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S3013 • 2026

Establishes telecommunication fee to support Statewide behavioral health crisis system of care.

Establishes telecommunication fee to support Statewide behavioral health crisis system of care.

Budget
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Vitale, Joseph F.
Last action
2026-02-09
Official status
Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Establishes telecommunication fee to support Statewide behavioral health crisis system of care.

Establishes telecommunication fee to support Statewide behavioral health crisis system of care.

What This Bill Does

  • Establishes telecommunication fee to support Statewide behavioral health crisis system of care.
  • Topic: Budget and Appropriations Fiscal note: This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-09 New Jersey Legislature

    Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading

  2. 2026-02-09 New Jersey Legislature

    Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee

  3. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee

Official Summary Text

Establishes telecommunication fee to support Statewide behavioral health crisis system of care.
Topic:
Budget and Appropriations
Fiscal note:
This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
S3013 FISCAL ESTIMATE

LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

SENATE, No. 3013

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

DATED: FEBRUARY 24,
2026

SUMMARY

Synopsis:

Establishes telecommunication fee to support Statewide
behavioral health crisis system of care.

Type of Impact:

Annual State revenue increase.

Agencies Affected:

Department of the Treasury and Department of Human
Services.

Office of
Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Annual

State Revenue Increase

$67.3 million

�

The Office of Legislative (OLS) estimates that the bill will
annually generate $67.3 million in State revenue, to be deposited into the
newly established 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Hotline Trust Fund Account to
support the Statewide behavioral health crisis system of care.

�

Currently, the State funds the Statewide behavioral health crisis
system of care, as it is required under federal and State law, from a mixture
of federal and State sources
.� The OLS notes, however, that nothing in this
bill would require the State to expand services under this existing system of
care.

BILL DESCRIPTION

����� This bill establishes a monthly Statewide 9-8-8 fee in
the amount of $0.40 per line per month for each resident of New Jersey who is a
subscriber of commercial mobile services or IP-enabled voice services.� The fee
will not be applied to mobile service users who receive benefits under the
federal Lifeline program.�

����� The fees collected pursuant to this bill will be
deposited into the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Hotline Trust Fund Account,
established pursuant to the bill, and used to pay expenses that are reasonably
attributed to the Statewide behavioral health crisis system of care.

FISCAL ANALYSIS

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

����� None received; however, the FY 2026 Governor�s Budget
proposed an identical fee and estimated that the fee would generate
approximately $61 million annually.

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

����� The OLS estimates that the bill will annually generate
$67.3 million a year in State revenue, to be deposited into the newly
established 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Hotline Trust Fund Account, due to the
implementation of a $0.40 monthly telecommunication fee on approximately 13.9
million applicable mobile service or voice service lines.� Funds generated
under the bill are required to support the Statewide behavioral health crisis
system of care.� The OLS notes, however, that nothing in this bill would
require the State to expand services under this existing system of care.

����� Currently, the State funds the Statewide behavioral
health crisis system of care, as it is required under the federal National
Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 and P.L.2022, c.35, from a mixture of
federal and State sources.� In FY 2026, the Department of Human Services
anticipates expending a total of $41.6 million in support of the system of care
� of which $28.8 million is appropriated from the General Fund in the annual
appropriations act and $12.8 million is due to various federal grants.� The
Commissioner of Human Services reported via testimony before the legislative budget
committees in May 2025, that at full implementation the system of care would
cost approximately $67 million annually, with about 81 percent, or $54.3
million, supported by State funds.�

Section:

Human Services

Analyst:

Sarah Schmidt

Principal Research Analyst

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the
Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to
respond to our request for a fiscal note.

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980,
c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).