| Ms. Pou was elected to the Senate in 2011 and re-elected in 2013 and 2017. She served in the Assembly from Jan. 29, 1997, when she was sworn to fill a vacancy, until her rise to the Senate.
Ms. Pou sponsored a law that broadened the definition of human trafficking and increased penalties. She sponsored a 2013 law that allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rates at state colleges and universities, and a 2014 law setting new standards, including background checks, for individuals working in the homes of seniors and people with disabilities. She sponsored 2015 laws reforming the juvenile justice system and expanding the geographic scope of restraining orders. Among their various provisions, the prior limited circumstances when young offenders can be waived up to the adult court system or transferred to adult prisons, placed a cap on the use of solitary confinement to 8 consecutive waking hours and to a limited number of consecutive days based on the age of the minor, and placed an emphasis on rehabilitation of the minor; the latter added new protections for victims of sexual assault and created a central registry of protective orders accessible to police and child protection officers. A 2016 law sponsored by the Senator created an educational program for drivers on carbon monoxide poisoning.
In 2017, the senator sponsored laws allowing the National Guard and reservists to retain eligibility on civil service lists if called up for active federal military service and allowing students enrolled at a four-year college who have earned a total of 66 credits between that school and a county college to be awarded an associate's degree by the county college. In 2018, she sponsored laws prohibiting marriage for individuals under age 18, allowing qualified undocumented immigrants to be eligible for state student financial aid programs, and extending health benefits coverage for newborn infants. In 2019, she sponsored laws restricting the use of isolated confinement in New Jersey's correctional facilities for adults and made further reforms to the juvenile justice system concerning incarceration and parole.
Senator Pou is Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, Vice-Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Chairwoman of the New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus. She is also a member of the New Jersey Complete County Commission for the 2020 census, the New Jersey Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission, Disparity in State Procurement Study Commission, and the Task Force for Continued Transformation of Youth Justice in New Jersey. She serves as President-Elect of the National Hispanic Council of State Legislators, member of the National Council of State Legislators, Women in Government, the National Order of Women Legislators/National Foundation of Women Legislators, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, the Women's Political Caucus, Emerge New Jersey, and the Council of State Government. Senator Pou worked for the City of Paterson for over three decades, including as business administrator and has served in many leadership positions throughout her years of service to our community. |