Sen. Angela McKnight

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Oral Health Equity Act to improve access to dental care for uninsured and underinsured residents in New Jersey's medically underserved areas. It directs the Department of Human Services to partner with community oral health centers to provide comprehensive services, including initial exams, restorative treatment, and regular follow-up visits. The legislation ensures these centers receive reimbursement rates equal to or higher than those given to federally qualified health centers and requires the state to seek necessary Medicaid waivers to fund the program.

Maddy summaryThis bill restructures the governance of New Jersey's State Health Benefits Program by creating a new 13-member State Health Benefits Commission. The commission will include existing state officials, representatives from local and higher education employers, and members appointed by various public employee unions, including specific seats for police and firefighters. It also establishes a process for selecting an independent expert to advise on health plan design while ensuring the commission operates with a majority vote requirement. The legislation mandates that commission members serve without pay but receive expense reimbursement, and it requires the commission to publish an annual financial report for public review.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill establishes safety rules for companies that operate artificial intelligence companions designed to simulate human relationships. It requires these operators to clearly disclose that the AI is not human and to prevent the system from pretending to be sentient or engaging in inappropriate romantic or sexual interactions with minors. Additionally, the law mandates that AI companions must have protocols to refer users seeking help for suicidal thoughts to crisis services. These measures apply to any business providing such AI tools to individuals within the state, excluding standard virtual assistants or internal business tools.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $3,479,032 from dedicated corporation business tax revenues to the State Agriculture Development Committee to fund farmland preservation projects. The funds are designated for grants to specific nonprofit organizations, primarily the Land Conservancy of New Jersey, to help purchase development easements or farm titles in Warren County. A key provision of the bill is that it increases the maximum grant coverage from 50 percent to 80 percent of the acquisition costs for these preservation efforts. The legislation specifically targets four farms in Blairstown and Harmony townships, with total grant amounts not to exceed the appropriated sum.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank to use $65.55 million in state funds to provide loans for transportation infrastructure projects during the 2027 fiscal year. The legislation specifically allows the bank to lend money to local government units for construction costs and includes a provision for up to $1 million in loans that may be forgiven for planning and design work if certain construction milestones are met. Additionally, the act permits the bank to increase its available funds to cover specific operational expenses, such as bond issuance costs and reserve requirements, ensuring the bank has the necessary resources to manage these loans. Ultimately, the measure directly affects local governments seeking financing for road, bridge, and transit improvements by establishing the legal framework and funding source for these loans.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill prohibits businesses that provide services from charging extra fees to customers who pay with a debit card. It amends existing consumer protection laws to explicitly ban surcharges for debit transactions while maintaining rules that allow small fees for credit card use if clearly disclosed. Sellers must inform customers before payment that debit cards cannot be surcharged, and violations are treated as unlawful practices subject to fines and penalties. The law applies to all service providers in the state and takes effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all New Jersey public schools to prominently display a direct link to the subsidized school meals application on their official websites. It directly affects public schools by adding this website posting requirement to existing rules about meal applications. The key provision mandates that schools place the link in a visible location on their internet sites, making it easier for families to access the application. This change aims to improve accessibility to school meal programs without altering eligibility rules or funding.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 1090) creates a new criminal offense called "political violence" for committing specific crimes - such as assault, kidnapping, or homicide - intentionally to interfere with or retaliate against someone because of their political affiliation (e.g., party membership) or political expression (e.g., attending protests or donating to campaigns). It requires law enforcement to provide training on this offense and establishes an independent "Political Violence Review Board" to collect data on cases, analyze potential disparities in how cases are handled based on factors like race or political affiliation, and publish annual reports to the Governor and Legislature. The bill also mandates separate sentencing for political violence and the underlying crime, and prohibits defenses based on mistaken political affiliation. This directly affects individuals committing such acts, law enforcement agencies, and the judicial system in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryS 2959 requires New Jersey's Department of Human Services to reformat the MyNJHelps platform into a single online hub for all state public assistance programs within 365 days. It mandates a unified application system allowing low-income residents to access, apply for, and track status for benefits like food assistance (SNAP), healthcare (NJFamilyCare), housing, and cash aid through one portal. The bill maintains existing agency management of programs while requiring data-sharing agreements between agencies to enable eligibility checks and status updates through the centralized platform. This change aims to simplify access for applicants without altering how individual programs are administered.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey public school districts to include voter education in the 12th-grade social studies curriculum as part of the state's Student Learning Standards. It mandates teaching students about voting importance, eligibility and registration processes, and how to locate polling places or request absentee ballots. School districts must incorporate this content directly into their existing curriculum, with optional collaboration between schools and local election officials to develop materials or provide registration forms. The law applies to all public high schools and takes effect immediately upon enactment for the first full school year after passage.