Sponsored by:
Senator ROBERT W. SINGER
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires certain health care workers to disclose other employers as well as infectious disease outbreaks occurring at other employers’ facilities.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning certain health care workers and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, an individual other than a physician who is employed by, or provides services at, a general acute care hospital, psychiatric hospital, nursing facility, group home, or assisted living facility shall disclose to that entity:
(1) the name of any other general acute care hospital, psychiatric hospital, nursing facility, group home, or assisted living facility at which the individual is employed or provides services, which disclosure shall be made no later than 30 days after the effective date of this act or 30 days after the date the individual commences employment with, or begins providing services at, the other general acute care hospital, psychiatric hospital, nursing facility, group home, or assisted living facility, whichever date is later; and
(2) any outbreak of an infectious disease occurring at a general acute care hospital, psychiatric hospital, nursing facility, group home, or assisted living facility at which the individual is employed or provides services, which disclosure shall be made as soon as practicable after the individual knows or reasonably should know of the outbreak.
b. A general acute care hospital, psychiatric hospital, nursing facility, group home, or assisted living facility that identifies an individual who fails to make a disclosure required under this section shall report the individual to the Department of Health and to the professional licensing board having jurisdiction over the individual, if any.
c. An individual who fails to make a disclosure required under this section may be liable to up to a 30-day suspension of the individual’s professional licensure or certification, if any, a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each violation, or both. A civil penalty assessed under this subsection shall be collected by and in the name of the Department of Health in summary proceedings before a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to the provisions of the “Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,” P.L.199, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).
2. This act shall take effect 30 days after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires individuals, other than physicians, who are employed by, or who provide services at, a general acute care hospital, psychiatric hospital, nursing facility, group home, or assisted living facility to disclose to that entity: (1) the name of any other general acute care hospital, psychiatric hospital, nursing facility, group home, or assisted living facility at which the individual is employed or provides services; and (2) any outbreak of an infectious disease occurring at a general acute care hospital, psychiatric hospital, nursing facility, group home, or assisted living facility at which the individual is employed or provides services. The disclosure concerning other employers is to be made within 30 days after the effective date of the bill or 30 days after the date the individual commences employment or providing services at the other employer, whichever date is later. The disclosure concerning outbreaks of infectious diseases is to be made promptly after the individual knows or reasonably should know of the outbreak.
A general acute care hospital, psychiatric hospital, nursing facility, group home, or assisted living facility that identifies an individual who fails to make a disclosure required under the bill will be required to report the individual to the Department of Health and to the professional licensing board having jurisdiction over the individual, if any.
An individual who fails to make a required disclosure may be liable to up to a 30-day suspension of the individual’s professional licensure or certification, if any, a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each violation, or both.