Among Bills Also on Tap: Fee-for-Service Monitoring, Improved Freight Rail Safety, Expanded Infertility Coverage, Property Tax Relief Program Awareness, Veterans Housing & Jobs & Diabetes Management
(TRENTON) – Testimony on the status of New Jersey’s Paid Family Leave program and legislation to better protect children from lead poisoning, halt Christie administration efforts to weaken drinking water protections, make college more affordable and allow community service in lieu of paying motor vehicle surcharges highlight Thursday’s Assembly committee hearings.
Bills to monitor the Christie administration’s change to fee-for-service for mental health and substance use disorder treatment, improve freight rail safety, requires property tax bills to contain eligibility information on state tax relief programs, improve veterans housing and jobs services, expanded infertility coverage for same-sex couples and require Medicaid coverage for diabetes self-management education are also on tap.
The meetings are slated to begin at 10 a.m. and will be streamed live at:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/media/live_audio.asp
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
· The Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Reform and Federal Relations will take testimony at 2 p.m. about the status of New Jersey’s Paid Family Leave program.
· A3539 (Muoio/Chiaravalloti/Gusciora/Caputo/Mukherji/Johnson/Sumter) – Requires public and nonpublic schools to test for and remediate lead in drinking water, and disclose test results; and A3411 (Muoio/Benson/Singleton/Greenwald/Pinkin/Spencer/ Downey/Sumter) – Requires DOH regulations regarding elevated blood lead levels in children, and appropriate responses thereto, to be consistent with latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· ACR192 (McKeon/Muoio/Benson) – Determines that DEP’s proposal to amend septic system density standards in Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act Rules is inconsistent with legislative intent. 2 p.m. Regulatory Oversight and Reform and Federal Relations.
· A4084 (Schaer/Jasey/Benson/Mukherji) – Requires Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to establish income-driven repayment option and loan rehabilitation program for borrowers under New Jersey College Loans to Assist State Students (NJCLASS) Loan Program; A4085 (Schaer/Jasey/Vainieri Huttle/Benson) – Establishes “Succeed in New Jersey” student loan reimbursement program for certain New Jersey residents employed in designated fields; and A4087 (Schaer/Jasey/Muoio/Benson) – Establishes “New Jersey College Ready Students Program Act”; provides tuition-free dual enrollment opportunity at county college for certain high school students. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· A3335 (Sumter/Pintor Marin/Wimberly) – Establishes program allowing certain applicants to perform community service in lieu of paying motor vehicle surcharges. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· A4196 (Vainieri Huttle/Benson/Lampitt/Johnson/McKnight) – Provides for monitoring and evaluation of transition of mental health and substance use disorder treatment service system to fee-for-service reimbursement model. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· A2463 (Eustace/Vainieri Huttle/Caride/Muoio/Lagana/Lampitt) – Requires owner or operator of certain trains to have discharge response, cleanup, and contingency plans to transport certain hazardous materials by rail; requires NJ DOT to request bridge inspection reports from US DOT. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· A1447 (Lampitt/Vainieri Huttle/McKeon/Mukherji/Holley/Caride/Downey) – Expands infertility coverage under certain health insurance plans. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· A4375 (Houghtaling/Downey) – Requires property tax bills to contain eligibility information on State tax relief programs. 2 p.m. State and Local Government.
· A306 (Singleton/Tucker/Lampitt/Johnson/Danielsen) – “New Jersey Housing Assistance for Veterans Act,” establishes pilot program to assist certain veterans with housing modification and rehabilitation; appropriates $5 million. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· A460 (Mazzeo/Eustace/Pinkin/Lampitt/Quijano./Schaer/Downey/Danielsen) – Expands eligibility for veterans civil service preference. 1 p.m. Appropriations.
· A2993 (Conaway/Pinkin/Sumter/Wimberly/McKnight/Mukherji) – Requires Medicaid coverage for diabetes self-management education, training, services, and equipment for patients diagnosed with diabetes, gestational diabetes, and pre-diabetes. 1 p.m. Appropriations.