SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 929

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 13, 2023

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 929.

      As amended by the committee, this bill increases the amount of cigarette and other tobacco products tax revenues provided to the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research (NJCCR) to $10 million.  The bill also establishes a dedicated, non-lapsing Cancer Research Fund within the Department of the Treasury.  In doing so, the bill prioritizes funding: 1) to expand the NJCCR’s capacity to fund research regarding the causes, prevention, treatment, and palliation of all cancers and to serve as a resource of information to providers and consumers of cancer care and treatment services; and 2) for cancer research grants that reduce and eliminate disparities among the various racial and ethnic populations within the State’s minority and vulnerable communities by increasing access to clinical trials and high-quality cancer care and treatment. 

      Pursuant to current statute, the NJCCR annually receives $1 million in cigarette and other tobacco products tax revenues.  This money is deposited into an existing lapsing Cancer Research Fund and then appropriated to the commission.  In recent years, pursuant to the annual appropriations act, this money has been transferred from the Cancer Research Fund to the General Fund.  The appropriations act then provides the NJCCR funding via a budget line.  Despite the statutory requirement, in FY 2022, the NJCCR was appropriated $4 million in funding. 

      Under the bill, the existing lapsing Cancer Research Fund is replaced by a non-lapsing, revolving fund.  This fund is to be the repository of the $10 million in cigarette and other tobacco products tax revenues deposited into the account under the bill and any other funds approved by the Department of Health or the NJCCR.  Moneys deposited in the fund, and any interest earned thereon, are to be used exclusively for providing grants for cancer research projects authorized and approved by the commission, with at least $5 million to be used to fund general cancer research and at least $5 million to be used to fund pediatric cancer research. 

      The State Treasurer will be the custodian of the fund and all disbursements from the fund are to be made by the State Treasurer upon vouchers signed by the chairperson of the NJCCR or the chairperson’s designee.  The monies in the fund are to be invested and reinvested by the Director of the Division of Investment in the Department of the Treasury in the same manner as other trust funds in the custody of the State Treasurer, in the manner provided by law.  Interest received on the monies in the fund are to be credited to the fund.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments add language specifying that, of the $10 million to be annually appropriated to the Cancer Research Fund under the bill, $5 million is to be used to fund general cancer research and $5 million is to be used to fund pediatric cancer research.

      The committee amendments make a technical change to address a formatting issue.