30:1-2.3 - Duties and powers
30:1-2.3. Duties and powers
It shall be the duty of the State Board of Human Services to advance long-range planning and policy for the system of State institutions of medical care, State charitable and relief institutions, training institutions and noninstitutional agencies of the State; establish general policy for the governance of the separate institutions; coordinate the activities of the individual institutions; and maintain general oversight of the State system of institutions. The board shall not administer the department or its individual institutions.
The board shall have power to:
a. Conduct research on institutional needs;
b. Develop with the commissioner and his staff and jointly promulgate and maintain a comprehensive master plan which shall be long-range in nature and be regularly revised and updated, including priorities for the construction of new institutions and the development of new programs;
c. Recommend and advise the commissioner on the establishment of new institutions as required by the master plan, provided that provision is made therefor in the annual or a supplemental or special appropriation act of the Legislature or otherwise;
d. Review and comment upon budget requests from the institutions;
e. Encourage harmonious and cooperative relationships between public and private institutions;
f. Review periodically existing programs of care, training, rehabilitation, research, and public service in the public institutions of this State and other states and as to new developments in the various fields of the department's responsibility and advise such institutions and the commissioner of desirable change;
g. Consult with and make to the commissioner such recommendations as it deems necessary with regard to services, land, buildings, and equipment to be furnished by the department and its institutions;
h. Exercise visitorial supervision over such institutions under the supervision or control of the department; its visitorial general powers of supervision are hereby defined as visiting such institutions to examine into their manner of conducting their affairs and to advise the commissioner on the observance and enforcement of the laws of the State;
i. Review and make recommendations with respect to budget requests to be submitted by the commissioner;
j. Authorize such studies and require such reports from the commissioner as it may deem necessary from time to time; and
k. Make an annual report to the commissioner and the Governor and such other reports as it may deem proper from time to time or as may be requested by the commissioner.
L.1971, c. 384, s. 21, eff. Jan. 5, 1972. Amended by L.1981, c. 115, s. 4, eff. April 8, 1981.