TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Health, with the approval of the Health Care Administration Board, proposes to amend the Standards for Licensure of Assisted Living Residences, Comprehensive Personal Care Homes, and Assisted Living Facilities at N.J.A.C. 8:36-1.3 and 2.4 to expand the Deemed Status program to Comprehensive Personal Care Homes.

The Department recently established rulemaking allowing an Assisted Living Residence (ALR) to participate in the Deemed Status program at N.J.A.C. 8:36-1.3 and 2.4. Currently, “deemed status” is a Department acknowledgment of an ALR’s compliance with licensure standards because the facility holds accreditation from a Department-recognized accreditation organization, in place of the Department determining the facility’s compliance status by means of the Department’s staff performing a licensure inspection. The proposed amendments to N.J.A.C. 8:36-1.3 and 8:36-2.4 will expand the Deemed Status program to include Comprehensive Personal Care Homes.

The Notice of Proposal appears in the January 5, 2026, issue of the New Jersey Register. Persons wishing to comment on the proposal must submit written comments either (1) electronically by March 6, 2026, to www.nj.gov/health/legal/ecomments.shtml; or (2) by regular mail postmarked by March 6, 2026, to Kimberly E. Jenkins, Director, Office of Legal and Regulatory Compliance, New Jersey Department of Health, PO Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625-0360.

LexisNexis provides free online access to the New Jersey Register at www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/njoal. An unofficial copy of the Notice of Proposal is available on the Department’s website at https://www.nj.gov/health/legal/rules