N.J. Stat. tit. 26, ch. 2T

in effect

N.J. Stat. § 26:2T-1 Newly diagnosed Hepatitis C cases; information, reports.

1. The Commissioner of Health shall provide for the inclusion of all newly diagnosed cases of hepatitis C among those communicable diseases which are required to be reported by health care providers or other designated persons to the Department of Health pursuant to N.J.A.C.8:57-1.4 and 8:57-1.5. The commissioner shall require that such information be reported directly to the department, rather than to local health departments, as the commissioner determines necessary to assist the department to develop hepatitis C disease control measures, and shall revise these requirements as necessary to reflect technological advances which improve the ability to diagnose and treat the disease. L.1998, c.116, s.1; amended 2001, c.357, s.6; 2012, c.17, s.305.

N.J. Stat. § 26:2T-2 Written guidance for screening.

2. The Commissioner of Health shall provide written guidance regarding screening for the hepatitis C virus to licensed physicians and public health officers which reflects current and accepted standards of medical and public health practice, consistent with the recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and encourages appropriate screening and diagnosis of all persons at high risk for hepatitis C infection as defined by the federal centers, including, but not limited to: (1) veterans of the United States armed forces; (2) women who underwent a caesarian section or a premature delivery prior to 1990; (3) persons who received blood or blood products prior to 1992; (4) persons who received an organ or tissue transplant prior to 1990; (5) persons who have received invasive cosmetic procedures, including body piercing and tattooing; (6) persons who have a history of multiple sexually transmitted diseases or multiple partners; (7) persons with a history of intravenous drug use; and (8) such other categories of persons at high risk for hepatitis C infection as may be determined by the commissioner. L.1998, c.116, s.2; amended 2012, c.17, s.306.

N.J. Stat. § 26:2T-3 Provision of information materials to physicians, public health officers.

3. The Commissioner of Health shall make available to licensed physicians and public health officers, in printed and electronic format, hepatitis C education and prevention information materials which reflect the recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other relevant entities, including, but not limited to, the American Liver Foundation, for distribution to persons at high risk for hepatitis C infection as described in section 2 of this act. L.1998, c.116, s.3; amended 2012, c.17, s.307.

N.J. Stat. § 26:2T-4 Rules, regulations.

4. The Commissioner of Health, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act. L.1998, c.116, s.4; amended 2012, c.17, s.308.

N.J. Stat. § 26:2T-5 Findings, declarations relative to Hepatitis C.

1. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. Hepatitis C is a silent killer, being largely asymptomatic until irreversible liver damage may have occurred; b. Hepatitis C has been characterized by the World Health Organization as a disease of primary concern to humanity; c. Hepatitis C currently infects approximately 4.5 million persons in the United States; and each year, there are some 30,000 new infections nationwide; d. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that approximately 12,000 persons die annually from the consequences of hepatitis C, and this number continues to grow each year; e. It is estimated that approximately 200,000 New Jersey citizens are infected with hepatitis C; f. The disease is considered to be such a public health threat that the United States Department of Health and Human Services has initiated a comprehensive plan to address this significant health problem, beginning with the identification of, and notification to, hundreds of thousands of persons who were inadvertently exposed to hepatitis C through blood transfusions; g. In the absence of a vaccine for hepatitis C, emphasis must be placed on other means of awareness and prevention of this disease, including, but not limited to, education of persons at high risk for hepatitis C as defined by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the U.S. Department of Labor, including but not limited to, police officers, correctional officers, firefighters, including volunteers, health care workers, emergency services personnel, employees of the State's developmental centers and the general public; and h. New Jersey has established itself at the forefront of the fight against hepatitis C by becoming the first State in the nation to establish a comprehensive awareness program pursuant to P.L.1998, c.116 (C.26:2T-1 et seq.), and through the enactment of this act will ensure an optimal approach to controlling this lethal disease. L.2001,c.357,s.1.

N.J. Stat. § 26:2T-6 Definitions relative to hepatitis C.

2. As used in this act: "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Health. "HCV" means the hepatitis C virus. "Program" means the hepatitis C education, prevention, and screening program established pursuant to this act. L.2001, c.357, s.2; amended 2012, c.17, s.309.

N.J. Stat. § 26:2T-7 Hepatitis C education, prevention and screening program.

