Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Makes FY 2018 supplemental appropriation of $7,453,000 to DOH for federally qualified health centers to provide family planning services.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Supplement to "An Act making appropriations for the support of the State Government and the several public purposes for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018 and regulating the disbursement thereof," approved July 4, 2017 (P.L.2017, c.99).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. In addition to the amounts appropriated under P.L.2017, c.99, there is appropriated out of the General Fund the following sum for the purpose specified:
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46 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 20 Physical and Mental Health 21 Health Services GRANTS-IN-AID |
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02-4220 Family Health Services ...................................................... |
$7,453,000 |
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Total Grants-in-Aid Appropriation, |
$7,453,000 |
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Health Services .......................................................... |
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Grants-in-Aid: |
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02 Federally Qualified Health Centers Family Planning Services……………………………………. |
($7,453,000) |
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Of the funds hereinabove appropriated for Family Planning Services, no
monies shall be expended on abortion procedures.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill proposes to supplement the Fiscal Year 2018 annual appropriations act by making an appropriation of $7,453,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Health for grants to federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) to provide family planning services.
Several years ago, the DOH had provided State grants to several family planning agencies to provide services such as reproductive health counseling, screening for certain sexually transmitted diseases and cancers, birth control, and other services classified as family planning services.
This legislation would instead provide similar funding to federally qualified health centers, which provide a full range of primary health care, including family planning, for low-income women with limited access to other health care providers. Providing this funding to FQHCs is a sensible alternative because there are about three times more FQHCs than family planning clinics, so they are more easily accessible for much of the population, and because FQHCs annually serve about two and one-half times as many women as family planning agencies.
The bill specifies that the funding may not be used for abortion procedures.