ASSEMBLY, No. 1319

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblyman ROMANO and Assemblywoman QUIGLEY

An Act concerning services to county inmates and supplementing chapter 8 of Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

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

    1. As used in this act:

    "Routine medical services" means the following medical and dental care services for inmates provided under the direction of a primary physician or dentist, licensed in the State of New Jersey: initial screening; health appraisal; emergency and non-emergency medical services performed on-site; general x-ray services; pharmaceutical services, both prescription and over the counter; dental screening, examination and treatment; eye examinations and eyewear, where necessary; and special medical diets.

    "State-sentenced inmate" means an inmate sentenced to a State correctional facility, who is serving his sentence in whole or part in a county correctional facility.

    2. a. The State shall reimburse the county for the cost of routine medical care services provided to a State-sentenced inmate housed in a county correctional facility after the 15th calendar day of the inmate's incarceration or detention.

    b. The county treasurer shall file a claim for reimbursement of the costs incurred by the county in providing any routine medical services. The claim shall be filed with the Department of Corrections in accordance with guidelines promulgated by the Commissioner of Corrections.

    c. The reimbursement authorized under subsection a. of this section shall be payable to the county treasurer and shall be used exclusively for the purpose of defraying the costs incurred by the county jail in providing routine medical services.

    3. The Commissioner of Corrections, in accordance with the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act.

    4. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month following enactment.

STATEMENT

    This bill requires the State to reimburse counties for routine medical services provided to State-sentenced inmates housed in county jails beyond 15 calendar days. A State-sentenced inmate is defined in the bill to mean an inmate who has been sentenced to a State correctional facility, but who is serving his sentence in whole or in part in a county facility. In order to receive reimbursement, the routine medical services must have been provided under the direction of a primary physician or dentist at the facility.

    The bill defines routine medical services subject to State reimbursement to include the following: initial screening; health appraisal; emergency and non-emergency medical services performed on-site; general x-ray services; pharmaceutical services; dental screening, examination and treatment; eye exams and eyewear, where necessary; and special medical diets.

    The bill requires the county treasurer to file a claim for reimbursement of the costs incurred by the county in providing such routine medical services. The claim would be filed with the Department of Corrections in accordance with guidelines promulgated by the Commissioner of Corrections. The bill restricts the use of the State reimbursement to offsetting costs of the county in providing the medical services.

Requires State to reimburse counties for routine medical services to State-sentenced inmates.