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A1694
ASSEMBLY, No. 1694
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes New Jersey Council on Responsible
Fatherhood and Responsible Fatherhood Fund.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
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 23 members as follows:
���� (1)�� two members of the
Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate, as nonvoting, ex officio
members of the council, who shall each be of different political parties, and
who shall each serve as a member of the council until the expiration of their
term in the Senate during which the member was appointed;
���� (2)�� two members of the
General Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, as
nonvoting, ex officio members of the council, who shall each be of different
political parties, and who shall each serve as a member of the council until
the expiration of their term in the General Assembly during which the member
was appointed;
���� (3)�� the Commissioners of
Children and Families, Corrections, Education, Human Services, and Labor and
Workforce Development, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio;
���� (4)�� ten public members
appointed by the Governor who shall include a representative of the Advocates
for Children of New Jersey, a representative of embrella, formerly Foster and
Adoptive Family Services, a representative of Legal Services of New Jersey, a
representative of the Latino Action Network Foundation, a representative of
NAACP, 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, a retired Superior Court Judge with experience in working with
child support, custody, and parenting time issues, a representative of the New
Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence or another domestic violence
prevention advocacy group, and a member of the clergy; and
���� (5)�� four public members,
appointed by the Governor, two of whom shall have experience in working with
fatherhood programs and shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the
President of the Senate, and two of whom are fathers who have graduated from
fatherhood programs and shall be appointed upon the recommendation of 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.� The
council shall be entitled to call on the assistance of the Administrative
Office of the Courts for information relevant to 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 parenting time 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
23-member New Jersey Council on Responsible Fatherhood in the DCF. The
council�s purpose is to identify the needs and priorities related 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 bill assigns several
responsibilities to the council, including: (1) developing and implementing a
Responsible Fatherhood Initiative; (2) serving as an information and resource
center for data and information on fatherhood programs; (3) reviewing the
programs of various State departments and community-based organizations and
making recommendations on ways to better coordinate and improve the
effectiveness of their programs; (4) applying for, and accepting, grants of
money from the federal government, private foundations, and other sources for
programs related to responsible fatherhood; and (5) providing grants to
community-based organizations to establish, expand, or improve fatherhood
programs.
���� The Responsible Fatherhood
Initiative is responsible for the development of: (1) a public awareness
campaign on the legal, financial, and emotional responsibilities of fatherhood
and the benefits of paternity establishment; (2) programs and services aimed at
preparing men for the responsibilities of fatherhood; (3) an information and
support network for fathers trying to foster relationships with their children;
and (4) 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 as the repository of all funds received from the
federal government, private foundations, and other sources, which may be
available for programs related to responsible fatherhood. All money, including
any interest earned, deposited in the fund is allocated to the council to carry
out the purposes of the bill.
���� Finally, the bill requires the
council to report annually to the Governor and the Legislature 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.