Any patient not having lived in the State for at least one year prior to the application for admission or commitment to any institution for the care and treatment of the mentally ill or developmentally disabled in this State shall not be deemed to have a legal settlement in this State but shall be admitted or committed to one of the institutions owned by the State pending his removal to the place where he has a legal settlement, if any, and the cost and expense of care and treatment of such patient during such confinement, and his removal, when the cost of his removal is not otherwise provided for, shall be borne by the State.
N.J.S. § 30:4-52