SENATE, No. 1313

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED JUNE 6, 1996

 

 

By Senators LITTELL, LaROSSA, Inverso, Bennett,

Kyrillos and Ewing

 

 

An Act establishing the Department of Health and Senior Services and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

 

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

 

    1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

    a. On May 2, 1996, Governor Whitman filed a reorganization plan with the Legislature expanding the jurisdiction of the Department of Health and renaming it as the Department of Health and Senior Services;

    b. The reorganization plan consolidates more than 20 State and federal programs serving senior citizens that are currently administered by the Departments of Human Services, Community Affairs, Insurance and Health, in order to "foster the efficient implementation of a coherent public policy for the elder citizens of the State;"

    c. The reorganization plan transfers the following programs and offices established by law:

    (1) Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled, P.L.1975, c.194 (C.30:4D-20 et seq.)

    (2) Lifeline Credit Program, P.L.1979, c.197 (C.48:2-29.15 et seq.)

    (3) Tenants' Lifeline Assistance Program, P.L.1981, c.210 (C.48:2-29.30 et seq.)

    (4) Hearing Aid Assistance for the Aged and Disabled, P.L.1987, c.298 (C.30:4D-36 et seq.)

    (5) Statewide Respite Care Program, P.L.1987, c.119 (C.30:4F-7 et seq.)

    (6) Division on Aging, P.L.1957, c.72 (C.26:1A-107 et seq.)

    (7) Office of the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly, P.L.1977, c.239 (C.52:27G-1 et seq.)

    (8) Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults, P.L.1985, c.298 (C.52:27G-21 et seq.)

    (9) Congregate Housing Services program, P.L.1981, c.553 (C.52:27D-182 et seq.) and


    (10) Adult Protective Services program, P.L.1993, c.249 (C.52:27D-406 et seq.);

    d. The reorganization plan also transfers the following programs established administratively:

    (1) Senior Health Insurance Unit, in the Department of Insurance

    (2) AIDS Drug Distribution Program, in the Department of Human Services

    (3) Component of the Bureau of Home and Community Services that includes the Community Care Program for the Elderly and Disabled and the Assisted Living/Alternate Family Care waiver, in the Department of Human Services

    (4) Bureau of Nursing Facility Level Services, in the Department of Human Services

    (5) Bureau of Nursing Facility Policy and Reimbursements, in the Department of Human Services

    (6) Bureau of Program Development for the Office of Elder and Disabled Affairs, in the Department of Human Services and

    (7) Enrollment Component of the Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries Program, in the Department of Human Services;

    e. The transfer of the programs identified in the reorganization plan to a single State department should achieve the laudable goal of unifying the administration of State services for senior citizens and

thereby providing for a more efficient and effective system for the delivery of services to the State's senior citizens; and

    f. While the Governor is authorized under the "Executive Reorganization Act of 1969," P.L.1969, c.203 (C.52:14C-1 et seq.) to effect the transfer of the above named programs, offices and administrative activities, legislative action is needed to change the name of the Department of Health to the Department of Health and Senior Services, thus affirming the Governor's action in expanding the jurisdiction of this Executive department.

 

    2. The Department of Health, established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1947, c.177 (C.26:1A-2), is renamed the Department of Health and Senior Services. The title of State Commissioner of Health, established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1947, c.177 (C.26:1A-3) shall be redesignated the as State Commissioner of Health and Senior Services.

 

    3. Whenever any law, rule, regulation, order, contract, tariff, document, judicial or administrative proceeding or otherwise refers to the Department of Health and the commissioner thereof, the same shall mean the Department of Health and Senior Services and the commissioner thereof.

 

    4. This act shall take effect July 1, 1996.


STATEMENT

 

    This bill affirms the Governor's action to expand the jurisdiction of the Department of Health by consolidating various State and federal programs serving senior citizens in the State within that department. Accordingly, the bill renames the Department of Health as the Department of Health and Senior Services and redesignates the Commissioner of Health as the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services.

 

 

                             

Renames Department of Health as Department of Health and Senior Services and affirms Governor's reorganization plan for senior services.