Requires each nursing home to employ patient advocate.

This bill requires all New Jersey nursing homes to hire a full-time or part-time patient advocate who is a health care professional or social worker with prior nursing home experience. The advocate must represent residents' interests upon request, negotiate with the facility on their behalf, and notify the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman if a nursing home violates resident rights. It directly affects licensed nursing homes (excluding hospitals, assisted living facilities, or state-run institutions) across New Jersey. The law takes effect immediately upon passage, with health and human services commissioners tasked to create implementing rules.