ASSEMBLY, No. 4861
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
219th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED OCTOBER 22, 2020
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblyman JOHN ARMATO
District 2 (Atlantic)
Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Simonsen, McClellan, Assemblywomen McKnight, B.DeCroce, Assemblymen DePhillips, Space, Assemblywoman Lopez, Assemblyman Mazzeo, Assemblywomen DiMaso, Swain, Downey, Tucker, Senators Pou, Lagana and O'Scanlon
SYNOPSIS
Requires DOH to publish total number of COVID-19 deaths and cases in long-term care facilities.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Aging and Senior Services Committee on January 13, 2021, with amendments.
An Act concerning coronavirus disease 2019 deaths in long-term care facilities and veterans' homes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
"Long-term care facility" means a nursing home, assisted living residence, comprehensive personal care home, residential health care facility, or dementia care home licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.).
1["Veterans' home" means the New Jersey Veterans' Memorial Home - Menlo Park, the New Jersey Veterans' Memorial Home - Vineland, and the New Jersey Veterans' Memorial Home - Paramus.]1
b. Notwithstanding the provision of any executive order or law to the contrary, the Internet website of the Department of Health shall display, at all times 1[:
(1)] ,1 the total number of 1[COVID-19 deaths of] confirmed deaths caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and confirmed COVID-19 cases among1 employees 1[and] , volunteers, and other persons providing services at long-term care facilities in this State, as well as among1 residents of long-term care facilities 1[and veterans' homes]1 in this State 1[since the beginning] , which reported data shall be regularly updated by the department to ensure it includes the total number of reported COVID-19 deaths and cases for the period commencing from the date of the first reported case1 of 1[the]1 COVID-19 1[pandemic; and
(2) the total number of new daily COVID-19 deaths of employees and residents of long-term care facilities and veterans' homes in this State] in New Jersey through the most recent date for which the data are available. The reported data shall include both Statewide numbers and numbers specific to each long-term care facility, to the extent facility-specific numbers can be reported without violating State or federal health information privacy rules1 .
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire 365 days following the end of both the state of emergency and the public health emergency declared in response to the coronavirus disease 2019.