Establishes one New Jersey Suicide Prevention Advisory Council in DOH.

S4135

SENATE, No. 4135

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 11, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JOSEPH P. CRYAN

District 20 (Union)

Senator� ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Diegnan

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes one New Jersey Suicide Prevention
Advisory Council in DOH.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
establishing the New Jersey Suicide Prevention Advisory
Council, revising various parts of the statutory law, and supplementing Title
26 of the Revised Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� Section 2 of P.L.2005,
c.310 (C.18A:6-112) is amended to read as follows:

���� 2.��� a. The State Board of
Education, in consultation with the New Jersey
[
Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory
Council established in the Department of Children and Families pursuant to
P.L.2003, c.214 (C.30:9A-22 et seq.)
]

Suicide Prevention Advisory Council established in the Department of Health
pursuant to section 7 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill)
, shall, as part of the professional development
requirement established by the State board for public school teaching staff
members, require each public school teaching staff member to complete at least
two hours of instruction in suicide prevention, to be provided by a licensed
health care professional with training and experience in mental health issues,
in each professional development period.� The instruction in suicide prevention
shall include information on the relationship between the risk of suicide and
incidents of harassment, intimidation, and bullying and information on reducing
the risk of suicide in students who are members of communities identified as
having members at high risk of suicide.

���� b.��� Not including teaching
staff members subject to the requirements of subsection a. of this section and
not including licensed mental health care professionals, a school employee or
an employee of a contracted service provider who has regular and direct contact
with students, as determined by the board of education, shall complete a
one-time training program in suicide prevention, awareness, and response
identified by the Department of Education pursuant to subsection c. of this
section.� A person subject to the requirements of this subsection shall
complete the required training program not less than 12 months from the date of
the identification by the department of training programs or 12 months from the
person's date of hire, whichever occurs later.

���� c.���� The Department of
Education, in consultation with the Department of Children and Families, the
Department of Human Services, the New Jersey Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory
Council, suicide prevention experts, and interested stakeholders in the
education community, shall identify training programs on suicide prevention,
awareness, and response that persons subject to the requirements of subsection
b. of this section may access and complete, free of charge, to fulfill the
requirements.� The department may enter into an agreement with one or more
private entities to make a training program available, free of charge, to
persons subject to the requirements of subsection b. of this section.

���� d.��� Not less than 12 months
following the date of the identification by the department of the training
programs or not less than 12 months from the person's date of hire, and
annually thereafter, each school district and contracted service provider shall
provide to their employees who are subject to the requirements of subsection a.
or b. of this section, in a hard copy paper form or in an electronic form
guidelines on the school district's reporting and suicide prevention,
awareness, and response protocols including, but not limited to, contact
information for each school's designated staff who should be notified whenever
an employee believes a student may be at risk for suicide.

���� e.���� A school district shall
provide information concerning its compliance with the requirements of this
section in the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum Statement of
Assurance submitted by the district to the executive county superintendent of
schools.� A contracted service provider shall annually provide a statement of
assurance to the school district concerning its compliance with the provisions
of subsections b. and d. of this section.

���� f.���� Each person who is
required pursuant to subsection a. or subsection b. of this section to complete
a suicide prevention training program shall have a duty to warn and protect
when the following conditions exist:

���� (1)�� a student has
communicated to that person a clearly identifiable threat of imminent, serious
physical violence against oneself and the circumstances are such that a
reasonable person would believe the student intended to carry out the threat;
or

���� (2)�� the circumstances are
such that a reasonable person would believe the student intended to carry out
an act of imminent, serious physical violence against oneself.

���� A person acting in good faith
and who takes reasonable steps to discharge a duty to warn and protect shall be
immune from civil and criminal liability in regard to that disclosure.

(cf: P.L.2023, c.111, s.1)

����� 2.�� (New
section) As used in P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill):

����� �Alcohol
and drug counselor� means a person who is a certified alcohol and drug
counselor or a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor pursuant to
P.L.1997, c.331 (C.45:2D-1 et seq.).

����� �Attempted
suicide� or �suicide attempt� means destructive behavior intended by the actor
to result in the actor's harm or death.

����� �Certified
Domestic Violence Specialist� means a person who has fulfilled the requirements
for certification as a Domestic Violence Specialist, which have been
established by the New Jersey Association of Domestic Violence Professionals.

����� �Council�
means the New Jersey Suicide Prevention Advisory Council established pursuant
to section 7 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as
this bill).

