This bill proposes a supplemental appropriation of $1.5 million from the General Fund to support the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. Specifically, it allocates $1 million to the Department of Health for the Pledge to Connect Program, which aims to connect patients with behavioral health needs in emergency departments to community-based outpatient care. Additionally, it designates $500,000 to the Department of Community Affairs for the Housing First Program, which provides permanent housing and wraparound services to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

The bill includes new legal language designating these funds as "Grants-in-Aid" for both the Department of Health and the Department of Community Affairs. The Pledge to Connect Program and the Housing First Program are critical initiatives aimed at addressing behavioral health and homelessness issues in Camden, respectively. This supplemental funding is particularly significant as it marks the first fiscal year in recent history that these programs have not received state support through the annual appropriations act.