TRENTON – As the post-election lame duck season begins, the Senate and Assembly both opened the quorum call this week, allowing for new legislation to be introduced.
In the Senate, a few interesting bills hit the table.
Women’s health care returns to the fore with S3087. Sponsored by state Sens. Diane Allen, (R-7), of Edgewater Park, and Jennifer Beck, (R-11), of Red Bank, the bill proposes a supplemental appropriation for the FY12 budget of up to $6.3 million for women’s health programs, the focus of Democratic forces earlier in 2011. According to the bill, the funds are available but not appropriated, and would not be usable for abortion services.
Another bill, S3096, sponsored by state Sens. Barbara Buono, (D-18), of Metuchen, and Joe Vitale, (D-19), of Woodbridge, would expand the jurisdiction of the Division of Rate Counsel to include authority to represent and protect the public interest in proceedings that pertain to insurance carriers seeking rate increases for health benefits plans offered through the New Jersey Individual Health Coverage Program or the New Jersey Small Employer Health Benefits Program.
A complement to S2893 – a not-yet-passed law which requires prior approval by the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance for any rate increases for plans in the health programs after public hearings – this bill includes the Division of Rate Counsel in the prior approval and public hearing processes.
In the Assembly, two bills related to personal injury protection (PIP) auto insurance, a hot topic in the Statehouse, came down.
The first, A4236, sponsored by Assemblymen Vincent Prieto, (D-33), of Secaucus, and John Wisniewski, (D-19), of Sayreville, clarifies that licensed hospitals are not subject to medical fee schedules for the reimbursement of health care providers in connection with PIP insurance coverage.
The second bill, A4254, sponsored by Assemblyman Jon Bramnick, (R-21), of Westfield, clarifies that insured patients and health care providers have the right to access the court system in any dispute regarding the recovery of medical expense benefits or other benefits provided under PIP coverage.
The entire list of bills follows.
Senate:
S3082 (Stack,B) Homeowner assn. meetings-default prov.
S3083 (Stack,B) Plastic and Paper Bag Reduction Act
S3084 (Stack,B) Parole Div-transfer, Dept of Corrections
S3086 (Weinberg,L/Whelan,J) Nurse Faculty Shortage-estab. Task Force
S3087 (Allen,D/Beck,J) Women’s health svcs.;$6.3M
S3088 (Gordon,R) Hurricane Irene victim-cert purch rebate
S3090 (Gordon,R) Marsellus Street Bridge, Bergen Co.;$10M
S3091 (Madden,F/Sweeney,S) S. Jersey Vietnam Vet.-auth. lic. plate
S3092 (Norcross,D) Sch. fac. proj.-use explicit model
S3093 (Codey,R/Lesniak,R) Wrongful imprisonment-incr. comp.
S3094 (Cardinale,G) Sidewalks, cert.-pub. entity not liable
S3095 (Cardinale,G) Pub entity, cert. accidents-immunity
S3096 (Buono,B/Vitale,J) Div of Rate Counsel-expands jurisdiction
S3097 (Bucco,A) Highlands Region-concerns cert. constr
S3098 (Bucco,A) Highlands mun.-concerns gross income tax
S3099 (Gordon,R/Girgenti,J) Emerg Trans
S3100 (Gordon,R) Health Fac. Reuse prog.-estab.
S3101 (Sweeney,S) St. Psych. Hosp Closure Task Force-estab
SR130 (Weinberg,L) NJN emp.-Gov assist, attaining positions
SR131 (O’Toole,K) Cong.-enact leg., nine recommendations
Assembly:
A4226 (Chivukula,U) Solar renewable energy cert.-limits elig
A4227 (Lampitt,P) Psychologists-concerns licensure
A4228 (Amodeo,J/Peterson,E+1) Drunk driv-proh. claims alco bev servers
A4229 (Watson Coleman,B) Emerg. Dept. Triage Referral Pilot Prog.
A4230 (DiCicco,D) St. dept & auth.-make fiscal data public
A4231 (Wagner,C/Gusciora,R) Shipping-proh trans into cert wastewater
A4232 (Watson Coleman,B/Gusciora,R) Govt. records-pub. access thru website
A4233 (O’Scanlon,D/Schaer,G+3) Cell phone seizure-police obtain warrant
A4234 (O’Scanlon,D/Schaer,G+3) GPS seizure-police req to obtain warrant
A4235 (Angelini,M/Casagrande,C) Sch. buses, cert.-permits exterior ads
A4236 (Prieto,V/Wisniewski,J+1) Hosp-not subject to PIP med fee schedule
A4237 (Dancer,R) Pub sch. haz. busing-shared transp. svc.
A4238 (Dancer,R) Xanadu complex-simulcast horse races
A4239 (DiCicco,D) Bus. relocated from Asia-finan. assist.
A4240 (DiCicco,D) Agric. devel. co./mun.-allows
A4241 (DiCicco,D) Costantino’s Law-prisoner release
A4242 (Ramos,R) Jobs, Trade and Democracy Act
A4243 (Ramos,R) Homestead rebate-65 yrs or older, disab.
A4244 (Ramos,R) Oral health curricula-req. pub. sch.
A4245 (Ramos,R) St. bd memb., cert.-permits removal
A4246 (Ramos,R) Charitable org info-publish on internet
A4247 (Ramos,R) Managed care plans-deny participation
A4248 (Burzichelli,J) St investment petroleum commodities-proh
A4249 (DeAngelo,W+6) High academic dist.-estab. reward prog.
A4250 (DeAngelo,W) Backpack safety-permits instruction
A4251 (Holzapfel,J/Wolfe,D) Fishing lic, priv community lake-not req
A4252 (Gusciora,R/Carroll,M+15) Marijuana-decrim. possession, 15 grams
A4253 (DiCicco,D/Rudder,S) Adult Guardianship, Jurisdiction Act
A4254 (Bramnick,J) PIP benf. disputes-access judicial sys.
A4255 (Rudder,S/Diegnan,P) Law enforcement off.-impersonation
A4256 (Albano,N) No-ethanol fuel-permits cert. sale
A4257 (DiMaio,J) Retail Estab. Check Cashers Act
A4258 (DeCroce,A) Co comm bd-change to chosen freeholder
A4259 (Quijano,A) Student loan interest-prov. tax cred.
A4260 (Dancer,R) Standardbred priv fac-excl cert. persons
A4261 (Rumpf,B/Gove,D) Voter id-req. as proof to vote
A4262 (Wisniewski,J/O’Donnell,J+3) Move over law-erect signs
A4263 (DeCroce,A) Pub-priv. transp. demo. proj-auth. Devel
A4264 (Fuentes,A) Urban Hope Act
A4265 (McHose,A/Rible,D+1) Retired law enforcement off.-issue id
A4266 (Evans,E/Johnson,G) Hand-held cell phone-reckless driv.
ACR203 (DeAngelo,W/Giblin,T+1) Collective bargaining-pub. emp right
ACR204 (McKeon,J/Barnes,P) Extra-judicial activities-permits
ACR205 (Ramos,R) Trade agreement-Leg consent, St approval
AJR83 (Bucco,A) Foster Care Mo.-desig. May
AJR84 (O’Scanlon,D/Casagrande,C) Housing Urban Devel-approve base closure
AR172 (DiCicco
,D) Interstate auth.-release fiscal info.
AR173 (DiCicco,D) Stink bug eradication-EPA approve
AR174 (DiCicco,D) Brown marmorated stick bug-id
AR175 (Chivukula,U/McKeon,J) Greenhouse Gas Initiative-participation
