Senator Joe Vitale

About Joe

Senator Joseph F. Vitale, a Democrat from Middlesex County, was sworn in to the New Jersey State Senate in 1998 to represent the 19th Legislative District. Senator Vitale is the Chairman of the Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee and Vice Chairman of the Labor Committee.
His legislative efforts over the years have spring boarded Senator Vitale into being one of the most respected voices on health care in the state of New Jersey. Early in his career, Senator Vitale recognized that one of the biggest challenges facing New Jersey families is access to affordable, quality health care. In response, he created NJ FamilyCare, which provides critical health care coverage to low-income families and their children.
He has worked to support the expansion of innovative care models like Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) and Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT). His work to make health care accessible and affordable includes sponsorship of the 2017 telemedicine law that incentivizes the adoption of such technology and improves patient access to primary and specialty care.
He scored a long-sought legislative victory when his bill was signed into law providing adoptees greater access to information regarding their personal history, including family medical information, legislation that was in the works for more than three decades.
Senator Vitale led New Jersey’s effort to address the opioid epidemic by providing Governor Christie a blueprint and sponsoring necessary enabling legislation to implement a multifaceted approach focusing on education, prevention, treatment and recovery. His law giving first responders and the public access to the heroin overdose antidote has already saved countless lives. This work continues with the Murphy Administration with the goal of providing all who suffer from substance abuse disorder the treatment and opportunities they need to live a healthy and long life.
Senator Vitale believes that health care and scientific research are crucial to the economic future of New Jersey. This philosophy guided him as he pursued a massive overhaul of the state’s universities and medical schools, positioning them to make New Jersey a national leader in health care and research.
Senator Vitale has been instrumental in passing laws that have improved safety at health care facilities, empowered victims of childhood sex abuse, protected victims of domestic violence, prevented nurses from forced overtime and addressed the medical malpractice liability insurance crisis. He sponsored the laws that forbid discrimination based on gender identity and created the crime of bias intimidation.
As a leading advocate for homeless youth, Senator Vitale traveled to Guatemala and Honduras in 2012 to volunteer at Covenant House’s safe houses and shelters in those countries. Each November he joins business leaders and top corporate executives to sleep out on the streets to raise awareness and money for the vital services Covenant House provides to homeless, abandoned, abused, trafficked and exploited children. In 2014, he helped establish the first legislative sleep-out in New Jersey to benefit Covenant House’s local efforts.
He is an advocate for the improvement of the education system, the protection of our environment, and the betterment of services provided to our children through the Division of Child Protection and Permanency as well as other state agencies serving vulnerable populations. Senator Vitale organizes annual events to support our troops and veterans, Habitat for Humanity, children entering foster care and families in need.
Senator Vitale has been honored by various organizations including the Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey “Good Guy” Award for his advocacy on behalf of women’s rights as well as his support of women in the political arena. Notably, he is the recipient of the prestigious Ann Klein Advocate, Richard J. Hughes Career Public Service and Covenant House Lizzy awards.
He resides in Woodbridge with his wife, Robin, and daughter Alexandra.

About Our Team

Laurie Mccabe

Chief of Staff

Laurie began working for Senator Vitale in 2003 with previous experience at Johnson & Johnson and Bellevue Hospital Center. Laurie became the Chief of Staff to both Senator Vitale and Assemblyman Craig Coughlin in 2014 and for Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez in 2018. She holds a BS from Douglass College and a MPH from Columbia University.

Her work with Senator Vitale has been recognized by FixtheLaw, the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, the Coalition of National Health Education Organizations, and the Rutgers Center for Women and Work.
Laurie resides in Metuchen with her husband and two children.

Jack McGreevey

Director of Military and Veterans Affairs

Mr. McGreevey has worked for Senator Vitale since 1998 and serves all of the 19th District Legislators. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1945 to 1948 with duty in Japan, China, and Guam, and later as a Drill Instructor at San Diego, CA, training troops at Camp Lejeune during the Korean War in the 1950s.

He earned a BS degree from Seton Hall University in Business and retired as a Director of Sales from TIME-DC. He served as the Chairman of the New Jersey World War II Memorial Commission, State Deputy Chief of Staff for the V.F.W. and is a member of the American Legion, China Marine Association, Marine Corps League, among others. Jack's work has been recognized by the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation, the State Troopers Coalition and the Four Chaplains Legion. Jack resides in Carteret.

