S1232

An Act establishing the New Jersey Center for Oral Health and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

1. There is established the New Jersey Center for Oral Health at the New Jersey Dental School of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The Dean of the New Jersey Dental School, or the dean’s designee, shall serve as the director of the center.

2. a. The center shall:

(1) Develop and facilitate model public and private partnerships for oral health awareness campaigns to improve the access, acceptability, and use of oral health services in this State;

(2) Serve as an information and resource center for specific oral health information and data concerning oral health and disseminate such data to interested parties;

(3) In consultation with the Commissioners of Education, Health and Senior Services, and Human Services, review, recommend, and develop, or cause to be developed, appropriate oral health education materials and disseminate the materials to local school districts throughout the State;

(4) In collaboration with the Commissioners of Education and Health and Senior Services and other State agencies and private organizations, as necessary and appropriate, provide, or cause to be provided, assistance to Early Head Start and Head Start programs and local school districts to develop programs in Head Start programs and elementary and secondary schools that stress good nutrition, sound oral hygiene, and healthy lifestyles, as well as the prevention of oral disease;

(5) Serve as an advocate for the adoption and implementation of effective measures to improve the oral health of State residents and eliminate disparities among the various racial and ethnic populations of this State concerning access to high-quality oral health care, utilization of oral health care services, and oral health status;

(6) Develop recommendations for the most effective means of providing outreach to communities throughout the State to ensure their maximum participation in publicly-funded oral health programs;

(7) Seek to establish a Statewide alliance with community-based agencies and organizations, health care facilities, oral health care provider organizations, and dental insurance companies to promote the objectives of the center; and

(8) Evaluate oral health programs in other states to assess their efficacy and potential for replication in this State, and make recommendations regarding the adoption of such programs, as appropriate.

b. The center may apply for and accept any grant of money from the federal government, private foundations, or other sources, which may be available for programs related to oral health.

c. In collaboration with appropriate departments of State government, the center may serve as the designated State agency for receipt of federal funds specifically designated for oral health programs.

d. The center shall report annually to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, on the work of the center and the status of oral health in the State.

3. This act shall take effect on the 60th day following enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the New Jersey Center for Oral Health at the New Jersey Dental School of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in order to provide for a collaborative State effort to address oral health.

The Dean of the New Jersey Dental School, or the dean’s designee, would serve as the director of the center.

The center would develop and facilitate model public and private partnerships for oral health awareness campaigns to improve the access, acceptability, and use of oral health services in this State. It would serve as an information and resource center for specific oral health information and data concerning oral health and disseminate such data to interested parties.

In consultation with the Commissioners of Education, Health and Senior Services, and Human Services, the center is to review, recommend, and develop appropriate oral health education materials and disseminate the materials to local school districts throughout the State. In collaboration with the Commissioners of Education and Health and Senior Services, other State agencies, and private organizations, the center is to assist in developing programs in Head Start programs and elementary and secondary schools that stress good nutrition, sound oral hygiene, healthy lifestyles, and the prevention of oral disease.

The center would serve as an advocate for the adoption and implementation of effective measures to improve the oral health of this State and eliminate disparities among the various racial and ethnic populations of this State concerning access to high-quality oral health care, utilization of oral health care services, and oral health status.

The center would develop recommendations for the most effective means of providing outreach to communities throughout the State to ensure their maximum participation in publicly-funded oral health programs.

The center would seek to establish a Statewide alliance with community-based agencies and organizations, health care facilities, oral health care provider organizations, and dental insurance companies to promote the objectives of the center.

The center would evaluate oral health programs in other states to assess their efficacy and potential for replication in this State, and make recommendations regarding the adoption of such programs, as appropriate.

The center may apply for and accept any grant of money from the federal government, private foundations, or other sources, which may be available for programs related to oral health.

In collaboration with appropriate departments of State government, the center may serve as the designated State agency for receipt of federal funds specifically designated for oral health programs.

The center is directed to report annually to the Governor and the Legislature on the work of the center and the status of oral health in the State.