Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Requires data reporting and testing in certain substance use disorders treatment facilities during COVID-19 pandemic.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning residential substance use disorders treatment facilities during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
"Residential substance use disorders treatment facility" means a facility, or a distinct part of a facility, licensed by the Department of Human Services that provides care for the treatment of substance use disorders, for 24 or more consecutive hours to two or more clients who are not related to the governing authority or its members by marriage, blood, or adoption.
2. a. No later than 30 days after the effective date of this act, the Department of Health shall develop standards and protocols for the testing of all personnel employed by a substance use disorders treatment facility and each resident of that residential substance use disorders treatment facility.
b. The Department of Human Services shall require and oversee the administration of coronavirus disease 2019 tests, in accordance with the Department of Health's testing standards and protocols developed pursuant to subsection a. of this section, to all personnel employed by a residential substance use disorders treatment facility and each resident of that residential substance use disorders treatment facility.
c. The Department of Human Services shall require that persons who are positive for the coronavirus disease 2019, according to a test performed pursuant to subsection a. of this section, shall be isolated or quarantined to help reduce the transmission of infection in accordance with the provisions of section 15 of P.L.2005, c.222 (C.26:13-15).
3. a. The Commissioner of Human Services shall require each residential substance use disorders treatment facility to report to the Department of Health data on the number of personnel employed by the facility and the residents of the facility who tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 and died from the coronavirus disease 2019, within 24 hours after the facility confirms a coronavirus disease 2019 positive test result or death.
b. The Department of Health shall publish on its Internet website the data received pursuant to subsection a. of this section. The Department of Health shall update its Internet website on a daily basis by publishing the latest data received by the Department of Health pursuant to subsection a. of this section. To the extent possible, the data reported by the department pursuant to this subsection may be merged and cross-referenced with the data published by the Department of Health pursuant to subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.2020, c.28.
4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire one month after the end of both the state of emergency and the public health emergency declared in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes certain requirements for residential substance use disorders treatment facilities regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
This bill requires the Department of Health will develop standards and protocols for the testing of all personnel employed by a substance use disorders treatment facility and each resident of that residential substance use disorders treatment facility, no later than 30 days after the effective date of this act. This bill requires each residential substance use disorders treatment facility licensed by the Department of Human Services to test all personnel employed by a residential substance use disorders treatment facility and each resident of that residential substance use disorders treatment facility for coronavirus disease 2019. Any employee or resident who is positive for coronavirus disease according to a test performed pursuant to this bill will be isolated or quarantined to help reduce the transmission of infection.
This bill also requires each residential substance use disorders treatment facility to report to the Department of Health data on the number of personnel employed by with the facility and the residents of the facility who tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 and died from the coronavirus disease 2019, within 24 hours after the facility confirms a coronavirus disease 2019 positive test result or death. The Department of Health will publish on its Internet website the data received by the residential substance use disorders treatment facilities and update its Internet website on a daily basis.
This bill will take effect immediately and expire one month after the end of both the state of emergency and the public health emergency declared in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.