LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 4201

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: JANUARY 13, 2022

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Mandates periodic cancer screening examinations for firefighters enrolled in SHBP.

Type of Impact:

Annual expenditure increase for the State and local governments.

Agencies Affected:

Division of Pensions and Benefits, State Health Benefits Program; local governments.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Year 1 

Year 2 

Year 3 

 

State Cost Increase

 

Indeterminate

 

 

Local Cost Increase

 

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds the bill would result in an indeterminate increase in annual costs for health care benefits provided by the State and local governments as public employers.  The bill would impact the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) and, therefore, would result in expenditure increases for the State and local governments that participate in the SHBP.

 

·         The additional cost for the coverage required by this bill would depend on the specifics of each plan or program, the plan or program selected by each firefighter, the type of coverage (e.g. single, member/spouse, family), the annual premium, and the amount of contribution made by each firefighter as a public employee toward that cost.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill mandates access to cancer screenings for full-time paid firefighters in this State enrolled in the State Health Benefits Program.  The bill includes screening examinations for colon, lung, bladder, oral, thyroid, skin, blood, breast, cervical, testicular, and prostate cancers.  The first screening will take place within the first three years of employment and a firefighter is then entitled to a screening every three years thereafter.  The bill also provides that employment as a full-time paid employee of a fire department or unit of this State or a political subdivision of this State will be a pre-existing condition and the effective date is January 1, 2023.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS finds that this bill would result in an indeterminate increase in annual costs for health care benefits provided by the State and local governments as public employers. The bill would impact the SHBP and, therefore, would result in expenditure increases for the State and local governments that participate in the SHBP.

      The additional cost for the coverage required by this bill would depend on the specifics of each plan or program, the plan or program selected by each firefighter, the type of coverage (e.g. single, member/spouse, family), the annual premium, and the amount of contribution made by each firefighter as a public employee toward that cost.

 

 

Section:

State Government

Analyst:

Jessica Oestreicher

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).