S891

An Act concerning certain forms and materials for individuals with developmental disabilities and supplementing Titles 9 and 30 of the Revised Statutes.

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

1. The Commissioner of Children and Families shall [cause all forms, materials, and other relevant information concerning services and supports available for, and provided to, persons with developmental disabilities, as defined in section 3 of P.L.1977, c.82 (C.30:6D-3), under 21 years of age, to be printed and available in English, Spanish, and Korean, and in any other language [which] that is the primary language of at least 10 percent of the residents [within an election district] of any county in [this] the State. The commissioner shall also make this information available on the department’s website] make available in at least the five most common languages spoken in the State, inclusive of Spanish and Korean: applications for services and supports that are available for persons with developmental disabilities, as defined in section 3 of P.L.1977, c.82 (C.30:6D-3); any forms that are to be used in requesting the informed consent of an individual with a developmental disability, or of the individual’s guardian, with respect to the sharing of health information; and other forms, upon request, to the extent feasible.

2. The Commissioner of Human Services shall [cause all forms, materials, and other relevant information concerning services and supports available for, and provided to, persons with developmental disabilities, as defined in section 3 of P.L.1977, c.82 (C.30:6D-3), to be printed and available in English, Spanish, and Korean, and in any other language [which] that is the primary language of at least 10 percent of the residents [within an election district] of any county in [this] the State. The commissioner shall also make this information available on the department’s website] make available in at least the five most common languages spoken in the State, inclusive of Spanish and Korean: applications for services and supports that are available for persons with developmental disabilities, as defined in section 3 of P.L.1977, c.82 (C.30:6D-3); any forms that are to be used in requesting the informed consent of an individual with a developmental disability, or of the individual’s guardian, with respect to the sharing of health information; and other forms, upon request, to the extent feasible.

3. The Division of Developmental Disabilities shall consult with the Office of New Americans in the Department of Human Services, established pursuant to Executive Order No. 74 (2019), to ensure service accessibility through cultural competency and language access.

4. This act shall take effect on the first day of the six month following enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill removes language that would have required all forms, materials, and other relevant information concerning services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities to be made available in English, Spanish, Korean, and any other language that is the primary language of at least 10 percent of the residents of the State, and to be posted on the Internet websites of the Departments of Children and Families and Human Services. The bill inserts new language that provides, instead, for the Commissioners of Children and Families and Human Services to make available in at least the five most common languages spoken in the State, inclusive of Spanish and Korean: applications for services and supports that are available for persons with developmental disabilities; any forms that are to be used in requesting the informed consent of an individual with a developmental disability, or of the individual’s guardian, with respect to the sharing of health information; and other forms, upon request, to the extent feasible. The bill also insert a new provision requiring the Division of Developmental Disabilities to consult with the Office of New Americans in the Department of Human Services, established pursuant to Executive Order No. 74 (2019), to ensure service accessibility through cultural competency and language access.