SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 2617

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 28, 2026

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2617 (1R).

      As amended, 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 will 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.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) determines that State costs may increase by an indeterminate and potentially significant amount if the Council for Community Recovery and Family Success were to avail itself of the services of employees of various Executive branch departments and agencies to fulfill its duties, as provided under the bill.

      Given that the bill also requires all Executive branch departments and agencies that provide preventative and social services for vulnerable families and communities, or that maintain relevant social services data sets, to assist the council in carrying out its duties under the bill, annual State costs may further increase, albeit by an indeterminate amount.

      To the extent that Executive branch departments that provide services to the State’s children and families, such as the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Human Services, already deliver preventive services intended to foster the wellbeing of families and children, State costs may be somewhat mitigated.

      Insofar as the council recommends that various child and family-serving Executive branch departments adopt prevention-focused programs and services for which federal Family First Prevention Services Act or Medicaid cost reimbursements are available, State revenues may potentially increase, albeit by an indeterminate amount.