ASSEMBLY LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5446

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 6, 2019

      The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 5446.

      As amended and reported by the committee, Assembly Bill No. 5446 requires the reporting of opioid deaths.  Under the amended bill, a coroner, medical examiner, or health care professional who examines an individual whose death was caused by opioid use is required to report the death and the type of opioid that was the cause of death, if that information is ascertainable, to the Department of Health in a manner determined by the Commissioner or Health.

     Under the amended bill, the Commissioner of Health is required to publish on the department’s Internet website the number of deaths caused by opioids and the type of opioid that was the cause of death according to reports received by the department pursuant to the provisions of the amended bill.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to make clarifying and technical amendments.