MY PLEDGE

New Jersey’s Commitment to Community 

We Are Not Going Back

NJACP Election Update 

Another Election Day is complete, and New Jersey’s congressional delegation will look significantly different when the 120th Congress convenes in January 2027.

As of this week, election reporting remains unofficial while counties complete the counting and certification process. The major takeaway for New Jersey is a substantial shift in its U.S. House delegation, with Democratic candidates winning 11 of the state’s 12 House seats and Rep. Chris Smith (R-4) the sole Republican member of the delegation. Democrats flipped two Republican-held seats, with Zack Mullock defeating Rep. Jeff Van Drew in the 2nd District and Rebecca Bennett defeating Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in the 7th District. Sen. Cory Booker also won reelection. Sen. Andy Kim was not on the ballot this year.

Why this matters to IDD providers

For NJACP members, the most important story is not simply which party won. It is how New Jersey’s delegation will approach Medicaid, Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), federal disability policy, appropriations, and the direct support workforce.

Medicaid is the primary public funding source supporting HCBS for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Decisions made in Washington can directly affect New Jersey’s ability to maintain community services, provider reimbursement, workforce capacity, and the progress the state has made toward community inclusion.

NJACP will therefore be focused on educating both returning and newly elected members about the IDD service system and building relationships with the new delegation. Our priorities will include:

• Protecting Medicaid and HCBS funding and opposing policies that shift unsustainable costs to states or reduce access to community services.
• Strengthening the Direct Support Professional workforce and supporting policies that help providers recruit and retain qualified staff.
• Protecting choice, independence and community living for individuals with IDD.
• Ensuring federal regulatory and program-integrity requirements do not unintentionally reduce access to services or impose unfunded burdens on community providers.
• Supporting adequate federal investment in the services and infrastructure that allow individuals with IDD to live, work and participate in their communities.

New Jersey’s Delegation



U.S. Senate

• Cory Booker (D) won reelection and will return for another term.
• Andy Kim (D) continues to serve in the Senate and was not up for election in 2026.

U.S. House

• District 1: Donald Norcross (D), reelected
• District 2: Zack Mullock (D), newly elected
• District 3: Herb Conaway (D), reelected
• District 4: Chris Smith (R), reelected
• District 5: Josh Gottheimer (D), reelected
• District 6: Frank Pallone (D), reelected
• District 7: Rebecca Bennett (D), newly elected
• District 8: Rob Menendez (D), reelected
• District 9: Nellie Pou (D), reelected
• District 10: LaMonica McIver (D), reelected
• District 11: Analilia Mejia (D), elected to her first full term after previously winning a special election
• District 12: Adam Hamawy (D), newly elected

Several members could be especially important to disability and healthcare policy because of their experience or committee work. Rep. Frank Pallone has longstanding experience on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid and many healthcare issues, and it is anticipated he will Chair the committee. Rep. Rob Menendez has also served on Energy and Commerce. Rep. Chris Smith has a long record of work involving autism and disability issues. Committee assignments and leadership positions for the new Congress will be important to watch as they are finalized.

For newly elected members Zack Mullock, Rebecca Bennett and Adam Hamawy, the coming months provide an important opportunity for NJACP and our members to introduce them to community providers, the individuals and families they support, and the workforce challenges facing the IDD system.

NJACP congratulates all those elected to serve New Jersey and thanks departing members for their public service. Regardless of party, our message to the new Congress will remain consistent: protect Medicaid and HCBS, strengthen the workforce, preserve community living and ensure that individuals with IDD continue to have access to the services and supports they need.

NJACP looks forward to working with the entire New Jersey delegation in the 120th Congress.

What can members do NOW?

• Members who have relationships with any of the elected above, please reach out to Maureen Shea at mshea@njacp.org. Because of the momentous decisions made at the federal level, it is critical that NJACP continues to keep its eye on Medicaid policy as well as HCBS policy. Having federal coordinators assist with NJACP’s federal relationships can only help us ensure our presence is in Washington as well as statewide. We look forward to working with you to host a site visit, a meeting, in-person or virtual, whatever works for you, as we begin to strengthen our federal relationships.

• Support the SOC bill that urges the federal Office of Management and Budget to create a separate standard occupational classification for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). The farther along this bill is in the process, despite Congress winding down to its “lame duck” session (the period between Election Day and the new 120th Congress in January), the more pressure on the administration to consider the issue.

TAKE ACTION HERE

As always, thank you for your advocacy, and please do not hesitate to reach out with questions.

WE NEED YOUR VOICE!

Every Medicaid funded service will be competing for the same funding source and to ensure people with IDD can continue to reside and establish lives in the community as well as those still waiting – over 5,000 on the residential services waiting list alone – we must be heard loud and clear: NO CUTS to funding for IDD services and supports.

Sign language and captioning will be provided. Please note any other accommodation requests when signing up.

To accommodate as many speakers as possible verbal testimony is limited to 3 minutes.

NJACP will provide talking points and sample testimony closer to the hearing date.

CAMERAS FOR GROUP HOMES

FACTS MATTER.

Safety matters. Funding matters. Staffing matters. Choice matters.

With the Legislature back in session, A-2705, which would mandate cameras in certain group homes, continues to receive attention.

