New Jersey A 1017: Eliminates school district budget per pupil administrative cost limits.

Bill Text

A1017 

ASSEMBLY, No. 1017 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman BALVIR SINGH

District 7 (Burlington)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Speight and Assemblyman Danielsen

SYNOPSIS

���� Expands scope of Office of State Long-Term Care 
Ombudsman; appropriates $1 million.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

��

An Act concerning the Office of the State Long-Term Care 
Ombudsman, amending various parts of the statutory law, and making an 
appropriation.

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 1 of P.L.1977, 
c.239 (C.52:27G-1) is amended to read as follows: 

���� 1.��� The Legislature hereby 
finds that [in 
recognition of the different health and� health related problems experienced by 
the various age groups in the general� population,] numerous health care facilities 
have been constructed and placed in� operation to provide specialized health 
and health related services to [particular 
such groups] 
individuals needing long-term care; that in providing such services [to the elderly] it is� 
essential to recognize that [while 
the members of this age group possess the same] 
civil and human rights [as 
members of every other age group, such rights may be far more difficult for 
certain of the elderly to secure since] 
must be fiercely protected for such persons who may be [afflicted with] experiencing 
certain physical and mental [infirmities] ailments, 
[deprived 
of] with 
limited access to the comfort and counsel of family and friends, and [forced to 
exist with] 
sometimes possessing minimum economic resources, all of which [may preclude 
them from defending and acting in] 
create barriers to the opportunity to advocate their own [best] interests; 
and, that to the degree that certain of [the 
elderly] 
these individuals may experience difficulty in securing their civil and 
human rights as [patients,] residents [and clients] of the health 
care facilities created to serve their specialized needs [and problems], it is the 
obligation of the State to take appropriate action through the creation of an 
adequate legal framework by which those difficulties may be eliminated.

���� The Legislature, therefore, 
declares that it is the public policy of this State to secure for [elderly 
patients,] 
residents [and 
clients] 
of long-term health care facilities serving their specialized needs [and problems], the same 
civil and human rights guaranteed to all citizens; and that to this end there 
should be established as an agency of the State Government the Office of the State 
Long-Term Care Ombudsman [for 
the Institutionalized Elderly], 
to receive, investigate and resolve complaints concerning certain long-term 
health care facilities [serving 
the elderly], 
and to initiate actions to secure, preserve and promote the health, safety and 
welfare, and the civil and human rights, of the [elderly patients,] residents [and� clients] of such 
facilities.

(cf: P.L.1977, c.239, s.1) 

���� 2.��� Section 2 of P.L.1977, 
c.239 (C.52:27G-2) is amended to read as follows:

���� 2.��� As used in this act, 
unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

���� a.��� "Abuse" means 
the willful infliction of physical pain, injury, or mental anguish; 
unreasonable confinement; or the willful deprivation of services which are 
necessary to maintain a person's physical and mental health.� However, no 
person shall be deemed to be abused for the sole reason he is being furnished 
nonmedical remedial treatment by spiritual means through prayer alone, in 
accordance with a recognized religious method of healing, in lieu of medical 
treatment;

���� b.��� An "act" of 
any facility or government agency shall be deemed to include any failure or 
refusal to act by such facility or government agency;

���� c.��� "Administrator" 
means any person who is charged with the general administration or supervision 
of a facility, whether or not such person has an ownership interest in such 
facility, and whether or not such person's functions and duties are shared with 
one or more other persons;

���� d.��� "Caretaker" 
means a person employed by a facility to provide care or services to [an elderly person] a long-term 
care resident, and includes, but is not limited to, the administrator of a 
facility;

���� e.��� "Exploitation" 
means the act or process of using a person or his resources for another 
person's profit or advantage without legal entitlement to do so;

���� f.���� "Facility" 
means any facility or institution, whether public or private, offering health 
or health related services for [the 
institutionalized elderly] 
long-term care residents, and which is subject to regulation, 
visitation, inspection, or supervision by any government agency.� Facilities 
include, but are not limited to, nursing homes, skilled nursing h