Health
Bill Advances to Add Vitamin B9 to Corn Masa Products – On June 15, Bill A5119 unanimously passed the bipartisan Assembly Agriculture Committee with amendments. The “Fortifying Corn Masa Act” would require manufacturers to add folic acid, otherwise known as folate or vitamin B9, to corn masa flour to increase the beneficial nutrients. Folate, which is often found in leafy greens, nuts, beans, and fruits like oranges and bananas, is important for the growth and function of red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. Folate deficiencies during pregnancy can lead to neural tube defects in newborns and affects the growth of the spine, brain, and skull during pregnancy. Despite a 1998 federal mandate requiring producers to enrich cereal grains with folic acid, which reduced neural tube defects by 35 percent, Latino communities remain disproportionately affected by severe birth defects from folate nutrient deficiencies. In 2016 the Federal “Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act” identified fortification of corn masa with folic acid as a voluntary action to increase nutrients, but only 10 percent of producers implemented fortification. Bill A5119 would require all corn masa products within New Jersey to be fortified with folic acid within one year of passage.
Legislation Advances to Allow Department of Health to Take Over Operations of Financially Distressed Hospitals – On June 15, Bill A5185 was reported out of the Assembly Health Infrastructure Committee and advanced to a second reading. This legislation would allow for the health care commissioner to block operations of financially distressed healthcare facilities. The state would be able to install a court-appointed person to take over operations if the facility owner fails to take prompt action to address problems. Hospitals in violation of regulations would be penalized by preventing further development and fines would be increased by up to nearly 50,000% ($25 to $12,500). Penalties are scaled according to a facility’s licensed-bed capacity. This bill would strengthen the New Jersey Department of Health’s oversight of health care facilities by increasing civil penalties for licensing and patient care violations. The bill was in response to the closing of Heights University Hospital in Jersey City calling for state intervention to prevent the loss of critical health care infrastructure in New Jersey’s second largest city. The representative of the hospital association argued that the bill lacks specificity and there is already a robust system of acute care oversight. Republicans on the committee abstained over concerns of extensive state regulations already in place.
Assembly Health Committee Advances Telehealth Pay Parity Bill – On June 18, the Assembly Health Committee referred an amended version of Bill A4357 (S3947) to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The bill would require health care providers to be reimbursed at the same rate for telehealth services as for in-person visits. Opponents contend that this constitutes government rate-setting, but supporters argue that pay parity is not rate-setting and that it is necessary to improve access to care, particularly for individuals with mobility challenges or who otherwise face barriers to attending in-person appointments. This legislation would codify a prior policy that was temporarily adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public Administration
Legislation Advances to Establish a Mentorship Program for Beginner Farmers – On June 15, Bill A158 (companion S4334) was unanimously advanced out of the Assembly Commerce, Economic Development, and Agriculture Committee and referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. This legislation would appropriate $5,000,000 to establish a mentorship program for beginner-level farmers in the state to partner with more experienced farmers in a mentorship and guidance program, with the hopes that this transfer of knowledge and real-world experience will create a sustainable legacy plan for the next generation of farmers in the Garden State. Under A158, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture would be tasked with partnering with various other educational and agricultural entities such as the State Agriculture Development Committee, the New Jersey Farm Bureau, county boards of agriculture, and the New Jersey Agricultural Society with Rutgers University to develop this mentorship program.
Bill Introduced to Revise Alcoholic Beverage Licensing – On June 18, New Jersey Assembly Bill A5295 was introduced by Luanne Peterpaul (D-11), which would make revisions to the existing alcoholic beverage licensing requirements in the state of New Jersey. It addresses several aspects of manufacturing and sales, mainly modifying five key areas of alcohol sales. The bill has provides additional clarifications as to what it means to ‘work with vendors,’ meaning that manufacturers can partner with local food vendors to give samples of their product in an open container. Farm breweries would also be allowed to partner with food vendors and freely distribute their products to wholesalers and retailers in other states, but only in compliance with outside state laws. Additionally, alcoholic beverage licensing terms would be extended, as the existing rules stipulate that a license will expire after two years of inactivity, allowing sellers to hold onto their license if they can show a ‘good faith effort’ to renew. Licenses would be transferrable between contiguous municipalities, which refers to places where revitalization is taking place, in connection with specific economic redevelopment plans. Alcohol licenses would also be allowed to be used in stores that are located within shopping malls.
Education
Assembly Education Committee Advances Bill Establishing Fasting Accommodations for Religious Reasons – Originally introduced by Senator Joseph Pennacchio in the Senate as Bill S1340 on January 13, the legislation was referred to the Senate Education Committee, passed by the Senate on May 28, and sent to the Assembly. On June 15, the Assembly Committee Substitute for Bill A2042 was reported out of the Assembly Education Committee with amendments and referred to the Assembly Community Development and Women’s Affairs Committee. (“NJ Legislature,” n.d.) The bill seeks to establish statewide guidance for accommodating students who are fasting for religious or medical reasons, such as Ramadan. Under the bill, the Education and Health Commissioner would be required to jointly develop guidance for schools, including accommodations such as flexibility in physical education classes, alternative educational activities, student support services, communication with parents or guardians, and professional development resources for school staff. It would also permit student athletes to be excused from sports activities during religious holidays such as Ramadan without penalty. The commissioners would also be required to consult with stakeholders in the education community, and the Department of Education would be required to publish the guidance on its website within one year of the bill’s effective date.