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Bill

S 4093

Requires regional diagnostic and treatment center for child abuse and neglect to establish mobile team to respond to certain hospital requests to perform forensic child abuse examinations.

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Carmen Amato

Establish 24/7 mobile forensic examination teams at regional child abuse centers to respond to hospitals for pediatric cases under 13.

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee
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Bill Summary · S 4093

Summary of Senate Bill S 4093 (New Jersey)

Overview

S 4093 proposes that New Jersey’s regional diagnostic and treatment centers for child abuse and neglect establish mobile forensic teams to respond to hospital requests to perform forensic examinations on pediatric patients. The bill amends existing law governing regional centers (P.L.1998, c.19) and adds new requirements for hospital referrals, staff training, and funding. It aims to standardize and expand access to expert forensic evaluations in suspected child abuse or neglect cases involving children up to age 12.

  • Introduced: January 31, 2025
  • Status: Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (also listed as referred to Judiciary on Jan 31, 2025; again on Feb 3, 2025 for committee consideration)
  • Primary Sponsor: Kevin S. Parker; Co-sponsor: Luis R. Sepúlveda
  • Related/companion bills and prior-session references exist

Purpose and Intent

  • Ensure that regional centers for child abuse and neglect operate 24/7 mobile teams capable of conducting forensic child abuse examinations at requesting hospitals.
  • Improve timely, coordinated care for pediatric victims and strengthen links among hospitals, regional centers, the Department of Children and Families (DCF), and prosecutorial offices.

Key Provisions

Establishment and Operation of Mobile Teams

  • Each regional center must create a mobile team of multidisciplinary professionals to conduct forensic examinations at hospitals.
  • Mobile teams must be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
  • The Commissioner of Children and Families, with input from the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, determines the required staff mix for each mobile team.
  • Hospitals must contact the center associated with their county to request a forensic examination for a pediatric patient, to be performed by the center’s mobile team at the hospital.

Eligibility for Forensic Examinations

  • A hospital must request a forensic child abuse evaluation if the patient is under 13 and: 1) The patient was referred by a school nurse, pediatrician, health care provider, parent, or relative for suspected abuse/neglect, and the alleged perpetrator is a caregiver; or 2) The patient has an injury inconsistent with the provided account or with typical developmental activity, and the alleged perpetrator is a caregiver.

Hospital Training and Reporting

  • Hospitals must ensure all emergency department staff participate in a DCF-Attorney General-approved training program on identification and reporting of diagnosed or suspected child abuse/neglect.
  • Training is required upon employment and annually thereafter.

Intake, Referral, and Case Tracking

  • Centers must develop intake/referral/case tracking processes to coordinate with the division and prosecutorial offices and to ensure timely diagnostic and treatment services for child victims.
  • A hospital contact method must be established to request mobile team services 24/7.

Funding

  • An appropriation from the General Fund to DCF, to be distributed to regional centers, to cover the establishment and operation of mobile teams.

Effective Date

  • Enactment would take effect 180 days after enactment, with possible anticipatory administrative action by the Commissioner of Children and Families to implement provisions sooner.

Affected Parties

  • Regional diagnostic and treatment centers for child abuse and neglect (center staff, administrators)
  • Hospitals and emergency department personnel
  • Pediatric patients under age 13 undergoing suspected abuse/neglect investigations
  • Parents, relatives, school nurses, pediatricians, and other referring health providers
  • Department of Children and Families
  • New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Prosecutors and county offices

Procedural/Hearing Timeline

  • Introduced: Jan 31, 2025
  • Referred to Judiciary and subsequently to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (late January/early February 2025)

Notes

  • Related bills and prior-session references (e.g., S 671, S 2847, A 5300 companion) may be relevant for gauging broader policy context or ongoing reform efforts in child abuse response services.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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