New Jersey A 2653: Requires institutions of higher education to develop open textbooks available to students at no charge and requires buyback of used textbooks at 50 percent of purchase price.

Bill Text

A2653 

ASSEMBLY, No. 2653 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman CHRISTOPHER P. DEPHILLIPS

District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Flynn

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires reporting of first responder suicides to 
DOH.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

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

��

An Act concerning suicide and supplementing Title 26 of the 
Revised Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� a.� The chief of a squad 
or association of first responders in this State, or the chief�s designee, shall 
report within a reasonable time to the Department of Health, in a manner prescribed 
by the Commissioner of Health, any incident of a completed suicide by a first 
responder.� The report shall include:

���� (1)�� the month and year 
during which the first responder�s death occurred;

���� (2)�� the first responder�s age, 
salary, and length of service as a first responder at the time of the first 
responder�s death;

���� (3)�� the race and gender of 
the first responder;

���� (4)�� any known facts 
pertaining to the cause or method of suicide; and 

���� (5)�� the military veteran 
status and level of education of the first responder; 

���� b.��� The report required 
pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall not identify the first 
responder by name or date of birth.� 

���� c.���� The Commissioner of 
Health shall aggregate the data provided pursuant to subsection a. of this 
section, which aggregated data shall be made publicly available for use in 
suicide prevention and intervention studies.

���� d.��� The reporting of a 
suicide pursuant to this section shall not replace or alter any other 
requirement of law, professional standard, or obligation that requires the 
first responder squad or association to evaluate a death or report a suicide.

���� e.���� As used in this 
section, "first responder" means a paid or volunteer firefighter, 
paid or volunteer member of a duly incorporated first aid, emergency, 
ambulance, or rescue squad or association, or any other individual who, in the 
course of his or her employment, is dispatched to the scene of a motor vehicle 
accident or other emergency situation for the purpose of providing medical care 
or other assistance.

���� 2.��� This act shall take 
effect on the first day of the seventh month following enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires reporting 
of first responder suicides to the Department of Health (DOH).

���� Under the bill, the chief of a 
squad or association of first responders in this State, or the chief�s designee, 
is to report within a reasonable time to the DOH, in a manner prescribed by the 
Commissioner of Health (commissioner), any incident of a completed suicide by a 
first responder.� The report is to include: (1) the month and year during which 
the first responder�s death occurred; (2) the first responder�s age, salary, 
and length of service as a first responder at the time of the first responder�s 
death; (3) the race and gender of the first responder; (4) any known facts 
pertaining to the cause or method of suicide; and (5) the military veteran 
status and level of education of the first responder; 

���� The bill provides that the 
commissioner is to aggregate the data provided pursuant to the bill�s 
provisions, which is to be made publicly available for use in suicide 
prevention and intervention studies.

���� Under the bill, "first 
responder" means a paid or volunteer firefighter, paid or volunteer member 
of a duly incorporated first aid, emergency, ambulance, or rescue squad or association, 
or any other individual who, in the course of his or her employment, is 
dispatched to the scene of a motor vehicle accident or other emergency 
situation for the purpose of providing medical care or other assistance.