New Jersey-2012-A2410-Introduced

An Act establishing the New Jersey Council on Responsible Fatherhood and supplementing Title 9 of the Revised Statutes.

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

1. a. There is established the New Jersey Council on Responsible Fatherhood in the Department of Children and Families.

b. The purpose of the council is to identify the needs and priorities relating to fatherhood programs in the State, promote the participation of both parents in the lives of their children, and support the contributions each parent brings to the family unit.

c. The council shall consist of 21 members as follows:

(1) two members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate who shall each be of different political parties;

(2) two members of the General Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly who shall each be of different political parties;

(3) the Commissioners of Children and Families, Corrections, Education, Human Services, Labor and Workforce Development, and the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio;

(4) seven public members appointed by the Governor who shall include a representative of the Advocates for Children of New Jersey, a representative of Foster and Adoptive Family Services, a representative of Legal Services of New Jersey, a county welfare agency worker with experience in working with children who receive public assistance, a licensed social worker with experience or expertise in working with children and families affected by divorce or legal separation, an employee of the Administrative Office of the Courts with experience in working with child support, custody, and visitation issues, and a member of the clergy; and

(5) four public members, two of whom shall have experience in working with fatherhood programs and shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and two of whom are fathers who have graduated from fatherhood programs and shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.

d. Vacancies in the membership of the council shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments. The public members of the council shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for traveling and other miscellaneous expenses necessary to perform their duties, within the limits of funds made available to the council for its purposes.

e. The council shall organize as soon as practicable but no later than 60 days following the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the members.
The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the council.

f. The council may meet at the call of its chair and hold hearings at the times and in the places it deems appropriate and necessary to fulfill its charge. The council 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.

g. The council may seek the advice of experts, such as persons specializing in the field of social work, education, law, human services, economic development, workforce development, or other related fields, as deemed appropriate by the membership of the council.

h. The Department of Children and Families shall provide staff services to the council.

2. The council shall:

a. direct the development and implementation of a Responsible Fatherhood Initiative established pursuant to section 3 of this act;

b. develop a comprehensive plan that identifies the needs and priorities relating to fatherhood programs in the State and promotes the positive involvement of fathers in their children's lives;

c. serve as an information and resource center for data and information on fatherhood programs;

d. review the programs, policies, and initiatives of the Departments of Children and Families, Corrections, Education, Human Services, Labor and Workforce Development, and any other department of State government or community-based organization, as appropriate, that concern responsible fatherhood, and make recommendations to the departments and organizations that will enable them to better coordinate and improve the effectiveness of such programs, policies, and initiatives;

e. convene an annual Statewide symposium to discuss issues relating to fatherhood and the importance of the participation of both parents in the lives of children, and to develop strategies to encourage fathers to become more responsible parents;

f. apply for, and accept, any grant of money from the federal government, private foundations, or other sources, which may be available for programs related to responsible fatherhood; and

g. provide grants to community‑based organizations to establish, expand, or improve fatherhood programs.

3. a. The council shall establish a Responsible Fatherhood Initiative. The goal of the initiative shall be to:

(1) promote the positive interaction between fathers and their children;

(2) increase public awareness of the problems created when children grow up without the presence of responsible fathers;

(3) identify obstacles that impede or prevent the involvement of responsible fathers in the lives of their children, and develop strategies to successfully overcome such obstacles and encourage responsible fatherhood; and

(4) facilitate policies and practices that encourage the participation of fathers in their children's lives and promote the contributions of responsible fathers.

b. The initiative shall be geared towards children whose families have received or are receiving public assistance benefits pursuant to P.L.1947, c.156 (C.44:8-107 et seq.), P.L.1973, c.256 (C.44:7-85 et seq.), or P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.), but may not exclude any other population of children who may benefit from the programs and services offered through the initiative.

c. The initiative shall include, but not be limited to, the development of:

(1) a public education and awareness campaign on the legal, financial, and emotional responsibilities of fatherhood and the benefits of a father establishing paternity upon a child's birth;

(2) programs and services aimed at educating men in preparing for the responsibilities of fatherhood by fostering emotional connections to, and providing financial support, for their children;

(3) an information and support network for fathers trying to develop, maintain, and improve relationships with their children;

(4) a plan to identify and promote methods that reduce the negative outcomes experienced by children affected by divorce, legal separation, and custody and visitation disputes; and

(5) a plan to enhance the coordination of services available to children and families between State and local governmental and community-based social services agencies.

