SENATE, No. 1547

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED OCTOBER 3, 1996

 

 

By Senators MARTIN, BASSANO, Codey and MacInnes

 

 

An Act concerning the testing of patients at State psychiatric facilities for hepatitis B, HIV infection and sexually transmitted diseases and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

 

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

 

    1. As used in this act:

    a. "AIDS" means acquired immune deficiency syndrome as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Public Health Service.

    b. "HIV infection" means infection with the human immunodeficiency virus or any other related virus identified as a probable causative agent of AIDS.

 

    2. a. A patient who is admitted for treatment at a State psychiatric hospital shall be required, upon admission, to submit to testing for hepatitis B, HIV infection, and sexually transmitted diseases such as chancroid, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes virus, or any of the varieties or stages of such diseases.

    b. The Commissioner of Human Services shall develop guidelines for the treatment and confinement of a patient who tests positive to any disease specified in subsection a. of this section, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, and in accordance with recommended protocols established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Public Health Services.

 

    3. Subject to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the Commissioner of Human Services shall adopt all rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.

 

    4. This act shall take effect on the 60th day after enactment.


STATEMENT

 

    This bill requires all patients who are admitted for treatment at State psychiatric hospitals to submit to testing, upon admission, for hepatitis B, HIV infection, and sexually transmitted diseases such as chancroid, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes virus, or any of the varieties or stages of such diseases.

    The bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services to develop guidelines for the treatment and confinement of a patient who tests positive to any disease specified in the bill, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, and in accordance with recommended protocols established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Public Health Services.

    This bill is one of several legislative initiatives recommended in the final report of the Senate Task Force on Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital issued in June, 1996.

 

 

                             

 

Requires hepatitis B, HIV and sexually transmitted disease testing of patients at State psychiatric hospitals.