S 3329 New Jersey Senate · 2024-2025 Regular Session

Requires DHS and DOH to study disordered eating; establishes "Disordered Eating Prevention Research Grant Pilot Program."*

This bill establishes the Office of Disordered Eating Prevention within New Jersey's Department of Health and creates a related research grant program. The office must create public resources about disordered eating (including culturally sensitive materials in multiple languages), partner with schools and mental health programs, and administer grants to fund research on disordered eating's causes and risk factors across all age groups. The grant program provides funding to eligible organizations for research focused on prevention, particularly for communities disproportionately affected like people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, youth, and older residents. The office is required to submit annual reports to the governor and legislature detailing its activities and grant program outcomes.

Sub-Topics: Mental Health

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jun 2024

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jun 3, 2024 Last action Jan 12, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Reprint SBA 1/8/26 1R · 7 edits

MODERATE

The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee substantially restructured the bill by eliminating the proposed new Office of Disordered Eating Prevention and instead assigning responsibilities to the existing Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in DHS. The grant program was renamed a three-year pilot, a mandatory study with an 18-month reporting deadline was added, and the General Fund appropriation was removed entirely.

Scope change

The bill shifts from creating a permanent new office with broad ongoing duties to a time-limited pilot approach using an existing division. The scope narrows from a standing office with annual resource creation, collaboration mandates, and education partnerships to a focused study plus a three-year grant pilot, with no dedicated appropriation.

SCOPE

The Office of Disordered Eating Prevention, a new office within the Department of Health, is eliminated. All its functions are reassigned to the existing Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in DHS.

The Disordered Eating Prevention Research Grant Program is renamed the 'Disordered Eating Prevention Research Grant Pilot Program' and limited to three years. The act itself now expires three years after taking effect.

REQUIREMENT

DHS and DOH must conduct a study on the causes, prevention, and reduction of disordered eating in New Jersey and submit findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within 18 months of the effective date.

FISCAL

Section 6, which appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health such amounts as necessary to implement the act, is struck in its entirety. No appropriation remains in this version.

ELIGIBILITY

Grant program research scope is expanded to include 'barriers to and gaps within the treatment of disordered eating' in addition to root causes and risk/protective factors.

DEFINITION

A new definition of 'Division' is added, meaning the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services.

TIMELINE

The annual reporting requirement is restructured: the phrase 'during the preceding year' is removed from the grant program reporting section, and the findings/recommendations subsection is struck, leaving only a summary of grant administration data.

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 8, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported out of Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading

upper

Jan 6, 2026

Committee

Transferred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee

upper

Jun 3, 2024

Introduced

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee

upper

2 primary · 2 co-sponsors