New Jersey Senate Bill S2727

New Jersey 2022-2023 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/26/22
• Refer: 5/26/22
• Report Pass: 1/19/23

Caption

Requires reporting of certain attempted and completed suicides by minors.

Impact

The implications of S2727 are significant as it seeks to create a systematic approach to understand the prevalence and nature of youth suicide in the state. By collecting detailed statistics—including the age, ethnicity, gender, and race of minors involved in such incidents, as well as the drugs used—the state could gain insights necessary for developing effective prevention strategies and health policies tailored to the youth demographic. This data-driven approach is expected to inform future mental health initiatives and resources for minors.

Summary

Senate Bill 2727, introduced in New Jersey, aims to enhance the state's capability to address youth suicide by mandating hospitals to report specific data regarding attempted and completed suicides involving minors. The focus is primarily on incidents where drugs are involved in these suicide attempts or completions. The bill requires hospitals to report annually to the New Jersey Poison Control Center, which will compile the data and present an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature.

Contention

While the bill is seen as a critical step towards addressing a public health crisis, there may be contention regarding privacy concerns. The legislation emphasizes that personal identification data and any private health information collected during these reports shall not be disclosed unless legally required. This stipulation raises discussions among stakeholders about the balance between necessary data collection for public health and the rights of minors and their families to privacy. Opponents might voice apprehensions about potential stigmatization or misuse of the data collected.