S2306

An Act establishing a task force to study the impact of COVID-19 on children’s health.

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

1. a. There is established a task force, to be known as the “New Jersey COVID-19 Children’s Health Task Force,” to consist of 15 members as follows:

(1) the Commissioners of Children and Families, Education, and Health, and a representative of the Division of Children's System of Care in the Department of Children and Families;

(2) two members of the public, one of whom shall be a teacher who taught children in this State during the public health emergency declared by the Governor in response to COVID-19, and one of whom shall be a student who is at least 18 years of age and who attended school in this State during the public health emergency declared by the Governor in response to COVID-19, to be appointed by the President of the Senate;

(3) two members of the public who shall be parents of children who attended school in this State during the public health emergency declared by the Governor in response to COVID-19, to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

(4) two members of the public, one of whom shall be a health care practitioner who has treated children with mental disorders or illnesses due to COVID-19 measures imposed by the State and one of whom shall be a health care practitioner who treated children with physical illnesses or disorders due to COVID-19 measures imposed by the State, to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;

(5) two members of the public, one of whom shall be a teacher who taught children in this State during the public health emergency declared by the Governor in response to COVID-19, and one of whom shall be a student who is at least 18 years of age and who attended school in this State during the public health emergency declared by the Governor in response to COVID-19, to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly; and

(6) three members of the public who shall be parents of children who attended school in this State during the public health emergency declared by the Governor in response to COVID-19, to be appointed by the Governor.

b. The members of the task force shall be appointed and shall hold their initial organizational meeting within 45 days after the effective date of this act. The members shall elect one of the members to serve as chair and one of the members to serve as vice-chair. The chair may appoint a secretary, who need not be a member of the task force. The members shall serve without compensation, but shall be eligible for reimbursement for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the task force.

c. The task force shall meet at the call of the chair. The task force shall hold at least three public hearings in different parts of the State and elicit testimony from the public at such times and places as the chair shall designate. The presence of a majority of the members of the task force shall constitute a quorum.

d. The task force 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 for its purposes, and to employ stenographic and clerical assistance and incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as may be necessary in order to perform its duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the task force.

2. It shall be the duty of the task force to study the effects of New Jersey’s response to COVID-19 on the mental and physical health of children in this State. At a minimum, the task force shall examine the following:

a. the physical and mental health of children, including, but not limited to, the rate of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, stress and suicide, as it relates to COVID-19 measures imposed by the State;

b. the education of children, including, but not limited to, test scores, educational standards, the effects of the inability to learn in-person, and delays in children learning to speak, read, and write, as it relates to school closures and the State’s mask requirements;

c. the socialization of children, as it relates COVID-19 measures imposed by the State; including, but not limited to, delays in social development, and the short-term and long-term effects of isolation, lack of socialization in school, and the inability to socialize with friends;

d. the effect on children from the rise in domestic violence and alcohol and drug use due to COVID-19 measures imposed by the State;

e. the short-term and long-term effects of children whose parents suffered financial loss due to COVID-19 measures imposed by the State;

f. the present and future effects on society as it relates to a generation of children who have suffered various physical and psychological traumas due to COVID-19 measures imposed by the State and a generation of children who may feel robbed of their childhood by their parents’ generation; and

g. other matters as the members of the task force may deem

appropriate.

3. The task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), and the Governor within eighteen months of its initial organizational meeting.

4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire after the task force submits its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes a task force to study the impact of COVID-19 on children’s health, to be known as the “New Jersey COVID-19 Children’s Health Task Force” (task force).

The task force is to consist of 15 members as follows: 1) the Commissioners of Children and Families, Education, and Health, and a representative of the Division of Children's System of Care in the Department of Children and Families; 2) two members of the public, one of whom is to be a teacher who taught children in this State during the public health emergency declared by the Governor in response to COVID-19, and one of whom is to be a student who is at least 18 years of age and who attended school in this State during the public health emergency declared by the Governor in response to COVID-19, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; 3) two members of the public who are parents of children who attended school in this State during the public health emergency declared by the Governor in response to COVID-19, to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; 4) two members of the public, one of whom is a health care practitioner who has treated children with mental disorders or illnesses due to COVID-19 measures imposed by the State and one of whom is a health care practitioner who treated children with physical illnesses or disorders due to COVID-19 measures imposed by the State, to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; 5) two members of the public, one of whom is to be a teacher who taught children in this State during the public health emergency declared by the Governor in response to COVID-19, and one of whom is a student who is at least 18 years of age and who attended school in this State during the public health emergency declared by the Governor in response to COVID-19, to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly; and 6) three members of the public who are parents of children who attended school in this State during the public health emergency declared by the Governor in response to COVID-19, to be appointed by the Governor.

Under the bill, the task force is to to study the effects of New Jersey’s response to COVID-19 on the mental and physical health of children in this State. At a minimum, the task force is to examine the following: 1) the physical and mental health of children, including, but not limited to, the rate of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, stress, and suicide, as it relates to the State’s COVID-19 measures; 2) the education of children, including, but not limited to, test scores, educational standards, the effects of the inability to learn in-person, and delays in children learning to speak, read, and write, as it relates to school closures and the State’s mask requirements; 3) the socialization of children, as it relates to the State’s COVID-19 measures, including, but not limited to, delays in social development, and the short-term and long-term effects of isolation, lack of socialization in school, and the inability to socialize with friends; 4) the rise in domestic violence and alcohol and drug use due to the State’s COVID-19 measures and its effect on children; 5) the short-term and long-term effects of children whose parents suffered financial loss due to the State’s COVID-19 measures; and 6) the present and future effects on society as it relates to a generation of children who have suffered various physical and psychological traumas due to the State’s COVID-19 measures and a generation of children who may feel robbed of their childhood by their parents’ generation; and 7) other matters as the members of the task force may deem appropriate.

Under the bill, the task force is to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor within eighteen months of its initial organizational meeting. The task force is to expire after it submits its report to the Governor and the Legislature.