New Jersey-2020-AJR164-Introduced

A Joint Resolution establishing the "Autism and Mental Disorders 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 Mental Disorders 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 mental disorders.

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. 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 to its for its purposes. 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 it may deem necessary in order to perform its duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for its purposes. 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 it may conduct public hearings at such place or places as the chairperson shall designate.

e. 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 final report.

f. As used in this section:

"Autism" means any one of the several conditions classified under pervasive developmental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM IV-TR) or the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-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 Mental Disorders 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 mental disorders.

The members of the commission are to be appointed within 60 days from the 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 final report.