SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1548

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: NOVEMBER 4, 1996

      The Senate Human Services Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1548.

      This bill requires the Senate Human Services Committee and the Assembly Community Services Committee, or their successors, to review the Department of Human Services' progress in implementing the recommendations of the Senate Task Force on Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in its final report issued in June, 1996.

      The committees shall request the Commissioner of Human Services to provide a status report on the actions taken by the department in implementing the recommendations and other actions taken by the department to address the problems identified in the task force report, and if no action was taken on a recommendation, the reasons why the department has not addressed the recommendation.

      The review shall include a public hearing for State psychiatric hospital patients and their families and employees, and for support groups associated with the State psychiatric hospitals. The review shall be conducted no later than one year after the effective date of this bill and biennially thereafter. Upon completion of the review, the committees shall issue a report of their findings and recommendations to the Commissioner of Human Services.

      This bill is one of several legislative initiatives recommended in the Final Report of the Senate Task Force on Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital issued in June, 1996.