Bill Text: NJ A3512 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires DHS to establish public awareness campaign concerning civil and criminal immunity provided under P.L.2013, c.46.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-25 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health Committee [A3512 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A3512-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ROY FREIMAN
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblywoman YVONNE LOPEZ
District 19 (Middlesex)
Assemblyman JOHN ARMATO
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DHS to establish public awareness campaign concerning civil and criminal immunity provided under P.L.2013, c.46.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning overdose prevention and supplementing Title 24 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Human Services shall establish a public awareness campaign to educate emergency medical responders, health care practitioners, prescribers, professionals, the general public, and school employees on the civil and criminal immunity provisions provided under the "Overdose Prevention Act," P.L.2013, c.46 (C.24:6J-1 et al.) regarding the administration of an opioid antidote.
b. The Department of Human Services shall develop and distribute appropriate informational materials for the purposes of the public awareness campaign. Materials provided under the public awareness campaign shall be disseminated in a variety of languages if feasible.
c. As necessary, the Department of Human Services shall partner with community-based initiatives, training programs, and other similar entities to further the purposes of the public awareness campaign.
d. As used in this act:
"Emergency medical responder" means a person, other than a health care practitioner, who is employed on a paid or volunteer basis in the area of emergency response, including, but not limited to, an emergency medical technician, a mobile intensive care paramedic, or a fire fighter, acting in that person's professional capacity.
"Health care practitioner" means a prescriber, pharmacist, or other individual whose professional practice is regulated pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes, and who, in accordance with the practitioner's scope of professional practice, prescribes, or dispenses an opioid antidote.
"Opioid antidote" means any drug, regardless of dosage amount or method of administration, which has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of an opioid overdose. "Opioid antidote includes, but is not limited to, naloxone hydrochloride, in any dosage amount, which is administered through nasal spray or any other FDA-approved means or methods.
"Prescriber" means a health care practitioner authorized by law to prescribe medications who, acting within the practitioner's scope of professional practice, prescribes an opioid antidote. "Prescriber" includes, but is not limited to, a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse.
"Professional" means a person, other than a health care practitioner, who is employed on a paid basis or is engaged on a volunteer basis in the areas of substance abuse treatment or therapy, criminal justice, or a related area, and who, acting in that person's professional or volunteer capacity, obtains an opioid antidote from a health care practitioner for the purposes of dispensing or administering that antidote to other parties in the course of business or volunteer activities. "Professional" includes, but is not limited to, a sterile syringe access program employee, or a law enforcement official.
2. The Commissioner of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to implement the provisions of this act and effectuate its purposes.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Human Services (DHS) to establish a public awareness campaign concerning the civil and criminal immunity provisions of the "Overdose Prevention Act," P.L.2013, c.46 (C.24:6J-1 et al.).
Under the bill, the DHS is to establish a public awareness campaign to educate emergency medical responders, health care practitioners, prescribers, professionals, the general public, and school employees on the civil and criminal immunity provisions provided under the Overdose Prevention Act regarding the administration of an opioid antidote. The DHS is to develop and distribute appropriate informational materials for the purposes of the public awareness campaign. Materials provided under the public awareness campaign are to be disseminated in a variety of languages if feasible. As necessary, the DHS is to partner with community-based initiatives, training programs, and other similar entities to further the purposes of the public awareness campaign.
