ASSEMBLY, No. 216

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblywoman WEINBERG and Assemblyman IMPREVEDUTO

An Act concerning Medicaid reimbursement rates and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

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

    1. a. The Commissioner of Human Services shall submit any change to the Medicaid reimbursement rate for health care facilities, other than one required by federal law or mandated by State law, to the Legislature on a day when both houses of the Legislature are in session. The change, as submitted to the Legislature, shall be deemed approved 60 calendar days after the date of submission, unless between the date of submission and the end of the 60-day period, the Legislature, upon review of the Senate Human Services Committee and the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee or their successor committees, passes a concurrent resolution rejecting the change. The 60-day period shall commence on the date of submission and expire on the 60th calendar day after submission or for a house not meeting on the 60th day, on the next meeting day of that house.

    A change which has been rejected by the Legislature shall not take effect.

    b. This act shall not be construed to prohibit compliance with the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill requires that prior to instituting any changes to the Medicaid reimbursement rate for health care facilities, other than those required by the federal government, the Commissioner of Human Services must submit the change to the Legislature. The Legislature has 60 calendar days in which to act. If within this time period, the Legislature fails to act, the change is deemed approved. The Legislature, however, can reject the change by passing a concurrent resolution within the 60-day period. This bill is not intended to alter any existing requirements pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) regarding the promulgation of rules to change Medicaid reimbursement rates.

Requires Legislative approval of changes to Medicaid reimbursement rates for health care facilities.