NJ Senate Passes Bill To Halt Return Home New Jersey Program

TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A 2 1/2 year fight is over for parents of disabled adults in New Jersey.

On Thursday, the Senate chambers erupted in applause and families choked back emotion, CBS2's Jessica Schneider reported.

"(Schneider: I saw you up there and you were wiping tears away.) Absolutely. Absolutely. This is what we've been waiting for so long," said Carl Schulze.

Schulze's 34-year-old son Peter is prone to violent seizures and is severely disabled.

New Jersey sent him to New Hampshire 15 years ago because the state didn't have an adequate care facility for him.

Now, Peter will be able to stay indefinitely in New Hampshire after years of Gov. Chris Christie's administration telling him he would have to leave.

"He saw there were no savings, then he saw well maybe there is something wrong with this policy," Schulze said.

The Return Home New Jersey program was a plan designed to bring disabled adults back from other states and put them into group homes, all in an effort to save the state money.

Gov. Christie refused to back down from supporting the program, until he met face to face with frustrated and heartbroken parents last week, Schneider reported.

"He was great. He said when a policy is not working, you've gotta pull the reigns back. He did the right thing. He did the right thing," said parent Carolyn Reichenbach.

Back in October, Christie refused to answer Schneider's questions, but on Thursday his office issued this statement:

"...the Governor agreed with the need for sensible changes that ensure the safety and well-being of every New Jerseyan residing in an out-of-state placement."

"I think the whole program was flawed from the beginning," said Sen. Kip Bateman.

Bateman, a Republican, led the charge against Return Home New Jersey, along with Democratic Sen. Bob Gordon, to pass a bill in the state Senate that will let more than 300 families keep their loved ones where they are.

"I have peace. I have absolute peace that my brother will be at his home for the rest of his life," she said.

"I think the media helped," said parent Maureen Clark. "The stories were wonderful and it made a known fact about what was going on."

The governor has instructed the agency overseeing the Return Home New Jersey program to stop the process. The Assembly is expected to approve the Senate bill by the end of the year.