New Jersey S 4015: Clarifies DHS authority to regulate sober living homes and halfway houses as residential substance abuse aftercare facilities; requires background checks and other protections for residents of residential substance abuse facilities.

Bill Text

(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 1/30/2025)
SENATE, No. 4015
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED JANUARY 14, 2025

Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS
Clarifies DHS authority to regulate sober living homes and halfway houses
as residential substance abuse aftercare facilities; requires background checks
and other protections for residents of residential substance abuse facilities.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.

S4015 VITALE, GREENSTEIN
2

EXPLANATION – Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is
not enacted and is intended to be omitted in the law.

Matter underlined thus is new matter.

AN ACT concerning the regulation of certain facilities by the 1
Department of Human Services and amending and 2
supplementing P.L.1975, c.305 and P.L.1970, c.334, amending 3
P.L.1982, c.149, and supplementing Titles 26 and 53 of the 4
Revised Statues. 5
6
BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 7
of New Jersey: 8
9
1. Section 6 of P.L.1975, c.305 (C.26:2B-12) is amended to 10
read as follows: 11
6. The department shall take cognizance of all matters affecting 12
alcohol use disorder in the State and shall establish and conduct a 13
program for the treatment of intoxicated persons and persons with 14
an alcohol use disorder. 15
The program may encourage regionalization of services and, if 16
not otherwise available, provide for the following facilities, which 17
need not be separately located: 18
a. Intoxication treatment centers, which centers shall render 19
emergency medical care, including detoxification, shall be open 24 20
hours every day, and shall be located conveniently near population 21
centers. Services shall be provided for the immediate physical and 22
social needs, including the needs for medication and shelter, of 23
intoxicated persons, and shall also provide for initial examination, 24
diagnosis and referral. To the extent possible, such treatment 25
centers shall be affiliated with a general or other hospital. 26
b. Inpatient facilities, for treatment of persons with an alcohol 27
use disorder, which shall, to the extent possible, be affiliated with 28
the medical service of a general hospital, mental hospital, 29
community mental health center, or other hospital. 30
c. Outpatient facilities. 31
d. Residential aftercare facilities, such as halfway houses or 32
transitional sober living homes. 33
The department shall maintain, supervise and control all 34
facilities operated by it pursuant to P.L.1975, c.305 (C.26:2B-7 et 35
seq.) and all such facilities shall be staffed with an adequate number 36
of qualified and trained personnel. The administrator of each 37
[such] facility shall make an annual report of its activities to the 38
director in such manner and form as the director may deem 39
appropriate. All appropriate resources, particularly community 40
mental health centers, shall whenever possible be utilized in and 41
coordinated with the program. 42
Services delivered by the department pursuant to P.L.1975, c.305 43
(C.26:2B-7 et seq.) may be administered on the premises of 44
institutions operated in whole or in part by the department of 45

S4015 VITALE, GREENSTEIN
3

institutions and agencies. Such services shall be administered as 1
such services are administered in the other facilities of the 2
department and shall in all respects be therapeutic in nature rather 3
than penal or correctional. 4
The department shall annually prepare and publish [annually] a 5
list of all [services] facilities and service-providing entities 6
operating in accordance with P.L.1975, c.305 (C.26:2B-7 et seq.) 7
[and] , shall make the list available , upon request , to members of 8
the public , and shall include the information on its website in 9
accordance with the registry established pursuant to section 17 of 10
P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). 11
The department shall notify all law enforcement agencies and 12
judges in the State of the location and capacity of intoxication 13
treatment centers and other [services] service-providing entities 14
operating in accordance with [this act] P.L.1975, c.305 (C.26:2B-7 15
et seq.), which are situated in or near their jurisdictions. 16
(cf: P.L.2017, c.131, s.73) 17
18
2. Section 2 of P.L.1970, c.334 (C.26:2G-22) is amended to 19
read as follows: 20
2. As used in this act: 21
“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of [Health] Human 22
Services. 23
“Department” means the Department of Human Services. 24
“Narcotic drug” means any narcotic, drug, or dangerous 25
controlled substance, as defined in any law of the State of New 26
Jersey or of the United States. 27
"Patient" means a person with a substance use disorder, or who 28
otherwise has a physical or mental impairment from the use of 29
narcotic drugs and who requires continuing care of a substance use 30
disorder treatment center. 31