SENATE, No. 1086

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator NILSA I. CRUZ-PEREZ

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

Senator JAMES BEACH

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes a senior citizens telephone chat-line.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act establishing a senior citizens telephone chat-line and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

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

     1.  a.  The Division of Aging Services in the Department of Human Services shall establish a senior citizens telephone chat-line.  The purpose of the chat-line is to connect older adults who are feeling isolated or lonely with matched volunteers who will offer emotional support via weekly telephonic check-ins.

     b.  A person 60 years of age or older or a person’s family member or guardian may register with the Division of Aging Services to receive a weekly telephone call, on a form prescribed by the division.  The form shall include the name and address of the person who will be receiving the weekly telephone call, information on the person’s interests and hobbies, the most convenient times for the person to receive the weekly telephone calls, and any other information prescribed by the division.

     c.  A person 18 years of age or older seeking to volunteer with the telephone chat-line, established in subsection a. of this section, to make weekly telephone calls shall register with the Division of Aging Services and provide information on:

     (a) the person’s interests and hobbies;

     (b) the person’s place of residence; and

     (c) any other information that will help the division match a volunteer, based on similar interests and geographical location, with a person registered to receive a weekly telephone call pursuant to subsection b. of this section.

     d.  The Division of Aging Services shall provide for the confidentiality of the names of the persons registered to receive weekly telephone calls, the names of the volunteers making the weekly telephone calls, and the information discussed on the telephone calls. 

     2.  The Department of Human Services shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the provisions of this act.

     3.  This act shall take effect immediately

STATEMENT

     This bill requires the Division of Aging Services (the division) in the Department of Human Services to establish a senior citizens telephone chat-line to connect older adults who are feeling isolated or lonely with matched volunteers who will offer emotional support via weekly telephonic check-ins.

     A person 60 years of age or older or a person’s family member or guardian may register with the division to receive a weekly telephone call, on a form prescribed by the division.  The form is to include the name and address of the person who will be receiving the weekly telephone call, information on the person’s interests and hobbies, the most convenient times for the person to receive the weekly telephone calls, and any other information prescribed by the division.

     A person 18 years of age or older seeking to volunteer with the telephone chat-line is to register with the division and provide information on:  the person’s interests and hobbies; the person’s place of residence; and any other information that will help the division match a volunteer, based on similar interests and geographical location, with a person registered to receive a weekly telephone call.

     The bill stipulates that the division provide for the confidentiality of the names of the persons registered to receive weekly telephone calls, the names of the volunteers making the weekly telephone calls, and the information discussed on the telephone calls.