ASSEMBLY HEALTH COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2697

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JUNE 12, 1997

      The Assembly Health Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 2697.

      As amended by the committee, this bill requires that the current registry of certified homemaker-home health aides maintained by the New Jersey Board of Nursing pursuant to P.L.1947, c.262 (C.45:11-24) include specific documented findings of patient abuse or misappropriation of resident property involving an individual listed in the registry, as well as any brief statement of the individual disputing the findings. In the case of inquiries to the registry concerning an individual listed in the registry, any information disclosed concerning such a finding would also include disclosure of any statement in the registry relating to the finding or a clear and accurate summary of that statement.

      The bill also requires that the Board of Nursing, no later than one year after the effective date of this bill and annually thereafter, report to the Governor and the Legislature on the status and operations of the registry. The report shall include, but need not be limited to, the following information: the total number of individuals in the registry, the number who were added to the registry during the period covered by the annual report, the total number of documented incidents of patient abuse or misappropriation of resident property involving such individuals which have been recorded in the registry, and the number of such incidents which were recorded during the period covered by the report.

      The committee amendments:

∙    include the requirement for the annual report to the Governor and the Legislature by the Board of Nursing; and

∙    delete the requirement that the Board of Nursing prescribe standards and requirements for a standardized, written competency evaluation program for homemaker-home health aide certification.