Bill > A5682

Introduced Session

This bill expands the responsibilities of the Child Advocacy Center-Multidisciplinary Team Advisory Board (the board) established in P.L.2017, c.90 (C.9:6-8.107 et seq.) and establishes the Problematic Sexual Behavior Program (the program). Specifically, the bill amends various sections of P.L.2017, c.90 (C.9:6-8.108 et seq.) to: (1) include definitions relating to the establishment of the program; (2) stipulate that the board is to establish an annual progress review, instead of a certification process, as originally required by law, for the State's child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams; (3) establish a Problematic Sexual Behavior Subcommittee; and (4) administer, in coordination with the DCF, the "Child Treatment Assistance Fund" established in the bill. The bill also amends P.L.2017, c.90 to increase the number of members of the board from 10, as originally provide by the law, to 13, update the guidelines of practice for child advocacy centers and multidisciplinary teams must adopt to receive satisfactory annual progress reviews, and clarify how the grants distributed by the DCF to centers and teams, through the Child Advocacy Center-Multidisciplinary Team Fund, are to be spent. The bill establishes the Problematic Sexual Behavior Program administered by the New Jersey Children's Alliance and funded by the DCF. The purpose of the program is to institute a Statewide, coordinated response to, and address the medical and mental health care services needs of those impacted by, problematic sexual behavior. The bill also establishes the "Child Treatment Assistance Fund" in the DCF. The fund is to be the repository of monies appropriated to cover the cost of the medical and mental health care services provided through the program. As defined in the bill, "problematic sexual behavior" means behavior, initiated by youth under the age of 18, involving the use sexual body parts in a manner that is developmentally inappropriate or potentially harmful to the person or persons impacted by the behavior, and also includes technology facilitated adverse sexualized behaviors that can be considered problematic and harmful. The bill appropriates $8,500,000 from the General Fund to the DCF to effectuate the purposes of the bill.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Carmen Morales (D)*,  Luanne Peterpaul (D)*,  Shanique Speight (D)*,  David Bailey (D),  Margie Donlon (D),  Robert Karabinchak (D),  Balvir Singh (D), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee (on 05/15/2025)

Official Document