Sen. Raj Mukherji

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2245), now enacted as P.L.2025, c.343, requires specific employees to complete training on identifying and responding to human trafficking. It directly affects public transportation workers, motorbus operators, hotel/motel staff (including owners/operators), and healthcare facility employees. The training must cover recognizable signs/symbols of trafficking victims and is mandatory for license/permit renewal. Completion is required within one year for current staff or six months for new hires, with courses reviewed every two years. The law ties training to licensing under existing statutes (Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law, healthcare facility regulations).

Maddy summaryS 2969 establishes strict privacy protections for sensitive health data in New Jersey, directly affecting residents whose health information is collected within the state and the healthcare providers or entities handling that data. The bill requires explicit, opt-in consent for collecting health data (prohibiting "deceptive designs" or broad terms of service), mandates secure authentication for data requests, and defines "consumer health data" to include medical conditions, genetic information, biometrics, reproductive health details, and location data tied to healthcare visits. It prohibits selling or sharing this data without consent and creates mechanisms for consumers to access or delete their information. The law excludes data used in approved research by institutional review boards, focusing on protecting personal health information from misuse by commercial entities.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits New Jersey's public pension and annuity funds from investing in companies that collect or manipulate personal data for immigration status verification without a warrant or court order. It directly affects the state's $100+ billion pension funds (covering public employees) and companies providing immigration-related surveillance services. The law requires the State Investment Council to hire a privacy expert to identify such companies and divest all related investments by January 1, 2028, while following fiduciary standards. Annual reports must track divestment progress and identify remaining prohibited holdings.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's four-year public universities to create and update annual plans ensuring student access to reproductive health services, including referrals for contraception (including emergency contraception), STI testing/treatment, prenatal care, and abortion. It mandates 24-hour access to over-the-counter contraception via campus vending machines, retail, or health centers, plus evidence-based education. County colleges must develop referral networks to local providers for off-campus reproductive care. The law does not require institutions to directly provide services but sets specific access requirements, effective seven months after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 1808) requires New Jersey Transit (NJT) to implement a two-year pilot program on light rail trains operating in southern New Jersey. It mandates that NJT stock opioid antidotes (like naloxone) on all such trains, including secure storage with silent alerts for train operators, two doses per train, and multilingual informational cards for passengers. The program requires NJT staff to maintain supplies and records but does not require staff to administer the antidote or receive specialized training. The state appropriates $100,000 for implementation, and NJT must report on the pilot's effectiveness to the Governor and Legislature within six months of its conclusion. The pilot targets light rail passengers and staff in southern New Jersey, focusing on rapid response to opioid overdoses during transit.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey to award "Edna Mahan trauma credits" to inmates at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women who were incarcerated during the specific investigation period (April 26, 2018, to the bill's effective date) into allegations of sexual abuse by facility staff. Inmates receive 183 days of sentence reduction for each year (or portion) served during that period, capped at 365 days total. These credits reduce both the maximum and minimum sentence terms, including mandatory minimums, and apply in addition to existing credit provisions. The credits are specifically for inmates affected by the federal and state investigations into systemic sexual abuse at the facility.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires public service employers (such as state/local governments, schools, libraries, and non-profits) to certify qualifying employees' employment for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. It mandates employers to complete necessary forms for employees, including a specific adjustment for educators (3.35 hours worked per lecture hour), and to provide annual materials about the program. The Secretary of Higher Education must develop and distribute clear resources - like fact sheets and FAQs - to help employees understand and access the federal loan forgiveness program. These requirements apply to all public service employers and directly affect employees seeking to reduce student loan debt through the federal program.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Commissioner of Banking and Insurance to create a single, standardized form for network providers (like doctors and pharmacies) to request prior authorization for prescription drug coverage. Payers (insurance companies) must accept this standard form in both paper and electronic formats for all prescription drug benefit requests. The law directly affects providers needing authorization and payers handling those requests, replacing inconsistent forms with a uniform system. It aims to simplify the process for healthcare providers seeking insurance coverage approval for medications. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Maddy summaryS 663 requires New Jersey's solid waste management districts (including counties and the Hackensack Meadowlands District) to create a plan reducing food waste by 50% by 2035 compared to 2022 levels. Districts must add this plan to their solid waste management strategy for approval by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP must also publish practical methods for achieving this goal, such as increasing food donations and composting, and establish a tiered regulatory system for composting facilities to support organic waste recycling.

Maddy summaryThis bill (S 2971) changes how school boards are formed in New Jersey school districts located in cities of the first class that use a "Mayor-Council Plan" government. It requires these boards to have nine members: three appointed by the mayor, three appointed by the city council, and three elected by voters at annual school elections. Members serve three-year terms, with the new structure phased in over three years - one of each type of member added each school year after the bill takes effect. The bill directly affects school districts in specific New Jersey cities and modifies the selection process for their governing boards.