A5625

An Act concerning support team addiction recovery programs, amending P.L.2023, c.25, supplementing Chapter 2G of Title 26 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.

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

1. Section 1 of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-39) is to read as follows:

1. a. There is created in the Department of the Treasury a dedicated, non-lapsing fund to be known as the “Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund.”

b. To the extent consistent with the terms of a national opioid litigation resolution subject to this act, the State Treasurer shall deposit into the fund the State's share of moneys received as a result of such resolution. Any interest and other income earned on moneys in the fund, and any other moneys that may be appropriated or otherwise become available for purposes of the fund, shall be credited to and deposited in the fund. For the purposes of this section, moneys paid to counties or municipalities shall not be considered to be part of the State's share of moneys received as a result of a national opioid litigation resolution. Any moneys received by any State department pursuant to a national opioid litigation settlement subject to this act shall be transferred into the fund.

c. (1) Moneys in the fund are hereby appropriated, shall be subject to the applicable requirements of the relevant national opioid litigation resolution and any applicable agreement entered into pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-41), and shall be dedicated and used only for:

(a) the purposes described in subsection e. of this section; and

(b) the payment of attorneys' fees, costs, and related litigation expenses related to the national opioid litigation resolution.

(2) The Department of Human Services shall be designated the lead agency for the State for purposes of directing the disbursement and allocation of the State's share of any moneys that are allocated to or otherwise received by the State as a result of a national opioid litigation resolution and for monitoring the use of moneys disbursed to counties or municipalities under a national opioid litigation resolution or under an agreement entered into pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-41), to the extent required by such agreements, and, in coordination with the State Comptroller and the Attorney General, ensuring that the use of such moneys complies with the purposes set forth in this act and is consistent with the terms of the applicable national opioid litigation resolution and any applicable agreement entered into pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-41).

(a) The department shall have primary responsibility for ensuring that the various reporting, compliance, and administrative functions imposed upon the State pursuant to the terms and conditions of any national opioid litigation resolution and any applicable agreement entered into pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-41) are performed, and shall serve as the single point of contact for the State for settlement fund administrators and trustees to submit requests for disbursement of settlement funds.

(b) The department shall be authorized to make determinations regarding disbursement and allocation of the State's share of such proceeds in accordance with the requirements or terms of any national opioid litigation resolution and any applicable agreement entered into pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-41), which may include designations of regions for the allocation of the State's share of such proceeds, in addition to taking such other actions as may be assigned or required to be performed by the lead agency or single point of contact for the State under the terms of any national opioid litigation resolution and any applicable agreement entered into pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-41).

(c) The department shall receive and review reports from each county regarding the expenditure of any moneys received by the county as a result of a national opioid litigation resolution.

(d) (i) The department shall be authorized to adopt, amend, or repeal regulations as necessary to carry out the intent and provisions of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-39 et seq.).

(ii) Notwithstanding the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to the contrary, the department may, immediately upon filing proper notice with the Office of Administrative Law, adopt rules and regulations as shall be necessary to enable it to carry out the department's duties, functions, and powers with respect to this act. Rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this [subsubparagraph] sub-subparagraph shall be effective immediately upon filing with the Office of Administrative Law and shall be in effect for a period not to exceed 18 months, and shall, thereafter, be amended, adopted, or readopted by the department in accordance with the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).

(3) Notwithstanding any other law or regulation to the contrary, there is hereby appropriated: (a) moneys from the fund to the Department of Human Services, which shall allocate the appropriated funds in accordance with the provisions of subsections d., e., and f. of this section; and (b) to the extent applicable, moneys paid to the State as a result of a national opioid litigation resolution that have been allocated to a county or municipality in accordance with the terms of the national opioid litigation resolution or a related agreement entered into pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-41), and to the extent necessary to effectuate such resolution, which shall be used in accordance with the provisions of subsections d., e., and f. of this section.

(4) Moneys from the fund may be transferred to other State departments as directed by the Commissioner of Human Services in support of the purposes provided for in this act, subject to the approval of the Director of Budget and Accounting.

d. Notwithstanding section 2 of P.L.1999, c.129 (C.56:8-14.3), section 15 of P.L.2003, c.76 (C.56:8-133), and the "New Jersey False Claims Act," P.L.2007, c.265 (C.2A:32C-1 et seq.), the department shall direct the allocation and disbursement of moneys in the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund established by this section, and shall do so in consultation with the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Advisory Council, established pursuant to section 2 of this act. The department shall allocate funds with an emphasis on supporting programs and strategies that are evidence-based or evidence-informed and, in making such allocations, shall consider equitable access for underserviced communities Statewide.

e. Moneys, other than attorneys' fees, costs, and expenses related to litigation, that are allocated to or otherwise received by the State or any county or municipality as a result of a national opioid litigation resolution, shall be dedicated and used, consistent with the terms of an applicable national opioid litigation resolution and any applicable agreement entered into pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-41), for the purpose of addressing opioid use disorder and any co-occurring substance use disorder or mental health conditions through evidence-based or evidence-informed practices or strategies that may include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

(1) Supporting the treatment of opioid use disorders and any co-occurring substance use disorder or mental health conditions through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies;

(2) Supporting individuals in recovery from opioid use disorder, as well as any co-occurring substance use disorder or mental health conditions, through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies, including, but not limited to, providing support services to the families of such individuals;

(3) Providing connections to care for people who have, or are at risk of developing, an opioid use disorder or a co-occurring substance use disorder or mental health condition, through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies;

