Bill Text: NJ SJR25 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes temporary Commission on Opioid Antidote Administration and Aftercare to study and report on procedures concerning administration of opioid antidotes to hospital patients.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [SJR25 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-SJR25-Introduced.html
No. 25
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator ROBERT W. SINGER
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes temporary Commission on Opioid Antidote Administration and Aftercare to study and report on procedures concerning administration of opioid antidotes to hospital patients.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
A Joint Resolution establishing a temporary Commission on Opioid Antidote Administration and Aftercare.
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is hereby established a Commission on Opioid Antidote Administration and Aftercare.
b. The purpose of the commission shall be to: (1) study and evaluate the various procedures that are used by hospitals in this and other states when a patient is released from hospital-based care following the administration of naloxone or another opioid antidote to the patient; and (2) determine and recommend appropriate procedures and protocols to be uniformly applied by hospitals in the State upon the release of a patient under such circumstances. To the maximum extent practicable, the recommended procedures and protocols shall be designed to promote the health and facilitate the recovery of the patient.
c. The commission shall consist of 15 members, as follows:
(1) the Commissioner of Human Services; the Commissioner of Health; the Director of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services; the Director of the Division of Children's System of Care in the Department of Children and Families; the Superintendent of State Police; the President of the New Jersey Hospital Association; the President of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM); and the President of the Health Care Association of New Jersey, or the designees of such persons; and
(2) seven public members, to be appointed as follows:
(a) two members to be appointed by the Senate President;
(b) one member to be appointed by the Senate Minority Leader;
(c) two members to be appointed by the Assembly Speaker;
(d) one member to be appointed by the Assembly Minority Leader; and
(e) one member to be appointed by the Governor.
The public members of the commission shall include persons who have expertise or extensive experience in hospital-based care, emergency medical services, or treatment for substance use disorders, or persons who have successfully completed a substance use disorder treatment program, or who are the parents of persons who have a substance use disorder.
d. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to employ stenographic and clerical assistance, and incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as the commission may deem necessary to perform its duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.
e. Members of the commission shall be appointed within 60 days after the effective date of this resolution, and the commission shall organize as soon as practicable after the appointment of its members. Any vacancy in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made. The commission shall select a chairperson from among its members, and a secretary who need not be a member of the commission. A majority of all the authorized members shall constitute a quorum. The commission may conduct business without a quorum, but may only vote on recommendations when a quorum is present. 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, authority, or agency as it may require, and as may be available to it for its purposes.
f. The commission shall meet at the call of the chair, at the times, and in the places, as the char designates. The commission may also conduct public hearings, at the times and places it designates, as it may deem appropriate to fulfill its duties.
g. Within one year following the commission's organization, the commission shall prepare and submit to the Governor, and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, a report of its findings and recommendations on the matters described in subsection b. of this section. The commission shall expire on the 31st day following the date on which its report is issued under this subsection.
2. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately, and shall expire on the 31st day following the date the commission issues the report required pursuant to subsection g. of section 1 of this resolution.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution would establish a Commission on Opioid Antidote Administration and Aftercare. The commission would be required to: (1) study and evaluate the various procedures that are used by hospitals in this and other states when a patient is released from hospital-based care following the administration of naloxone or another opioid antidote to the patient; and (2) determine and recommend appropriate procedures and protocols to be uniformly applied by hospitals in the State upon the release of a patient under such circumstances. The resolution would require, to the maximum extent practicable, that the recommended procedures and protocols promote the health, and facilitate the recovery, of the patients involved.
The commission would consist of 15 members, including the Commissioner of Human Services; the Commissioner of Health; the Director of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services; the Director of the Division of Children's System of Care in the Department of Children and Families; the Superintendent of State Police; the President of the New Jersey Hospital Association; the President of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM); and the President of the Health Care Association of New Jersey, or the designees of these persons; and seven public members, with two each appointed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the General Assembly, and one each appointed by the Governor, the Senate Minority Leader, and the Assembly Minority Leader.
The resolution would require the commission's public members to include persons who have expertise or extensive experience in hospital-based care, emergency medical services, or treatment for substance use disorders, or persons who have successfully completed a substance use disorder treatment program, or who are the parents of persons who have a substance use disorder.
The commission members would be appointed within 60 days after the enactment of the resolution, and the commission would be required to issue a report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within one year after the commission's organization.
The resolution and the commission would expire on the 31st day following the submission of the commission's report.
