Issue Position: Women and Families

Issue Position

As a working mother of four, Senator Buono has dedicated herself to ensuring the welfare of New Jersey's families. She knows first-hand the struggles of balancing home and work lives, as well as the pressures of getting children off to day-care and school.

Senator Buono is making sure our children are able to learn -- safely, securely and with the best chance to get ahead in life. That's why she authored New Jersey's School Funding Reform Act, which ensures that every child receives a quality education regardless of where they live. Senator Buono also sponsored the bill requiring criminal background checks for childcare workers and established the Commission on Bullying In Schools. She strengthened the state's anti-bullying laws to keep parents better informed of the protections their children are entitled to and imposing penalties for non-enforcement. Buono was also responsible for writing the law establishing a School Violence Prevention Week in every New Jersey school, as well as legislation prohibiting schools from posting personal student information on their websites.

Whether making sure our children are safe on their bus ride to school, expanding healthcare to make it more accessible and affordable or developing an action plan for schools and communities, Senator Buono always looks out for our families.

Buono has also been a consistently strong advocate for women, their health and their safety. She has reformed New Jersey's stalking laws to protect victims, and she authored a bill establishing a public awareness campaign regarding domestic violence. Senator Buono also fully supports access to safe and legal family planning and to reproductive health services and education.

Barbara Buono always puts our families first. She helped usher the Paid Family Leave Act through the State Senate. This law provides parents and family members with newborns financial security and protection to care for loved ones. Buono also sponsored the bill requiring employer notification to workers regarding temporary disability benefits. In 1995, as an Assemblywoman, Buono authored legislation requiring insurance companies to cover at least a 48-hour hospital stay for mothers giving birth -- ending so-called "drive-through deliveries" here in New Jersey.

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