§ 26:2FF-1 — Findings, declarations.

1. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. For over 25 years, New Jersey's public health leaders have pursued interest in establishing a public health institute dedicated to promoting health, well-being, and quality of life for people throughout New Jersey. b. Public health institutes are typically independent, nonprofit organizations that collaborate with public and private sector stakeholders, philanthropists, charitable organizations, and other agencies to foster public health solutions and systematically improve the way health agencies and organizations respond to public health threats and inequities. c. Across the United States, there are currently over 40 designated public health institutes working in partnership with State and local departments of health to enhance cross-sector initiatives and bridge gaps between health care and community services. d. These existing public health institutes help states leverage and diversify the personnel, infrastructure, and resources needed to accelerate solutions to various forms of public health threats including, but not limited to, communicable disease outbreaks, chronic and sexually transmitted diseases, substance use epidemics, issues related to food access and security, and systemic racial inequities affecting health care. e. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the need for a public health institute in New Jersey that can work with public and private health care officials and providers to ensure a coordinated, resilient, equitable response to any public health emergency or state of emergency. f. In 2022, the Nicholson Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation collaborated with a wide range of stakeholders from public health, healthcare, social services, and community organizations and issued a report entitled, "Seizing the Moment: How a Public Health Institute Would Advance Health Equity in New Jersey." g. The report observed that New Jersey's public health infrastructure and system has been strained for several decades due to a lack of funding and insufficient coordination across health and related sectors and further noted that the impact of social and economic determinants of health have caused health inequities along racial, ethnic, income, and other fault lines h. The report recommended the establishment of a public health institute in New Jersey centered around efforts to address the root causes of health disparities and inequities, create a more stable, robust, public health infrastructure that systemically advances health equity and quality of life for all, and provide timely and nimble administrative and operational support to New Jersey's public health agencies. i. In order to support and sustain a relationship between State government and a public health institute, it is necessary to establish a framework by which the New Jersey Department of Health may engage in a public-private partnership with an organization that can serve as the State's "Public Health Institute." j. The Public Health Institute will actively promote collaborative and community-driven partnerships designed to improve public health systems and services throughout the State. k. The primary role of the Public Health Institute will be to collaborate with State departments and agencies, as well as private sector health care, academic, philanthropic, business and faith communities, and New Jersey's Regional Health Hubs, to coordinate and implement strategies in areas of policymaking, research and innovation, data collection, workforce development, and community-based interventions and services, and to improve the overall state of public health in New Jersey, with a particular focus on eliminating racial disparities and inequities in public health. L.2025, c.46, s.1.