Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ERIC HOUGHTALING
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblywoman JOANN DOWNEY
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Sumter
SYNOPSIS
Requires Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services to establish and maintain hotline for people with disabilities.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning a Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services hotline for people with disabilities and supplementing Title 34 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Within 60 days of the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services in the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, in conjunction with State Centers for Independent Living, shall establish and maintain a toll-free telephone hotline available, at a minimum, weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. which shall provide information and referral services to people with disabilities.
b. As used in this act:
“Centers for Independent Living” are community-based, consumer-driven organizations run by the Statewide Independent Living Council that provide information and referral, peer counseling, skills training, advocacy and a variety of services based on individual needs.
"Person with a disability" means any individual who is unable to engage in any substantial gainful employment by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which is of a long-continued or indefinite duration or which can be expected to result in death.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, in conjunction with State Centers for Independent Living to establish a telephone hotline available, at a minimum, weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. through which information and referral services will be provided to people with disabilities.
Under the bill, Centers for Independent Living are community-based, consumer-driven organizations that provide information and referral, peer counseling, skills training, advocacy and a variety of services based on individual needs.