����� �Death
by suicide� means a death that is known or reasonably suspected to have
resulted from an intentional act of the deceased, as determined by a medical
examiner.

����� �Department�
means the Department of Health.

����� �Teaching
staff member� means a member of the professional staff of any school district,
regional board of education, or the board of trustees of a charter school, or
any board of education of a county vocational school, who holds an office,
position, or employment of such character that the qualifications for the
office, position, or employment require the member to hold a valid and
effective standard, provisional, or emergency certificate, appropriate to the
member's office, position, or employment, issued by the State Board of
Examiners.� Teaching staff member includes a school nurse and a school athletic
trainer.

���� �Youth�
means a person 24 years of age or younger.

����� 3.�� (New
section) a. Any teaching staff member, who, as a result of information obtained
in the course of the person's employment, has reasonable cause to suspect or
believe that a student has attempted or death by suicide, shall promptly report
such information to the department in a form and manner prescribed by the
department.

����� b.�� A
nonpublic school is encouraged to require any member of its professional staff,
who, as a result of information obtained in the course of the person's
employment, has reasonable cause to suspect or believe that a student has
attempted or died by suicide, to promptly report such information to the
department in a form and manner prescribed by the department.

����� As
used in this subsection, "nonpublic school" means an elementary or
secondary school within the State, other than a public school, offering
education in grades K-12 or any combination thereof, at which a child may
legally fulfill compulsory school attendance requirements.

����� c.�� Any
licensed psychologist, social worker, marriage and family therapist,
professional counselor, physician, physician assistant, alcohol and drug
counselor, or registered nurse or licensed practical nurse licensed in this
State pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes, who, as a result of
information obtained in the course of the person's employment, has reasonable
cause to suspect or believe that a youth has attempted or died by suicide,
shall promptly report such information to the department in a form and manner
prescribed by the department.

����� d.�� Any
public health official, probation officer, employee of the Superior Court,
Chancery Division, Family Part, Certified Domestic Violence Specialist, or
member of a professional group identified by the New Jersey Suicide Prevention
Advisory Council established pursuant to section 7 of P.L.��� , c.���
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) as having a
likelihood to know about suicide attempts and deaths, who, as a result of
information obtained in the course of the person's employment, has reasonable
cause to suspect or believe that a person has attempted or died by suicide, is
encouraged to promptly report such information to the department in a form and
manner prescribed by the department.

����� e.�� The
reporting form established by the department shall not require the reporter to
identify the person who attempted or died by suicide by name or other unique
identifier, but may require the reporter to supply non-identifying demographic
information about the person, as well as information about other suicide
attempts made by the person, and the response or referral that was used to deal
with the incident that is the subject of the report.

����� f.��� The
reporting form shall be submitted to a designated employee of the department
with responsibility for compiling data from the reports. �Information contained
in the reports shall not be considered a public record, but the department may
aggregate the data for the purpose of preparing an annual report pursuant to
section 5 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as
this bill).

����� g.�� The
Department of Children and Families and the Department of Education, in
consultation with the Department of Health and the Department of Human
Services, shall offer to provide
persons who are
required or encouraged to report an attempted suicide or death by suicide with
current information about public and private assistance available to survivors
and families of attempted and death by suicide and professionals who deal with
suicide.

����� h.�� The
reporting of an attempted or death by suicide pursuant to this section shall
not replace or alter any other requirement of law or professional standard or
obligation that requires a person to evaluate a death or report an attempted or
death by suicide.

����� i.��� Any
person who reports an attempted or death by suicide pursuant to P.L.��� , c.���
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall have immunity
from any civil or criminal liability on account of that report, unless the
person has acted in bad faith or with malicious purpose.

���� j.���� No
provision of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as
this bill) shall be deemed to require the disclosure of, or penalize the
failure to disclose, any information which would be privileged pursuant to the
provisions of sections 18 through 23, inclusive, of P.L.1960, c.52 (C.2A:84A-18
through 2A:84A-23).� No provision of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill) shall be deemed to require the disclosure
of any information in violation of federal or State privacy laws.

����� 4.�� (New
section) The Commissioner of Health, in conjunction with the Commissioners of
Human Services and Children and Families, shall develop and publicize, in
consultation with the New Jersey Suicide Prevention Advisory Council
established pursuant to section 7 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill), a public awareness campaign on suicide
prevention and intervention, the goals of which shall be to:

����� a.�� Increase
voluntary reporting of suicides and attempts at suicide by professionals who
are likely to know of suicides and attempts in the course of their employment;

����� b.�� Increase
referrals by these professionals to therapeutic services available to persons
who contemplate or attempt suicide;

����� c.�� Increase
public awareness of the incidence and causes of suicide attempts and decrease
the stigma currently associated with depression and suicide; and

���� d.��� Encourage
the use by families of short-term and long-term public and private mental
health services, as well as other services, to reduce the incidence of
attempted suicide and death by suicide by youths.

