Jersey Shore Regional Health Commission

Looking back into archives, we find an excerpt from the 1937 Sixtieth Annual Report of the Department of Health of the State of New Jersey.

“In Monmouth County such a unit was organized to include the City of Long Branch, the Township of Ocean, the Boroughs of West Long Branch, Oceanport, Monmouth Beach and later, Sea Bright.

The health officer employed by the City of Long Branch was appointed Health Officer of the unit.

Another unit in Monmouth County, of which the health officer of Asbury Park, Ocean Grove and the Boroughs of Deal, Allenhurst and Interlaken.”

The Jersey Shore Regional Health Commission was officially organized in 1936 as Monmouth County Local Health Unit No. 2.

In April of 1938 the organization was reorganized under, the NJ State Legislature P.L 1938, Chapter 67 and pursuant to NJSA Title 26 – Health and Vital Statistics as the. Pathing the way for forming a Regional Health Commission. In July, 1938 this commission was formed into the Long Branch Regional Health Commission. The organization later changed its name to Monmouth County Regional Health Commission No. 1 (MCRHC). Monmouth County Local Health Unit #2 was never abolished and, for many years, a dual budget system existed. During the 1960s, the organization consolidated its administrative functions to conform to its operations.

During the intervening years, legislation was enacted twice, which changed the original statute once via P. L. 1951, Chapter 69 et seq. and the last time via P. L. 1970 et seq. With these statutes, Local Boards of Health can, by resolution, participate in an association consisting of members of each participating local board of health. Each Municipality’s local Board of Health remains in existence and retains jurisdiction in its respective municipalities, with the Regional Commission exercising enforcement and supervisory powers. The membership of the JSRHC consists of one commissioner and one alternate from each member municipality’s Local Board of Health or local Governing Body in the absence of a Local Board of Health (appointed or elected in accordance with the rules of each respective participating Board of Health).

On November 20, 2023, the Commission changed its Name to Jersey Shore Regional Health Commission. In New Jersey Law, the Commission exists as an Unincorporated Association of Municipalities for the provision of health services pursuant to Title 26:3-83 -26:94 (Article 6. Regional Health Commission), New Jersey Statutes Annotated (NJSA), “Health and Vital Statistics.”