NJ.com: N.J. legislature tackles addiction: List of bills included in major package

9/17/2014

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Heroin and opiate addiction are on the rise in New Jersey. (Thinkstock)
Stephen Stirling | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comBy Stephen Stirling | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 
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on September 17, 2014 at 1:41 AM, updated September 18, 2014 at 11:42 AM

Today, New Jersey legislators are expected to present 21 bills geared at tackling the state's burgeoning heroin and prescription opiate crisis.

The bills will be announced at a news conference in Trenton at noon. Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), who helped begin assembling the bill package in 2013, said he hopes the legislative action will bring about meaningful change and help shape the conversation about addiction moving forward in New Jersey as one about a public health crisis rather than a law enforcement problem.

Below is a list of the bills expected to be presented this afternoon, their sponsors and brief summaries of their intent:

S-2366, sponsored by Senators Weinberg and Vitale, would ensure parents and patients are aware of the dangers of certain prescription drugs by requiring practitioners to inform them of their nature.

S-2367, sponsored by Senator Codey, would update New Jersey's core curriculum on substance abuse to make sure that our students are receiving effective prevention education.

S-2368, sponsored by Senator Rice, would increase state funding for substance abuse prevention efforts by $5 million.

S-1998*/A-3129**, sponsored by Senators Weinberg and Vitale/ Assemblymen Conaway and Lagana, Assemblywoman Angelini, Assemblyman Benson and Assemblywoman Sumter, would require all physicians to register for the state Prescription Monitoring Program, which helps identify individuals who are doctor shopping for opiates and would help identify rogue prescribers operating "pill mills."

S-2029*, sponsored by Senators Turner and Vitale, would enhance data collection and resource targeting by government agencies by allowing, with parental permission, for students to participate in voluntary surveys such as anonymous substance abuse surveys.

S-2369/A-2859**, sponsored by Senators Whelan and Kean/ Assemblymen Eustace and Benson and Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle, would increase the number of places individuals can drop off unused prescription drugs by expanding "Project Medicine Drop" locations to every State Police barrack, every county sheriff's office and in county and municipal police departments that chose to participate.

S-2370/A-709**, sponsored by Senators Whelan and Kyrillos/ Assemblywoman Angelini, Assemblyman Benson and Assemblywoman Sumter, would increase public awareness of safe disposal of prescription drugs by requiring pharmacists and prescribers to notify patients of proper and safe disposal options.

S-2371, sponsored by Senator Barnes, would improve our understanding of overdose trends by requiring the state poison control to establish a clearinghouse of drug overdose information.

S-2372/ A-1436, sponsored by Senators Madden and Oroho/ Assemblywomen Caride and Mosquera, would create a Statewide Opioid Law Enforcement Task Force to identify, investigate and prosecute illegal sources and distribution of opiate drugs and to provide training for law enforcement, physicians, pharmacists and other health care professionals to detect and divert drug abuses.

S-2373, sponsored by Senators Vitale and Addiego, would provide consumers with a better understanding of treatment options by requiring the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to annually compare and rank substance abuse providers.

S-2374, sponsored by Senators Vitale and Singer, would increase the rate that Medicaid providers are reimbursed for evidence-based behavioral health care to the going market-rate, which in turn will increase the number of practitioners willing to take Medicaid patients.

S-2375, sponsored by Senator Vitale, would remove red tape that keeps ambulatory care facilities from providing behavioral health care services without multiple licenses.

S-324*/A-2266**, sponsored by Senator Gordon/ Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle and Assemblyman Lagana, would create a Behavioral Health Insurance Claim Advocacy Program to provide assistance and advocacy in navigating insurance bureaucracy to those with behavioral health care conditions.

S-2180*/A-3450**, sponsored by Senator Gordon/ Assemblywomen Vainieri Huttle and Pinkin, would ensure that those with behavioral health care conditions are eligible through their insurance to receive services prescribed by licensed physicians, physician assistances, psychologists, clinical social workers and certified advance practice nurses by prohibiting insurance companies to deny coverage through their own utilization management review.

S-2376, sponsored by Senators Vitale and Gordon, would help doctors coordinate with specialists through telecommunications rather than expensive face-to-face patient visits by creating a grant in the Department of Health to expand remote medical consolations.

S-2377, sponsored by Senators Barnes and Vitale, would require New Jersey's colleges and universities to provide substance abuse recovery housing options.

S-2047, sponsored by Senators Kyrillos and Vitale, would ensure that the Department of Human Services have regulatory oversight of substance abuse treatment facilities;

S-2378, sponsored by Senators Vitale and Singer, would extend the
Overdose Prevention Act to provide immunity to law enforcement professionals for delivery of an overdose antidote and would require all syringe access programs to carry and dispense the antidote to needle exchange participants.

S-2379, sponsored by Senators Vitale and Lesniak, would create a three-year pilot program to enroll pre-trial incarcerated individuals in Medicaid, providing more individuals with coverage and eligibility to enroll in court supervised substance abuse treatment programs.

S-2380, sponsored by Senators Vitale and Lesniak, would ensure that inmates are receiving treatment approved by the agency with the most appropriate expertise and experience by requiring joint regulatory authority over prison-based mental health and substance abuse programs between the Department of Corrections and the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

S-2381, sponsored by Senators Vitale and Lesniak, would permit successful completion of certain drug treatment programs operating in state prisons and prohibition drug court programs for those who are using certain medication assisted treatment such as methadone.

*Bills that have been previously introduced in the Senate.
** Bills that have been previously introduced in the General Assembly