STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Pinkin
SYNOPSIS
Requires bio-analytical or clinical laboratory conducting hepatitis C screening test to draw and store blood for confirmation test.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning hepatitis C screening tests and supplementing Title 45 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Pursuant to a standing order issued by its chief medical officer or equivalent officer, a bio-analytical or clinical laboratory shall provide that when the laboratory draws a blood sample for the purpose of conducting a hepatitis C screening test, the laboratory shall collect a sufficient quantity of blood so that the ordered test may be conducted and separately confirmed without any need for the patient to return for a second blood draw. The laboratory shall safely store the additional blood sample until a confirmation test is ordered, or until the 90th day following the initial blood draw, whichever is earlier.
b. Subsection a. of this section shall not apply if the health care professional ordering the hepatitis C screening test indicates that blood should be drawn for only a single screening test.
c. Subsection a. of this section shall not apply if the hepatitis C screening test to be conducted is ordered for the purpose of confirming a hepatitis C screening test conducted within the preceding 12 months.
2. The Commissioner of Health shall, in accordance with the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt any rules and regulations as the commissioner deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment, except that the Commissioner of Health may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires that, pursuant to a standing order issued by its chief medical officer or equivalent officer, when a bio-analytical or clinical laboratory draws a blood sample for the purpose of conducting a hepatitis C screening test, the laboratory is to collect a sufficient quantity of blood so that the ordered test may be conducted and separately confirmed without any need for the patient to return for a second blood draw. The laboratory will be required to store the additional blood sample until a confirmation test is ordered, or for a minimum of 90 days following the initial blood draw, whichever is earlier.
The requirements of the bill will not apply if the health care professional ordering the hepatitis C screening test indicates that blood should be drawn for only a single screening test, or if the test to be conducted is ordered for the purpose of confirming a hepatitis C screening test conducted within the preceding 12 months.