This bill requires New Jersey public schools to add specific, age-appropriate instruction about cannabis and marijuana risks to health and physical education curricula for grades 3-12. It mandates teaching students about cannabis' effects on adolescent brains and bodies, THC's impact, addiction risks, driving under influence dangers, differences between medicinal and recreational use, and factors influencing usage decisions. The Department of Education must develop this content in consultation with the Division of Addiction Services. The policy takes effect 60 days after enactment, directly affecting all K-12 public school students and educators in New Jersey.
This non-binding resolution urges New Jersey's Department of Health to create public education materials about xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer increasingly misused as a street drug. It highlights xylazine's dangers - including respiratory depression, skin ulcers, and its inability to be reversed by naloxone (unlike opioids) - and notes its frequent combination with fentanyl and other drugs in overdoses. The resolution specifically requests the health department provide accessible resources to inform residents about these risks. It does not create new laws but calls for public awareness efforts to address this emerging public health concern.
This bill requires New Jersey to provide trauma-informed reentry support services to certain defendants who were victims of domestic violence or abuse that contributed to their criminal behavior. It directly affects individuals sentenced under N.J.S.2C:44-1 or eligible for resentencing under pending Senate Bill 4870 (S4870), including access to mental health counseling, peer recovery support, vocational training, and housing assistance. Key mechanisms include creating a Department of Corrections grant program to fund community-based reentry services - prioritizing organizations led by trauma survivors - and mandating collaboration between corrections, courts, and public defense. The bill also requires annual reporting on program outcomes, including recidivism, employment, and housing data for participants. These services are tied to S4870, which establishes resentencing options for abuse victims whose trauma contributed to their crime.
New Jersey's S 3118 establishes a three-year Remote Methadone Dosing Pilot Program for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in Atlantic City, Camden, and Paterson. The bill allows participating OTPs to use telehealth to remotely monitor patients receiving take-home methadone doses, aiming to improve treatment compliance and reduce costs while tracking patient outcomes. Each selected OTP receives a $75,000 grant from a $225,000 state appropriation to implement the program, with annual reporting required on metrics like patient retention and transportation cost savings. The Department of Human Services must submit a final report within four years evaluating the pilot’s effectiveness and recommending potential statewide expansion. Participation is voluntary for both OTPs and patients, and the program operates under existing federal and state regulations.
This bill creates a new "Opioid Prevention and Rehabilitation Program Fund" to support treatment services for people with substance use disorders. It imposes a 1-cent tax per milligram of active opioid ingredient on pharmaceutical distributors at the first wholesale sale in New Jersey. The collected tax funds will be used annually by the Department of Human Services to provide treatment for uninsured, underinsured, or Medicaid-enrolled individuals. The tax applies to opioid drugs distributed by licensed wholesale distributors, with definitions aligning with existing pharmaceutical distribution laws.
This bill (S 348) makes it a criminal offense (third-degree crime) to pay or receive money for referring patients to substance use disorder treatment facilities, including payments based on the number of patients or type of care. It directly affects health care providers, facilities, non-profits, and recovery residences that refer patients. The law allows flat fees or payments not tied to patient volume or treatment specifics, but prohibits all other referral-based payments. Violators face a mandatory $50,000 fine and restitution to victims.
S 2202 creates a new Office of Women’s Services within New Jersey’s Department of Corrections to address the specific needs of female inmates. The office must develop policies and programs covering medical care (including prenatal care), mental health treatment for trauma, substance abuse services, parenting support, and child reunification for all female inmates, with special attention to pregnant or postpartum individuals. The office will be led by a governor-appointed director (subject to Senate approval), who can hire staff under civil service rules. This bill directly affects all women incarcerated in New Jersey state facilities by mandating tailored support services.
This bill would allow New Jersey vehicle owners to apply for special "Mental Health Awareness" license plates. Owners would pay a $50 application fee and a $10 annual renewal fee, with all fees deposited into a dedicated fund. The fund, managed by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, would use these monies exclusively for mental health research and programs across the state. The plates would be designed in consultation with mental health services and require no state funding for initial production costs.
New Jersey's S 2334 requires sports wagering licensees to pay an annual $250,000 fee in addition to existing license costs. Of this fee, $140,000 is allocated directly to the Council on Compulsive Gambling, and $110,000 funds other state gambling addiction treatment programs. The bill updates existing law by establishing this new mandatory fee (replacing the prior $100,000 annual fee structure) to specifically support evidence-based prevention and treatment services. This affects all businesses holding sports wagering licenses in New Jersey, directing funds toward addressing gambling addiction through designated state programs.
This bill requires all New Jersey public and independent colleges and universities to maintain a supply of opioid antidotes (like naloxone) in secure, accessible locations. It mandates that institutions develop emergency policies allowing licensed medical staff and trained employees to administer antidotes to anyone showing signs of an opioid overdose, including students, staff, or visitors. The policies must require trained personnel to administer antidotes in good faith, then arrange immediate transport to a hospital via emergency services. Institutions must also provide required training on overdose response protocols, with liability protection for good-faith actions under the law.