Steph Albanese

Legislative Director

Steph grew up in Point Pleasant Borough and currently resides in Red Bank. She began working for Senator Vitale in 2015 with previous experience as a legislative assistant to Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. and field organizer on various New Jersey political and national issue campaigns. Steph holds a B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park in Government and Politics, and an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science in Comparative Politics.

Steph is a member of the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect - Staffing and Oversight Review Subcommittee and serves as a proxy for Senator Vitale on the Governor's Advisory Council for HIV/AIDS and Related Blood-Borne Pathogens and the Mandated Health Benefits Advisory Commission.

Krystal Febles

Director of Community Events

Krystal Febles joined Senator Vitale’s team in September of 2014. While she was born and raised in Perth Amboy, she is now currently a resident of Woodbridge Township. Krystal is responsible for planning and executing all community events for the legislators representing the 19th Legislative District.

For Senator Vitale, she manages his annual trip for veterans to NYC Fleet Week, his Habitat for Humanity softball game, a backpack and supply collection for foster children, a celebration of Italian-American heritage, our office involvement in community fairs and festivals, and many other special events.

Samantha Perez

Constituent Services Director

Samantha was born and raised in Perth Amboy, NJ. She holds a BA in Psychology from Kean University and is a proud member of the Honors Society since 2014. She began working for the Joint office of Senator Vitale and Assemblyman Coughlin in 2016 and also for Assemblywoman Lopez in 2018, where she serves to help the community navigate complicated government programs.

Samantha is fluent in Spanish and English.

Iris Rodriguez

Scheduling Director

Iris Rodriguez was born in Puerto Rico and has lived in Perth Amboy since she was a child. She previously worked as a legal sectretary for more than forty years and also in the Patient Access Department at Raritan Bay Medical Center for fourteen years.

Iris is a lifelong community activist. She is a former Board Member and Founding Member of the Puerto Rican Association for Human Development. In 2017, with the support of the members of the Democrat County Committee, Iris became the Vice Chair of the Perth Amboy Democratic Organization. She also serves at the Vice President of the Criollos Athletic Club in Perth Amboy.

She joined Senator Vitale’s team in January of 2018. Iris is responsible for scheduling meetings for both Senator Vitale and Assemblywoman Lopez and is integral to keeping both Senator Vitale and Assemblywoman Lopez in the right place at the right time.

Constituent Services

Senator Joe Vitale is honored to serve the people of New Jersey's 19th District. As your state senator, he may be able to help you interact with various state and local agencies. If you have had a problem and have not been successful resolving it through normal channels, Senator Vitale and his staff may be of assistance. If we are unable to help you, we will try to provide you with an alternate means of assistance. The best way for you to reach us is to send a clear and concise email to senvitale@njleg.org describing the situation with which you require help. Please be sure to include a daytime phone number and your address should we need to reach out to you for more information. If you prefer to mail our office, please address your letter to:

Senator Joe Vitale, 569 Rahway Ave, Woodbridge, NJ 07095

Informational	Constituent services is more than happy to help with your requests for information. Whether you are seeking information on a particular bill, what the status of a current bill is or how the Senator plans on voting on a particular bill. You can also request information on notary applications HERE and information on any other issues you may feel we might be able to help with.
Referral	Government bureaucracy can sometimes be difficult to navigate. Our office would be more than happy to help you navigate which agencies you should be referred to based on your given situation.
Casework	We understand that many concerns are very complex and you might have already exhausted all other channels available to you. Our office is eager to help in any way we can and will explore all of the options that may be available to you.

Legislative Priorities

Senator Vitale's focus during his tenure has been to ensure that all New Jerseyans have access to high quality and affordable health care, particularly working families. As a passionate advocate for under-served populations, Senator Vitale has put a priority on protecting the health of children and has sponsored a diverse array of legislation geared towards this goal.

For a full list of Senator Vitale's sponsored bills click here.

