44:10-16. County planning committees

The Commissioner of Human Services shall establish the REACH program on a county-by-county basis according to a program implementation plan specifically designed to meet the needs of each county.

a. The commissioner shall establish a REACH planning committee in each county to determine the most effective way to plan and organize services in that county. The planning committee shall, at a minimum, include the following as voting members: the director of the county welfare agency; a representative of the board of chosen freeholders; a representative of the local Private Industry Council of the service delivery area established pursuant to the "Job Training Partnership Act," Pub.L. 97-300 (29 U.S.C. s. 1501 et al.), or of a successor entity as may be provided by federal law; and the chairperson of the county Human Services Advisory Council. The planning committee may also include as voting members the following: a representative of the local community college; a representative of the county vocational school; a representative of private business or industry in that county; two or more recipients of aid to families with dependent children residing in that county, whose costs of participation in the planning committee shall be borne by the REACH program; county residents who represent the nonprofit and religious communities in the county; and other agencies of the county government, as appropriate. In addition, the planning committee shall include as nonvoting members representatives of the following agencies: the Division of Public Welfare in the Department of Human Services, the Division of Employment Services in the Department of Labor, the Bureau of Adult Education in the Department of Education, the Division of Housing and Development in the Department of Community Affairs and the county representative of the Department of Human Services.

b. The committee shall develop a program implementation plan for the county which shall ensure that training, education and employment services provided by the REACH program in that county reflect local needs and resources and that supportive services provided to program participants utilize existing local arrangements wherever possible. The plan shall also designate a county agency to administer the REACH program in the county and to report to the commissioner on program implementation and effectiveness according to criteria and standards established by the commissioner.

c. Pursuant to the provisions of the program implementation plan, the commissioner may contract with a county government for the provision of some or all of the services under the REACH program or provide them directly.

d. The commissioner shall reimburse a county for 100% of the reasonable costs associated with administration of the REACH program and program services which are not reimbursed by the federal government.

L. 1987, c. 282, s. 8; per s.11 as amended by s.15 of 1991, c.523, expired July 1, 1995.