CHAPTER 300

 

An Act concerning coronavirus disease 2019 deaths in long-term care facilities and veterans' homes.

 

     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.).

     b.    Notwithstanding the provision of any executive order or law to the contrary, the Internet website of the Department of Health shall display, at all times, the total number of confirmed deaths caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and confirmed COVID-19 cases among employees, volunteers, and other persons providing services at long-term care facilities in this State, as well as among residents of long-term care facilities in this State, which reported data shall be regularly updated by the department to ensure it includes the total number of reported COVID-19 deaths and cases for the period commencing from the date of the first reported case of COVID-19 in New Jersey through the most recent date for which the data are available.  The reported data shall include both Statewide numbers and numbers specific to each long-term care facility, to the extent facility-specific numbers can be reported without violating State or federal health information privacy rules.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire 365 days following the end of both the state of emergency and the public health emergency declared in response to the coronavirus disease 2019.

 

     Approved November 8, 2021.