Bill Text: NJ SCR118 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Special Response Unit be moved from DHS to Office of the Attorney General.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-18 - Substituted by ACR147 [SCR118 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-SCR118-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JENNIFER BECK
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Urges Special Response Unit be moved from DHS to Office of the Attorney General.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution urging the Special Response Unit in the Department of Human Services be moved to the Office of the Attorney General in the Department of Law and Public Safety.
Whereas, P.L.2010, c.5 (C.30:6D-73 et seq.) established the Central Registry of Offenders Against Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (central registry) in the Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide for the protection of persons with developmental disabilities by identifying those caregivers who wrongfully cause injury to disabled persons under their care; and
Whereas, The law requires the Commissioner of Human Services to maintain a Special Response Unit (SRU) to receive and prioritize reports made by persons employed by, or volunteering in a community program, facility, community care residence, or living arrangement licensed, contracted, or regulated by the DHS, or providing community-based services to a person with a developmental disability, who have reason to believe that a person with a developmental disability has been subjected to abuse, neglect, or exploitation by a caregiver; and
Whereas, The SRU is also mandated to initiate appropriate responses to reports of incidents of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a person with developmental disabilities by a caregiver through the investigation and subsequent substantiation, if appropriate, of these incidents and to ensure that the investigative findings are reported to the central registry in a uniform and timely manner; and
Whereas, The SRU completes approximately 500 investigations annually and collaborates with law enforcement agencies when an investigation reveals evidence of criminal activity by a caregiver; and
Whereas, Even though the SRU has built alliances and partnerships and conducts collaborative investigations with law enforcement agencies that have resulted in the criminal convictions of abusive caregivers, the transfer of the unit from DHS to the Office of the Attorney General in the Department of Law and Public Safety would enable the State to provide more diligent oversight of community programs, facilities, community care residences, and living arrangements; ensure the appearance of impartiality in the investigations conducted by the SRU of serious unusual incidences of abuse, neglect, or exploitation in these programs, facilities, residences, and living arrangements; further improve the relationship between SRU and law enforcement agencies; and guarantee that persons with developmental disabilities receiving services from DHS are protected from abuse, neglect, or exploitation and are provided services that maximize their developmental potential; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. The Governor is urged to transfer the Special Response Unit from the Department of Human Services to the Office of the Attorney General in the Department of Law and Public Safety in order for the State to provide more diligent oversight of the community programs, facilities, community care residences, and living arrangements licensed, contracted, or regulated by DHS; ensure the appearance of impartiality in the investigations conducted by the SRU of serious unusual incidences of abuse, neglect, or exploitation in these programs, facilities, residences, and living arrangements; further improve the collaborative relationship between SRU and law enforcement agencies; and guarantee that persons with developmental disabilities receiving services from DHS are protected from abuse, neglect, or exploitation and are provided services that maximize their developmental potential.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this concurrent resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested by the Clerk of the General Assembly and signed by the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary of the Senate, shall be transmitted to the Governor, the Attorney General, and the Commissioner of Human Services.
STATEMENT
This concurrent resolution urges the Governor to transfer the Special Response Unit (SRU) from the Department of Human Services (DHS) to the Office of the Attorney General in the Department of Law and Public Safety in order for the State to provide more diligent oversight of the community programs, facilities, community care residences, and living arrangements licensed, contracted, or regulated by DHS; ensure the appearance of impartiality in the investigations conducted by the SRU; further improve the collaborative relationship between SRU and law enforcement agencies; and guarantee that persons with developmental disabilities receiving services from DHS are protected from abuse, neglect, or exploitation and are provided services that maximize their developmental potential.
