New Jersey-2024-A4434-Introduced

An Act concerning disordered eating and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statues, and making an appropriation.

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

1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. Eating Disorders are increasingly recognized as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, with 10,200 deaths per year attributed to an eating disorder in the United States;

b. According to the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders, in New Jersey, nine percent of residents, or more than three-quarters of a million people, will have an eating disorder in their lifetime;

c. People of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender individuals; youth; and older residents are more likely to suffer from an eating disorder, but less likely to receive eating disorder treatment, creating a disproportionate gap in eating disorder prevention and care;

d. There is limited State-specific research on disordered eating and its impact on the residents of New Jersey; and

e. It is fitting and proper for the State to focus on developing research and resources to educate residents on the severity of disordered eating, to prevent disordered eating in New Jersey, and to support residents who develop disordered eating - with a recognition that disordered eating disproportionately harms and increases the mortality rates of people of color; lesbian gay, bisexual, or transgender individuals; youth; and older residents.

2. As used in this act:

"Disordered eating" means a range of irregular eating behaviors that may or may not warrant diagnosis of a specific eating disorder.

"Office of Disordered Eating Prevention" or "office" means the Office of Disordered Eating Prevention established pursuant to section 3 of this act.

"Disordered Eating Prevention Research Grant Program" or "grant program" means the Disordered Eating Prevention Research Grant Program established pursuant to section 4 of this act.

"Eligible applicant" means an individual, nonprofit organization, or for-profit organization, that conducts research on disordered eating and prevention in youth, adults, and older residents or that serves youth, adults, and older residents who have disordered eating traits.

"Grant recipient" means an eligible applicant that the office selects to receive money through the grant program.

3. a. There is hereby established in the Department of Health the Office of Disordered Eating Prevention.

b. The office, at a minimum, shall:

(1) create and maintain an external-facing resource that is updated annually and includes key information about disordered eating, including risk factors and preventing factors. The resource shall be culturally sensitive and, when possible, available in English, Spanish, and any other language determined necessary by the Commissioner of Health;

(2) collaborate with other State mental health programs and offices to align work focused on disordered eating, facilitate public outreach, and increase awareness regarding disordered eating prevention, with a focus on impacted communities, such as youth, older residents, people of color, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals;

(3) partner with the Department of Education to inform teachers, administrators, school staff, students, and parents on disorder eating prevention; and

(4) administer the Disordered Eating Prevention Research Grant Program.

c. The office may:

(1) contract with a third party to conduct focus groups, interview key individuals, conduct surveys, and establish a collaborative group to discuss key issues regarding disordered eating prevention;

(2) partner with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services to identify disordered eating prevention strategies, including dismantling discrimination and bias with regard to weight; and

(3) seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purpose of this act.

4. a. There is hereby established the Disordered Eating Prevention Research Grant Program within the Office of Disordered Eating Prevention. This grant program shall provide financial assistance to eligible applicants to conduct research on the root causes of disordered eating and to examine the risk factors and protective factors for disordered eating in youth, adults, and older residents.

b. The Office of Disordered Eating Prevention shall administer the grant program and shall adopt guidelines for the grant program, which guidelines shall include:

(1) application procedures by which eligible applicants may apply for a grant;

(2) criteria to use in selecting eligible applicants to receive grant money and to determine the amount of grant money to be awarded to each grant recipient, according to the availability of resources for the grant program;

(3) procedures for administering the grant program, including establishment of the dates the office will announce the grant program, begin accepting applications, allow eligible applicants to submit applications, and begin distributing money to the grantees; and

(4) reporting procedures for grant recipients.

c. Each grant recipient shall submit a written report to the office, which report shall include a summary of the research made possible with the grant award.

5. Commencing one year after the effective date of this act, and annually thereafter, the Office of Disordered Eating Prevention shall submit to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, a report that summarizes the office's activities regarding the implementation of this act. The report shall include:

a. the following information regarding the administration of Disordered Eating Prevention Research Grant Program during the preceding year: the number of grant recipients; the amount of each grant award to each grant recipient; and a summary of each grant recipient's written report, as required to be submitted to the office pursuant to subsection c. of section 4 of this act; and

b. any findings and recommendations the office has to improve disordered eating prevention in the State;

6. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health such amounts as are necessary, as determined by the Commissioner of Health, to implement the provisions of this act.

7. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the Office of Disordered Eating Prevention (office) and the Disordered Eating Prevention Research Grant Program within the Department of Health. Under the bill, "disorder eating" means a range of irregular eating behaviors that may or may not warrant diagnosis of a specific eating disorder. The bill appropriates from the General Fund to the Department of Health such amounts as are necessary, as determined by the Commissioner of Health, to implement these provisions.

The office, at a minimum, is required to: 1) create, maintain, and update annually an external-facing resource that includes key information about disordered eating; 2) collaborate with other State mental health programs and offices to align work focused on disordered eating, facilitate public outreach, and increase awareness regarding disordered eating prevention; and 3) partner with the Department of Education to inform teachers, administrators, school staff, students, and parents on disorder eating prevention.

Under the bill, the office may: 1) contract with a third party to conduct focus groups, interview key individuals, conduct surveys, and establish a collaborative group to discuss key issues regarding disordered eating prevention; 2) partner with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services to identify disordered eating prevention strategies; and 3) seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purpose of the bill.

The bill also establishes the Disordered Eating Prevention Research Grant Program, which is to be administered by Office of Disordered Eating Prevention. This grant program would provide financial assistance to eligible applicants to conduct research on the root causes of disordered eating and to examine the risk factors and protective factors for disordered eating in youth, adults, and older residents. Under the bill, "eligible applicant" means an individual, nonprofit organization, or for-profit organization, that conducts research on disordered eating and prevention or that serves individuals who have disordered eating traits. The bill directs each grant recipient to submit a written report, summarizing the research made possible with the grant award, to the office.

Finally, commencing one year after the effective date of the bill, and annually thereafter, the Office of Disordered Eating Prevention is required to submit to the Governor and to the Legislature, a report that summarizes the office's activities regarding the implementation of the bill, including information about the grant program and any recommendations for improving disordered eating prevention in the State.