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 establishes the "Mass Violence Care Fund" to cover medical, mental health, and related expenses for victims of mass violence events when those costs aren't paid by insurance or other sources. It appropriates $10 million to the fund, which will be administered by the Victims of Crime Compensation Office to pay eligible expenses like medical bills, counseling, lost wages, and funeral costs for qualifying victims and their family members. The fund specifically excludes expenses covered by insurance or public programs and requires payments to be made at least three years after the event. It also creates a working group to develop eligibility rules before distributions begin.
S 193 (now law as P.L.2025, c.238) allows trained operators from New Jersey's 9-8-8 crisis hotline to make follow-up calls, texts, or chats with minors aged 16 or older who are identified as high-risk for suicide after an initial contact. It permits this communication with the minor's voluntary consent, without requiring parental authorization. The bill specifically clarifies that such follow-up is brief, supportive, and solely for suicide prevention - distinct from formal mental health treatment. This change directly affects minors at acute suicide risk who have already reached out to the crisis hotline.
This bill requires investor-owned electric utilities in New Jersey to submit annual emergency response plans to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) by May 15 each year. The plans must detail procedures for restoring power during widespread outages (e.g., from storms), including staff responsibilities, customer communication, medical electricity needs, safety protocols, and resource deployment. Utilities failing to file by the deadline face $1,000 daily fines, and the BPU can impose additional penalties if outages exceed standards due to poor plan implementation. Fines collected fund grants for municipalities to maintain public rights-of-way near utility infrastructure through tree trimming and hazard removal.
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.
S 506 requires public school students in New Jersey who sustain a concussion to receive an evaluation and written clearance from a physician or licensed health care provider trained in concussion management before returning to school or participating in any physical activity at school (including recess, physical education, or sports). The bill mandates that school districts implement any restrictions recommended by the physician through their 504 team and notify all relevant staff. It prohibits students from engaging in physical activities until they have the required clearance. This bill directly affects all public school students in New Jersey who experience concussions and requires school districts to follow specific health protocols.
S 3175 requires New Jersey to establish standardized training for mental health professionals providing reunification therapy, which helps reconnect children with parents after separation due to issues like divorce, incarceration, or abuse. Only therapists who complete this state-approved training can offer these services, including those mandated by courts. The Department of Children and Families will develop the curriculum with approved hospitals or clinics, collect success data, and use $3 million in state funds for implementation. This directly affects licensed therapists, children in family reunification cases, and the Department of Children and Families.
This bill requires building owners with cooling towers (including evaporative condensers and fluid coolers) to register them with the state health department before operation or within 30 days of the law's effective date. Owners must conduct quarterly inspections and microbial testing, clean and disinfect towers within 24-48 hours if test results show serious health risks, and maintain records for three years. Annual certification by November 1 and compliance with department regulations on cleaning protocols are mandatory. The law directly affects owners of commercial, industrial, and multi-unit buildings with these systems to prevent Legionella bacteria growth.
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.
This bill requires physicians in New Jersey to provide written informed consent information to patients before performing cosmetic breast implant surgery. It mandates that physicians share specific details including surgical risks, FDA-required manufacturer warnings, standardized information about breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and implant illness, and how to report adverse events via the FDA's MedWatch program. Patients must sign this written consent form prior to surgery. Physicians who fail to comply face disciplinary action, including potential license suspension or revocation. The bill directly affects all patients seeking breast implants and physicians performing this procedure in New Jersey.
