Sen. Angela McKnight

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health (DOH) to create and maintain a comprehensive Statewide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Plan. The plan must include regional strategies developed with county health boards, assess current EMS resources and effectiveness, set performance goals for response times and access, and establish metrics for improvement. It directly affects all emergency medical services providers across New Jersey and aims to improve emergency care for all residents by reducing response times, expanding access to high-quality care, and coordinating ambulance, hospital, and trauma center services. The DOH must update the plan every three years and make it publicly available online.

Maddy summaryThis bill shifts $45 million in state funding for opioid care from the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund to the General Fund for the 2026 fiscal year. The funds must be distributed to four specific hospitals - $10 million to Hackensack, $15 million to RWJ Barnabas, $15 million to Cooper, and $5 million to Atlantic Health - to provide opioid-related treatment. Each hospital must submit quarterly reports detailing fund usage, patient outcomes, and remaining balances until all funds are expended.

Maddy summaryS 2977 requires chain restaurants with 20 or more locations in New Jersey to meet specific nutritional standards for children's meals (sold as a single-price combo for kids). The bill mandates that these meals contain no more than 550 calories, 700mg sodium, 15g added sugar, and 0g trans fat, while including at least ½ cup of fresh fruits/vegetables and healthier beverage options like water or milk (not sugary drinks). Restaurants must clearly display the nutritional content of compliant meals on menus or signage. Violations can result in fines up to $1,000 per offense, enforced by the Department of Health.

Maddy summaryS 3381 prohibits pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) from owning or operating pharmacies directly or indirectly in New Jersey. The law requires PBMs to divest existing pharmacy ownership by July 2027, aiming to prevent conflicts where PBMs set drug prices while also running pharmacies. This affects PBMs with pharmacy holdings and aims to increase competition for patients by reducing anticompetitive practices that limit pharmacy choices and may raise drug costs. The bill focuses on structural changes to the pharmacy market, not on specific drug pricing outcomes.

Maddy summaryThe "Fair Funding for Vulnerable Residents Act" (S 3369) requires providers of community-based residential services for adults and children with intellectual or developmental disabilities to spend at least 70% of their state and federal funding directly on resident care, such as staff wages, community outings, and equipment. These providers must annually report how they allocate funding, including direct care costs, and publish this data publicly. If a provider fails to meet the 70% threshold, they must issue a credit to the state by June 30 of the following year to adjust administrative costs or profits. The Department of Human Services will oversee implementation and ensure compliance, with federal funds returned to federal agencies if applicable.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey law enforcement officers - including State troopers, county police, and municipal police - to be issued tourniquets for emergency use. It also mandates that all basic life support ambulances and mobility assistance vehicles (emergency medical vehicles) must have tourniquets available while in service. Funding for the tourniquets for law enforcement would come from existing criminal forfeiture funds, and the Attorney General and Commissioner of Health are authorized to create implementation guidelines. The bill aims to standardize access to this medical tool, which is not currently required for all officers or emergency vehicles under existing regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes counties, municipalities, and local agencies (including economic development entities and public-private groups) to form regional partnerships for joint economic planning. These partnerships can attract businesses, retain existing ones, redevelop areas, and share project costs, while using resources from New Jersey's Economic Development Authority. Partnerships may issue bonds under state law, access matching grants, and provide direct financing to local governments for development projects. The bill does not create new taxes or mandates but establishes a framework for collaborative regional economic strategies.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1790) provides funding and training to New Jersey county prosecutors to investigate and prosecute wage theft cases. It requires each county prosecutor to assign a dedicated assistant prosecutor to handle violations of state wage laws and a specific statute (P.L.1999, c.90, C.2C:40A-2), directly affecting workers owed wages and county prosecutors' offices. The key mechanism involves appropriating up to $2 million from the General Fund to the Department of Labor for this purpose, including funding for staff training and case investigations. The bill aims to strengthen enforcement of wage laws by providing concrete resources to local prosecutors.

Maddy summaryS 3097, the "Protection of Homeownership and Limiting Institutional Investor Acquisition Act," would limit institutional investors' acquisition of single-family homes by imposing tax disincentives (such as higher taxes) on such purchases while creating tax incentives and down payment assistance for individual homebuyers seeking starter homes. The bill also reduces regulatory barriers to building new single-family homes and offers tax incentives to developers for constructing these properties. These provisions directly affect institutional real estate investors and individual homebuyers in New Jersey, aiming to increase housing availability for average residents. The policy changes focus on making homeownership more accessible by countering institutional market dominance without specifying expected outcomes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public school districts to close schools on the day of both general elections and primary elections held for those general elections. It directly affects school districts across the state by removing their current discretion to set school calendars independently on these days. The key provision mandates that school boards must close schools on election days, replacing the existing practice where districts decided whether to close based on their own schedules. The law takes immediate effect upon enactment.