ASSEMBLY, No. 2040
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
INTRODUCED MAY 30, 1996
By Assemblyman LANCE and Assemblywoman WRIGHT
An Act concerning alcohol and drug abuse prevention resource centers, amending P.L.1990, c.41 and P.L.1983, c.531 and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.1990, c.41 (C.54:43-1.1) is amended to read as follows:
2. Beginning on July 1, [1992] 1996, there shall annually be deposited in the Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1983, c.531 (C.26:2B-32), the sum of [$11,000,000] $13,908,000 of the tax collected annually pursuant to the "Alcoholic beverage tax law," R.S.54:41-1 et seq.
(cf: P.L.1990, c.41, s.2)
2. Section 3 of P.L.1983, c.531 (C.26:2B-32) is amended to read as follows:
3. An Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund is established as a nonlapsing, revolving fund in a separate account in the Department of Health. The fund shall be credited from July 1, 1990 through June 30, 1991, with 27.6% of the tax revenues, and from July 1, 1991 through June 30, 1992, with 53.3% of the tax revenues, collected pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1980, c.62 (C.54:32C-3), the amount thereof to be dedicated 75% to rehabilitation, 15% to enforcement and 10% to education, and the fund thereafter shall be annually credited with the amount of tax revenues collected from the alcoholic beverage tax as is provided in section 2 of P.L.1990, c.41 (C.54:43-1.1), which amount shall be dedicated 75% to rehabilitation, 15% to enforcement and 10% to education.
However, moneys in the fund shall first be allocated to the Department of Health for the purpose of providing a Statewide system of prevention resource centers, to be allocated in an amount equal to $0.25 per capita or $100,000, whichever amount is greater, for each county in the State. Prevention resource center functions shall include, but not be limited to, the provision of training, technical assistance, resource and film libraries, dissemination of educational materials and advocacy. An additional amount from the fund equal to $0.05 per capita for the State as a whole shall be used for the coordination of prevention resource center activities and the provision of Statewide information, a Statewide addiction news journal and advocacy functions. The Department of Health shall contract with qualified nonprofit organizations to provide the services and any organization receiving moneys pursuant to this paragraph shall comply with any standards of operation, drug and alcohol abuse program initiatives that focus on underserved and high risk populations, and matching requirements that shall be established by the Commissioner of Health, after consultation with the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse created pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1989, c.51 (C.26:2BB-2).
Interest received on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund. Pursuant to the formula set forth in section 5 of this act, moneys appropriated pursuant to law shall only be distributed to the counties by the Department of Health, without the assessment of administrative costs, to develop and implement an annual comprehensive plan for the treatment of alcoholics and drug abusers and for expenditures according to the dedications provided herein.
(cf: P.L.1990, c.41, s.4).
3. (New section) There is appropriated $2,908,000 from the Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund to the Department of Health for grants to develop, implement, coordinate and maintain a Statewide network of prevention resource centers to act as training, technical assistance and education material distributors to other professionals and organizations providing alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention services and to provide certain other Statewide information services.
4. This act shall take effect on July 1, 1996.
STATEMENT
This bill will provide for the development, implementation and maintenance of a Statewide network of prevention resource centers to serve the public and substance abuse professionals.
The bill will provide $2,908,000 in funds to appropriate nonprofit organizations for prevention resource center activities and other Statewide prevention and information activities beginning in Fiscal Year 1997. The bill increases the amount of funding from the "Alcoholic beverage tax law," from $11,000,000 to $13,908,000 that is dedicated to the Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund. It provides that the moneys in the fund shall first be allocated by the Department of Health to an organization or organizations, in an amount equal to $0.25 per capita, or $100,000, whichever amount is greater, for prevention resource center services, and an amount equal to $0.05 per capita for Statewide prevention and information services. Presently, the moneys in the fund are dedicated 75% to rehabilitation, 15% to enforcement and 10% to education.
The moneys in the bill would be provided to an agency or agencies on the condition that they comply with the Department of Health's requirements for standards of operation, matching funds, and program initiatives for underserved and high risk populations.
Finally, the bill appropriates $2,908,000 from the Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund to the Department of Health for grants to develop, implement, cooordinate and maintain a Statewide network of prevention resource centers and to provide certain other Statewide information services.
The bill takes effect on July 1, 1996.
Establishes Statewide network of prevention resource centers by allocation of certain alcoholic beverage taxes; appropriates $2,908,000.