Sen. Joe Lagana

Maddy summaryThis bill (A 3318) prohibits third-party reservation services (like apps or websites) from advertising, listing, or selling reservations for restaurants without a written agreement with the restaurant. It directly affects restaurants (food service establishments) and third-party reservation platforms, requiring explicit permission before they can list a restaurant’s reservations. Violations carry daily civil penalties up to $500 per restaurant per day, and restaurants can sue for damages, attorney fees, or injunctions against unauthorized services. The law aims to prevent third parties from charging customers for reservations they cannot legally offer.

Maddy summaryS 1370 requires that all new flooring installed in schools (K-12 public or private) and licensed child care centers must be certified by the manufacturer as mercury-free before a construction permit can be issued. This applies to any new construction, repair, or upgrade of flooring in these facilities. Manufacturers falsely claiming mercury-free flooring face civil penalties of $10,000 for a first offense and $25,000 for repeat violations. The bill takes effect 90 days after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill prohibits companies from advertising generative artificial intelligence as capable of practicing regulated professions or occupations. It defines generative AI as systems that simulate human communication through text, audio, or visuals without significant human oversight. Violations of this rule are treated as consumer fraud offenses, allowing the state to impose fines and issue cease-and-desist orders.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits third-party reservation platforms (like OpenTable or Yelp) from listing, advertising, or selling restaurant reservations without a written agreement with the restaurant. It directly affects third-party services and food service establishments (including restaurants, pushcarts, and stands serving food to consumers). The key provision requires written authorization from the restaurant before a third-party platform can offer its reservations, with violations subject to daily civil penalties up to $1,000 per restaurant per day. The bill mirrors similar laws in New York and Illinois, aiming to prevent unauthorized reservation arrangements. It is currently pending in the New Jersey Senate Commerce Committee.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill requires school bus contractors to submit annual certifications for each driver, including background checks and license verification, by August 15 before the school year begins. The Office of School Bus Safety will create an automated system to send weekly alerts to contractors who miss deadlines and notify school districts if they remain noncompliant after 10 days. Contractors who fail to comply face potential penalties, suspension of vendor codes, or exclusion from future bids, while districts cannot contract with noncompliant companies without special approval. The bill also establishes a two-year pilot program offering incentives like priority in bidding or fee reductions to contractors who submit certifications on time, with a final report to be submitted to the Governor and Legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill sets a minimum daily reimbursement rate of $950 for pediatric skilled care nursing facilities that participate in New Jersey's Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare programs. It applies specifically to facilities providing specialized long-term care for children and youth up to age 21 who require nursing services beyond conventional care. The reimbursement floor is conditional on facilities meeting all state and federal requirements for licensure, patient safety, and quality of care. The legislation also includes funding from the General Fund to cover the increased costs and requires the Department of Human Services to submit necessary federal approvals for the program changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates New Jersey state laws governing the licensing of ambulatory care facilities. It requires these facilities to maintain specific accounting and reporting systems, create annual long-range care plans, and establish coordinated discharge planning for patients. The legislation also sets maximum licensing and inspection fees, exempts certain surgical practices from fees, and mandates that inspection reports and license suspensions be posted online within 72 hours for residential health care facilities. Additionally, it allows the commissioner to reduce a facility's licensed bed capacity if there has been significant underutilization over a two-year period.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey's bias intimidation law to explicitly include Sikhs as a protected class, allowing law enforcement to prosecute hate crimes targeting individuals based on their Sikh identity. The legislation also appropriates $100,000 in funding, likely to support enforcement and community outreach efforts. By adding Sikhs to the state's existing bias intimidation protections, the bill aims to address incidents of discrimination and violence against Sikhs, who are often mistaken for Muslims and have faced increased hate crimes following the September 11 attacks. The measure reflects concerns about rising anti-Sikh prejudice and the need for legal safeguards for this community within New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Fair Price Protection Act, prohibits retail food stores and third-party grocery delivery platforms in New Jersey from charging different prices to different consumers for the same product based on surveillance data collected through cameras, sensors, or other tracking technologies. The law directly affects grocery retailers, delivery services, and consumers by making it illegal to use personal information about shopping habits, location, or biometrics to set individualized prices. Exceptions are allowed for legitimate cost differences, bona fide discounts for groups like seniors or students, and loyalty programs, provided that pricing criteria are clearly disclosed to customers and surveillance data is not used for other purposes like targeted advertising. The bill aims to prevent discriminatory pricing while permitting standard business practices such as loyalty rewards and group discounts when properly communicated.

Maddy summaryS 1197 prohibits third-party reservation platforms (like apps or websites) from listing, advertising, or selling restaurant reservations without a written agreement with the restaurant. It directly affects restaurants and third-party services by requiring explicit contracts for reservation distribution. The bill imposes daily civil penalties of up to $500 per violation and allows restaurants or customers to sue for damages, attorney fees, or court-ordered stops to ongoing violations. This mirrors Illinois' similar law and takes effect three months after enactment.