New Jersey § 30:1-1

§ 30:1-1.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares that: a. Publicly financed mental health, behavioral health, and addiction services are

critical to the health, safety, and well-being of the people of New Jersey, and comprise

an integral and essential component of the State's health and safety network in which

the taxpayers invest significant resources and public funds. b. The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic devastation resulting from its outbreak

has, and will continue to cause, increased demand for the public provision of these

services. Periods of economic shock, insecurity, social isolation, and pandemics increase

demand for and reliance on these essential services funded or administered by the

State. c. The Legislature intends to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of essential mental

health, behavioral health, and addiction services to its most vulnerable citizens

and to ensure such services are delivered efficiently. The State has a proprietary interest in ensuring efficiency and quality in the delivery

of these services through licensed community-based organizations and providers, with

which the State contracts through the Department of Human Services and the Department

of Children and Families. The State's proprietary interest in these services includes ensuring their uninterrupted

delivery by contracted providers licensed by the State. d. The COVID-19 pandemic forces recognition of the significant health and safety risks

undertaken by the individuals who provide these essential health services to the public

on behalf of the State. The State has a responsibility to ensure the resources it provides to community-based

organizations and providers with which it contracts support the safety of the employees

and recipients of these services. e. In administering its mental health, behavioral health, and addiction services public

health program, it is in the State's interest to ensure the individuals who are employed

to deliver the services are entitled to raise concerns, issues, and problems, and

have full exercise of their liberty of speech and conscience without fear of reprisal

or retaliation. f. The aforementioned interests are best accomplished by requiring all contracts renewed

or entered into after the effective date of this act between providers and the State,

acting through the Department of Human Services' Division of Mental Health and Addiction

Services and Department of Children and Families for the provision and delivery of

behavioral health, mental health, and addiction services to require: (1) adoption and adherence to a policy sufficient to ensure service providers and

service recipients are protected from infection and the spread of COVID-19; and (2) certification of a commitment to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of services

caused by labor-management disputes.