Establishes "Autism and Developmental Disabilities Study Commission."

SJR94

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

No. 94

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 5, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ROBERT W. SINGER

District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)

Senator� JON M. BRAMNICK

District 21 (Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators McKnight and Diegnan

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes "Autism and Developmental
Disabilities Study Commission."

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

A Joint
Resolution

establishing the �Autism
and Developmental Disabilities Study Commission.�

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

���� 1.� There is hereby
established the �Autism and Developmental Disabilities Study Commission.�

���� a.� The commission shall
consist of seven members, to be appointed as follows:

���� (1)�� the Commissioner of
Health, or the commissioner�s designee, who shall serve ex officio;

���� (2)�� the Commissioner of
Human Services, or the commissioner�s designee, who shall serve ex officio;

���� (3)�� one member to be
appointed by the President of the Senate;

���� (4)�� one member to be
appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate;

���� (5)�� one member to be
appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly;

���� (6)�� one member to be
appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly; and

���� (7)�� one member to be
appointed by the Governor.

���� b.� Any vacancy in the
membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner in which the
original appointment was made.

���� c.� It shall be the duty of
the commission to study how certain organizations, including hospitals, law
enforcement agencies, prosecutors� offices, and courts, train their employees
to identify and interact with people with autism, Down syndrome, and other
developmental disabilities.

���� d.� The members of the
commission shall be appointed within 60 days following the date of enactment of
this section.� The commission shall organize as soon as practicable after the
appointment of its members, and shall select a chairperson from among its
membership, and a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.� The
presence of four members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.�

���� e.� The commission may conduct
business without a quorum, but may only vote on recommendations when a quorum
is present.� The commission 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, authority, or agency as it may
require, and as may be available, for its purposes.�

���� f.� Members of the commission
shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to employ stenographic
and clerical assistance and incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as
deemed necessary in order to perform their duties, within the limits of funds
appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.�

���� g.� The commission shall meet
at the call of its chairperson, at the times and in the places the chairperson
may deem appropriate and necessary to effectuate the commission�s duties, and
shall conduct public hearings at such place or places as the chairperson shall
designate.

���� h.� Within one year of its
organization, the commission shall issue a report of its findings and
conclusions to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164
(C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature.� The commission shall dissolve on the 30th
day after the date of the issuance of its report.

���� i.� As used in this section:

���� �Autism� means a neurological
and developmental disorder classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM IV-TR) or the
International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision, Clinical Modification
(ICD-11-CM), including: autistic disorder; Asperger�s disorder; childhood
disintegrative disorder; pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise
specified, or unspecified pervasive developmental disorder; Fragile X syndrome,
to the extent that the condition is comorbid with pervasive developmental
disorder; Rett�s disorder, to the extent that the condition is comorbid with
pervasive developmental disorder; autism spectrum disorder; and any equivalent
conditions as classified under any version of the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or the International Classification of
Diseases, Clinical Modification (ICD-CM) published on or after January 1, 2000.

���� �Down syndrome� means a
chromosomal disorder caused by an error in cell division that results in the
presence of an extra, whole, or partial copy of chromosome 21.

���� 2.� This joint resolution
shall take effect immediately and shall expire on the 30th day following the
submission of the commission�s report to the Governor and Legislature, as
provided by subsection e. of section 1 of this joint resolution.

STATEMENT

���� This joint resolution
establishes the �Autism and Developmental Disabilities Study Commission,� which
will consist of seven members, including the Commissioner of Health, or the
commissioner�s designee; the Commissioner of Human Services, or the
commissioner�s designee; one member to be appointed by the President of the
Senate; one member to be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; one
member to be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; one member to be
appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly; and one member to be
appointed by the Governor.

���� Under the resolution, the
commission would study how certain organizations, including hospitals, law
enforcement agencies, prosecutors� offices, and courts, train their employees
to identify and interact with people with autism, Down syndrome, and other developmental
disabilities.

���� The members of the commission
are to be appointed within 60 days from the date of enactment of the
resolution, and the commission is to issue a report one year after the date of
its organization.� The commission would submit the report, together with any
recommendations it may have for legislative or regulatory action, to the
Governor and the Legislature, and would dissolve 30 days after the issuance of
its report.