����� 5.�� (New
section) a. The department shall compile data about reported attempted suicides
and deaths by suicide by persons in the State, without identifying any
individuals involved.

����� b.�� The
Commissioner of Health shall annually issue a report to the New Jersey Suicide
Prevention Advisory Council established pursuant to section 7 of P.L.��� ,
c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), to the
Governor, and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the
Legislature containing a summary of the data compiled by the department that
includes aggregate demographic information about persons who attempt or
complete suicide.� The report shall include any recommendations for legislation
or regulatory changes that would aid in the collection of more accurate data or
the provision of more effective suicide prevention and intervention.

���� c.���� The
commissioner shall provide specific findings about deaths by suicide and
attempted suicides to the council, as soon as possible, to assist the council
in fulfilling its responsibility under P.L. , c. (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill) to make recommendations about
suicide prevention and intervention.

���� 6.��� (New section) a. The
Commissioner of Children and Families, in consultation with the Department of
Human Services, and the New Jersey Suicide Prevention Advisory Council
established pursuant to section 7 of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.�� �����) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill), shall develop and adopt a Statewide youth
suicide prevention plan no later than 180 days after the effective date of P.L.���
, c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� b.��� The plan shall address,
but not be limited to, the:

���� (1)�� identification of
existing State and local sources of data concerning youth suicide deaths, youth
suicide attempts, and self-inflicted injuries by youth;

���� (2)�� coordination and sharing
of such data among identified State and local sources;

���� (3)�� promotion of greater
public awareness about youth suicide prevention services and resources;

���� (4)�� identification of
barriers to accessing mental health and substance abuse services, and
opportunities to enhance access; and

���� (5)�� promotion of
evidenced-based and best practice programs, listed on the Suicide Prevention
Resource Center's Best Practices Registry, for the prevention and treatment of
youth suicide and self-injury.

����� 7.�� (New
section) There is established in the Department of Health the New Jersey
Suicide Prevention Advisory Council.

����� a.�� The
purpose of the council shall be to:

����� (1)� examine
existing needs and services provided by the State and make recommendations to
all suicide prevention entities operating under statutory authority for
reporting, prevention, and intervention of suicide; advise suicide prevention
entities on the content of informational materials to be made available to
persons who report an attempted or death by suicide; and advise the entities in
the adoption of any regulations the Commissioner of Health deems necessary to
carry out the provisions of P.L.��� , c.�� �(C.������� ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill); and

����� (2)� aggregate
data from its members' respective suicide prevention entities, if applicable;
make findings on deaths by suicide and suicide attempts, in a manner that is
not violative of federal privacy laws under the "Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996," Pub.L.104-191, or any
regulations promulgated thereunder by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services; and share those findings and aggregated data with
all member participants to report back to their respective suicide prevention
entities.

����� b.�� The
council shall consist of 25 members as follows:

����� (1)� the
Commissioners of Health, Human Services, Children and Families, Corrections,
and Education, the Secretary of Higher Education, the Executive Director of the
Youth Justice Commission, the Adjutant General of the Department of Military
and Veterans' Affairs, the Executive Director of the Board of Directors of NJ
Transit, the Chief State Medical Examiner, the Assistant Commissioner of the
Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Chair of the Governor�s
Council on Mental Health Stigma, and the Chief Technology Officer of the Office
of Information Technology, or their designees; except that if one of these
members has a suitable prevention or mental health entity operating under the
control of the member's department, corporation, or office, as applicable, the
member shall select a member of that entity as a member of the council, who
shall serve ex officio;

����� (2)� four
public members appointed by the Governor, three of whom are each faculty
members at institutions of higher education who have expertise in the area of
mental health; and one of whom is either a law enforcement officer in the
Office of the Attorney General with expertise related to suicide, or a mental
health professional;

����� (3)� four
public members appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom has
experience as a mental health professional in the private sector with
experience in youth suicide prevention and counseling, one of whom has
experience as a psychiatrist in the private sector in the provision of services
to elderly persons, one of whom identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, or intersex, and one of whom is a licensed clinical alcohol and
drug counselor who is also a licensed clinical social worker with experience
working with individuals in crisis; and

����� (4)� four
public members appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, two of whom
are current or former mental health professionals with experience providing
services in a secondary school, one of whom is a survivor of suicide or who has
a family member who has been affected by suicide,

and one of whom has a background as a primary health
practitioner.

