A 5236

[First Reprint]
ASSEMBLY, No. 5236
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED JUNE 8, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman� ANDREA KATZ
District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)
Assemblywoman� LINDA S. CARTER
District 22 (Somerset and Union)
Assemblyman� JAMES J. KENNEDY
District 22 (Somerset and Union)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Verrelli and Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires DCF to strengthen Statewide pediatric
psychiatry and behavioral health care services for children and families.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As reported by the Assembly Budget Committee on June
28, 2026, with amendments.
��
An Act concerning children�s behavioral health and
access to pediatric psychiatry services and supplementing Title 30 of the
Revised Statutes.
���� Be It
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1. �1a.1 �The
Department of Children and Families shall be responsible for overseeing and
implementing policies and procedures to strengthen Statewide pediatric
psychiatry and behavioral health care services for children and their
families.� In implementing the policies and procedures prescribed in this
section, the department shall:
���� 1[a.� expand] (1) Complete
an evaluation of the current services provided by the contracted entity for the
Child Collaborative Mental Health Care Program (CCMHCP) to collect information
on process and outcomes with clear performance measures of1 the
services provided by the 1[New Jersey
Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative (NJPPC)]
department�s contracted entity for the CCMHCP1 to
better support pediatricians who are members of the 1[NJPPC] CCMHCP1 in
delivering ongoing longitudinal behavioral health care within primary care
settings and building pediatric and family medicine practice autonomy to
provide quality behavioral health care for children and their families.� The
expansion of services to pediatric primary care physicians who are members of
the 1[NJPPC] CCMHCP1 shall
include, but not be limited to:
���� 1[(1)] (a)1
increased access to telepsychiatry services to facilitate:
���� 1[(a)] (i)1 virtual
psychiatric consultations;
���� 1[(b)] (ii)1 the
acquisition of telehealth equipment for 1[NJPPC] CCMHCP1 member
offices;
���� 1[(c)] (iii)1
guidance from, and consultation with, 1[NJPPC] CCMHCP1 child
and adolescent psychiatrists in providing real-time psychiatric care to address
a patient�s psychiatric or behavioral health care needs;
���� 1[(d)] (iv)1 patient
and family-centered approach for improved patient engagement, care
coordination, and clinical outcomes; and
���� 1[(e)] (v)1 patient
choice by improving the availability of psychiatric services in the offices of
pediatric primary care physicians or a patient�s home; 1[and
���� (2)] (b)1 the
development of structured consultation, follow-up support, clinical guidance,
and intake and referral services provided by 1[NJPPC] CCMHCP1 child
and adolescent 1[psychiatrist] psychiatrist1 and behavioral
health staff that enable pediatric primary care physicians who are members of
the 1[NJPPC] CCMHCP1 �to
initiate, adjust, and manage the treatment of patients; 1; and
���� (c) the establishment of a
requirement that CCMHCP provides medical education via case-based learning
collaboratives to address gaps in professional knowledge and skills relating to
psychotropic medication management, side effect monitoring, co-occurring
conditions, and care for youth with more complex presentations of psychiatric
conditions;1
���� 1[b.� in] (2) In1
consultation with the Department of Banking and Insurance, the Department of
Health, and the Department of Human Services, analyze and recommend adjustments
to payment structures and reimbursement rates for pediatric primary care
physicians providing pediatric psychiatry and behavioral care health services,
including, but not limited to, increased rates for prolonged office visits, the
provision of care coordination, and consultation and training activities;
���� 1[c.� increase] (3)
Increase1
transparency and accountability within 1[PerformCare or
other future]1
contracted system administrators by:
���� 1[(1)] (a)1 including
target performance measures relating to the provision of services in all
contract agreements entered into with 1[PerformCare or
other future]1
contracted system administrators, including, but not limited to, response
times, wait times, referral outcomes, service utilization, and family
experience upon which 1[PerformCare,
or other future contract]
contracted1
system administrators shall be assessed;
���� 1[(2)] (b)1 making
available to the public, upon request, the results and the analysis of all
target performance measures included in all future contracts pursuant to 1subparagraph
(a) of1
paragraph 1[(1)] (3)1 of this
subsection;
���� 1[(3)] (c)1
conducting periodic, independent evaluations of the existing contract agreement
entered into with 1[PerformCare] contracted
system administrators1
relating to its performance under the terms of the contract; and
���� 1[(4)] (d)1
establishing a regularly scheduled bidding process promoting competition,
accountability, transparency, and quality of services for agencies and
organizations interested in contracting with the division to become a
contracted system administrator1[;] .1
���� 1[d.� establish
a public awareness campaign to inform and educate the public, in a clear,
comprehensive, and family-friendly manner, about the services provided by the
Division of Children�s System of Care in the Department of Children and
Families and how to access such services through PerformCare.� The public
awareness campaign shall:
���� (1) prepare and make available
in print, in multiple languages, including, but not limited to, English and
Spanish, and in a manner that is easily understandable by individuals eligible
to receive services through the division, materials containing the information
included in the campaign established in this subsection;
���� (2) include an explanation of
the full range of moderate and high- acuity behavioral health care services
available through the division, and lower acuity and outpatient services
offered through outpatient providers affiliated with PerformCare; and
���� (3) distribute the materials
printed pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection to schools, the offices of
pediatric primary care physicians, pediatric behavioral health care programs,
health care facilities, hospital emergency departments, and community-based
organizations specializing in pediatric and adolescent behavioral health care
services; and
���� e.� in consultation with the] b.� (1)
The1
Department of Health1,
in consultation with the Department of Children and Families, the Division of