NJACP recognizes that the bill's sponsors and supporters are motivated by concerns about the safety of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). However, a statewide camera mandate is neither person-centered nor consistent with a person-centered system of community-based services.

NJACP does not oppose cameras. In fact, approximately 40% of NJACP members already use them where appropriate, based on individual needs, family preferences, human rights review, and DDD approval. Many of our members installed cameras when there was additional funding in the system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, twin threats of federal Medicaid funding and new requirements in New Jersey to fine providers and the rise in the costs of so many expenses that homeowners also face will threaten quality. Inflation in the last decade rose 32% but provider across the board rate increases totaled 3.25%. Agencies have been covering these costs increases as best as possible, parallel with all New Jersey residents.

Our concern is also with the provisions in the legislation and a mandate when there is already a process in place.

Key issues include

• Choice, consent, and privacy: Individuals and families who want a home with cameras can already choose one. A mandate risks removing meaningful choice and must be considered alongside CMS requirements for consent, privacy and person-centered HCBS.

• Prevention vs. investigation: Members using cameras consistently report that cameras can be valuable investigative tools, but they do not prevent abuse or neglect. Our system must remain focused first and foremost on prevention.

• Cost and liability: Camera systems require significant investment in equipment, IT, licensing, maintenance, footage retention, additional staffing and regulatory compliance. Installation alone can cost 15,000-25,000 per home, with substantial ongoing costs.

• Community based services are not institutional services: Comparisons to camera use in nursing homes are misplaced. Group homes are intended to support individuals living integrated, person-centered lives in the community.

• Agency quality cannot be measured by cameras: The suggestion that only "good" providers use cameras ignores the individualized nature of IDD services and the regulatory responsibilities providers already meet.

NJACP believes camera footage should not be distributed directly by provider agencies to families or individuals. Any required release of footage should occur through the appropriate state agency to protect privacy, confidentiality and providers from unnecessary liability.

NJACP Testifies on Camera Bill

NJACP CEO Libby Vinson testified in opposition to A-2705, the “camera bill,” during a recent Assembly Health Infrastructure Committee discussion. The bill would require certain group homes to install electronic monitoring devices in common areas. No vote was taken.

NJACP has opposed this legislation for more than a decade and continues to advocate for changes that protect choice, consent and the resources needed to provide quality services.

Key concerns raised in testimony:

Consent: The bill does not address situations where an individual does not consent to cameras or protect individuals from retaliation. Without those protections, people who have lived in their homes for decades could potentially be forced to leave. These are homes, not institutions.

Choice: If cameras become the norm across the system, individuals’ ability to choose a home with or without cameras could disappear. More than 30% of group homes already have cameras, and that number is growing when budgets permit and in line with person-centered care.

Cost: Installation can cost $15,000–$25,000 per group home, making cameras unaffordable for some providers. In a fee-for-service Medicaid system, providers cannot simply increase rates to cover new costs. Without state funding, resources could be diverted from services and programs, particularly affecting smaller and specialized providers.

Medicaid uncertainty: These concerns are especially significant given the fiscal uncertainty surrounding anticipated federal Medicaid cuts.

Safety: Cameras alone do not prevent abuse or neglect. They should be considered as one tool within a broader approach to safety, prevention and accountability.

NJACP will continue working with sponsors and legislators in both houses to address funding, consent, retention and other critical issues as the legislation moves forward.

The Ask: Members who have not yet provided cost estimates for camera installation, retention, and contracts required, please submit to mshea@njacp.org.

NJACP Policy Priority: Protecting the Flexibility Providers Need to Serve People with IDD

NJACP remains committed to ensuring providers have the financial flexibility necessary to deliver high quality, sustainable services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Recent legislative proposals to impose administrative spending caps threaten that goal.

A one-size-fits-all administrative cap ignores the realities of community-based service delivery and limits providers' ability to grow, innovate, and respond to changing needs. At a time when thousands of New Jersey residents remain on waiting lists, providers need the flexibility to expand services, not new restrictions that could reduce capacity.

NJACP urges policymakers to reject arbitrary administrative caps and support funding approaches that recognize investments in administrative tasks, for instance, funding for technology, health and safety, homes, facilities, compliance and other costs that support quality services as essential to quality care and expansion depend on this funding.

Each agency is unique as are the services and supports required for quality care depends on a provider’s ability to deliver person-centered care. New Jersey's ongoing commitment to helping individuals with IDD live and thrive in their communities.

Why Is Budget Advocacy So Critical for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities?

Decisions made in Trenton directly shape the daily lives of individuals with IDD and their families. The state budget determines whether people can live with dignity in their communities — with proper staffing, housing, and essential support services.

For NJACP, budget advocacy is not optional — it is central to our mission. When funding reflects community priorities, individuals thrive. When it falls short, families face isolation, workforce shortages intensify, and opportunities shrink

▶ Watch Maureen break down the NJ budget timeline and key engagement windows.

▶ Watch Maureen explain why late-stage advocacy is pivotal.

▶ Watch Maureen outline the 3% COLA request and what it means for families.

▶ Watch and Learn how Members, Family and Friends can take Action Today.

▶ Watch Maureen’s closing message to NJACP members.