Bill Text: NJ A946 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires State to contract with pharmaceutical companies to purchase influenza vaccine for high-risk persons and their care providers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee [A946 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A946-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
SYNOPSIS
Requires State to contract with pharmaceutical companies to purchase influenza vaccine for high-risk persons and their care providers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning availability of the influenza vaccine and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Director of the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury shall contract with one or more pharmaceutical manufacturers as necessary to purchase, within the limits of local and State funds made available for the purposes of this act, supplies of influenza vaccine in an amount that is determined by the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services to be sufficient to ensure the availability of the vaccine for persons considered to be high priority for allocation of the vaccine.
As used in this act:
"Influenza vaccine" or "vaccine" means influenza vaccine and influenza antiviral medications.
"Persons considered to be high priority" means persons determined by the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services to be at high risk and those who provide care or services to high-risk persons, including, but not limited to, senior citizens, infants, pregnant women, individuals with chronic conditions that put them at risk, and health care workers providing direct patient care.
b. The Commissioner of Health and Senior Services shall establish such procedures as the commissioner determines necessary to ensure the most timely and effective distribution of influenza vaccine supplies purchased pursuant to subsection a. of this section to health care facilities, municipal and county agencies, and such other entities identified by the commissioner as will effectuate the purposes of this act.
c. The commissioner, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury, shall report at least annually to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the purchases of influenza vaccine, including any contract executed, expenditures incurred and distribution of vaccine supplies made, pursuant to this act.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the State to contract with pharmaceutical companies to ensure the availability of influenza vaccine for the most vulnerable residents of New Jersey.
Specifically, the bill provides as follows:
C The Director of the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury is to contract with one or more pharmaceutical manufacturers as necessary to purchase, within the limits of local and State funds made available for the purposes of the bill, supplies of influenza vaccine in an amount that is determined by the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services to be sufficient to ensure the availability of the vaccine for persons considered to be high priority for allocation of the vaccine.
C As used in the bill, "influenza vaccine" or "vaccine" is defined to mean influenza vaccine and influenza antiviral medications, and "persons considered to be high priority" to mean persons determined by the commissioner to be at high risk and those who provide care or services to high-risk persons, including, but not limited to, senior citizens, infants, pregnant women, individuals with chronic conditions that put them at risk and health care workers providing direct patient care.
C The Commissioner of Health and Senior Services is to establish such procedures as the commissioner determines necessary to ensure the most timely and effective distribution of influenza vaccine supplies purchased pursuant to the bill to health care facilities, municipal and county agencies, and such other entities identified by the commissioner as will effectuate the purposes of the bill.
C The commissioner, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Purchase and Property, is to report at least annually to the Governor and the Legislature on the purchases of influenza vaccine, including any contract executed, expenditures incurred and distribution of vaccine supplies made, pursuant to the bill.
