Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 1438 regulates how state agencies use automated systems and artificial intelligence (AI) to make decisions affecting citizens. It requires state agencies to develop and follow specific procedures for AI systems making "critical decisions" (such as those impacting healthcare, housing, benefits, or education) and mandates the appointment of an independent Artificial Intelligence Officer to oversee this process. The bill establishes safeguards to mitigate risks, including requiring agencies to document AI use and consider transparency measures. These rules directly affect all New Jersey state agencies and the individuals whose lives are impacted by AI-driven government decisions. The law does not regulate private sector AI use.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey municipalities to conduct a special review of their master plans and development regulations before approving applications for "large warehouses" (defined as facilities storing goods for sale or redistribution, as later specified by the State Planning Commission). Municipal planning boards must complete this review within 90 days of receiving an application and deliver a report to the governing body, which then has 90 days to update regulations based on the review. The bill also delays the 45-day application completeness deadline until 91 days after the governing body receives the review report. Additionally, if a municipality hasn’t reassessed all property values in the past 60 months before approving a large warehouse, it must complete a full reassessment within 24 months after the warehouse opens.
Maddy summaryS 2241 expands New Jersey's subsidized child care assistance program to cover families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL), raising the income limit from 200% FPL ($55,500 for a family of four in 2022) to 300% FPL ($83,250 for a family of four in 2022). The bill requires the Division of Family Development to establish at least four income tiers for determining eligibility and co-payment amounts. It appropriates necessary state funds for implementation, to be determined by the Commissioner of Human Services and approved by the budget office. This change directly affects low-to-moderate-income working families who previously exceeded the income threshold for child care subsidies.
Maddy summaryS 2233 requires New Jersey colleges and universities to provide annual victim-centered training to staff and student leaders who assist students reporting sexual assault. The training covers understanding campus policies, federal laws like Title IX, and coordinating with medical, law enforcement, and community services to support victims. It mandates staff to learn sensitive communication, service referrals, and maintaining victim safety and privacy. The law applies starting with the 2022-2023 academic year.
Maddy summaryS 1948 requires New Jersey nursing homes to provide more detailed financial disclosures and ownership information. Nursing homes must now submit annual reports including balance sheets with equity details, itemized expenses for leases and contracts over $10,000, and comprehensive organizational charts showing parent companies, subsidiaries, and related parties providing services worth over $200,000 annually. For ownership transfers, applicants must submit detailed information about current and proposed owners, including organizational charts, and the Department of Health must post these applications online. The bill also requires owner-certified financial statements prepared by certified public accountants and increases penalties for noncompliance to up to $200 per day. These changes aim to increase transparency about nursing home ownership structures and financial relationships.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey to reimburse volunteer firefighters for cancer screenings not covered by their insurance. It applies to all volunteer firefighters who have served at least five years, mandating screenings every three years for 11 specific cancers (including colon, lung, prostate, and skin). The state covers up to $1,250 per three-year period (adjusted for inflation), with no out-of-pocket costs for firefighters. Volunteer firefighting is treated as a pre-existing condition for coverage purposes, and annual state funding must be appropriated to cover these reimbursements. The bill takes effect immediately.
Maddy summaryS 2239 extends New Jersey's requirement that child care subsidy payments for licensed centers and registered family day care providers be based on the number of enrolled eligible children (not attendance) until June 30, 2025. The bill mandates that providers set staff wages and hours based on enrollment numbers, not attendance, and requires the Division of Family Development to study the cost differences between enrollment-based and attendance-based payments. This study must be reported to the Governor and Legislature within three years of the bill's effective date.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey school districts to establish a "School Meal Fund" to help students with unpaid school meal bills (arrears) and cover current meal costs. School districts must accept monetary donations from individuals or organizations, place them in a separate account, and use the funds solely to assist students with meal payments or past-due bills. Districts must create a policy ensuring equitable distribution of funds, maintain proper financial records, and inform parents and the community about the fund - except in districts already providing free meals to all students under the Community Eligibility Provision. The fund must be audited annually and carry forward any unused balance to the next fiscal year.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new criminal offense for committing domestic violence while a child under 16 is present and the perpetrator knows the child is there. It applies when the child is a child of the perpetrator or victim (e.g., a parent, guardian, or resource family parent). The law requires separate criminal charges and sentences for both the underlying domestic violence act and this new offense, rather than merging the convictions. The severity of the new offense matches or exceeds the underlying crime’s level (e.g., a fourth-degree crime if the underlying act was minor). The bill is pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee as of January 2024.
Maddy summaryS 1983 would eliminate the requirement for advanced practice nurses (APNs) in New Jersey to practice under physician collaboration or supervision, allowing them to provide care independently. This directly affects APNs - over 75% of whom specialize in primary care - and aims to improve healthcare access in underserved communities, including areas with physician shortages and among racial/ethnic minorities, low-income populations, and those facing transportation barriers. The bill cites that 24 states and the District of Columbia already permit full practice authority for APNs, and during pandemic waivers (Executive Order 112), no adverse incidents occurred while APNs practiced without restrictions. It states removing these barriers could reduce healthcare access disparities by over 38 percent, aligning New Jersey with other states to address chronic shortages in primary care services.