Bill Text: NJ S3200 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Requires certain facilities to notify patients or legal guardians of outbreak of contagious disease within 24 hours of onset of outbreak.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-11-26 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S3200 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2018-S3200-Introduced.html

SENATE, No. 3200

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED NOVEMBER 26, 2018

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  GERALD CARDINALE

District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires certain facilities to notify patients or legal guardians of outbreak of contagious disease within 24 hours of onset of outbreak.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

 


An Act concerning contagious diseases and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.   As used in this section, "facility" means a nursing facility, outpatient facility, or rehabilitation facility licensed by the Department of Health.

     b.    Notwithstanding any law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, a facility shall notify each patient and the patient's legal guardian, authorized family member, or authorized representative, if any, of an outbreak of a life-threatening, contagious disease, or of a similar health emergency, that may negatively affect that patient's health and that has been contracted by more than one individual at the facility.  The notice required pursuant to this subsection shall be provided no later than 24 hours after the facility confirms that a second individual at the facility has contracted the disease. 

     c.     A violation of this section shall result in a $5,000 fine for the first offense and a $10,000 fine for a second or subsequent offense.  The penalty prescribed in this subsection shall be collected in a summary proceeding brought in the name of the State in a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).

 

     2.    The Department of Health shall, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules or regulations as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.

 

     3.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill requires certain facilities to notify patients and their legal guardians of the outbreak of a contagious disease within 24 hours of the onset of the outbreak.  Specifically, under the bill, a facility is to notify its patient and the patient's legal guardian, authorized family member, or authorized representative, if any, of an outbreak of a life-threatening, contagious disease, or of a similar health emergency, that may negatively affect that patient's health and that has been contracted by more than one individual at the facility.  The required notice is to be provided within 24 hours of the facility confirming that a second individual at the facility has contracted the disease.

     The bill defines "facility" to mean a nursing facility, outpatient facility, or rehabilitation facility licensed by the Department of Health. A violation of the bill's provisions is to result in a $5,000 fine for the first offense and a $10,000 fine for a second or subsequent offense.

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