Bill
Bill > S4026
NJ S4026
NJ S4026Requires DOH to evaluate hospital compliance with federal hospital price transparency requirements.
summary
Introduced
03/19/2026
03/19/2026
In Committee
03/19/2026
03/19/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill provides that the Department of Health (department) is to require each hospital in this State to be in compliance with federal hospital price transparency requirements under 45 C.F.R. Part 180 and to evaluate whether each hospital has complied with such requirements. If the department concludes that a hospital is noncompliant with one or more of the federal requirements, the department may take any of the following actions: (1) provide a written warning notice to a hospital of a specific violation; (2) request a corrective action plan from the hospital if its noncompliance constitutes a material violation; or (3) impose a civil monetary penalty on the hospital and publish the penalty on the department's website if the hospital fails to respond to the department's request to submit a corrective action plan or comply with the requirements of the corrective action plan. A material violation may include a hospital's failure to publish its standard charges. A hospital's corrective action plan is to specify elements including: (1) the corrective actions or processes the hospital is to take to address the deficiency identified by the department; and (2) the timeframe by which the hospital is to complete the corrective action. The department may impose a civil monetary penalty on a hospital that violates any of the federal hospital price transparency requirements under 45 C.F.R. Part 180 or any of the bill's provisions. A hospital is to pay the civil monetary penalty in full within 60 calendar days after the date of the notice of imposition of a civil monetary penalty. A hospital upon which the department has imposed a penalty may appeal that penalty. If a hospital does not request a hearing within 30 calendar days of the issuance of a notice of imposition of a civil monetary penalty, the department may impose the civil monetary penalty indicated in such notice and may impose additional penalties in response to continuing violations without the right of appeal.
AI Summary
This bill requires the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure that all hospitals in the state comply with federal hospital price transparency requirements, which are outlined in 45 C.F.R. Part 180 and mandate that hospitals make their standard charges publicly available. The DOH will monitor hospitals for compliance, potentially through reviewing complaints, analyzing noncompliance reports, and auditing hospital websites. If a hospital is found to be noncompliant, the DOH can issue a written warning, request a corrective action plan for significant violations (such as failing to publish standard charges), or impose financial penalties if the hospital doesn't submit or follow the plan. These penalties, which vary based on hospital size, will be published on the DOH website, and hospitals have the right to appeal penalties, but failure to request a hearing within 30 days can lead to the penalty being imposed without further appeal. The DOH will also report annually on hospital compliance to the Governor and Legislature.
Committee Categories
Health and Social Services
Sponsors (1)
Last Action
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 03/19/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/S4026 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/S4500/4026_I1.HTM |
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