Increasing Access to Affordable Healthcare As the chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, Senator Vitale has been a leader in New Jersey for progressive and forward thinking health care policies. From fighting for expansions in FamilyCare to passing legislation that protects New Jerseyans from discrimination in coverage, Senator Vitale is fighting every day to make sure that the people of New Jersey have access to quality, affordable health care services.	Expanding Civil Rights During his time in the Senate, Joe has fought to end all forms of discrimination in New Jersey. Some of his work in fighting for civil rights includes revisions in the New Jersey Hate Crime Laws to further protect victims of bias intimidation, and restoring the basic right of victims of child abuse to hold their abuser accountable.	Preserving Government Ethics Senator Vitale is working towards a transparent government that is efficient and held accountable to the people. In this vein, he has worked on several bills that deter corruption and unfair granting of contracts to groups that donate to political causes.
Our Children's Future Senator Vitale has worked to improve access to early childhood education in the state of New Jersey, recognizing the importance of investing in children from a young age and supporting pre-K for all. In addition, he championed a statewide tuition waiver program for children who have been under the Division of Child Protection and Permanency, which helps to assure that all children, regardless of their background have the same opportunities to achieve their dreams.	Jobs As the Vice Chair of the Senate Labor Committee, Senator Vitale understands the importance of a competitive environment that brings good-paying jobs to New Jersey. He has consistently supported raising the minimum wage, and has fought to ensure workers have access to the critical benefits they deserve. Senator Vitale has worked to develop and professionalize the healthcare workforce and to support the development of career ladders.	Enhancing Voting Rights Senator Vitale has worked to make voting easier and more accessible, including sponsoring legislation that would automatically register people to vote when they apply for their driver’s license or update their registration as part of the driver's license application or renewal process. He has also worked to make elections more convenient and less costly by advocating for school board elections to take place in November, encouraging turnout and cutting down on costs.
Fighting the Drug Epidemic In recent sessions, Senator Vitale has focused on the opioid epidemic, introducing nearly three dozen bills targeted at combating the crisis, with over a dozen currently signed into law. These policies focus on four key areas: prevention, education, treatment and recovery. One of the most notable pieces of legislation, the Overdose Prevention Act, allows law enforcement to save lives by using naloxone to reverse someone experiencing an overdose. Senator Vitale has also given his full support to the statewide Recovery Coach Program, which provides those who have just overdosed with a counselor who has been in their position and who can lead them through treatment and to sustained recovery.	LGBTQIA Rights Senator Vitale has been a fierce advocate for equal treatment of all people, including the LGBTQIA community. He has always been a staunch support of marriage equality and equal protection under the law for the LGBTQIA community when it comes to health care, work place protections, and creating safe spaces in schools. He has long championed legislation which would allow a person to change their gender on their birth certificate after their transition. A birth certificate is a personal document and should reflect the true identity of the person who holds it.	Helping Our Seniors Senator Vitale has worked on several pieces of legislation which would benefit seniors, including allowing for them to return overpayments of homestead rebates or property taxes in installments to make the process more convenient, excluding seniors from municipal building permit fees, and requiring doctors to offer hepatitis C testing to those born between 1945 and 1965 to protect them from the possible spread of the disease.
Supporting Our Veterans Senator Vitale's office has a myriad of resources available for active members of the armed forces, veterans and their families. As a thank you to those who have served, Senator Vitale sponsors an annual trip for 19th District veterans to attend Fleet Week in New York City.	Protecting the Environment Senator Vitale understands the importance of preserving our environment through investments in renewable energy solutions. New Jersey is particularly vulnerable to extreme weather patterns and long term trends pose a serious threat to our beautiful coastline. Senator Vitale attends the annual World Series of Birding, hosted by the Audubon Society of NJ, to help bring attention to the needs of migratory birds and the environments they depend on to survive.	Championing New Jersey Businesses Senator Vitale has run his own small business for his entire professional career and understands the issues faced by business owners across New Jersey. He believes in policies that help to foster a competitive environment in New Jersey, helping to encourage and protect employers and employees alike.

Contact Us

You can reach our office at 732-855-7441 or email us at senvitale@njleg.org

We would love to have you stop by our office at 569 Rahway Ave, Woodbridge, NJ 07095 (M - F; 9 to 5)

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To learn more about our annual events Click HERE

NJ Legislature Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy Click HERE

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