Consumer Affairs in the Office of the Attorney General,1 and the
Department of Human Services 1shall1:
���� 1[(1)] (a)1 require
health care facilities, pediatric primary care physicians, hospital emergency
departments, and pediatric behavioral health care programs 1that
use electronic health records1
to report standardized data on the:
���� 1[(a)] (i)1 number
of inpatient hospital, pediatric primary care office, or hospital emergency
room visits, or referrals from pediatric behavioral health care programs to a
hospital, office, or emergency room for children seeking pediatric psychiatry
or behavioral health care services, and the number of children who are admitted
to an inpatient hospital as a result of such visits or referrals;
���� 1[(b)] (ii)1 length
of stay at an inpatient hospital for children seeking pediatric psychiatry or
behavioral health care services;
���� 1[(c)] (iii)1 length
of stay at an inpatient hospital for children seeking pediatric psychiatry or
behavioral health care services who are clinically ready for discharge;
���� 1[(d)] (iv)1 number
of children seeking pediatric psychiatry or behavioral health care services
whose placement outside the home for continued treatment after being discharged
from an inpatient hospital has been delayed because no appropriate alternative
placement can be found; and
���� 1[(e)] (v)1 number
of children seeking pediatric psychiatry or behavioral health care services who
are transferred to out-of-state behavioral health care facilities for continued
treatment after being discharged from an inpatient hospital; and
���� 1[(2)] (b)1
collect, compile, and analyze the standardized data reported by health care
facilities, pediatric primary care physicians, hospital emergency departments,
and pediatric behavioral health care programs pursuant to paragraph (1) of this
subsection1,
which shall be publicly reported by the respective agencies1 to
guide service delivery planning, identify service gaps, prioritize capacity
development, and support policy and funding decisions to expand access to
pediatric psychiatry and behavioral health care services including, but not
limited to, out of home placements.
���� 1(2)
To effectuate the provisions of this subsection, the Department of Health, in
consultation with, the Department of Children and Families, the Division of
Consumer Affairs, and the Department of Human Services, may define data
elements and issue standardized definitions to guide the reporting of data
required pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection.
���� (3) Should an entity
required to report data pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection violate a
provision of this subsection, the Department of Health, the Department of
Children and Families, the Division of Consumer Affairs, and the Department of
Human Services, depending upon which department or division has regulatory
authority over the entity in question, may, upon notice and hearing, assess a
penalty in an amount of at least $100 but not more than $500 for each day the
entity is in violation of this subsection. �The penalty may be recovered in a
summary proceeding pursuant to "The Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,"
P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).1
���� 1[f.] c.1� As
defined in this section:
���� 1�Child
Collaborative Mental Health Care Program� or �CCMHCP� means the Statewide
initiative funded by the Department of Children and Families to improve access
to psychiatric or behavioral health care treatment for children who are under
the care of a pediatric primary care physician and their families.1
���� �Contracted system
administrator� means an entity contracted by the Department Children and
Families to provide utilization and care coordination management to children
and their families receiving behavioral health care and other support services
through the Division of Children�s System of Care.
���� 1[�High acuity
services� means behavioral health care services provided to a patient to
address severe and complex psychological disorders that require intense and
immediate interventions.� High acuity services include, but are not limited to,
acute inpatient hospitalization, medication management, and therapeutic
interventions.
���� �Low acuity services� means
behavioral health care and support services provided to a patient who has mild
behavioral health care needs to help the patient manage their symptoms and
improve their functioning without the need of intense interventions.� Low
acuity services include, but are not limited to, therapy, counseling, and other
behavioral health care supports.
���� �Moderate acuity services�
means behavioral health care services provided to a patient who has moderate
behavioral health care needs to support and treat the patient in a manner less
restrictive than acute inpatient hospitalization.� Moderate acuity services,
include, but are not limited to, crisis intervention, medication support, and
therapy.
���� �New Jersey Pediatric
Psychiatry Collaborative� or �NJPPC� means the Statewide initiative funded by
the Department of Children and Families to improve access to psychiatric or
behavioral health care treatment for children who are under the care of a pediatric
primary care physician and their families.
���� �PerformCare� means the system
administrator contracted by the Department of Children and Families to provide
a family-centered, community-focused single point of entry for eligible
children and their families to the Division of Children�s System of Care in
order to access State-funded behavioral health care, substance use treatment,
or developmental disability services.]1
���� 2.� a.� No later than 12
months after the date of enactment of this act, the Department of� Children and
Families shall submit to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991,
c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature a report on 1[the materials
prepared pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection d. and]1
the standardized data collected pursuant to 1sub-subparagraph (i) of1 subparagraph
(a) of paragraph (1) of subsection 1[e.] b.1 of
section 1 of this act.
���� b.� The department shall make
the report submitted to the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to subsection
a. of this section available to the public on the Department of Children and
Families' Internet website.
���� 3.� Pursuant to the
"Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.),
the Department of Children and Families 1and
the Department of Health1
shall adopt any rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of
this act.
���� 4.� This act shall take effect
on the first day of the 1[six] sixth1 month
next following enactment.