ASSEMBLY COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
ASSEMBLY, No. 1622
with committee amendments
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: MAY 13, 1996
The Assembly Community Services Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1622 with committee amendments.
As amended by the committee, this bill allows the governing body of a municipality to appoint a Municipal Community Services Review Committee. Membership on the Municipal Community Services Review Committee shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of the municipal government, the clergy, social service agencies, the business community, law enforcement and the education community.
The purpose of the committee is to review any proposed action to be taken by the Departments of Human Services, Community Affairs and Health regarding community residences for more than 12 persons funded, licensed or otherwise under the jurisdiction of the respective departments that has a direct impact on the quality of life of the municipality. Under the bill, "community residence includes: a community residence for developmentally disabled or mentally ill persons licensed pursuant to P.L.1977, c.448 (C.30:11B-1 et seq.); a center for the treatment of narcotic and drug abuse licensed or regulated pursuant to P.L.1970, c.334 (C.26:2G-21 et seq.) or a center for the treatment of alcoholism licensed or regulated pursuant to P.L.1975, c.305 (C.26:2B-7 et seq.). "Community residence" also includes any other center or facility housing persons operated by the Departments of Human Services, Health, or Community Affairs, or any organization, association or agency with which the departments contract, and approved for a purchase of service contract or an affiliation agreement pursuant to such procedures as are established by regulation of the departments, to persons who reside therein and require assistance, temporarily or permanently, in order to live in the community, including but not limited to, group homes, half-way houses, supervised apartment living arrangements, and hostels.
Community shelters for victims of domestic violence, established pursuant to P.L.1979, c.337 (C.30:14-1 et seq.), of any size are exempt from the provisions of the bill.
The Departments of Human Services, Community Affairs and Health shall provide the committees with information and be available to meet with the committees when necessary, upon the request of the committee.
The amendments add the definition of "community residence" and exclude those residences which house 12 or fewer persons. The amendments also exempt community shelters for victims of domestic violence from the provisions of the bill. Additionally, the amendments specify that the committee shall issue its findings and recommendations within 45 days about the proposed action to the respective department for the department's review. Finally, the amendments specify that the committee shall not be a public body for the purposes of the Open Public Meetings Act," P.L.1975, c.231 (C.10:4:6 et seq.).