Sen. Angela McKnight

Maddy summaryThis bill increases the weekly limit on personal care assistant services for Medicaid recipients who are clinically eligible for nursing facility care from 40 hours to 91 hours. The change applies to individuals receiving health-related assistance with daily living tasks in their homes or other settings under nurse supervision. To implement the increase, the Department of Human Services must update its assessment tools and seek necessary federal approval to cover the additional costs. The legislation takes effect immediately and aims to allow more people to remain in their communities rather than moving to institutional care.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey law to lower the savings requirement for school districts that wish to refinance their outstanding debt. Under the current rules, districts must demonstrate a three percent net present value savings to proceed with refinancing, but this legislation reduces that threshold to two percent. The change directly affects school districts by making it easier for them to access state aid through debt restructuring while still maintaining a requirement for financial improvement. This adjustment applies to all existing debt and takes effect immediately, with implementation beginning in the first full school year following enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires private contractors performing construction work in New Jersey (excluding public work or home improvement projects) to register with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development before starting work. It mandates registration with specific details including business information, licenses, and disclosures about labor law violations. The registration process includes providing tax IDs, unemployment insurance numbers, and documentation showing compliance with state business requirements. Contractors already registered for public works projects are exempt from these new requirements. The bill directly affects businesses engaged in private construction work who must register to legally operate in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the New Jersey State to cover transportation costs for certain homeless students that exceed a district's average per-pupil transportation expense. It directly affects homeless students temporarily living in a district different from their school district of residence (e.g., due to shelter or displacement) and those displaced by terrorism or natural disasters. The key provision mandates the State pay for transportation costs above the district's standard average, rather than the district covering all excess costs. This applies when students attend school in their district of residence while temporarily residing elsewhere, or when students displaced by disasters remain in their original district for up to two years. The policy change clarifies state responsibility for a portion of transportation expenses, reducing financial burden on local school districts.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 3014 requires qualifying public golf courses (defined as 18-hole courses open to the public, excluding 9-hole or miniature courses) to maintain an automated external defibrillator (AED). Owners must acquire and store an AED in an accessible location, ensure it is tested and maintained, notify emergency services of its location, and train at least one employee on-site during business hours with current AED/CPR certification. Violations incur civil penalties starting at $250 for the first offense, with the course owner liable for costs. The law aims to improve emergency response at these facilities while providing immunity for properly maintained AEDs.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new minimum Medicaid reimbursement rate for structured day program services provided to Medicaid beneficiaries with brain injuries. It requires these rates to match the average reimbursement for Day Habilitation Services (Tiers D and E) under the Division of Developmental Disabilities program, raising payments from $3.65 to $9.09 per 15-minute service unit. The policy directly affects approved brain injury service providers and beneficiaries receiving structured day care for traumatic or non-traumatic brain injuries. It expands existing Medicaid reimbursement rules, which previously only covered community residential services for brain injury care.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a state loan program to help New Jersey small businesses improve indoor air quality. It directly affects businesses with 100 or fewer full-time employees by providing low-cost loans for equipment, employee training, and new positions related to air quality management. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority will administer the program, requiring businesses to use certified contractors for air quality work and pass annual EPA-based inspections to earn a state certification. Loans will carry interest rates set by the authority, with businesses needing to maintain financial records to retain funding.

Maddy summaryS 569 establishes a three-year County-Based School Security Pilot Program in Essex, Mercer, and Camden counties, directly affecting public school students and districts in those areas. The bill provides $15 million from the General Fund to fund two key components: county-based mental health services (including screenings, counseling, and crisis intervention) and enhanced school security infrastructure (such as active shooter training and bullet-resistant shields). The program requires collaboration between the Education Department and other state agencies, with annual reports to the Governor and Legislature evaluating the pilot's effectiveness. This initiative aims to address student mental health needs and physical security in participating school districts through concrete, funded provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill eliminates the use of census data in calculating state funding for special education aid to New Jersey school districts. It amends existing school finance laws (P.L.1996, c.138 and P.L.2007, c.260) by removing references to census-based calculations and "State average classification rate" from the special education funding formulas. School districts receiving special education aid will no longer have their funding amounts determined using census data, shifting the calculation method to other established formulas. The change directly affects all New Jersey public school districts that receive state special education funding under current law.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases annual funding for cancer research in New Jersey by directing $10 million in cigarette and tobacco tax revenues to the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research (NJCCR), up from the current $1 million. It establishes a permanent, non-lapsing "Cancer Research Fund" in the state Treasury, ensuring these funds cannot be diverted to other state budgets. The fund must allocate at least $5 million annually to general cancer research and at least $5 million specifically to pediatric cancer research, with all spending requiring approval by the NJCCR. The State Treasurer manages the fund, and any interest earned is reinvested into the fund for ongoing research support.