STATE OF NEW JERSEY
217th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman SCOTT T. RUMANA
District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)
Assemblyman JOSEPH A. LAGANA
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblyman DAVID C. RUSSO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)
Assemblyman THOMAS P. GIBLIN
District 34 (Essex and Passaic)
Assemblyman JOE DANIELSEN
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblyman RAJ MUKHERJI
District 33 (Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Pinkin
SYNOPSIS
“Madison Holleran Suicide Prevention Act”; requires institutions of higher education to have health care professionals who focus on reducing student suicides and attempted suicides available 24 hours a day.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning suicide prevention at institutions of higher education and supplementing chapter 3B of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Madison Holleran Suicide Prevention Act.”
2. a. An institution of higher education shall have licensed health care professionals with training and experience in mental health issues who focus on reducing student suicides and attempted suicides available on campus for students 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The licensed health care professionals shall also work with faculty and staff on ways to recognize the warning signs and risk factors associated with student suicide.
b. No later than 15 days following the beginning of each semester, an institution of higher education shall transmit to each student via electronic mail, the location and contact information of the licensed health care professionals required pursuant to subsection a. of this section.
3. This act shall take effect on the 90th day after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill is entitled the “Madison Holleran Suicide Prevention Act.” Madison Holleran, a track star at Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, New Jersey, committed suicide in January of 2014 while enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania.
The bill requires an institution of higher education to have licensed health care professionals with training and experience in mental health issues who focus on reducing student suicides and attempted suicides available on campus for students 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The licensed health care professionals will also work with faculty and staff on ways to recognize the warning signs and risk factors associated with student suicide.
Under the bill, no later than 15 days following the beginning of each semester, an institution must transmit to each student via electronic mail, the location and contact information of the licensed health care professionals.
According to the “2013 Youth Suicide Report” issued by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, suicide is the third-leading cause of death for New Jersey youth ages 10-24. The most recent data for 2010-2012 shows that of the 233 youth suicides in New Jersey, 72% were committed by young adults ages 19-24.