Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Requires at least one State developmental center in each region of State; requires certain factors to be considered for transfer of residents between developmental centers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning State developmental centers and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Commissioner of Human Services shall ensure that at least one developmental center is retained in each of the western, northern, central, and southern regions of the State.
b. As used in this section:
(1) the western region shall consist of Hunterdon, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren counties;
(2) the northern region shall consist of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, and Union counties;
(3) the central region shall consist of Mercer, Middlesex, and Monmouth counties; and
(4) the southern region shall consist of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem counties.
c. In the case of a transfer of a resident from one developmental center to another, the commissioner shall equally consider:
(1) the resident's medical needs;
(2) the resident's social needs; and
(3) the distance between the resident's family or guardian, as appropriate, and the proposed developmental center to which the resident is to be transferred, in order to permit continuation of the resident's relationship with the family or guardian, as appropriate.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services to ensure that at least one State developmental center is retained in each of the western, northern, central, and southern regions of the State.
Under the bill, the western region is to consist of Hunterdon, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren counties; the northern region is to consist of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, and Union counties; the central region is to consist of Mercer, Middlesex, and Monmouth counties; and the southern region is to consist of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem counties.
The bill further requires that
in the case of a transfer of a resident from one developmental center to
another, the commissioner is to equally consider: the resident's medical
needs; the resident's social
needs; and the distance between the resident's family or guardian, as appropriate, and the proposed developmental center to which the resident is to be transferred, in order to permit continuation of the resident's relationship with the family or the guardian.