LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE TO

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 2628

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: March 5, 1997

      Assembly Bill No. 2628 (1R) of 1997 requires that a community residential facility for persons with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders or other forms of progressive dementia shall be considered a health care facility subject to the provisions of the "Health Care Facilities Planning Act," P.L.1971, 136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) and shall be required to obtain a license to operate as a health care facility that is appropriate to the needs of its residents. Such facilities include, but are not limited to, rooming or boarding houses operating under a Class C license, providing food, shelter and personal guidance, under such supervision as required, to persons who require assistance temporarily or permanently in order to live in the community and who are primarily persons with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders or other forms of progressive dementia.

      The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and the Office of Management and Budget have not provided any fiscal information on the legislation.

      The Office of Legislative Services estimates that this bill will have little fiscal impact on the State. The DHSS will be responsible for issuing licenses to qualifying community residential facilities for persons with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders or other forms of progressive dementia as well as issuing certificates of need to such facilities that commence after the effective date of this bill. The DHSS will also incur costs for conducting periodic inspections to determine if these facilities are in compliance with licensure regulations and to evaluate patient care and operation of the facility, to the extent provided in regulations. However, monies collected by DHSS from fees for the filing of applications for licensure and annual renewals, application fees charged for certificates of need, fees for the review of uniform construction code plans, and any fines and penalties collected will help to offset these costs.

      This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67.