Bill Text: NJ A450 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: "The Domestic Violence and Workforce Development Initiative Act."
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Labor Committee [A450 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A450-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman JOAN M. VOSS
District 38 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Diegnan, Assemblywoman Pou, Assemblymen Scalera, Wisniewski, Conners, Assemblywoman Greenstein, Assemblyman Chivukula, Assemblywoman Quigley, Assemblymen Greenwald, Conaway, McKeon, Biondi, Assemblywomen Stender and Vainieri Huttle
SYNOPSIS
"The Domestic Violence and Workforce Development Initiative Act."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning services provided to victims of domestic violence by the State's workforce development system, amending and supplementing P.L.1979, c.337 and supplementing Title 34 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. (New Section) This act shall be known as "The Domestic Violence and Workforce Development Initiative Act."
2. (New Section) Each counselor who provides counseling pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1992, c.48 (C.34:15B-38), section 7 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-7), or section 3 of P.L.1992, c.47 (C.43:21-59), and any other staff member of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development or of a One Stop Career Center as defined in subsection d. of section 5 of P.L.2004, c.39 (C.34:1A-1.6) who processes unemployment compensation claims and has direct, in person, contact with claimants or who provides counseling or employment services to claimants, shall:
a. Be trained to implement the provisions of this section applicable to the counselor or staff member and to understand and address employment, training, income security, safety and related issues facing individuals who are victims of domestic violence as defined in section 3 of P.L.1991, c.261 (C.2C:25-19);
b. Comply with standards adopted by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation with the Advisory Council on Domestic Violence created pursuant to P.L.1979, c.337 (C.30:14-1 et seq.), regarding the screening or self-screening of each individual receiving any of the indicated counseling or employment services or applying for unemployment compensation, to ascertain whether the individual is a victim of domestic violence;
c. For each individual who is or appears to be a victim of domestic violence, make referrals to services determined to be appropriate in the case of the individual, including, but not limited to, any appropriate referral to a designated domestic violence agency as defined in subsection (j) of R.S.43:21-5 or a community shelter for victims of domestic violence certified pursuant to standards and procedures established by P.L.1979, c.337 (C.30:14-1 et seq.), and disclose the rights that the individual may have to unemployment compensation pursuant to subsection (j) of R.S.43:21-5;
d. Include in any
Employability Development Plan developed
for the individual appropriate accommodations for the individual's needs as a
victim of domestic violence; and
e. Comply with all requirements regarding the confidentiality of the individual, including, as applicable, the requirements of section 4 of P.L.1992, c.48 (C.34:15B-38), section 7 of P.L.1992, c.43 (C.34:15D-7), section 3 of P.L.1992, c.47 (C.43:21-59) and the "Address Confidentiality Program Act," R.S.47:4-1 et seq.
The training conducted pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be conducted by a Certified Domestic Violence Specialist or, if a Certified Domestic Violence Specialist is not available to conduct the training, by another person found by the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, in consultation with the Commissioner of Community Affairs, to have equivalent qualifications and expertise regarding domestic violence issues, based on standards of qualification and expertise developed by the commissioner in consultation with the Advisory Council on Domestic Violence created pursuant to P.L.1979, c.337 (C.30:14-1 et seq.). For the purposes of this section, "Certified Domestic Violence Specialist" means a person who has fulfilled the requirements of certification as a Domestic Violence Specialist established by the New Jersey Association of Domestic Violence Professionals.
3. (New Section) The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development shall, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), and in consultation with the Advisory Council on Domestic Violence created pursuant to P.L.1979, c.337 (C.30:14-1 et seq.) and the Commissioner of Community Affairs, adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of section 2 of this act.
4. Section 4 of P.L.1979, c.337 (C.30:14-4) is amended to read as follows:
4. a. There is created an Advisory Council on Domestic Violence which shall consist of [19] 20 members: the Director of the Division on Women in the Department of Community Affairs, the Director of the Division of Youth and Family Services and the Director of the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services, the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Commissioner of the Department of Education, the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, the Attorney General, or their designees, and one representative of Legal Services of New Jersey, one former domestic violence shelter resident, one representative of the Police Chiefs Association, one representative of the County Prosecutors Association, one representative of the New Jersey State Nurses Association, one representative of the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, one representative of the New Jersey Crime Prevention Officers Association, one representative of the New Jersey Hospital Association, one representative of the Violent Crimes Compensation Board, and four representatives of the New Jersey Coalition for Battered Women to be appointed by the Governor.
b. The advisory council shall:
(1) Monitor the effectiveness of the laws concerning domestic violence and make recommendations for their improvement;
(2) Review proposed legislation governing domestic violence and make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature;
(3) Study the needs, priorities, programs, and policies relating to domestic violence throughout the State; and
(4) Ensure that all service providers and citizens are aware of the needs of and services available to victims of domestic violence and make recommendations for community education and training programs.
c. The advisory council shall periodically advise the Director of the Division of Youth and Family Services in the Department of Human Services and the Director of the Division on Women in the Department of Community Affairs on its activities, findings and recommendations.
(cf: P.L.1987, c.103, s.1)
5. (New Section) The Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Advisory Council on Domestic Violence and the Commissioner of Community Affairs, shall develop a plan for public agencies and other providers of services to victims of domestic violence, including designated domestic violence agencies as defined in subsection (j) of R.S.43:21-5 and community shelters for victims of domestic violence certified pursuant to standards and procedures established by P.L.1979, c.337 (C.30:14-1 et seq.), to increase agency and provider awareness and use of the State's workforce development system to assist victims of domestic violence.
6. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires that job training counselors in the State's workforce development system and other staff who process unemployment insurance claims and have direct contact with claimants or counsel or provide employment services to claimants:
1. Be trained to implement the provisions of the bill and understand and address employment, training, income security, safety and related issues facing victims of domestic violence;
2. Screen each individual receiving the counseling, applying for unemployment compensation, or receiving employment services to ascertain whether the individual is a victim of domestic violence;
3. For each individual found to be a victim of domestic violence, make referrals to services determined to be appropriate for the individual, including referral to a designated domestic violence agency or a community shelter for victims of domestic violence;
4. Disclose the individual's rights concerning unemployment benefits;
5. Include in any Employability Development Plan developed for the individual appropriate accommodations for the individual's needs as a victim of domestic violence; and
6. Comply with all applicable confidentiality requirements, including requirements for address confidentiality.
The Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development is directed to adopt regulations to effectuate the purposes of the bill in consultation with the Advisory Council on Domestic Violence and the Commissioner of Community Affairs. The Commissioner of Human Services is directed to develop a plan, in consultation with the council, for public agencies and other providers of services to victims of domestic violence to increase agency and provider awareness and use of the State's workforce development system.
The bill also makes the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development a member of the Advisory Council on Domestic Violence Act.
