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TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg which would require the Department of Human Services (DHS) to conduct a follow-up study on the well-being of all former residents of the North Princeton Developmental Center, which was closed in 1998, was approved by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee today by a vote of 9-0 with one abstention.

“With the former residents of the North Princeton Developmental Center, we have a unique opportunity to study the impact that closure and relocation of residents in our State’s developmental centers has on their overall well-being,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen. “Certainly, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment option for individuals with developmental disabilities, but we want to make sure we’re adequately funding the programs that these individuals depend on, whether that’s in the community residential setting or in one of the remaining developmental centers in the State. Having a historic perspective of how former residents at North Princeton are faring, 14 years out, would give the State some perspective in our current policy decisions regarding care for people living with developmental disabilities.”