LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2821

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MAY 16, 1997

      Assembly Bill No. 2821 of 1997 requires the immunization of a child for hepatitis B as a condition of attendance at a public or private school, licensed child care center, nursery school, preschool or kindergarten in this State under regulations set forth at N.J.A.C.8:57-4.1 et seq. which stipulate the requirements for childhood immunizations as established by the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services. The provisions of these regulations governing the applicability of immunization requirements, proof of immunization, medical and religious exemptions, provisional admission to a school, preschool or child care center, documents accepted as evidence of immunization, records required and available for inspection and reports to be furnished to the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), and the provision of necessary equipment, materials and services for immunizing children at public expense by a board of education or a local board of health, shall apply to immunizations for hepatitis B. The bill further provides that a child born on or after the effective date of the bill, unless medically contraindicated, shall receive three doses of a live hepatitis B vaccine, or a vaccine combination containing live hepatitis B vaccine.

      DHSS and the Office of Management and Budget have not provided any information on this legislation.

      The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) estimates that this bill will have little direct fiscal impact on the State. The bill would allow boards of education or local boards of health to provide at public expense, the necessary equipment, materials and services for immunizing children with the immunization agent for hepatitis B, in addition to the agents currently provided in regulation. The bill further requires all children born after the effective date of the bill to receive three doses of a live hepatitis B vaccine. However, OLS notes that DHSS is currently running a federally funded perinatal hepatitis B program which screens all pregnant women for hepatitis B and, if positive, tracks both the mother and child and offers vaccines. In addition, through federal funds, the vaccine for hepatitis B is included in the Childhood Immunization Program and provided by DHSS to local health departments and child health clinics.

      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.