Bill Text: NJ A2304 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires Commissioner of Health to examine certain records of nursing home residents' personal funds, and provides that misappropriation of funds is grounds for cause of action.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-02-07 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health Committee [A2304 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2022-A2304-Introduced.html

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ASSEMBLY, No. 2304

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

220th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 7, 2022

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  RONALD S. DANCER

District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires Commissioner of Health to examine certain records of nursing home residents' personal funds, and provides that misappropriation of funds is grounds for cause of action.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  

An Act concerning misappropriation of nursing home residents' personal funds and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

 

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

 

     1.    The Commissioner of Health shall access and examine a minimum of 10 percent of the records and quarterly statements maintained by a nursing home pursuant to subsection a. of section 3 of P.L.1976, c.120 (C.30:13-3) each year.  In conducting an examination, all due care shall be exercised to preserve the confidentiality of the records and the privacy of the resident.  Any evidence of misappropriation of funds shall be grounds for a cause of action pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1976, c.120 (C.30:13-8) against a person found to have committed a misappropriation, the nursing home, or both.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill provides that the Commissioner of Health shall access and examine a minimum of 10 percent of the records and quarterly statements maintained by a nursing home pursuant to subsection a. of section 3 of P.L.1976, c.120 (C.30:13-3) each year.  In conducting an examination, the nursing home is to exercise all due care to preserve the confidentiality of the records and the privacy of the resident. 

     The bill also provides that any evidence of misappropriation of funds will be grounds for a cause of action pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1976, c.120 (C.30:13-8) against a person found to have committed a misappropriation, the nursing home, or both.   

     This bill is in response to recent media reports alleging that nursing home employees misappropriated personal funds belonging to residents of the nursing home; the reports included at least 28 alleged incidents in New Jersey.