ASSEMBLY STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4295

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 23, 2026

      The Assembly State and Local Government Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 4295.

      As amended and reported, this bill establishes the Council for Community Recovery and Family Success, which will develop strategies to promote the well-being of infants, children, youth, and families, and encourage family success.

      The council would consist of 17 members, including the commissioners of Children and Families, Community Affairs, Education, Health, Human Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, and the Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Commission in the Department of Law and Public Safety, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio; eight public members appointed by the Governor; one public member appointed by the Senate President; and one public member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.

      The council will manage the development of a Statewide initiative of community-based service networks in communities throughout the State.  The networks would be place-based partnerships and the mission of each network would be to enhance the social and economic well-being of infants, children, youth, and families, and the provision of holistic, age and developmentally appropriate services that support a child’s development from birth to young adulthood. 

      In order to implement the Statewide initiative, the council will:

      (1)  advocate for a State Bill of Rights for Infants, Children, Youth, and Families, which will provide a framework for the initiative;

      (2)  support community-based service network services that promote family economic security, lifelong education, good health and well-being, and safe and thriving communities;

      (3)  identify and evaluate policies, procedures, and financial priorities relating to supportive services for at-risk infants, children, youth, and families in collaboration with community-based service networks;

      (4)  explore strategies to leverage public and private funding to provide preventive services; and

      (5)  provide funding, technical support, and oversight of the community-based service networks.

      The goal of the Statewide initiative will be to:  promote positive family relationships, community connections, and preventive services to ensure financial security, quality education, health, safety, and permanency for infants, children, youth, and families through an integrated service planning and delivery system. 

      The bill defines “distress services” to mean services to remediate circumstances that endanger the safety, permanency, health, and well-being of infants, children, and youth; and “preventative services” as those services that promote the safety, permanency, health, and well-being of the target populations and divert the need for distress services.

      The council will submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature that will include recommendations for legislative and administrative actions on the use of public and private resources to support family success initiatives and preventive services for all families.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments revise the bill to lower the membership of the council from 25 members to 17 members.  The members of the council are now as follows:  the commissioners of Children and Families, Community Affairs, Education, Health, Human Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, and the Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Commission in the Department of Law and Public Safety, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio; eight public members appointed by the Governor; one public member appointed by the Senate President; and one public member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.

      The committee amendments make changes to the duties of the council.

      The committee amendments provide that funds for the council are to be held by the Community Foundation of New Jersey or another similar non-governmental and nonprofit entity.

      The committee amendments direct the council to establish community-based service networks, which networks would be place-based partnerships and each network would include a lead agency that would be responsible for the fiscal and administrative management of the network.

      The committee amendments remove the appropriation for the bill and make corresponding changes to the bill’s title and synopsis.