����� c.�� The
public members shall be appointed no later than 60 days after the effective
date of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this
bill).

����� d.�� The
public members shall serve for a term of five years; but, of the members first
appointed, four shall serve for a term of three years, three for a term of four
years, and three for a term of five years.� Members are eligible for
reappointment upon the expiration of their terms.� Vacancies in the membership
of the council shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original
appointments.

����� e.�� The
council shall organize as soon as practicable 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
public members shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and within the
limits of funds available to the council.

����� g.�� 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.

����� h.�� The
Department of Health shall provide staff support to the council.

���� i.���� The
council shall, at a minimum, meet every other month and may meet more
frequently as needed, based on a vote of a majority of the members of the
council.

���� 8.��� (New section) Whenever,
in any law, rule, regulation, order, contract, document, judicial or
administrative proceeding, or otherwise, reference is made to the New Jersey
Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council or the New Jersey Elderly Person
Suicide Prevention Advisory Council, the same shall mean and refer to the New
Jersey Suicide Prevention Advisory Council, established pursuant to section 7
of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill),
in the Department of Health.

���� 9.��� The Commissioner of
Health may, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act,"
P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt any rules and regulations as the
commissioner deems necessary to carry out the provisions of P.L.��� , c.���
(C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� 10.� The following sections
are repealed:

���� Sections 1 through 4 of
P.L.2005, c.274 (C.26:2MM-1 through C.26:2MM-4); and

���� Sections 1 through 7 of
P.L.2003, c.214 (C.30:9A-22 through C.30:9A-28).

���� 11.� This act shall take
effect on the 180th day after the date of enactment, except that the
Commissioner of Health may take anticipatory action in advance as necessary for
the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the New
Jersey Suicide Prevention Advisory Council in the Department of Health.� The
council would serve as the sole advisory council in the State, which deals with
issues of suicide prevention.� Currently, there are two such councils, the New
Jersey Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council in the Department of Children
and Families and the New Jersey Elderly Person Suicide Prevention Advisory
Council in the Department of Human Services.� By establishing one council,
relevant information may be shared among all council members.

���� The 25-member New Jersey
Suicide Prevention Advisory Council established under the bill would examine
existing needs and services for all those at risk of suicide, and would make
recommendations to any suicide prevention entity operating under statutory authority.

���� The 13 ex officio members
would include the Commissioners of Health, Human Services, Children and
Families, Corrections, and Education, the Secretary of Higher Education, the Executive
Director of the Youth Justice Commission, the Adjutant General of the
Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs, the Executive Director of the
Board of Directors of NJ Transit, the Chief State Medical Examiner, the Assistant
Commissioner of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Chair
of the Governor�s Council on Mental Health Stigma, and the Chief Technology
Officer of the Office of Information Technology, or their designees, except
that if one of these members has a suitable prevention or mental health entity
operating under their control, the member would be required to select a member
of that entity to act as a member of the council.

���� The Governor would appoint
four public members, three of whom would be higher education faculty members
with expertise in the area of mental health; and one of whom is either a law
enforcement officer in the Office of the Attorney General with expertise related
to suicide, or a mental health professional.

���� The President of the Senate
would appoint four public members, one of whom has experience as a mental
health professional in the private sector with experience in youth suicide
prevention and counseling, one of whom has experience as a psychiatrist in the
private sector in the provision of services to elderly persons, one of whom
identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex, and one of whom
is a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor who is also a licensed
clinical social worker with experience working with individuals in crisis.

���� The Speaker of the General
Assembly would also appoint four public members, two of whom are current or
former mental health professionals with experience providing services in a
secondary school, one of whom is a survivor of suicide or a family member who
has been affected by suicide, and one of whom has a background as a primary
health practitioner.

���� The bill would repeal sections
1 through 4 of P.L.2005, c.274 (C.26:2MM-1 through C.26:2MM-4), which
established the New Jersey Elderly Person Suicide Prevention Advisory Council,
and sections 1 through 7 of P.L.2003, c.214 (C.30:9A-22 et seq.), which gave
certain relevant duties to the Departments of Children and Families and Human
Services, since the bill is establishing a single council in the Department of
Health, whose duties and responsibilities are covered under Title 26 of the
Revised Statutes.