This bill creates a $1 million grant program administered by New Jersey's Economic Development Authority (EDA) to support business accelerators and incubators. It provides funding for facilities offering low-cost space and technical assistance to early-stage companies in specific tech sectors, including clean energy, life sciences, advanced materials, big data, and food/agriculture. Eligible accelerators/incubators must demonstrate they support businesses in these priority fields, with grants covering operational costs for both the accelerator and the incubating businesses. The program uses $1 million in societal benefits charge revenues transferred to the EDA, as specified in the bill's provisions.
This bill requires New Jersey's Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) to conduct a 12-month study of cybersecurity infrastructure across public entities (state/local governments) and private businesses operating in New Jersey. During the study, these entities must report cybersecurity incidents and breaches to the NJCCIC for 12 months. Within six months of the study's completion, the NJCCIC must create cybersecurity guidelines for all covered entities, which must be implemented within one year. Failure to adopt these guidelines may result in civil penalties, with the Department of Homeland Security setting the penalty schedule.
This bill (S 1356) gives patients who use medical devices (like cardiac monitors) the right to access and share their health data collected by medical device companies. It requires New Jersey-based medical device companies to provide electronic access to this data, allowing patients (or parents/guardians for minors) to download it and authorize sharing with research institutions. The data must be shared in a way that complies with federal privacy laws like HIPAA, including removing personal identifiers before sharing. The bill specifically targets data from devices regulated by the FDA, excluding pharmaceuticals, and applies to companies operating in New Jersey.
New Jersey Assembly Bill 4015, the "New Jersey Kids Code Act," requires major online services (like social media and games) that minors are likely to use to set default privacy settings to the highest protection level for children. It prohibits these services from showing targeted ads to minors, using manipulative design tricks to change privacy settings, collecting certain personal data without clear consent, or promoting restricted products to children. The bill also mandates annual public reports detailing how these platforms protect minors’ privacy, their data practices, safety tools for parents, and how much time children spend on their services. This law directly affects large online platforms operating in New Jersey, not small websites or services not used by minors.
This bill establishes a Social Media Research Center at a New Jersey four-year public university selected by the Higher Education Secretary. The center will conduct research on social media's effects on youth mental health, develop online safety resources for public schools, and provide recommendations to state agencies. It will also administer grants for social media research using a peer-reviewed process modeled after the NIH, and require annual reports on its work. The bill directly affects New Jersey public universities (as hosts), public schools (through educational resources), and state agencies (by requiring data sharing).
This bill requires social media platforms with significant user activity in New Jersey to display prominent warning labels about mental health risks during account sign-up and when users access certain features. It specifically targets platforms that allow social interaction (like profile creation and content sharing) and directly affects minors under 18, as defined by the bill. The warnings must highlight risks identified by the U.S. Surgeon General, including links between heavy social media use and increased depression, anxiety, and sleep disruption in youth. Platforms must comply with these labeling requirements to inform users and families about potential harms. The bill does not impose additional restrictions beyond the warning labels.
S 1106 establishes a state-funded STEM grant program targeting at-risk students (defined as those from households earning at or below 1.85x the federal poverty level) in grades 6-8 across selected school districts. The bill requires participating districts to provide hands-on STEM projects, offer an accelerated learning option for students behind grade level (allowing two years of coursework in one year), and include staff training and classroom resources. It appropriates $2.25 million from the General Fund to the Department of Education, which will partner with the nonprofit Engaged Learning Strategies to administer the program. Districts must already have existing STEM programs meeting specific criteria and must serve at least 60 at-risk students per district. The program aims to expand project-based STEM learning in qualifying schools through direct funding and structured curriculum support.
S 324 prohibits New Jersey state agencies and local governments from allowing foreign companies created under the laws of a "foreign adversary" (defined as a government deemed a national security threat by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce) to participate in critical infrastructure projects. The bill specifically blocks these companies from constructing, maintaining, or controlling systems like electric grids, water pipelines, gas distribution, and communication networks. It applies immediately to new agreements but does not affect existing contracts unless they conflict with the law and would otherwise be renewed. This policy aims to prevent potential security risks, such as cyberattacks, by restricting foreign entities with adversarial ties from managing essential public services.
New Jersey's S 839 requires health insurers and Medicaid to reimburse telemedicine and telehealth services at the same rate as in-person visits when the services would be covered in person. It ensures providers receive equal payment whether care is delivered remotely or in person, and prohibits insurers from charging higher deductibles, copays, or coinsurance for telehealth visits. The bill also prevents restrictions on where telehealth can occur (as long as care standards are met), allows audio-only calls without video, and mandates coverage for remote patient monitoring. This directly affects healthcare providers, insurers, and Medicaid programs by standardizing telehealth reimbursement across New Jersey.
This bill establishes New Jersey's "Students with Communication Disabilities' Bill of Rights," requiring school districts to ensure students with communication disabilities (affecting speech, hearing, or vision) receive tailored support. It mandates schools provide early screening, trained assistants using a student's preferred communication method (like sign language or AAC devices), and communication plans in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Schools must also guarantee full access to all educational activities - from classrooms to extracurriculars - and ensure parents receive linguistic support. The law aligns with existing federal protections under the ADA and IDEA but codifies specific school district obligations.
