ASSEMBLY AGING AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5135

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 13, 2025

      The Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 5135.

            This bill requires the Division of Aging Services (division) in the Department of Human Services to establish and maintain a voluntary central registry of senior citizens residing in this State.  The information in the central registry will be used for the purposes of compiling statistical information on the number of senior citizens living in the State and providing wellness check calls during emergencies and information on services and programs for senior citizens.

      The division will be authorized to receive death record notifications from the New Jersey Electronic Death Registration System concerning the death any of individual registered with the division pursuant to this bill for the purposes of updating the central registry.

      A person who is 65 years or older may apply to the division for inclusion in the registry and will provide the division with the following information:  the person’s name, date of birth, address, income level, and contact information.

      A person who registers pursuant to this bill may subsequently request through the registry to have the person’s information removed from the registry.  The Commissioner of Human Services will not remove the information until 21 days following the person’s request.  The commissioner will subsequently destroy all records associated with that person’s registration and remove that person's name from the registry.

      Information on senior citizens compiled pursuant to this bill may be used by the division and agencies designated by the commissioner for the purposes of carrying out this bill, but otherwise the information will be confidential and not divulged or made public so as to disclose the identity of any person to whom it relates, except as provided by law.  Information regarding a person’s inclusion in the registry will not be deemed a public record.

      The division will conduct a Statewide multi-media public awareness campaign in English and Spanish to raise awareness among individuals, who are age 64 years or older, regarding the central registry established pursuant to this bill.