This bill establishes oversight and qualifications for peer recovery specialists in New Jersey, defining them as individuals who provide services based on their lived experience with substance use disorder or mental health issues. The Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs is tasked with determining certification standards, evaluating applicants, conducting hearings, setting processing fees, and addressing other necessary oversight items. The bill also outlines specific prohibitions for certified peer recovery specialists, including conflicts of interest in personal relationships and exploitation of peer relationships for personal gain.

Furthermore, the bill clarifies that it does not restrict individuals from providing self-help or uncompensated counseling services, nor does it apply to designated employees of private employers, clergy performing ministerial duties, students or interns in counseling programs, or licensed professionals acting within their scope of practice. The Director is required to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the provisions of the act, which will take effect 13 months after its enactment.