SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 4263

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 19, 2025

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 4263.

      As amended, this bill amends P.L.2023, c.139 and extends the expiration of certain provisions of P.L.2023, c.139 from 24 months from the effective date of P.L.2023, c.139 to 36 months.

      P.L.2023, c.139 provides, in part, that a general hospital or emergency department, where a person is located during a screening outreach visit, may not detain the person for more than 72 hours from the time a screening certificate is executed, unless the hospital or emergency department obtains a temporary court order permitting the continued hold of the person for up to 72 additional hours, as determined by the court.  P.L.2023, c.139 also required the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health to jointly conduct a study concerning the challenges of placing individuals in appropriate treatment settings, and the supply of and demand for both involuntary commitment beds and voluntary commitment beds in this State.

      The bill revises certain provisions of P.L.2023, c.139 to stipulate when consent can be provided to authorize a continued hold of a person and to provide additional requirements concerning the manner in which a hospital, emergency department, or Designated Screening Service provider can apply for a temporary court order for a continued hold and a court can grant an order.  The bill expands certain reporting requirements for general hospitals and emergency departments under P.L.2023, c.139.

      As amended, the bill requires the Departments of Human Services and Health to jointly conduct a follow-up study to the study conducted pursuant to P.L.2023, c.139.  No later than April 30, 2026, the Commissioner of Human Services will submit to the Governor and Legislature a report on the study's updated findings and additional analyses required by the bill.

      The bill requires the Department of Human Services to establish an educational committee of stakeholders, which educational committee, commencing on the bill and ending on the last day of the 36th calendar month following the effective date of P.L.2023, c.139, will provide education to short-term care facilities and individual county assignment judges about the legal obligations of short-term care facilities to accept patients.  Thereafter, the Department of Human Services will provide the education to short-term care facilities and individual county assignment judges, as necessary.

      The bill amends the requirements of P.L.2017, c.155 to provide that the data dashboard report developed under P.L.2017, c.155 be made available to screening services and hospitals in the State.   The bill provides that, until the data dashboard report is developed, certain facilities will prominently display certain information on the facility's Internet website and will update the information daily as necessary.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments extends the expiration of certain provisions of P.L.2023, c.139 from 24 months from the effective date of P.L.2023, c.139 to 36 months.

      The committee amendments revise certain provisions of P.L.2023, c.139 to stipulate when consent can be provided to authorize a continued hold of a person and to provide additional requirements concerning the manner in which a hospital or emergency department can apply for a temporary court order for a continued hold and the court can grant an order.  The committee amendments extend certain provisions of the bill to Designated Screening Service providers.

      The committee amendments require the Departments of Human Services and Health to jointly conduct a follow-up study to the study conducted pursuant to P.L.2023, c.139 and to submit a report on the study's updated findings and additional analyses required by the amendments.

      The committee amendments expand certain reporting requirements for general hospitals and emergency departments under the bill.

      The bill establishes certain requirements for the Department of Human Services to provide education to short-term care facilities and individual county assignment judges about the legal obligations of short-term care facilities to accept patients.

      The committee amendments provide that the data dashboard report developed under P.L.2017, c.155 be made available to screening services and hospitals in the State.  Until the data dashboard report is developed, the committee amendments require certain facilities to prominently display certain information on the facility's Internet website and update the information daily as necessary.

      The committee amendments revise the title and synopsis of the bill to reflect these changes.