4. a. There is established in the Department of the Treasury a nonlapsing fund to be known as the "Responsible Fatherhood Fund." This fund shall be the repository for monies provided pursuant to subsection f. of section 2 of this act. Moneys deposited in the fund, and any interest earned thereon, shall be allocated to the council to carry out the purposes provided for in subsections f. and g. of section 2 of this act.

b. Any costs incurred by the department in the collection or administration of the fund may be deducted from the funds deposited therein, as determined by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting.

5. The council shall report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) to the Legislature, on December 31st of each year, on the activities of the council, including, but not limited to, the development and implementation of the Responsible Fatherhood Initiative, and its findings and recommendations regarding the coordination and effectiveness of State programs, policies, and initiatives concerning responsible fatherhood.

6. The Commissioner of Children and Families, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.

7. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes a 21-member New Jersey Council on Responsible Fatherhood in the Department of Children and Families. The council's purpose is to identify the needs and priorities relating to fatherhood programs in the State, promote the participation of both parents in the lives of their children, and support the contributions each parent brings to the family unit.

The membership of the council shall consist of: two members each from the Senate and the General Assembly, including one member from each political party; the Commissioners of Children and Families, Corrections, Education, Human Services, Labor and Workforce Development, and the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio; seven public members appointed by the Governor who shall include a representative of the Advocates for Children of New Jersey, a representative of Foster and Adoptive Family Services, a representative of Legal Services of New Jersey, a county welfare agency worker with experience in working with children who receive public assistance, a licensed social worker with experience or expertise in working with children and families affected by divorce or legal separation, an employee of the Administrative Office of the Courts with experience in working with child support, custody, and visitation issues, and a member of the clergy; and four public members, two with experience in working with fatherhood programs who shall be appointed by the President of the Senate and two of whom are fathers who have graduated from fatherhood programs who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly.

The bill requires the council to: direct the development and implementation a Responsible Fatherhood Initiative, which shall be established by the council; develop a comprehensive plan that identifies the needs and priorities relating to fatherhood programs in the State and promotes the positive involvement of fathers in their children's lives; serve as an information and resource center for data and information on fatherhood programs; review the programs, policies, and initiatives of various State departments and community-based organizations, as appropriate, that concern responsible fatherhood, and make recommendations to the departments and organizations on ways to better coordinate and improve the effectiveness of their programs, policies and initiatives; convene an annual Statewide symposium to discuss issues relating to fatherhood and the importance of the participation of both parents in the lives of children, and to develop strategies to encourage fathers to become more responsible parents; apply for, and accept, any grant of money from the federal government, private foundations, or other sources, which may be available for programs related to responsible fatherhood; and provide grants to community‑based organizations to establish, expand, or improve fatherhood programs.

The goal of the initiative is to: promote the positive interaction between fathers and their children; increase public awareness of the problems created when children grow up without the presence of responsible fathers; identify obstacles that impede or prevent the involvement of responsible fathers in the lives of their children, and develop strategies to successfully overcome such obstacles and encourage responsible fatherhood; and facilitate policies and practices that encourage the participation of fathers in their children's lives and promote the contributions of responsible fathers.

The initiative shall be geared to children whose families have or are receiving public assistance but shall not exclude any other population of children who may benefit from the programs or services offered by the initiative.

The initiative shall be responsible for the development of: a public awareness campaign on the legal, financial, and emotional responsibilities of fatherhood and the benefits of paternity establishment; programs and services aimed at educating men in preparing for the emotional and financial responsibilities of fatherhood; an information and support network for fathers trying to foster relationships with their children; and plans to identify and promote methods that reduce the negative outcomes experienced by children affected by divorce, legal separation, and custody and visitation disputes, and to enhance the coordination of services available to children and families between government and community-based social services agencies.

The bill establishes the "Responsible Fatherhood Fund" in the Department of the Treasury as a nonlapsing, revolving fund, and the repository of all funds provided for pursuant to the provisions of the bill. All money, including any interest earned, deposited in the fund shall be allocated to the council to carry out the purposes of the bill.

Finally, the bill requires the council to report to the Governor and the Legislature, annually, on the activities of the council and its findings and recommendations regarding the coordination and effectiveness of State programs, policies, and initiatives concerning responsible fatherhood.