This bill amends New Jersey's assault statute to elevate certain assaults against specific healthcare workers to aggravated assault. It directly affects direct care workers at State or county psychiatric hospitals, developmental centers, or veterans' homes who are clearly performing their duties. The key provision (added as subsection b(5)(k)) makes it aggravated assault to intentionally cause bodily injury to these workers while they're identifiable in their roles, increasing penalties. The law does not cover disabled individuals as victims but protects the workers who support them. The bill is currently pending before the Assembly Judiciary Committee after introduction on January 13, 2026.
This bill establishes a $1 million grant program to expand mental health services for students connected to military families in New Jersey school districts. School districts with high concentrations of military-connected students (defined as those with parents in active duty, National Guard, or reserve components) can apply for grants to fund additional counseling, mental health outreach, and support for students when parents are deployed. Grants must be used to enhance existing services, with districts required to demonstrate need and report on program impact, including student outcomes. The program requires the Department of Education to administer grants and submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature.
This bill creates a permanent 25-member Advisory Commission on Advancing LGBTQIA+ Youth Equity and Inclusion in Schools to address challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ students in New Jersey public schools. The commission, including government officials and community representatives, will review school policies, identify best practices for inclusive environments, and recommend strategies to prevent bullying and support mental health. It will specifically advise on implementing curriculum requirements about LGBTQIA+ contributions and improving school safety. The commission is designed to build on a 2024 executive order but establish a permanent, independent body within the Department of Education. The bill does not change existing laws but creates a mechanism for ongoing review and recommendations.
New Jersey's bill A 863 requires health care providers to give parents or guardians access to a minor's medical records without needing the minor's permission for most health care. However, it excludes records related to specific confidential treatments, such as care for sexually transmitted infections, HIV, substance abuse, or mental health, where the minor's consent to treatment is kept private. The law applies to unemancipated minors under 18 and takes effect immediately upon passage.
S 3480 establishes an independent Office of the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Addiction Services within the Department of the Treasury (though separate from department oversight) to directly support individuals with mental illness and addiction. The Governor will appoint a qualified Ombudsman to help people find treatment, ensure proper care in facilities, provide confidential counseling and job guidance, and educate about substance use disorders. The Ombudsman must keep communications confidential and issue annual reports to the Governor, Legislature, and Human Services Commissioner, summarizing services and recommending improvements to state mental health and addiction programs.
This bill creates a permanent "Support for Students Exposed to Domestic Violence Fund" within New Jersey's Department of Education. The fund provides financial support to public schools for three specific purposes: (1) school-based therapy and trauma-informed mental health services for students impacted by domestic violence, (2) identifying resources to address unmet needs of these students, and (3) funding staff training and employment for mental health personnel. The Department of Education will administer the fund, allocate money to schools based on its own methodology, and require schools to report how funds are used. This policy directly affects public schools and students exposed to domestic violence across New Jersey.
This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Education (DOE) to create and distribute annual guidelines for school districts and colleges. The guidelines must include research-backed materials on vaping's health risks (lung effects, mental health, comparison to smoking, dangers to pregnant people and children), age-appropriate anti-vaping campaigns, decision-making tools to resist peer pressure, and promotional materials for students from middle school through college. Schools and colleges must use these guidelines to implement campus anti-vaping programs. The DOH and DOE will update the guidelines yearly and post them online with additional resources.
This bill establishes a New Jersey Statewide Suicide Prevention Coordination and Oversight Council within the Department of Human Services. The council will collect standardized, non-identifying data from suicide prevention programs across the state - including details like age, gender, race, LGBTQ+ status, military service, and suicide method - to analyze trends and develop reporting standards. It will also create guidelines for informational materials and serve as a central hub for sharing aggregated data with state agencies, while strictly complying with privacy laws like HIPAA. The council directly affects all suicide prevention entities (hospitals, clinics, community programs) required to report data and state agencies using the findings for policy decisions.
This bill requires New Jersey's Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) to create suicide screening and crisis response training for its child welfare caseworkers. The training must cover recognizing suicide risk in youth, immediate response protocols, and coordinating care with mental health providers and schools. All DCP&P caseworkers must complete this training during initial onboarding and every two years, with existing staff required to finish it within 24 months of the bill's effective date. The mandate aims to equip workers handling child abuse/neglect cases with standardized tools to address youth mental health crises.
This bill establishes an independent Office of the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Addiction Services within New Jersey's Department of the Treasury (though operating separately from it). The office directly serves residents with mental illness or addiction by helping them access treatment, ensuring proper care in facilities, providing counseling and job support, and educating the public about substance use disorders. The Governor appoints a qualified ombudsman who must annually report to the Human Services Commissioner, Governor, and Legislature on services provided and recommendations. The bill creates a dedicated resource to support individuals navigating mental health and addiction services across the state.
