Bill > A4008

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the Justice Center for the Protection of Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (Justice Center). The Justice Center is established in, but not of, the Department of Law and Public Safety. This legislation creates a set of uniform safeguards and oversight mechanisms, to be implemented by the Justice Center, whose primary focus will be on the protection of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. There is a recognized need to strengthen and standardize the safety net for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities receiving services from programs or facilities that are funded, licensed, or regulated by the State. The Office of the Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Their Families and many other advocates have urged a major restructuring of the way in which allegations of abuse, neglect, and exploitation in State-licensed or -operated residential and day habilitation settings are processed and investigated, noting the need to centralize and make more independent the investigation authorities now vested in the Department of Human Services and the Department of Children and Families. They have recommended New York's Justice Center for the Protection of People With Special Needs for review and potential use as a model for New Jersey to adapt for use in this State. This bill implements provisions based on that model to support and protect the health, safety, and dignity of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities in New Jersey. Under the bill, the Justice Center is to be headed by a director, who will establish policies and procedures for the Justice Center. The Justice Center will house the Central Registry of Offenders Against Individuals with Developmental Disabilities and perform all of the necessary functions related to the registry. The Justice Center will employ a deputy director of criminal investigations and a deputy director of civil investigations. The deputy directors will have the duty and power to investigate criminal and non-criminal offenses involving the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Upon the initiation of an investigation, the Justice Center will: ensure that certain communications concerning alleged abuse, neglect, or exploitation are identified, safeguarded, and maintained in a secure location; and contact the Office of the Attorney General, which will determine whether to participate in the investigation. Each investigation will be completed within 90 days, unless the investigation requires an extension of time. The director will issue a written report within 30 days of the completion of each investigation. The bill establishes in the Justice Center the Justice Center Disability Mortality and Abuse Prevention Medical Review Board to review the deaths of certain individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability. The bill requires the director to prepare and submit an annual report concerning the Justice Center's work during the preceding year.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Alex Sauickie (R)*,  John Azzariti (R),  Aura Dunn (R), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee (on 02/05/2026)

Official Document