ASSEMBLY, No. 4150

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED MAY 14, 2020

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  DANIEL R. BENSON

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Assemblywoman  BETTYLOU DECROCE

District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle, Assemblymen Giblin, Johnson, Danielsen and Assemblywomen Dunn

SYNOPSIS

     Requires hospitals and long-term care facilities to maintain 90-day supply of personal protection equipment during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

An Act concerning personal protection equipment during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

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

     1.    a.  As used in this section:

     "Long-term care facility" means a nursing home, assisted living residence, comprehensive personal care home, residential health care facility, or dementia care home licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.).

     “Personal protection equipment” means equipment, such as gloves, masks, and aprons or gowns, which is worn by hospital staff to minimize the spread of disease.

     b.    Acute care general hospitals licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) and long-term care facilities shall maintain, at all times, a supply of personal protection equipment that is sufficient to sustain the health care needs of the hospital or the long-term care facility for a period of 90 days, if there is sufficient personal protection equipment available, either by contribution from a third-party or for purchase at a reasonable cost to the hospital or long-term care facility, if the purchase of such personal protection equipment is within the financial means of the hospital or long-term care facility.

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the end of both the state of emergency and the public health emergency declared in response to the coronavirus disease 2019.

STATEMENT

     This bill requires hospitals and long-term care facilities to maintain a 90-day supply of personal protection equipment during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

     Under the bill, acute care general hospitals and long-term care facilities are to maintain, at all times, a supply of personal protection equipment that is sufficient to sustain the health care needs of the hospital or long-term care facility for a period of 90 days, if there is sufficient personal protection equipment available, either by contribution from a third-party or for purchase at a reasonable cost to the hospital or long-term care facility, if the purchase of such personal protection equipment is within the financial means of the hospital or long-term care facility.