ASSEMBLY, No. 2868

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MAY 1, 1997

By Assemblymen ASSELTA and GIBSON

An Act concerning the Home Delivered Meals Expansion Program and amending P.L.1987, c.133.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. Section 1 of P.L.1987, c.133 (C.52:27D-29.17) is amended to read as follows:

    1. As used in this act:

    a. "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the Department of [Community Affairs] Health and Senior Services.

    b. "Department" means the Department of [Community Affairs] Health and Senior Services.

    c. "Eligible participant" means a resident of this State who is 60 years of age or older and homebound by reason of illness, incapacitating disability or is otherwise isolated.

    d. "Home delivered nutrition services" means home delivered meals as defined by the "Older Americans Act of 1965," Pub.L. 89-73 (42 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq.).

    e. "Program" means the Home Delivered Meals Expansion Program in the [Division on Aging, in the] Department of [Community Affairs] Health and Senior Services.

(cf: P.L.1987, c.133, s.1)

    2. Section 2 of P.L.1987, c.133 (C.52:27D-29.18) is amended to read as follows:

    2. The commissioner shall establish a Home Delivered Meals Expansion Program in the [Division of Aging, in the] Department of [Community Affairs] Health and Senior Services, to provide home delivered nutrition services to eligible participants on weekdays, weekends and holidays.

(cf: P.L.1987, c.133, s.2)

    3. Section 6 of P.L.1987, c.133 (C.52:27D-29.22) is amended to read as follows:

    6. a. There is appropriated [$1,000,000.00] $1,000,000 from the Casino Revenue Fund to the Department of [Community Affairs] Health and Senior Services to effectuate the purposes of this act.

    b. The department shall allocate not less than 95% of the funds appropriated for the purposes of this act to the county offices on aging, and these funds shall be disbursed to the county offices on aging according to the formula used to disburse funds for the home delivered nutrition services provided under Title III of the "Older Americans Act of 1965," Pub.L. 89-73 (42 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq.).

    c. The county shall match the State funds allocated to a county office on aging for this program with an amount equal to 20% of the State funds. The county share may be cash or in kind.

(cf: P.L.1987, c.133, s.6)

    4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill amends the Home Delivered Meals Expansion Program, P.L.1987, c.133 (C.52:27D-29.17 et seq.) to allow for additional weekday meals to be provided under the program. Currently, the federal Older Americans Act provides funding, with a State match, for the weekday Meals on Wheels program. The Home Delivered Meals Expansion Program is a State funded program to provide meals for eligible senior citizens and disabled persons on weekends and holidays.

  Several counties do not have adequate funding for the Meals on Wheels program and have waiting lists for weekday meals. This bill will allow these counties the flexibility to utilize the Home Delivered Meals Expansion Program for weekday meals for eligible senior citizens and disabled persons who have not been able to participate in the program.

    The bill also makes technical changes which reflect the transfer of the Division on Aging from the Department of Community Affairs to the Department of Health and Senior Services.

Expands the Home Delivered Meals Expansion Program to include weekday meals.