ASSEMBLY, No. 2704

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 3, 1997

By Assemblyman BARNES and Assemblywoman BUONO

An Act concerning hepatitis inoculations and amending P.L.1993, c.227.

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

    1. Section 2 of P.L.1993, c.227 (C.26:4-100.13) is amended to read as follows:

    2. a. There is created in the Department of Health and Senior Services the "Hepatitis Inoculation Fund," hereinafter referred to as the "fund." The fund shall be a separate, nonlapsing, revolving account and shall be administered by the Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Disease Control in the Department of Health and Senior Services and all moneys deposited in the fund pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1993, c.227 (N.J.S.2C:64-6) shall be used for the provision of hepatitis inoculations to the following persons, in order of eligibility, and for related administrative costs:

    (1) volunteer emergency medical technicians-ambulance and volunteer firefighters;

    (2) all other emergency medical technicians-ambulance, firefighters and police officers in squads or departments with less than 100 members; [and]

    (3) all other emergency medical technicians-ambulance, firefighters and police officers[.]; and

    (4) school employees as designated by the Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Disease Control.

    The Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Disease Control shall promulgate rules and regulations in order to effectuate the purposes of this fund.

    b. A person whose medical insurance policy pays for the full cost of the hepatitis inoculation shall not receive payment for an inoculation administered pursuant to subsection a. of this section. A person whose medical insurance policy pays for a portion of the cost of hepatitis inoculation may be reimbursed for the unpaid portion from the Hepatitis Inoculation Fund.

(cf: P.L.1993, c.227, s.2)

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    The "Hepatitis Inoculation Fund" was enacted to provide funds to be used in providing hepatitis inoculations to public safety workers. The purpose of this bill is to expand the grouping of persons eligible for inoculations to include school employees whose positions may put them at risk of contacting hepatitis.

Includes school employees who may be at risk of contacting hepatitis in the grouping of persons eligible for hepatitis inoculations.