Panel backs bill to let abused sue charities

Those that negligently hire sexual predators could be held liable. Next stop: The full Assembly.
Associated Press

Legislation that would allow sexual-abuse victims to sue churches and other charitable organizations was endorsed yesterday by an Assembly committee.
The state's charitable immunity statute currently bans such attempts to seek damages.
The bill would permit lawsuits if it could be shown that the charitable organizations had acted negligently by hiring or retaining sexual predators. Those abused as children could also sue as adults years later the organizations under the legislation.
The measure, approved by the Senate in May, goes to the full Assembly.
Also yesterday, a Senate committee sent to the full Senate a bill that would require tougher reporting standards on staffing levels and patient care at health-care facilities.
The measure would require hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities to post daily detailed staffing levels of nurses along with the ratio of caregivers to patients. Facilities would also have to post a list of patient-care incidents, medication errors, and complaints.
The legislation was spurred by the actions of Charles Cullen, the former nurse who has said he killed as many as 40 patients during a 16-year career at hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
"In light of the damage that cases like the Charles Cullen murders have on the public's trust of health-care facilities, increased reporting is necessary to repair that trust," said State Sen. Joseph Vitale (D., Middlesex), a bill sponsor.
The Assembly approved the measure in June.