The bill aims to improve the involuntary commitment process for individuals needing mental health treatment in New Jersey by requiring the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health to conduct a joint study on the challenges of placing individuals in appropriate treatment settings. This study will focus on the supply and demand for both involuntary and voluntary commitment beds, with findings and legislative recommendations to be reported to the Governor and Legislature within 18 months. A follow-up study is also mandated by April 30, 2026, to provide a more detailed analysis of mental health bed availability and the effectiveness of the state's Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services system.

Additionally, the bill introduces temporary licensing provisions for hospitals to accommodate involuntary commitment patients and outlines procedures for detaining individuals in short-term care facilities without a court order for up to 72 hours. Hospitals will be required to submit quarterly reports on individuals held beyond this limit. The bill also enhances the accessibility of information related to the development of a data dashboard report, mandating that specific information be displayed on the Department's website and made available through the Statewide 2-1-1 telephone system. Until the dashboard is fully developed, facilities must display relevant information on their own websites and update it daily. The act is effective immediately upon approval, which occurred on July 22, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 30:4-27.9
Advance Law: 30:4-27.3, 30:4-27.9, 30:4-177.66
Pamphlet Law: 30:4-27.3, 30:4-27.9, 30:4-177.66