New Jersey S 932: Establishes Behavioral Mental Health Advisory Board in Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in DHS.

Bill Text

SENATE, No. 932

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

Sponsored by:
Senator KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS
Establishes Behavioral Mental Health Advisory Board in Division of Mental
Health and Addiction Services in DHS.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

S932 CORRADO
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AN ACT establishing the Behavioral Mental Health Advisory Board 1
and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes. 2
3
BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 4
of New Jersey: 5
6
1. a. There is established in the Division of Mental Health and 7
Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services the 8
Behavioral Mental Health Advisory Board. The purpose of the 9
board shall be to review all aspects of behavioral mental health 10
services in New Jersey and make recommendations for legislation 11
or other such action as it deems appropriate with regard to 12
improving, expanding, and facilitating the provision of behavioral 13
mental health services to the citizens of this State, including, but not 14
limited to: coordinating services among providers; facilitating 15
access to comprehensive behavioral mental health care and 16
treatment; maximizing the effective use of available funding; 17
establishing new programs or revising existing programs; 18
promoting enhanced communication and information exchanges; 19
and any other matters the advisory board deems necessary and 20
appropriate. 21
b. The board shall consist of 17 members as follows: 22
(1) the Commissioners of Health,
Human Services, and Children 23
and Families,
or their designees, who shall serve ex officio; 24
(2) Four public members to be appointed by the Governor, as 25
follows: one person upon the recommendation of the New Jersey 26
Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies; one person 27
upon the recommendation of the National Alliance on Mental 28
Illness New Jersey; one person upon the recommendation of the 29
Mental Health Association in New Jersey; and one person upon the 30
recommendation of the New Jersey Primary Care Association; 31
(3) Five public members to be appointed by the President of the 32
Senate, as follows: one person upon the recommendation of the 33
New Jersey Chapter of the American College of Emergency 34
Physicians; one person upon the recommendation of the New Jersey 35
Association of Health Plans; one psychiatrist upon the 36
recommendation of the Medical Society of New Jersey; one health 37
care provider, upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Office 38
of the Drug Policy Alliance, who specializes in substance abuse 39
treatment; and one person upon the recommendation of the National 40
Center for Advocacy and Recovery for Behavioral Health New 41
Jersey; and 42
(4) Five public members to be appointed by the Speaker of the 43
General Assembly, as follows: one person upon the 44
recommendation of the New Jersey Hospital Association; one 45
person upon the recommendation of the Advocates for Children of 46
New Jersey; one health care provider, upon the recommendation of 47
the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, 48

S932 CORRADO
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who specializes in treating children and adolescents; one health care 1
provider, upon the recommendation of the Health Care Association 2
of New Jersey, who specializes in treating geriatric patients; and 3
one person upon the recommendation of Parent to Parent New 4
Jersey. 5
c. Vacancies in the membership of the board shall be filled in 6
the same manner provided for the original appointments. 7
d. The board shall organize as soon as practicable following the 8
appointment of its members, and shall select a chairperson and vice-9
chairperson from among the members. The chairperson shall 10
appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the board. 11
e. The public members shall serve without compensation, but 12
shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the 13
performance of their duties and within the limits of funds available 14
to the board. 15
f. The board shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail 16
itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or 17
municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it 18
may require and as may be available to it for its purposes. 19
g. The Department of Human Services shall provide staff 20
support to the board. 21
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2. No later than one year following the effective date of this 23
act, and annually thereafter, the board shall report to the Governor, 24
and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 25
(C.52:14-19.1), its findings and recommendations with regard to 26
improving the provision of behavioral mental health services in 27
New Jersey. The second report submitted pursuant to this section, 28
and each annual report thereafter, shall include a description and 29
analysis of any actions taken on recommendation