[First Reprint]

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

No. 115

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED DECEMBER 10, 2018

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  JOSEPH PENNACCHIO

District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)

Senator  JOSEPH F. VITALE

District 19 (Middlesex)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators A.R.Bucco, Rice and Thompson

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes New Jersey Pharmacogenomics Commission.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee on March 4, 2019, with amendments.

  


A Joint Resolution establishing the New Jersey Pharmacogenomics Commission.

 

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

 

     1.    a.  There is established the New Jersey Pharmacogenomics Commission.  The commission shall be responsible for examining 1[Pharmacogenomics] pharamacogenomics1, which is the study of the relationship between a person's specific genetic makeup and the effectiveness or toxicity of medications used to treat any health-care related issue.  The commission's examination shall include, but shall not be limited to:

     (1)   costs related to 1[Pharmacogenomic] pharmacogenomic1 testing currently and in the future;

     (2)   how implementing 1[Pharmacogenomics] pharmacogenomics1 may benefit prescribers, patients, and the State;

     (3)   various applications for 1[Pharmacogenomics] pharmacogenomics1 outside of medicine, such as the opioid crisis and others;

     (4)   the relationship between 1[Pharmacogenomics] pharmacogenics1 applications in 1[Personalized Medicine] personalized medicine1;

     (5)   the results of previous studies on prescribing medicines and treatments based on 1[Pharmacogenomic] pharmacogenomic1 science;

     (6)   methods of educating patients and prescribers on prescribing medicine and treatment based on genetic makeup;

     (7)   the relationship of 1[Pharmacogenomics] pharmacogenomics1 in the reduction of the number of deaths, disabilities, and hospitalization from 1[Adverse Drug Events] adverse drug events1; and

     (8)   the expected costs and benefits from implementing 1[Pharmacogenomics] pharamcogenomics1 in the short-term and long-term.

     b.    The commission shall consist of 1[ten] 111 members, to be appointed by the Governor as follows: a representative from the Department of Health; a representative from the Division of Pensions and Benefits in the Department of the Treasury; a representative from Rutgers Medical School; a representative from Rutgers School of Pharmacy; a representative from Fairleigh Dickinson School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; a representative from the New Jersey Hospital Association; a representative from the Medical of Society New Jersey; a representative from the New Jersey Pharmacists Association; a representative from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; 1a representative from BioNJ;1 and a professor of genetics.

     c.     Vacancies in the membership of the commission shall be filled as provided for the original appointments.

     d.    The commission shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members and shall select a chairperson from among the members.  The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the commission.

     e.     Members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the commission within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.

     f.     The commission shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.

     g.    The Department of Health shall provide staff support to the commission.

     h.    (1)  No later than six months after organization, the commission shall hold at least two public hearings, one each in northern New Jersey and southern New Jersey.

     (2)   For the purposes of this subsection, "northern New Jersey" means Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren counties; and "southern New Jersey" means Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, and Salem counties.

     i.     No later than six months after organization, the commission shall submit to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), a report of its findings and recommendations for legislative, executive, or any other action as may be appropriate.  The commission shall expire upon submission of its report.

 

     2.    This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.