ASSEMBLY, No. 413

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblywomen HECK and CRECCO

An Act establishing the New Jersey Commission on Women's Health and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

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

    1. There is established the New Jersey Commission on Women's Health.

    The commission shall consist of 19 members, including the Commissioners of Health, Human Services and Community Affairs, and the Directors of the Division on Aging and the Division of Women in the Department of Community Affairs, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio. The President of the Senate shall appoint two members of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly shall appoint two members of the General Assembly, in each case no more than one of whom shall be of the same political party. The Governor shall appoint 10 public members who are residents of the State, five of whom shall be health care professionals, at least one of whom represents health care facilities and at least one of whom represents the health insurance industry; five of whom shall be consumers of women's health services. No less than seven of the public members shall be women.

    The term of office of each public member shall be three years, but of the members first appointed, three shall be appointed for a term of one year, three shall be appointed for a term of two years and four shall be appointed for a term of three years. A public member shall hold office for the term of his appointment and until his successor has been appointed and qualified. A member of the Legislature shall serve during his term of office. All vacancies shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment. A member of the commission is eligible for reappointment.

    The public members of the commission shall not receive any compensation for their services, but shall be reimbursed for the actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the commission, within the limits of funds available to the commission.

    The members of the commission shall annually elect a chairman and a vice-chairman from among the public members and may select a secretary, who need not be a member of the commission.

    The Department of Health shall provide staff and assistance which the commission requires to carry out its work.

    2. The commission shall:

    a. Serve as an information and resource center for women's health information and data;

    b. Serve as an advocate for the adoption and implementation of effective measures to improve women's health;

    c. Review the programs of the Departments of Health, Human Services and Community Affairs and any other department of State government, as appropriate, that concern women's health and make recommendations to the departments that will enable them to better coordinate and improve the effectiveness of their efforts; and

    d. Review and make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature on the needs, priorities, programs and policies relating to women's health in this State.

    3. The commission shall be entitled to call upon the services of any State, county or municipal department, board, commission or agency, as may be available to it for these purposes, and to incur such traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as it may deem necessary for the proper execution of its duties and as may be within the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for these purposes.

    4. The commission shall report annually, by September 1 of each year, to the Legislature and the Governor on any recommendations for administrative or legislative action that it deems appropriate.

    5. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill establishes a 19-member New Jersey Commission on Women's Health. Members will include the Commissioners of Health, Human Services and Community Affairs, and the Directors of the Division on Aging and the Division of Women, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio. The President of the Senate shall appoint two members of the Senate and the Speaker of the General Assembly shall appoint two members of the General Assembly, in each case no more than one of whom shall be of the same political party. The Governor shall appoint 10 public members who are residents of the State, five of whom shall be health care professionals, at least one of whom represents health care facilities and at least one of whom represents the health insurance industry; and five of whom shall be consumers of women's health services. No less than seven of the public members shall be women.

    The commission shall:

    1. Serve as an information and resource center for women's health information and data;

    2. Serve as an advocate for the adoption and implementation of effective measures to improve women's health;

    3. Review the programs of the Departments of Health, Human Services and Community Affairs and any other department of State government, as appropriate, that concern women's health and make recommendations to the departments that will enable them to better coordinate and improve the effectiveness of their efforts; and

     4. Review and make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature on the needs, priorities, programs and policies relating to women's health in this State.

    The commission is to report annually, by September 1 of each year, to the Legislature and the Governor on any recommendations for administrative or legislative action that it deems appropriate.

Establishes the New Jersey Commission on Women's Health.