Bill > A284

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the Office of the Statewide Opioid Antidote Coordinator in the Department of Human Services. The Commissioner of Human Services will appoint a Statewide Opioid Antidote Coordinator, who will serve at the pleasure of the commissioner. The Statewide Opioid Antidote Coordinator will be required to have prior experience in mental health and substance use disorders, law enforcement, health care, health policy, or procurement and processing. The commissioner will assign administrative and clerical staff as necessary to support the activities of the Statewide Opioid Antidote Coordinator. The Statewide Opioid Antidote Coordinator will be responsible for: 1) overseeing the bulk purchasing and distribution of opioid antidotes on behalf of all State agencies, as well as certain other entities that distribute or administer opioid antidotes, including, but not limited to, emergency medical response entities, law enforcement agencies, recognized places of public access, public and nonpublic schools, and sterile syringe access programs, when those entities request assistance with purchasing opioid antidotes; 2) working and liaising with the Department of Health, the Office of the Attorney General, the New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Coordinator for Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies in the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Governor, and other governmental entities as may be necessary to support those entities in the performance of their duties as those duties relate to the purchase, distribution, and administration of opioid antidotes; and 3) providing information to the public concerning opioid antidotes, including information concerning the nature of opioid antidotes, the administration of opioid antidotes, access to opioid antidotes, and responding to a suspected opioid overdose. The Office of the Statewide Opioid Antidote Coordinator will be supported by such federal funds as may be available for this purpose, as well as by an annual appropriation in an amount as may be needed to ensure the office is fully funded. The Commissioner of Human Services will be required to prepare and submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature describing the activities of the Statewide Opioid Antidote Coordinator over the prior year, including the total quantity of opioid antidotes purchased and distributed by the coordinator, the types of entities to which opioid antidotes were distributed and the quantity of opioid antidotes distributed to each type of entity, estimated cost savings realized through the use of bulk purchasing of opioid antidotes, public information and outreach initiatives undertaken by the coordinator, and any other information the commissioner determines to be necessary and appropriate. According to the Department of Health, between June 2017 and April 2021, emergency medical services providers and law enforcement alone administered more than 54,000 doses of opioid antidotes in New Jersey. Opioid antidotes are an essential component of the State's response to the opioid epidemic, and have been a proven resource that saves the lives of New Jerseyans. It is the sponsor's view that, given the critical role opioid antidotes play in responding to the opioid epidemic, it is essential to create an Office of the Statewide Opioid Antidote Coordinator in order to facilitate the ability of State, county, and local governmental entities, as well as law enforcement, first responders, and public health providers, to access, dispense, and administer opioid antidotes in a comprehensive, efficient, and cost-effective manner.

Committee Categories

Michele Matsikoudis (R)*,  Aura Dunn (R),  Vicky Flynn (R),  Gerry Scharfenberger (R), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document