SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3753

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 19, 2024

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3753.

      This bill requires the Departments of Human Services (DHS) and Children and Families (DCF) to each create the new position of Director of Medical Services, which at the discretion of the department may be a full-time, salaried position or a contracted position, in the Office of Program Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) in the DHS and the Institutional Abuse Investigation Unit in the DCF, respectively.

      The directors are to serve as advisors to the office, unit, or any other investigative entity responsible for the investigation of incidences of abuse, neglect, or death pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2010, c.5 (C.30:6D-75) or allegations of child abuse or neglect pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1971, c.437 (C.9:6-8.11) when complex medical issues or conditions exist and meet the educational and professional requirements and carry out the duties and responsibilities outlined in the bill.  The departments, in selecting the candidate to fulfill the Director of Medical Services position, are required to give preference to eligible candidates who have worked with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

      The bill also appropriates $480,000 from the General Fund of which $240,000 is allocated to both the DHS and the DCF to hire, or contract with, a new Director of Medical Services in the OPIA and the Institutional Abuse Investigation Unit, respectively.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments permit the new Director of Medical Services positions to either be full-time, salaried positions or contracted positions, at the discretion of the departments.  As introduced, the positions were required to be hired as full-time, salaried positions.  The amendments update the bill’s synopsis to reflect this change.

      The committee amendments require the departments, in selecting the candidate to fulfill the Director of Medical Services position, to give preference to eligible candidates who have worked with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

      The committee amendments make various technical changes concerning grammar and style.