[First Reprint]

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 ¹blood¹ testing for hepatitis B, HIV infection, and ¹other¹ sexually transmitted diseases ¹[such as chancroid, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes virus, or any of the varieties or stages of such diseases] , as determined by the Commissioner of Human Services. More extensive testing or examination to determine the presence of sexually transmitted diseases or stages of such diseases shall be performed within 90 days of a patient's admission or may be performed sooner, as appropriate to the patient's psychiatric condition.¹

    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.

    ¹c. All employees at a State psychiatric hospital shall be trained how to interact with a patient who has hepatitis B, HIV infection or any sexually transmitted disease. No employee shall be required to interact with a patient with any of these diseases unless so trained. Any employee who may come in contact with a patient who has any of these diseases shall be given advance notice, to the extent possible, that the patient has one of these diseases.¹

    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.

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