SENATE, No. 2644

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

216th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED DECEMBER 11, 2014

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  JOSEPH F. VITALE

District 19 (Middlesex)

Senator  RICHARD J. CODEY

District 27 (Essex and Morris)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires development and maintenance of database to advise public about open bed availability in residential substance use disorders treatment facilities.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  

An Act concerning information about the availability of beds in residential substance use disorders treatment facilities and supplementing chapter 2G of Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

 

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

 

     1.    a.  The Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services shall oversee the development and maintenance of a database, which shall collect and track the daily information received pursuant to section 2 of this act about the number of open beds that are available for treatment in each residential substance use disorders treatment facility in the State that receives State or county funding.

     b.    The information maintained in the database shall include, by county:

     (1)   the address and telephone number of the residential substance use disorders treatment facility;

     (2)   the type of services provided by the facility;

     (3)  the licensed bed capacity of the facility; and

     (4)  the number of open beds that are available for treatment, based on the information received pursuant to section 2 of this act.

     c.  The information described in subsection b. of this section shall be:

     (1)   prominently displayed on the website of the department;

     (2)   made available to the public, upon request, through the addictions telephone hotline and the Statewide 2-1-1 telephone system; and

     (3)   made available using any other means that the Commissioner of Human Services deems appropriate.

     d.  The commissioner is authorized to solicit, receive, and accept grants, funds, or anything of value from any public or private entity and receive and accept contributions of money, property, labor, or any other thing of value from any legitimate source for the purpose of the development and maintenance of a database pursuant to this act.

 

     2.    Each residential substance use disorders treatment facility in the State that receives State or county funding shall submit to the database developed and maintained pursuant to section 1 of this act, no less than once a day, information advising of the number of open beds that are available for treatment on that day.

 

     3.    This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

 

     This bill requires the development and maintenance of a database, which is to collect and track daily information about the number of open beds that are available for treatment in each residential substance use disorders treatment facility in the State that receives State or county funding.  The information in the database is to be prominently displayed on the website of the Department of Human Services (DHS), made available to the public, upon request, through the addictions telephone hotline and the Statewide 2-1-1 telephone system, and made available using any other means deemed appropriate by the Commissioner of Human Services.

     The Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in DHS is to oversee the development and maintenance of the database.  The commissioner is authorized to solicit, receive and accept grants, funds, or anything of value from any public or private entity and to receive and accept contributions for the purpose of the development and maintenance of the database.

     Each residential substance use disorders treatment facility in the State that receives State or county funding is to submit to the database, no less than once a day, information advising of the number of open beds that are available for treatment on that day.

     The database is to include, by county: the address and telephone number of the residential substance use disorders treatment facility; the type of services provided by the facility; the licensed bed capacity of the facility; and the number of open beds that are available for treatment, based on the daily information received from the residential substance use disorders treatment facilities.