3. In consultation with the hepatitis C advisory board established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2001, c.357 (C.26:2T-8), the Commissioner of Health shall establish a hepatitis C education, prevention, and screening program that includes, but is not limited to, measures directed to physicians and other health care workers, police officers, correctional officers, firefighters, emergency services personnel, employees of the State's developmental centers, and the general public. The program shall be established in accordance with accepted public health practice and recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Surgeon General of the United States, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the National Institutes of Health and the American Liver Foundation and within the limits of resources available for the purposes thereof. a. For the purposes of this program, the commissioner shall develop and implement the following: (1) public education and outreach to raise awareness of hepatitis C among persons at high risk for hepatitis C as described in section 2 of P.L.1998, c.116 (C.26:2T-2), which includes police officers, firefighters, persons employed by correctional facilities, emergency response personnel, and other high-risk groups, including, but not limited to, health care professionals and persons employed in primary care settings or health care facilities, which shall include, at a minimum, information on risk factors, the value of early detection and the options available for treating hepatitis C; (2) measures to promote public awareness about the availability of hepatitis C screening, prevention and treatment services among persons at high risk for hepatitis C as determined by the commissioner based upon data provided by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Surgeon General of the United States, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the National Institutes of Health and the American Liver Foundation, and any other nationally recognized liver societies; (3) educational activities for health care professionals in regard to the epidemiology, natural history, detection, and treatment of hepatitis C, which shall include information about coinfection with HCV and HIV and the implications of coinfection for HIV or AIDS treatment; (4) educational and informational measures targeted at specific groups, including, but not limited to, activities designed to educate youth about the long-term consequences of infection with HCV; (5) measures to prevent further transmission of HCV and to prevent onset of chronic liver disease caused by hepatitis C through outreach to detect and treat chronic HCV infection; and (6) a collaborative effort with the Department of Corrections to develop screening services to identify inmates at risk for hepatitis C upon admission, and to provide education and counseling about treatment options to reduce the potential health risk to the community from these persons. b. The commissioner shall evaluate existing hepatitis C support services in the community and assess the need for improving the quality and accessibility of these services. c. The commissioner shall seek to establish public-private partnerships to promote outreach and increase awareness for the purposes of this act among employers, organized labor, health care providers, health insurers, and community-based organizations, and coalitions. d. The commissioner shall take such actions as are reasonably necessary to ensure that the program established pursuant to this act provides clear, complete, and accurate hepatitis C education, information, and referral services in a multiculturally competent manner that is designed to provide appropriate linkages to health care services for persons in need thereof. e. The commissioner shall seek to secure the use of such funds or other resources from private nonprofit or for-profit sources or the federal government to effectuate the purposes of this act as may be available therefor, which shall be used to supplement and shall not supplant State funds used to carry out the purposes of this act. f. The commissioner shall seek, to the maximum extent practicable, to coordinate the activities of the program, as applicable, with services provided separately to specific populations, including, but not limited to, veterans of the United States armed forces, persons participating in private or public substance or alcohol use disorder treatment programs, and persons with HIV. L.2001, c.357, s.3; amended 2012, c.17, s.310; 2017, c.131, s.98.

N.J. Stat. § 26:2T-8 Hepatitis C advisory board.

4. a. The commissioner shall establish a hepatitis C advisory board to provide advice and recommendations to the commissioner on, and to monitor, the implementation and operation of the program, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in meeting its objectives. The advisory board may also provide advice and recommendations to the commissioner on such other matters relating to hepatitis C as a majority of its members deem appropriate. b. The commissioner shall appoint as members of the advisory board persons with a demonstrated expertise and interest in hepatitis C, including, but not limited to, health care professionals and persons with hepatitis C, and including representation among the various geographic regions and ethnic groups within the State. The advisory board shall include four physicians who include one internist, one hematologist and two hepatologists; one clinical researcher specializing in diseases of the liver; and two members who are not physicians or clinical researchers, at least one of whom is a veteran of the United States armed forces who has hepatitis C. c. The members of the advisory board shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. d. The advisory board shall organize as soon as may be practicable after the appointment of its members and shall select a chairman from among its members and a secretary who need not be a member of the board. L.2001,c.357,s.4.

N.J. Stat. § 26:2T-9 Annual report to Governor, Legislature.

5. The commissioner, in consultation with the hepatitis C advisory board, shall report to the Governor and the Legislature, no later than 12 months after the effective date of this act and annually thereafter, on the activities of the program and the effectiveness of the program in meeting its objectives. The report shall clearly describe the guidelines, assessments and strategies employed by the commissioner in developing, implementing and evaluating the program. In addition, the commissioner shall seek to include in the report information on the proportion of acute versus chronic HCV infection among persons with HCV in the State and information about HCV infection that is specific to various populations within the State. The commissioner shall accompany the report with any recommendations that the commissioner desires to make for administrative or legislative action relating to hepatitis C education, prevention, screening or treatment. L.2001,c.357,s.5.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026