New Jersey A 1606: Authorizes court to impose rescue operation costs of public entity under certain circumstances.

Bill Text

A1606 

ASSEMBLY, No. 1606 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman SEAN T. KEAN

District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes two-year pilot program for certain mental 
health care facilities to treat additional juvenile patients.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

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

�� 

An Act concerning mental health care facilities.

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

���� 1.��� a.� As used in this act:

���� �Adult� means an individual 
aged 18 years or older.

���� �Health care facility� means a 
health care facility, licensed by the Department of Human Services, or by the 
Department of Health pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.), to 
provide inpatient mental health care treatment and services to adult mental 
health patients.

���� �Juvenile� means an individual 
between the ages of 14 and 17.

���� �Involuntary psychiatric beds� 
means licensed psychiatric beds located in a designated and separate unit of a 
general, psychiatric, or special hospital established for the provision of 
treatment services for individuals who are:� experiencing an acute episode of a 
psychiatric disorder, referred by a designated psychiatric screening center, 
and admitted voluntarily or involuntarily upon a determination that such 
individuals pose a danger to themselves or to others.

���� �Voluntary psychiatric beds� 
means licensed psychiatric beds located in a designated and separate unit of a 
general, psychiatric, or special hospital established for the provision of 
intensive evaluation, stabilization, and treatment of adults who are admitted 
voluntarily and experiencing an acute episode of a primary psychiatric 
disorder.

���� b.��� Within 90 days following 
the effective date of this act, the Departments of Health and Human Services 
shall jointly establish a two-year pilot program.� The Departments of Health 
and Human Services shall select between two and four health care facilities to 
participate in the pilot program.� To be eligible to participate in the pilot 
program, a health care facility shall:� 

���� (1)�� employ at least one 
licensed psychiatrist who specializes in child or juvenile psychiatry, or at 
least one licensed psychiatrist with documented specialized training, 
supervised clinical experience, and demonstrated competence, as it pertains to 
providing psychiatric care to juveniles;

���� (2)�� employ nurses who are 
trained to treat juveniles at all times within the health care facility; 

���� (3)�� employ treatment 
programs that are appropriate to the age of a juvenile; and 

���� (4)�� be licensed to treat 
mental health patients in both involuntary psychiatric beds and voluntary 
psychiatric beds.

���� c.���� For the duration of the 
pilot program, a health care facility participating in the pilot program shall 
be permitted to:

���� (1)�� place juvenile mental 
health patients in vacant beds that are otherwise reserved for adult mental 
health patients, whenever feasible and clinically appropriate; and

���� (2)�� place adult mental 
health patients, who are legally committed to psychiatric inpatient care, in 
voluntary psychiatric beds, whenever feasible and clinically appropriate.

���� d.��� The Departments of 
Health and Human Services shall study the performance of the health care 
facilities participating in the pilot program and assess the quality of 
treatment provided to adult and juvenile mental health patients.� Within 90 
days following the conclusion of the pilot program, the Departments of Health 
and Human Services shall jointly prepare and submit a report containing all 
relevant findings to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 
(C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature. 

���� 2.��� This act shall take 
effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission of the report required 
pursuant to subsection c. of section 1 of this act. 

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes a two-year 
pilot program for certain mental health care facilities to treat additional 
juvenile patients.

���� Under the bill, �health care 
facility� means a health care facility, licensed by the Department of Human 
Services or by the Department of Health to provide inpatient mental health care 
treatment and services to adult mental health patients.

���� Within 90 days following the 
bill�s effective date, the Departments of Health and Human Services 
(departments) are to jointly establish a two-year pilot program.� The 
departments are to select between two and four health care facilities to 
participate in the pilot program.� 

���� To be eligible to participate 
in the pilot program, a health care facility is to:� (1) employ at least one 
licensed psychiatrist who specializes in child or juvenile psychiatry, or at 
least one licensed psychiatrist with documented specialized t