ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 807

with Assembly committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JUNE 13, 1996

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 807 (1R), with committee amendments.

      Assembly Bill No. 807 (1R), as amended, permits counties to establish crisis intervention services programs to provide post traumatic debriefing and counseling services for law enforcement officers and sheriffs' officers who have been involved in incidents which may produce personal or job-related depression, anxiety, stress or other psychological or emotional tensions, traumas, pressures, or disorders.

      To preserve the integrity of the program and to encourage law enforcement officers to take advantage of the program's services, the bill requires that the program be organized as an independent agency of county government, rather than organized as a part of any county or municipal law enforcement agency or department. For the same reasons, the bill provides that all the employees of the program must be county employees or contractors rather than employees of any law enforcement agency and that the actual facility must not be located in or adjacent to any law enforcement facility, station or barracks.

      While the debriefing and counseling services provided under the program would be available to any law enforcement officer in the county, the bill specifies that any officer involved in a critical incident must participate in his county's program before returning to active duty. A critical incident is defined by the bill.

      The services are to be provided by properly licensed or certified psychologists and social workers. To provide advisory assistance in organizing a crisis intervention program, the bill directs the governing body to establish a county crisis intervention services advisory council.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      This bill is permissive to allow a county to establish a crisis intervention program. It is not known at this time how much a typical county program would cost to establish and operate annually.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The amendments clarify that the program will be available to sheriffs' officers; require officers actively involved in a critical incident to participate in the program before returning to duty; revise definition of critical incident; and remove language which cross referenced the surcharge funds, which were deleted by amendment in the companion bill (A-806). A technical amendment was also made to the bill.