S2619

An Act establishing the New Jersey Council on Responsible Fatherhood and supplementing Title 9 of the Revised Statutes.

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

1. a. There is established the New Jersey Council on Responsible Fatherhood in the Department of Children and Families.

b. The purpose of the council is to identify the needs and priorities relating to fatherhood programs in the State, promote the participation of both parents in the lives of their children, and support the contributions each parent brings to the family unit.

c. The council shall consist of 23 members as follows:

(1) two members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate, as nonvoting, ex officio members of the council, who shall each be of different political parties parties, and who shall each serve as a member of the council until the expiration of their term in the Senate during which the member was appointed;

(2) two members of the General Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, as nonvoting, ex officio members of the council, who shall each be of different political parties, and who shall each serve as a member of the council until the expiration of their term in the General Assembly during which the member was appointed;

(3) the Commissioners of Children and Families, Corrections, Education, Human Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio;

(4) ten public members appointed by the Governor who shall include a representative of the Advocates for Children of New Jersey, a representative of Foster and Adoptive Family Services, a representative of Legal Services of New Jersey, a representative of the Latino Action Network, a representative of NAACP, a county welfare agency worker with experience in working with children who receive public assistance, a licensed social worker with experience or expertise in working with children and families affected by divorce or legal separation, a retired Superior Court Judge with experience in working with child support, custody, and parenting time issues, a representative of the Coalition for Battered Women or another domestic violence prevention advocacy group, and a member of the clergy; and

(5) four public members, appointed by the Governor, two of whom shall have experience in working with fatherhood programs and shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the President of the Senate, and two of whom are fathers who have graduated from fatherhood programs and shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly.

d. Vacancies in the membership of the council shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments. The public members of the council shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for traveling and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform their duties, within the limits of funds made available to the council for its purposes.

e. The council shall organize as soon as practicable but no later than 60 days following the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the members.

The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the council.

f. The council may meet at the call of its chair and hold hearings at the times and in the places it deems appropriate and necessary to fulfill its charge. The council shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes. The council shall be entitled to call on the assistance of the Administrative Office of the Courts for information relevant to its purposes.

g. The council may seek the advice of experts, such as persons specializing in the field of social work, education, law, human services, economic development, workforce development, or other related fields, as deemed appropriate by the membership of the council.

h. The Department of Children and Families shall provide staff services to the council.

2. The council shall:

a. direct the development and implementation of a Responsible Fatherhood Initiative established pursuant to section 3 of this act;

b. develop a comprehensive plan that identifies the needs and priorities relating to fatherhood programs in the State and promotes the positive involvement of fathers in their children's lives;

c. serve as an information and resource center for data and information on fatherhood programs;

d. review the programs, policies, and initiatives of the Departments of Children and Families, Corrections, Education, Human Services, Labor and Workforce Development, and any other department of State government or community-based organization, as appropriate, that concern responsible fatherhood, and make recommendations to the departments and organizations that will enable them to better coordinate and improve the effectiveness of such programs, policies, and initiatives;

e. convene an annual Statewide symposium to discuss issues relating to fatherhood and the importance of the participation of both parents in the lives of children, and to develop strategies to encourage fathers to become more responsible parents;

f. apply for, and accept, any grant of money from the federal government, private foundations, or other sources, which may be available for programs related to responsible fatherhood; and

g. provide grants to community‑based organizations to establish, expand, or improve fatherhood programs.

3. a. The council shall establish a Responsible Fatherhood Initiative. The goal of the initiative shall be to:

(1) promote the positive interaction between fathers and their children;

(2) increase public awareness of the problems created when children grow up without the presence of responsible fathers;

(3) identify obstacles that impede or prevent the involvement of responsible fathers in the lives of their children, and develop strategies to successfully overcome such obstacles and encourage responsible fatherhood; and

(4) facilitate policies and practices that encourage the participation of fathers in their children's lives and promote the contributions of responsible fathers.

b. The initiative shall be geared towards children whose families have received or are receiving public assistance benefits pursuant to P.L.1947, c.156 (C.44:8-107 et seq.), P.L.1973, c.256 (C.44:7-85 et seq.), or P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.), but may not exclude any other population of children who may benefit from the programs and services offered through the initiative.

c. The initiative shall include, but not be limited to, the development of:

(1) a public education and awareness campaign on the legal, financial, and emotional responsibilities of fatherhood and the benefits of a father establishing paternity upon a child's birth;

(2) programs and services aimed at educating men in preparing for the responsibilities of fatherhood by fostering emotional connections to, and providing financial support, for their children;

(3) an information and support network for fathers trying to develop, maintain, and improve relationships with their children;

(4) a plan to identify and promote methods that reduce the negative outcomes experienced by children affected by divorce, legal separation, and custody and parenting time disputes; and

(5) a plan to enhance the coordination of services available to children and families between State and local governmental and community-based social services agencies.

4. a. There is established in the Department of the Treasury a nonlapsing fund to be known as the "Responsible Fatherhood Fund." This fund shall be the repository for monies provided pursuant to subsection f. of section 2 of this act. Moneys deposited in the fund, and any interest earned thereon, shall be allocated to the council to carry out the purposes provided for in subsections f. and g. of section 2 of this act.

b. Any costs incurred by the department in the collection or administration of the fund may be deducted from the funds deposited therein, as determined by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting.

5. The council shall report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, on December 31st of each year, on the activities of the council, including, but not limited to, the development and implementation of the Responsible Fatherhood Initiative, and its findings and recommendations regarding the coordination and effectiveness of State programs, policies, and initiatives concerning responsible fatherhood.

6. The Commissioner of Children and Families, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.

7. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes a 23-member New Jersey Council on Responsible Fatherhood in the DCF. The council’s purpose is to identify the needs and priorities related to fatherhood programs in the State, promote the participation of both parents in the lives of their children, and support the contributions each parent brings to the family unit.

The bill assigns several responsibilities to the council, including: (1) developing and implementing a Responsible Fatherhood Initiative; (2) serving as an information and resource center for data and information on fatherhood programs; (3) reviewing the programs of various State departments and community-based organizations and making recommendations on ways to better coordinate and improve the effectiveness of their programs; (4) applying for, and FE to A945 [2R] accepting, grants of money from the federal government, private foundations, and other sources for programs related to responsible fatherhood; and (5) providing grants to community-based organizations to establish, expand, or improve fatherhood programs.

The Responsible Fatherhood Initiative is responsible for the development of: (1) a public awareness campaign on the legal, financial, and emotional responsibilities of fatherhood and the benefits of paternity establishment; (2) programs and services aimed at preparing men for the responsibilities of fatherhood; (3) an information and support network for fathers trying to foster relationships with their children; and (4) plans to identify and promote methods that reduce the negative outcomes experienced by children affected by divorce, legal separation, and custody and visitation disputes, and to enhance the coordination of services available to children and families between government and community-based social services agencies.

The bill establishes the "Responsible Fatherhood Fund" in the Department of the Treasury as a nonlapsing, revolving fund and as the repository of all funds received from the federal government, private foundations, and other sources, which may be available for programs related to responsible fatherhood. All money, including any interest earned, deposited in the fund is allocated to the council to carry out the purposes of the bill.

Finally, the bill requires the council to report annually to the Governor and the Legislature on the activities of the council and its findings and recommendations regarding the coordination and effectiveness of State programs, policies, and initiatives concerning responsible fatherhood.