Bill Text: NJ A4057 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Amended

---

Bill Title: Requires hospitals to test for fentanyl and xylazine as part of urine drug screenings.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-13 - Reported out of Asm. Comm. with Amendments, and Referred to Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee [A4057 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2024-A4057-Amended.html

---

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 4057

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED MARCH 11, 2024

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  JULIO MARENCO

District 33 (Hudson)

Assemblyman  HERB CONAWAY, JR.

District 7 (Burlington)

Assemblyman  ANTHONY S. VERRELLI

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires hospitals to test for fentanyl and xylazine as part of urine drug screenings.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Health Committee on May 13, 2024, with amendments.

  

An Act concerning urine drug screenings and supplementing P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.).

 

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

 

     1.    a.  As used in this section, "urine drug screening" means a chemical analysis intended to test a patient for the presence of multiple drugs, including, but not limited to, cocaine, opioids, and phencyclidine.

     b.    In the event that an individual is treated at a general acute care hospital licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) and the hospital conducts a urine drug screening to assist in diagnosing the individual's condition, the hospital shall include testing for fentanyl ¹[and] ,¹ xylazine¹, and any drug for which the Commissioner of Health has issued a public health alert on the risk of overdose from the illicit use of that drug¹ in the individual's urine drug screening.

     c.     If a urine drug screening conducted in accordance with subsection b. of this section detects fentanyl, xylazine, or ¹[both] , any drug for which the Commissioner of Health has issued a public health alert on the risk of overdose from the illicit use of that drug¹, the hospital shall report the test results, which shall be de-identified, to the Department of Health in a form and manner as shall be prescribed by the Commissioner of Health.  Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to revise or rescind any other mandatory reporting related to opioid drugs, drug overdoses, fentanyl, ¹[or]¹ xylazine¹, or any other drug¹ as may be required by any department, division, office, agency, or other instrumentality of the State.

     d.    Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the provisions of section 4 of P.L.2013, c.46 (C.24:6J-4), section 7 of P.L.2013, c.46 (C.2C:35-30), or section 8 of P.L.2013, c.46 (C.2C:35-31) ¹, or to preclude a general acute care hospital without analyzer equipment for urinalysis from utilizing fentanyl test strips, xylazine test strips, or other drug test strips to comply with the provisions of this section¹.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect 90 days after the date of enactment.