Bill Text: NJ S1535 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes Interagency Council on Preventing and Reducing Homelessness. *
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2011-11-10 - Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Human Services Committee [S1535 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S1535-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator RONALD L. RICE
District 28 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes New Jersey Task Force on Coordinating and Funding Programs for the Homeless.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the New Jersey Task Force on Coordinating and Funding Programs for the Homeless.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that it is in the public interest for State policymakers, providers of services to the homeless, advocacy organizations, and other concerned representatives of the public to engage in an intensive collaborative effort to seek to devise more effective means of coordinating and funding programs to meet the needs of persons within New Jersey who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.
2. a. There is established the New Jersey Task Force on Coordinating and Funding Programs for the Homeless. The purpose of the task force shall be to develop recommendations, through an intensive collaborative effort among representatives of State government, providers of services to the homeless, advocacy organizations, and other concerned representatives of the public, to develop, promote, and support efforts for the most effective means of coordinating and funding programs to meet the various needs of persons within this State who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, including, but not limited to, recommendations to improve the coordination of funding for these persons between the relevant departments of State government and the coordination of programs and services for these persons between departments. As part of its deliberations, the task force shall examine the impact on these persons of the copayment requirement for persons enrolled in the Work First New Jersey program pursuant to P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.) who are receiving emergency housing assistance, as well as reimbursement for emergency housing providers.
b. The task force shall consist of 18 members as follows:
(1) the Commissioners of Human Services, Children and Families, Community Affairs, Health and Senior Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, and the Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio; and
(2) 12 public members, who shall be appointed by the Governor no later than the 30th day after the effective date of this act, as follows: six persons who represent emergency and permanent housing providers, two each from the northern, central, and southern regions of the State, respectively; one person upon the recommendation of the County Welfare Directors Association of New Jersey; one person upon the recommendation of the Municipal Welfare Association of New Jersey; one person upon the recommendation of Legal Services of New Jersey; and three persons upon the recommendation of organizations within the State that advocate for individuals with special needs who reside in housing financed through the Special Needs Housing Trust Fund established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2005, c.163 (C.34:1B-21.25a).
Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments.
c. The task force shall organize no later than 60 days following the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among its members. The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.
d. The public members shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and within the limits of funds available to the task force.
e. The task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.
f. The task force may meet and hold hearings at the places it designates during the sessions or recesses of the Legislature.
g. The Department of Human Services shall provide staff support to the task force.
h. The task force shall submit to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1):
(1) an interim report of its activities no later than six months after the initial meeting of the task force; and
(2) a final report of its findings and recommendations, along with any legislative bills that it desires to recommend for adoption by the Legislature, no later than 12 months after the initial meeting of the task force.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the issuance of the task force report.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the New Jersey Task Force on Coordinating and Funding Programs for the Homeless.
The bill provides specifically as follows:
· The purpose of the task force is to develop recommendations, through an intensive collaborative effort among representatives of State government, providers of services to the homeless, advocacy organizations, and other concerned representatives of the public, to develop, promote, and support efforts for the most effective means of coordinating and funding programs to meet the various needs of persons within this State who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, including, but not limited to, recommendations to improve the coordination of funding for these persons between the relevant departments of State government and the coordination of programs and services for these persons between departments. As part of its deliberations, the task force is to examine the impact on these persons of the copayment requirement for persons enrolled in the Work First New Jersey program who are receiving emergency housing assistance, as well as reimbursement for emergency housing providers.
· The task force is to include 18 members, as follows:
(1) the Commissioners of Human Services, Children and Families, Community Affairs, Health and Senior Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, and the Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, or their designees, as ex officio members; and
(2) 12 public members, to be appointed by the Governor no later than the 30th day after the effective date of the bill, as follows:
-- six persons who represent emergency and permanent housing providers, two each from the northern, central, and southern regions of the State, respectively;
-- one person each upon the recommendation of the County Welfare Directors Association of New Jersey, the Municipal Welfare Association of New Jersey, and Legal Services of New Jersey, respectively; and
-- three persons each upon the recommendations of organizations within the State that advocate for individuals with special needs who reside in housing financed through the Special Needs Housing Trust Fund established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2005, c.163 (C.34:1B-21.25a).
· The task force is to organize no later than 60 days following the appointment of its members and to select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among its members.
· The Department of Human Services is to provide staff support to the task force.
· The task force is directed to submit to the Governor and the Legislature an interim report of its activities no later than six months after the initial meeting of the task force; and a final report of its findings and recommendations, along with any legislative bills that it desires to recommend for adoption by the Legislature, no later than 12 months after the initial meeting of the task force.
