SENATE, No. 2165
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
INTRODUCED JUNE 12, 1997
By Senator EWING
An Act concerning drug and alcohol abuse and amending P.L.1983, c.531.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 3 of P.L.1983, c.531 (C.26:2B-32) is amended to read as follows:
3. An Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund is established as a nonlapsing, revolving fund in a separate account in the Department of Health and Senior Services. The fund shall be credited from July 1, 1990 through June 30, 1991, with 27.6% of the tax revenues, and from July 1, 1991 through June 30, 1992, with 53.3% of the tax revenues, collected pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1980, c.62 (C.54:32C-3), the amount thereof to be dedicated 75% to rehabilitation, 15% to enforcement and 10% to education, and the fund thereafter shall be annually credited with the amount of tax revenues collected from the alcoholic beverage tax as is provided in section 2 of P.L.1990, c.41 (C.54:43-1.1), which amount shall be dedicated 75% to rehabilitation, 15% to enforcement and 10% to education. Interest received on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund. Pursuant to the formula set forth in section 5 of this act, moneys appropriated pursuant to law shall only be distributed to the counties by the Department of Health and Senior Services, without the assessment of administrative costs, to develop and implement an annual comprehensive plan for the treatment of alcoholics and drug abusers and for expenditures according to the dedications provided herein.
In addition to the amount annually credited to the fund as provided in this section, the department shall also annually distribute to the counties, pursuant to the formula set forth in section 5 of P.L.1983, c.531 and without the assessment of administrative costs, any fund balance at the end of each fiscal year exceeding $100,000. Such moneys shall only be used by the counties for the treatment of alcoholics and drug abusers and shall not be used for administrative costs.
(cf: P.L.1990, c.41, s.4)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
The Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation and Enforcement fund was established by P.L.1983, c.531 as a nonlapsing, revolving fund in the Department of Health and Senior Services. The fund is annually credited with moneys from the tax collected pursuant to the "Alcoholic beverage tax law," R.S.54:41-1 et seq., as well as moneys from other fees. The majority of these moneys are distributed to counties for educational and rehabilitative services and programs for alcoholics and drug abusers, pursuant to approval of the counties' annual comprehensive plans for the provision of these services.
This bill provides that in addition to the amount annually dedicated from the Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund for the treatment of alcoholics and drug abusers, any moneys remaining in the fund at the end of each fiscal year, in excess of $100,000, would also be distributed to counties for treatment purposes, without the assessment of administrative costs.
Dedicates balances in Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund to drug and alcohol abuse treatment.