(4) Using evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies to address the needs of persons with an opioid use disorder or a co-occurring substance use disorder or mental health condition who are involved in, are at risk of becoming involved in, or are transitioning out of, the criminal justice system;

(5) Using evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies to address the needs of pregnant or parenting persons with opioid use disorder or a co-occurring substance use disorder or mental health condition, and the needs of the families of such individuals, including babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome;

(6) Supporting efforts to prevent over-prescribing and ensure appropriate prescribing and dispensing of opioids through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies;

(7) Using evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies to support efforts to discourage or prevent the misuse of, and the development of substance use disorders involving, opioids;

(8) Using evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies to support efforts to prevent or reduce overdose deaths or other opioid-related harms;

(9) Educating law enforcement or other first responders regarding appropriate practices and precautions when dealing with fentanyl and other drugs;

(10) Providing wellness and support services for first responders and others who experience secondary trauma associated with opioid-related emergency events;

(11) Supporting efforts to provide leadership, planning, coordination, facilitations, training, and technical assistance to abate the opioid epidemic through activities, programs, and strategies;

(12) Supporting training to abate the opioid epidemic through activities, programs, or strategies;

(13) Supporting opioid abatement research;

(14) Supporting such other strategies as may be expressly identified in any national opioid litigation resolution; [and]

(15) Administrative expenses, subject to limits imposed by any national opioid litigation resolution or by any agreement entered pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-41); and

(16) Supporting case management and recovery support services provided through the Support Team Addiction Recovery (STAR) and the Support Team Addiction Recovery (STAR) Jail Expansion programs pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

f. Moneys, other than attorneys' fees, costs, and expenses related to litigation, that are allocated to or otherwise received by the State or any of its counties or municipalities as a result of a national opioid litigation resolution shall be used to supplement, and shall not supplant, federal, State, county, or municipal funds, as the case may be, that otherwise would have been used to carry out the purposes delineated in this act, and no amount of such moneys shall be used to reimburse the State or any of its counties or municipalities for past expenditures, except as may otherwise be required to refund to the federal government a portion of the moneys.

g. For the purposes of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-39 et seq.), "national opioid litigation resolution" means a settlement agreement, entered into by the Attorney General of New Jersey on behalf of the State and by other state attorneys general on behalf of their respective states, which provides for the participation of states, counties, and municipalities to resolve claims by the State attorneys general and counties and municipalities against opioid manufacturers, opioid distributors, or pharmacies, or persons or entities affiliated with an opioid manufacturer, opioid distributor, or pharmacy, related to the manufacture, marketing, distribution, or dispensing of opioids, or a bankruptcy plan which is governed by an agreement entered into pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-41) and which has received final approval and that channels, releases, or otherwise finally disposes of such claims including those of the State and its counties and municipalities.

(cf; P.L.2023, c.25, s.1)

2. (New section) a. There is allocated from the “Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund,” established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-39), to the Department of Human Services $1,995,000 to supplement the federal funds appropriated to counties for the Support Team Addiction Recovery (STAR) and the Support Team Addiction Recovery (STAR) Jail Expansion programs administered by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services as follows:

(1) $1,715,000 to supplement existing federal grant monies appropriated to counties for STAR programs ;

(2) $192,500 to establish a STAR Jail Expansion program in Passaic county; and

(3) $87,500 to provide for:

(a) staff salaries and assumed salary increases for case managers and recovery support specialists hired by the STAR Jail Expansion program established in Passaic county; and

(b) salary increases for case managers and recovery support specialists hired by the STAR Jail Expansion program in Atlantic, Bergen, Camden, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties.

b. Nothing in this section shall imply or require that the funds allocated from the “Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund” pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) replace or decrease the amount of existing federal grant monies appropriated to counties for STAR and STAR Jail Expansion programs.

c. As used in this section:

“Support Team Addiction Recovery (STAR) program” means a program administered by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services which provides case management and recovery support services to individuals with a substance use disorder.

“Support Team Addiction Recovery (STAR) Jail Expansion program” means a STAR program which specifically provides case management and recovery support services to individuals with substance use disorders who were recently released from a State, county, or local correctional facility.

3. (New section) The Commissioner of Human Services, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt such rules and regulations as necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

4. This act shall take effect immediately, except that the Commissioner of Human Services may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

This bill amends section 1 of P.L.2023, c.25 (C.26:2G-39) to allow moneys received by the State as a result of the national opioid litigation resolution and deposited into the “Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund” to be used to support case management and recovery support services provided through the Support Team Addiction Recovery (STAR) and the Support Team Addiction Recovery (STAR) Jail Expansion programs.

A STAR program, administered by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services (DHS), provides case management and recovery support services to individuals with a substance use disorder. A STAR Jail Expansion program specifically provides case management and recovery support services to individuals with substance use disorders who were recently released from a State, county, or local correctional facility.

The bill allocates $1,995,000 from the “Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund” to the DHS to supplement the federal funds appropriated to counties for STAR and STAR Jail expansion programs as follows: (1) $1,715,000 to supplement existing federal grant monies appropriated to counties for STAR programs; (2) $192,500 to establish a STAR Jail Expansion program in Passaic county; and (3) $87,500 to provide for salaries and assumed salary increases for case managers and recovery support specialists hired by STAR and STAR Jail expansion programs.

The bill also stipulates the funds allocated from the “Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund” are not to replace or decrease the amount of existing federal grant monies appropriated to counties for the STAR and STAR Jail Expansion programs.