Bill > A3360

Introduced Session

This bill would make various statutory changes to clarify and strengthen the law pertaining to alcohol treatment facilities and narcotic and drug abuse treatment centers (collectively referred to in this statement as "substance abuse treatment facilities"). In particular, the bill would: (1) expressly clarify that the Department of Human Services (DHS) has licensing and regulatory authority over residential substance abuse aftercare facilities, including transitional sober living homes and halfway houses, pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A.26:2B-7 et seq. and N.J.S.A.26:2G-21 et seq.; and (2) expressly authorize DHS to adopt rules and regulations in association with its authority over residential aftercare facilities, and require such rules and regulations, at a minimum, to (a) prohibit a sober living home, halfway house, or other residential aftercare facility from admitting any patient who has a criminal background that includes a violent crime or crime involving a minor, if the residential aftercare facility is located within a half mile of any school; and (b) require a sober living home, halfway house, or other residential aftercare facility, which is located within one mile of a school, to have on duty, during the hour that precedes, and the three hours that follow, the normal school day, at least one extra supervising staff person, in addition to the supervising staff that is normally required by the department to be present at the facility during business hours. These requirements would be in addition to the existing statutory requirement which provides that a narcotic and drug abuse treatment center must notify the host municipality if it will be sited within 500 feet of a school located therein. The bill would also require DHS to annually publish and post on its Internet website, a list of all substance abuse treatment facilities that remain in good standing, and to provide a hard copy of such list to members of the public, upon request. Finally, the bill would update the language used in existing statutory provisions to make it consistent with current terminology and rules of statutory drafting.

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Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Human Services Committee (on 03/03/2016)