ASSEMBLY HEALTH AND SENIOR SERVICES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5059

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 6, 2019

      The Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 5059.

     This bill requires the Commissioner of Health (commissioner) to establish local drug overdose fatality review teams for each county in this State.

     Under the bill, local drug overdose fatality review teams are to consist of individuals with experience and knowledge regarding health, social services, law enforcement, education, emergency medicine, mental health, juvenile delinquency, and drug and alcohol abuse.  Participants are to disclose to the commissioner all related records of a deceased individual, whose death has been determined to be the result of a drug overdose, including information and records related to physical health, mental health, and treatment for substance abuse that are maintained by a health care provider, and provide access to information and records maintained by a State or local government agency, including death certificates, law enforcement information, medical examiner information, parole and probation information, social service information and educational information.  The commissioner is to transfer the records to the local drug overdose fatality review team assigned to the county in which the individual’s death occurred.

     The bill provides that each local drug overdose fatality review team is to: (1) develop methods to help prevent drug overdoses; (2) explore methods to promote cooperation among multi-disciplinary agencies in providing services to individuals with substance use disorders; (3) develop an understanding of the causes of drug overdoses; (4) recommend possible changes to law and policy to prevent drug overdoses; and (5) meet at least quarterly to review drug overdose cases submitted to the commissioner, as well as available criminal, educational substance abuse, and mental health records of the deceased individuals.