Joseph Vitale

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Joseph F. Vitale and John A. Girgenti that would revise the circumstances under which juveniles who have been arrested can be placed in county juvenile detention centers has received final legislative approval.

“There is something wrong when a kid who steals a bicycle is locked up beside a juvenile sex offender,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “This measure would help find other placement for juvenile offenders who commit less serious crimes. These kids should be held responsible for their actions, but they shouldn’t be placed with kids who have been charged with committing more harsh offenses.”

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale, to clarify minors’ rights to consent to medical treatment for STDs and HIV/AIDS, was approved by the full Senate today.

“Health care providers sometimes have a difficult time providing medical care to minors because the rules about consent can hinder teens from coming forward to receive medical treatment,” said Senator Vitale, Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “By lowering the minimum age for confidential consent to medical treatment to 13 years old, we are allowing for more minors to feel comfortable getting necessary treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. The bill gives doctors the opportunity to do their job and make New Jerseyans healthy.”

TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, the prime sponsor of legislation to remove the legal protection for charities that negligently put children in harm’s way by hiding sexual predators within the institutional framework of the charity, issued the following statement on its passage today in the Senate by a vote of 34-1, receiving final legislative approval:

“Today, we are one step closer to having true justice for the victims of sexual abuse who have had to suffer because of the deceitful and negligent actions of charities that have turned a blind eye towards sexual predators in their midst.

TRENTON – The Senate approved legislation today sponsored by Senators Joseph Vitale and Barbara Buono that would set out specific guidelines for health insurance providers to follow in authorizing the delivery and payment of health care services by doctors and hospitals.

“For doctors, these new standards will provide the certainty they need to effectively provide care,” said Senator Buono, D-Middlesex. “Currently, if a patient can’t wait the days or weeks it may take their insurance provider to make a decision on treatment, the doctor or hospital caring for the patient is forced to provide the care. They hope the treatment will be eventually authorized, but it is most definitely a gamble, as it is the health care provider stuck footing the bill if authorization is not provided.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would amend the State’s charitable immunity clause to allow sexual assault victims to sue charitable organizations when those organizations negligently hired or retained in their employment a sexual predator, was approved today by the Assembly by a vote of 63-5, with 9 abstentions.

“This is a victory that’s been a long time coming for the victims and their families who have had to live through the nightmare of sexual abuse,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “For too long, we’ve given charitable organizations a shield from litigation, even when the charity has negligently put the lives and psychological well-being of children at risk. Now, we are one step away from justice for those who have suffered long enough.

TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, today released the following statement regarding today’s scheduled Assembly vote on S-540, the which modifies the Charitable Immunity Act:

“For the past year and a half, the men and women standing here today, along with countless others, have worked tirelessly to create legislation that will finally give all victims of childhood sexual abuse the right to hold those responsible for those crimes accountable, no matter when the abuse occurred. Today that hard work comes to an end as the General Assembly votes to give the bill final approval.

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would enact a number of protections for gift card consumers, including a provision requiring that gift cards could not expire within a two-year period after purchase, was approved by the Assembly today, receiving final legislative approval.

“During this time of year, the need for a bill like this is never more apparent,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “Tis the season for gift-giving, but we want to have protections in place so that, even though it’s the thought moreso than anything that counts, we don’t gyp people who receive gift cards this holiday season. This bill would ensure that the value of a gift cannot decay due to arbitrary deadlines set by the retailers.”