Bill Text: NJ ACR145 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends Constitution to provide cancer prevention funding.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health Committee [ACR145 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-ACR145-Introduced.html
ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 145
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED MAY 12, 2022
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Amends Constitution to provide cancer prevention funding.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution proposing to amend Article VIII, Section II of the Constitution of the State of New Jersey by adding a new paragraph thereto.
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):
1. The following proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of New Jersey is agreed to:
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
Amend Article VIII, Section II by adding a new paragraph 10 to read as follows:
10. There is established in the Department of Health a fund which shall be known as the "Cancer Prevention Fund." Beginning with the State fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2023, and in each State fiscal year thereafter, there shall be credited from the Unclaimed Personal Property Trust Fund to the Cancer Prevention Fund an amount not less than $50,000,000, until the total amount credited to the Cancer Prevention Fund pursuant to this paragraph equals $1,000,000,000. Monies credited to the Cancer Prevention Fund pursuant to this paragraph shall be distributed by the Department of Health to private and public entities to fund cancer detection, cancer treatment, and cancer research under contracts negotiated by the Department of Health. The Department of Health shall securely invest 75 percent of the interest that has accrued in the Cancer Prevention Fund in fiscal years 2023-2029, 50 percent of the interest that has accrued in the fund in fiscal years 2030-2036, and 25 percent of the interest that has accrued in the fund thereafter. Profits from this investment shall be distributed by the Department of Health to private and public entities to fund cancer detection, cancer treatment, and cancer research under contracts negotiated by the Department of Health. It shall not be competent for the Legislature, under any pretense whatever, to borrow, appropriate, or use the amounts credited to the Cancer Prevention Fund pursuant to this paragraph, or any portion thereof, for any purpose or in any manner other than as enumerated in this paragraph.
2. When this proposed
amendment to the Constitution is finally agreed to pursuant to Article IX,
paragraph 1 of the Constitution, it shall be submitted to the people at the
next general election occurring more than three months after the final
agreement and shall be published at least once in at least one newspaper of
each county designated by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the
General Assembly and the Secretary of State, not less than three months prior
to the general election.
3. This proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be submitted to the people at that election in the following manner and form:
There shall be printed on each official ballot to be used at the general election, the following:
a. In every municipality in which voting machines are not used, a legend which shall immediately precede the question as follows:
If you favor the proposition printed below make a cross (X), plus (+), or check (a) in the square opposite the word "Yes." If you are opposed thereto make a cross (X), plus (+) or check (a) in the square opposite the word "No."
b. In every municipality the following question:
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CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT DEDICATING ANNUAL FUNDING TO PREVENT CANCER
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YES
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Do you approve amending the Constitution to give the Department of Health at least $50 million each year to prevent cancer? The department would receive $50 million each year until the total amount received by the department equals $1 billion. The department would use the money to pay for cancer detection, treatment, and research. |
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INTERPRETIVE STATEMENT |
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NO
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This amendment would create a Cancer Prevention Fund in the Department of Health. At least $50 million in State money from unclaimed property would be placed into the Cancer Prevention Fund each year until the total amount placed into the fund equals $1 billion. The department would give the money to private and public organizations to pay for cancer detection, treatment, and research. The department would be required to invest interest gained from the Cancer Prevention Fund. Seventy-five percent would be invested in fiscal years 2023-2029, 50 percent in 2030-2036, and 25 percent in later years. Profits from this investment would be used to pay for cancer detection, treatment, and research. The money could not be used for any other purpose. |
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STATEMENT
This resolution proposes an amendment to the New Jersey Constitution to establish a fund in the Department of Health (department) to be known as the "Cancer Prevention Fund."
Under the resolution, beginning with the State fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2023, and in each State fiscal year thereafter, there is to be credited from the Unclaimed Personal Property Trust Fund to the Cancer Prevention Fund an amount not less than $50 million, until the total amount credited to the Cancer Prevention Fund equals $1 billion. The Unclaimed Personal Property Trust Fund contains monies from property that has escheated to the State. Monies in the Cancer Prevention Fund are to be distributed by the department to private and public entities to fund cancer detection, cancer treatment, and cancer research under contracts negotiated by the department. The department is to securely invest 75 percent of the interest that has accrued in the Cancer Prevention Fund in fiscal years 2023-2029, 50 percent of the interest that has accrued in fiscal years 2030-2036, and 25 percent of the interest that has accrued thereafter. Profits from this investment are to be distributed by the department to private and public entities to fund cancer detection, cancer treatment, and cancer research under contracts negotiated by the department.
The resolution provides that the Legislature is to be prohibited from using all or a portion of the credited funds for any purpose other than those outlined in the proposed amendment.
It is the sponsor's belief that cancer imposes a tremendous toll on society. It is important to fund cancer research to develop safe and effective methods to prevent, detect, diagnose, treat, and ultimately cure cancer. Breakthroughs in prevention, early detection, screening, diagnosis, and treatment are often the result of research and discoveries made by scientists in a wide array of disciplines. Those discoveries have led to more effective treatments and prevention strategies.
It is the sponsor's belief that the advent of better treatments and prevention strategies has increased the cost of treating cancer, which may not be affordable for all patients. Cancer prevention funding is necessary to reduce or prevent incidents of cancer, and also to address the rising costs of cancer treatment.
It is the sponsor's belief that using funds that have escheated to the State to pay for cancer prevention does not place any additional tax burden on New Jersey's residents.
The incidence of cancer is on the rise. As of 2017, 50 percent of men and 33 percent of women will be diagnosed with a life-threatening form of cancer in their lifetime. Although cancer deaths have risen to more than 600,000 annually, by 2024, it is expected there will be more than 20 million cancer survivors. According to 2017 statistics from the American Cancer Society: nearly 15.5 million people diagnosed with cancer are surviving their illness, and about 53 percent of them are under the age of 70.
Cancer also affects employers. For every 100 employees in the workforce, five percent will have a history of cancer and 27.1 percent of employees will be in treatment for cancer. Cancer treatment alone accounts for 12 percent of employers' total medical costs in the United States, with $125 billion spent on direct medical costs. Another $139 billion are associated with diminished productivity and lost work time, either for cancer treatment or for caring for someone with cancer. Employees who are also caregivers account for nearly 75 percent of early departures and late arrivals at the workplace, and those employees are often engaged in long telephone calls at work to handle caregiving issues, potentially detracting from their productivity and ability to focus on workplace tasks.
It is the sponsor's intent that the additional funding to be provided under this amendment will help New Jersey to make significant inroads in resolving these myriad issues caused by cancer.
