SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2617

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 11, 2026

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2617.

      As amended, this bill establishes the Council for Community Recovery and Family Success in, but not of, the Department of Community Affairs, which will develop a plan to address family and childhood success. 

      The council will consist of 25 members, including the Commissioners of Children and Families, Community Affairs, Corrections, 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 will serve ex officio, and 17 public members, who will be representatives of certain entities that provide services to children and families, or have certain experience with receiving family services in New Jersey. 

      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 supportive 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.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2026-2027 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments:

1. makes changes to the duties of the council;

2. 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;

3. removes the appropriation provided by the bill; and

4. 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.