Sponsored by:
Senator VIN GOPAL
District 11 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Allows establishments offering services or treatments by licensees of New Jersey Board of Dentistry to charge patients additional fee to cover cost of certain personal protective equipment during coronavirus 2019 pandemic.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning certain fees charged by licensees of the New Jersey Board of Dentistry during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary, an establishment, offering services or treatments by licensees of the New Jersey Board of Dentistry, may impose a fee on patients to offset the cost of personal protective equipment (PPE) worn by the licensees to minimize exposure to the coronavirus 2019 disease. The fee shall:
(1) include the direct per-unit cost of PPE used in during a patient’s dental service or treatment; and
(2) exclude the cost of PPE for administrative staff or other personnel not directly providing dental services and treatments.
b. The Division of Consumer Affairs shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) to determine the maximum per-unit cost of PPE used in a patient’s care.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the expiration of the Public Health Emergency or State of Emergency, whichever is later, declared by Executive Order No. 103 of 2020.
STATEMENT
This bill allows licensees of the New Jersey Board of Dentistry to charge a fee to patients in order to offset the cost of personal protective equipment (PPE) worn during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic.
This fee shall only include the direct per-unit cost of PPE used in a patent’s care and will exclude the cost of PPE for administrative staff or other personnel not directly involved in dental services and treatments. The bill directs the Division of Consumer Affairs to determine the maximum per-unit cost of PPE used in a patient’s care by regulation. Subsection (c) of section 4 of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-4(c)), allows for the adoption of emergency rules and regulations on an expedited basis and it is expected that the division will do so in this case.