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A1899
ASSEMBLY, No. 1899
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER
District 28 (Essex and Union)
Assemblywoman LISA SWAIN
District 38 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Scharfenberger and Assemblywoman Flynn
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires Office of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
submit annual report to veterans' facility oversight boards.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning annual reports of the Office of the State
Long-Term Care Ombudsman and amending P.L.1977, c.239.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� Section 9 of P.L.1977,
c.239 (C.52:27G-9) is amended to read as follows:
���� 9.��� The office shall
acknowledge complaints, report its findings, make recommendations, gather and
disseminate information and other material, and publicize its existence, all as
herein provided:
���� a.���� If a complaint
identifies the complainant, the office shall acknowledge the receipt of such
complaint and advise the complainant of any action taken or opinions and
recommendations made by it in connection with the matter complained of.
���� b.��� Following an
investigation the office may report its opinions or recommendations to the
party involved.� The office may request the party affected by such opinions or
recommendations to notify it within a specified time of any action taken by
such party on its recommendations.� The office, may make public the complaint,
the act, practice, policy or procedure of a facility or government agency that
does or may adversely affect the health, safety, welfare or civil or human
rights of a patient, resident or client, its opinions or recommendations, the
response of the facility or government agency to such opinions or
recommendations or any further opinions or recommendations of the office.
���� c.���� The office may
recommend to the relevant government agency changes in the rules and
regulations adopted or proposed by such government agency, which do or may
adversely affect the health, safety, welfare or civil or human rights� of any
patient, resident or client in a facility.
���� d.��� The office may propose
regulations to and petition any government agency to adopt such regulations, or
regulations similar in content, that affect the health, safety, welfare or
civil or human rights of any patient, resident or client in a facility.
���� e.���� The office may
recommend to the relevant government agency that a facility shall no longer be
permitted to receive patients or residents or payments under the New Jersey
Medical Assistance and Health Services Act, P.L.1968, c. 413
(C. 30:4D-1 et seq.).
���� f.���� The office may
recommend to the relevant government agency that it initiate procedures for
assessment of penalties, revocation, suspension, the placing on probationary or
provisional license or denial of a license against a facility or a proposed
facility as appropriate.
���� g.��� The office may publicize
its existence, function and activities through public relations with government
and private organizations and groups and the public at large in general and
with patients, residents and clients in facilities in particular.
���� h.��� The office shall report
to the Governor and the Legislature on or before September 30 of each year,
which report shall summarize its activities for the preceding fiscal year,
document the significant problems in the systems of care and services for the elderly,
indicate and analyze the trends in such systems of care and services, and set
forth any opinions or recommendations which will further the State's capacity
in resolving complaints, encouraging quality care and ensuring the health,
safety, welfare or civil and human rights of elderly patients, residents and
clients of facilities, including suggestions or� recommendations for
legislative consideration and for changes in the policy or rules and
regulations of government agencies.� The annual report shall be available to
the public.
����
In addition to reporting to
the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to this section, the office shall
also report to the oversight board of each veterans� facility on or before
September 30 of each year, a summary of its activities relating to the care and
quality of life at veterans� facilities for the preceding fiscal year, document
the significant problems in the system of care and services at veterans�
facilities, indicate and analyze trends in the system of care and services at
veterans� facilities, and set forth any opinions or recommendations which will
further the State's capacity in resolving complaints, encouraging quality care
and ensuring the health, safety, welfare or civil and human rights of elderly
patients, residents and clients at veterans� facilities, including suggestions
or� recommendations for legislative consideration and for changes in the policy
or rules and regulations of government agencies.� The annual report shall be
available to the public.
����
For purposes of this
section, �veterans� facility� shall have the same meaning as set forth in
section 1 of P.L.1989, c.162 (C.38A:3-6.3).
(cf: P.L.1977, c.239, s.9)
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill would require the
Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to submit an annual report to the oversight
board of each veterans� facility.� The report would summarize the office�s
activities relating to the care and quality of life at veterans� facilities for
the previous fiscal year, document significant problems in the system of care
and services at veterans� facilities, indicate and analyze trends in the system
of care and services at veterans� facilities, and set forth any opinions or
recommendations which will further the State's capacity in resolving
complaints, encouraging quality care and ensuring the health, safety, welfare
or civil and human rights of elderly patients, residents and clients at
veterans� facilities, including suggestions or� recommendations for legislative
consideration and for changes in the policy or rules and regulations of
government agencies.� The report required by this bill would be similar to the
annual report currently submitted to the Governor and the Legislature each year
concerning all long-term care facilities in the State.