ASSEMBLY, No. 2931

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 1, 2018

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  JOHN F. MCKEON

District 27 (Essex and Morris)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes registry of stroke cases in State.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act establishing a registry of all stroke cases in this State and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

 

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

 

     1.    The Department of Health shall establish and maintain an up-to-date registry which shall include a record of cases of stroke that occur in New Jersey, and such information concerning these cases as it shall deem necessary and appropriate in order to conduct thorough and complete epidemiologic surveys of stroke in this State and to apply appropriate preventive and control measures.

 

     2.    a. The Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Public Health Council, shall require the reporting of cases of stroke, and the submission of such specified additional information on reported cases or control populations as the commissioner deems necessary and appropriate for the recognition, prevention, cure, or control of this disorder.

     b.    The commissioner shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), which specify the health care providers, individuals, and other organizations obliged to make the report and submissions required by subsection a. of this section, the related information to be included in the report, and the methods of making the report.

 

     3.    The reports made pursuant to this act are to be used only by the Department of Health and such other agencies as may be designated by the Commissioner of Health, and shall not otherwise be divulged or made public so as to disclose the identity of any person to whom they relate; and to that end, these reports shall not be included under materials available to public inspection pursuant to P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.) or P.L.2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-5 et seq.).

 

     4.    No individual or organization providing information to the Department of Health in accordance with this act shall be deemed to be, or held liable for, divulging confidential information.

 

     5.    Nothing in this act shall be construed to compel any individual to submit to medical or health department examination or supervision.

 

     6.    This act shall take effect on the 90th day after enactment, but the Commissioner of Health may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of the act.

STATEMENT

 

     This bill requires the Commissioner of Health to establish and maintain an up-to-date registry that includes a record of cases of stroke occurring in New Jersey, and such information concerning these cases as the commissioner deems necessary and appropriate in order to conduct thorough and complete epidemiologic surveys of stroke in this State and to apply appropriate preventive and control measures.

     Under this bill, the commissioner, in consultation with the Public Health Council, would require the reporting of cases of stroke, and the submission of such specified additional information on reported cases or control populations as the commissioner deems necessary and appropriate for the recognition, prevention, cure, or control of this disorder.

     The commissioner is to adopt rules and regulations that specify the health care providers, individuals, and other organizations obliged to make the required report and submissions, the related information to be included in the report, and the methods of making the report.

     The reports made pursuant to this bill are to be used only by the Department of Health (DOH) and other agencies designated by the commissioner and are not to be otherwise divulged or made public so as to disclose the identity of any person to whom they relate.  To that end, these reports would not be included under materials available to public inspection pursuant to P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.) or P.L.2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-5 et seq.).

     The bill provides immunity from liability for divulging confidential information to any individual or organization providing information to DOH in accordance with this bill.

     The bill also stipulates that nothing in its provisions is to be construed to compel any individual to submit to medical or health department examination or supervision.

     Finally, the bill takes effect on the 90th day after enactment, but authorizes the commissioner to take anticipatory administrative action in advance as necessary for its implementation.