SENATE, No. 1581

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED OCTOBER 3, 1996

By Senator McGREEVEY

An Act concerning medical waste and supplementing P.L.1989, c.34 (C.13:1E-48.1 et seq.).

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

    1. a. Generators of medical waste, as defined in section 3 of the "Comprehensive Regulated Medical Waste Management Act," P.L.1989, c.34 (C.13:1E-48.1 et seq.), shall mark all hypodermic syringes used in their facilities with an identifiable name or registration number.

    b. Any person who violates this act, or any rule adopted pursuant thereto, shall be liable for a penalty of not more than $500, to be collected in a civil action commenced by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, a local board of health or a county health department. Any penalty imposed pursuant to this act may be recovered with costs in a summary proceeding pursuant to "the penalty enforcement law," N.J.S.2A:58-1 et seq.

    2. The Department of Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Department of Health and Senior Services, shall, within 120 days of the effective date of this act and pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement this act.

    3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill would require generators of medical waste that are regulated under the "Comprehensive Regulated Medical Waste Management Act," which includes hospitals, medical doctors' offices, dentists' offices, home health care agencies, and veterinary offices or clinics, among others, to mark all hypodermic syringes used in their facilities with an identifiable name or registration number. Violators of this requirement would be subject to a penalty of up to $500. Such markings would aid in identifying the origination of syringes that are improperly disposed of and subsequently found in garbage or washed up on beaches.

Requires generators of medical waste to provide identifiable mark on syringes.