and transportation rules for program products. This directly affects nonprofit extended employment providers, people with disabilities using these programs, and state agencies managing vocational rehabilitation services.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires Access Link paratransit vehicle operators in New Jersey to announce every scheduled stop along their route, either verbally or via a recording system. Currently, only fixed-route public transit operators must make such announcements, but Access Link (a paratransit service for people with disabilities under the ADA) is not covered by this requirement. The bill directly affects Access Link passengers, particularly those who rely on stop announcements for safe and independent travel. It amends state law to extend the stop-announcement requirement to this specific paratransit service. The requirement would take effect two months after the bill is signed into law.
Maddy summaryS 3429 expands New Jersey's child care assistance program to include full-time graduate and post-graduate students with children. It directly affects students enrolled in higher education programs who meet existing income, asset, and residency requirements. The bill amends eligibility rules to add these students to the program's qualifying categories, without changing other existing criteria. The legislation also requires the Department of Human Services to seek federal funding for these expanded services and update related regulations.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Medicaid program to cover assisted living services for individuals diagnosed with serious mental illnesses who can perform basic self-care tasks (like bathing and dressing) but cannot manage more complex daily living activities necessary for independent living (such as managing medications, following treatment plans, or handling finances). The bill defines "instrumental activities of daily living" as those complex tasks needed for independent community living, and mandates that the Commissioner of Human Services establish a functional assessment process using medical records, psychiatric history, and input from healthcare providers and family members to determine eligibility. The Commissioner must also apply for necessary federal Medicaid plan amendments to implement this coverage, which would directly affect individuals with serious mental illnesses who currently lack access to Medicaid-covered assisted living services. This policy change would expand Medicaid coverage to include a specific type of assisted living care that is currently not covered under New Jersey's Medicaid program.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a temporary 23-member "Planning for an Aging Population Task Force" to study New Jersey's growing senior population (65+). The task force, including government officials and public representatives, will analyze population trends, inventory current senior services (healthcare, housing, transportation), consult with seniors and caregivers, and assess impacts on labor and housing markets. Within 18 months, it must submit a report and proposed statewide action plan to the Governor and Legislature to ensure adequate future access to programs for seniors. The task force will dissolve 30 days after submitting its final report. This bill directly affects New Jersey seniors and their caregivers by planning for future service needs, not by changing existing laws.