Bill > S4502

This bill establishes a new monthly $0.40 fee on each telecommunications line in New Jersey to support the state's behavioral health crisis system, specifically the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The fee will be collected by mobile and IP-enabled voice service providers on customer bills, with an exception for customers receiving federal Lifeline program benefits. The collected funds will be deposited into a newly created trust fund account in the Department of the Treasury, which will be used to support 9-8-8 crisis services, including efficient routing of calls, chats, and texts to crisis centers, mobile crisis response teams, crisis stabilization services, and public awareness campaigns. The bill requires the Department of Human Services to submit an annual public report detailing the funds collected, expenditures, service expansions, identified service gaps, and potential recommendations for adjusting the fee amount. The new fee will apply to billing periods starting in the first calendar quarter following 30 days after the bill's enactment, and the legislation is aligned with the federal National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/S4502