TRENTON – Assembly lawmakers approved legislation Thursday proponents say will “smooth the establishment” of a health care exchange program in the state.
The Assembly Health and Senior Services committee released two bills along party lines related to the passage of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The first bill, A2878, would require the commissioner of Banking and Insurance to establish a public awareness campaign about the new federally required health insurance exchange. The second proposal, ACR184, would establish the Joint Legislative Task Force on Health Insurance Exchange Implementation.
“There’s no question that the establishment and implementation of a health insurance exchange is going to be a complex process,” said Assemblyman Herb Conaway, (D-7), the committee’s chairman. “But hopefully this awareness campaign will help make dense subject matter far more accessible and understandable to the general public.”
Both proposals cleared the committee along party lines.
The committee also released several other bills:
A3628/S2353, would add one member to the New Jersey Epilepsy Task Force and extends the task force for one year.
AJR54/SJR11, would designate June 7 of each year as Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia Awareness Day.
A3047/S1911, would require that instances of sudden cardiac events in children be reported to a statewide database.