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--- version:Introduced
+++ version:Statement
@@ -1,105 +1,44 @@
+SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR
+CITIZENS COMMITTEE
+
+STATEMENT TO
+
 SENATE, No. 3285
+
 STATE OF NEW JERSEY
-222nd LEGISLATURE
 
-INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 2, 2026
+DATED:  FEBRUARY 9, 2026
 
-Sponsored by:
-Senator  M. TERESA RUIZ
-District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
-
-SYNOPSIS
- Requires various State departments to provide linkages to information on
-“baby boxes” and safe sleep education on their websites.
-
-CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
- As introduced.
-
-S3285 RUIZ
-2
-
-AN ACT concerning safe sleep education and supplementing Title 9 1
-of the Revised Statutes.  2
- 3
- BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 4
-of New Jersey:  5
- 6
- 1. a.  The Department of Children and Families shall prepare 7
-and make available on the department’s Internet website, in an 8
-easily printable format, information on the  program providing 9
-“baby boxes” and safe sleep education to expecting and new 10
-parents.  The department shall update the information whenever 11
-new information about the program becomes available . 12
- b. The department shall post a website link  to the  program 13
-providing  the “baby boxes” and safe sleep education on its Internet 14
-website, and shall ensure that the link is easily accessible to the 15
-public, is prominently displayed on the website, and is updated as 16
-necessary.  17
- c. The department shall ensure, in consultation with the 18
-Departments of Health, Human Services, and Education, and, as 19
-deemed appropriate by the Department of Children and Families, in 20
-consultation with any other State department that provides services 21
-to parents or children , that: 22
- (1) the information posted on its website pursuant to subsection 23
-a. of this section is also made available on the websites of the 24
-Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, the 25
-Department of Education, and any other appropriate State 26
-department that provides services to parents or children , and is 27
-updated as necessary; and  28
- (2) a website link to the program  providing “baby boxes” and 29
-safe sleep education is posted to the websites of the Department of 30
-Health, the Department of Human Services, the Department of 31
-Education, and any other appropriate State department that provides 32
-services to parents or children , and is updated as necessary.  33
- d. As used in this section, “baby box” means a box made of 34
-durable cardboard, filled with essential items for newborns and 35
-expecting and new parents, such as diapers, baby wipes, and 36
-information on safe sleep techniques, that can serve as a safe sleep 37
-environment for the first few months of an infant’s life, and meets 38
-all applicable tenets of the bassinet standard established by the 39
-United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.  40
- 41
- 2. The Department of Children and Families, pursuant to the 42
-"Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B -43
-1 et seq.) shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the 44
-purposes of this act.  45
- 46
- 3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month 47
-following enactment.  48
-
-S3285 RUIZ
-3
-
-STATEMENT  1
- 2
- This bill mandates that the Department of Children and Families 3
-(DCF) prepare and make available on its Internet website, in an 4
-easily printable format, information on the program providing 5
-“baby boxes” and safe sleep education to expecting and new 6
-parents.  DCF would update the information whenever new 7
-information on the program becomes available.  8
- DCF would also be required to post a website link to the program 9
-providing the “baby boxes” and safe sleep education on its website, 10
-and ensure that the link is easily accessible to the public, 11
-prominently displayed on the website, and updated as necessary.  12
- As used in bill, “baby box” means a box made of durable 13
-cardboard, filled with essential items for newborns and expecting 14
-and new parents, such as diapers, baby wipes, and information on 15
-safe sleep techniques, that can serve as a safe sleep environment for 16
-the first few months of an infant’s life, and meets all applicable 17
-tenets of the bassinet standard established by the United States 18
-Consumer Product Safety Commission.  19
- The bill stipulates that DCF would ensure, in consultation with 20
-all other State departments, that the information posted on its 21
-website is made available, and the website link to the program 22
-providing the “baby boxes” and safe sleep education is posted on 23
-the website of every State department, and is updated as necessary.  24
- “Baby boxes” are made of durable cardboard, filled with 25
-essential items for newborns, such as diapers and baby wipes, and 26
-are large enough to serve as a crib for the first few months of an 27
-infant’s life.  28
- New Jersey’s program, a partnership between the State’s Child 29
-Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board and The Baby Box 30
-Company, provides all expecting and new parents with a free “baby 31
-box” after the parents complete an online parenting education 32
-course. 33
+ The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens
+Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 3285.
+ This bill mandates that the Department of Children and Families
+(DCF) prepare and make available on its Internet website, in an
+easily printable format, information on the program providing
+“baby boxes” and safe sleep education to expecting and new
+parents.  DCF would update the information whenever new
+information on the program becomes available.
+ DCF would also be required to post a website link to the program
+providing the “baby boxes” and safe sleep education on its website,
+and ensure that the link is easily accessible to the public,
+prominently displayed on the website, and updated as necessary.
+ As used in bill, “baby box” means a box made of durable
+cardboard, filled with essential items for newborns and expecting
+and new parents, such as diapers, baby wipes, and information on
+safe sleep techniques, that can serve as a safe sleep environment for
+the first few months of an infant’s life, and meets all applicable
+tenets of the bassinet standard established by the United States
+Consumer Product Safety Commission.
+ The bill stipulates that DCF would ensure, in consultation with
+all other State departments, that the information posted on its
+website is made available, and the website link to the program
+providing the “baby boxes” and safe sleep education is posted on
+the website of every State department, and is updated as necessary.
+ “Baby boxes” are made of durable cardboard, filled with
+essential items for newborns, such as diapers and baby wipes, and
+are large enough to serve as a crib for the first few months of an
+infant’s life.
+ New Jersey’s program, a partnership between the State’s Child
+Fatality and Near Fatality Review Board and The Baby Box
+Company, provides all expecting and new parents with a free “baby
+box” after the parents complete an online parenting education
+course.